He meant, he said, to withdraw himself privately: and the inhabitants must then try to make good terms for themselves.
He went through the form of holding a council of war; but from this council he excluded all those officers of the garrison whose sentiments he knew to be different from his own.

Some, who had ordinarily been summoned on such occasions, and who now came uninvited, were thrust out of the room.

Whatever the Governor said was echoed by his creatures.
Cunningham and Cunningham's companions could scarcely venture to oppose their opinion to that of a person whose local knowledge was necessarily far superior to theirs, and whom they were by their instructions directed to obey.

One brave soldier murmured.

"Understand this," he said, "to give up Londonderry is to give up Ireland." But his objections were contemptuously overruled, [196] The meeting broke up.