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THE ROMANCE OF THE DEVOLUTION.

Escape of Marion.

THE ROMANCE

OF THE

REVOLUTION. BEING
A HISTORY OF THE PERSONAL ADVENTURES, HEROIC EXPLOITS,
AND ROMANTIC INCIDENTS, AS ENACTED IN
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.
EDITED BY
OLIVER B. BUNCE.

NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY BUNCE & BROTHER,
134 Nassau Street.
1854.

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1852, by
BUNCE & BROTHER,
in the clerk's office, of the District Court of the Southern District of
New York.

Stereotyped by Bell & Russell, 13 Spruce street.

CO NTENTS

Page.
Introduction, - - . . . jj
Stories and Anecdotes of Washington, - - 31
Adventures of Marion, - - - 46
A Romantic Story, - - - . - 58
Capture, Imprisonment and Escape of Gen. Wadsworth, 62
Gallant Enterprise of Major Barton, - - 69
An Interesting Story, - - . -75
A Thrilling Narrative, - - - - 82
The Story of an Old Soldier, - - - 86
Adventures of the Brothers Sammons, - - 92
Narrative of Frederick Sammons, ... 102
Deborah Sampson, - UO
Joseph Bettys, - - - - -117
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, - 122
Thrilling Adventure of Lieut. Slocumb, - - 131
Execution of. Col. Isaac Hayne, - 139
Adventures of Major General Clinton, - - 142
Adventures of Lieut. Richard Dale, - - 144
Miss Moncrieffe, - - - - - 147

Vlll CONTENTS. Page.
An Extraordinary Adventure, ... 150
Miss Moore, ------ 162
Adventures of Mr. Ferris, ... 165
Exploits of Sergeant Jasper, - - - 172
An Act of Mercy Rewarded, - - - 176
Captain Nathan Hale, - - - - 179
Capture op Captain Harper, - - - 184
A Desperate Encounter, .... 190
Anecdotes of Col. Horry, ... 193
A High Spirited Family, - - - - 197
Escape of Captain Plunkett, ... 201
Attempted Abduction of Gen. Schuyler, - - 203
Adventures of Dr. Caldwell, ... 206
Colonel Willett, ..... 209
Intrepid Conduct of Major James, - - 212
A Novel Situation, - - - - 214
The Death of Major Henley, ... 218
Adventures of Col. Harper, ... 221
Narrow Escape of Col. Snipes, ... 225
A Scene in the Forest, .... 228
A Gallant Combat, - - - - 231
A Gallant Enterprise, - - - - 233
Narrative of Baroness Reidesel, - - 236
Lydia Darrah, - 249
Capture of President Daggett, ... 252
Murder of Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell, ... 255
Captain Cunningham, - - - - 259
Adventure of a Soldier} - - - - 261
Adventures of Gen. Putnam, ... 263

CONTENTS. ix
Pa«e.
Incidents at the Battle of Oriskany, - - 265
Adventure of Col. Cochran, ... 268
Anecdotes of SergeAnt McDonald, ... 270
A Romantic Incident, - - - - • 272
Heroism of a Young Girl, - - - - 273
A Spy in Burgoyne's Camp, - - - 275
Capture of a Tory, - 277
Captain Huddy, - - - - . 279
Colonel Fisher, ..... 281
An Escape from the Prison Ship, - - 284
A Daring Youth, - - - - - 286
Cruelty of the Tories, .... 288
Affecting Scenes, ..... 290
A Story of a Dog, .... 292
Dicey Langston, .... 294
Wonderful Escape from Indians, - - 296
A Patriotic Girl, ..... 302
Trials of a Patriot, .... 304
Mrs. Shubrick, - . . . - 318
The Privateer, - - - . . 321
The Maiden Warrior, .... 323
Major Israel Fearing, - - - - 326
Captivity of Ethan Allen, .... 328
A Fair Exchange, - - - - 334
A Patriot's Sufferings, .... 335
Col. John Small, - - 336
Adventure by two Ladies, - - - - 338
Capture of Gen. Woodhull, ... 339
British Barbarity, .... 340
Adventure of Charles Morgan, ... 341

t CONTENTS. Page.
Exploits on the Frontiers, .... 344
David Elerson, - - - - 344
Attack on Mr. Shankland's House, - - 346
Daring Adventure of a Captive,- - - 348
A Gallant Defence, ... 349
Heroism of a Woman, - - - 350
A Stirring Incident, - - - - 351
A Daring Fellow, - - - 352
A Fearful Encounter, - - - 855
Miscellaneous Anecdotes, - 359
Incidents on the Border, - 414
Appendix, --.... 423
History of the Sons of Liberty. - 423
Appointment of George Washington, - 430
A Revolutionary Relic. - - 428

INTRODUCTION.

The leading events of the War of Independence, are familiar
to every American ; but there has been much recorded of stir
ring incident which is not familiar to the American people, and
much remains yet to be disclosed, connected with even the promi
nent actors in the drama. From time to time, during the last
fifty years, various sketches have appeared, recounting strange
passages in the war ; and these sketches have been sometimes re
plete with extraordinary adventure and romantic situation of the
most novel and thrilling kind ; but they have never, till now,
been collected in any permanent form, and have been in danger,
from merely appearing in the transitory periodicals of the day, of
passing into utter oblivion. And, to preserve these legendary
pictures from such oblivion, and to perpetuate them in the affec
tions of the American people, was the object of this work ; to col
lect these, and other fragments of history, as combined, would
present a history of the romance of the Revolution, and a chroni
cle of the individual heroism, exploits, and adventures of those en
gaged in that struggle.
And it is only by such a history, that we can have a forcible illus
tration of the age, and be enabled to understand and appreciate
all that our forefathers did and suffered for the cause they espoused.
Ponderous histories, that merely chronicle the movements of

XII INTRODUCTION.
armies, or the actions of governments, give but an inadequate
conception of an era. We must look into the hearts of the peo
ple, see their motives and passions, if we would understand the
merits of a contest. If we would understand how England, with
all her wealth and greatness, could not conquer her wretched,
starving colonies, we must go to the firesides of her opponents,
and see in the virtues there nourished, and the love of freedom
there fostered, a solution to the mystery. Ancl to see and feel
this legend were a thousand-fold more potent than cold and
dignified history. By it, the living and breathing age is por
trayed and brought home to our sympathies, in all its vivid reality.
The fireside reminiscence, treasured with sacred reverence, that
gives a fearful page of suffering, and cruelty and blood, wreaked
on those our memory recalls in life, will sooner than the most
studied eloquence of the historian, send us to our pillow with tear
ful sympathy, and thrilling gratitude for dangers past. Such
fragments of history, although they are often excluded as un-
suited to the dignity of history, are the surest preservers of a
people's patriotism, and the most certain link between the pre
sent and former ages.
This volume, therefore, in being the legendary part of the
history, will promote a better knowledge of the spirit of .the time,
than can be derived from most any other source. Not that it is
claimed to possess anything new, but the minute details of indi
vidual suffering and bravery, have been gathered together ; the
broken and diffuse rays have been centered into one focus, and
the result is a romantic history, scarcely to be equalled. By this
the reader sees, not the action of armies, but of the people. He
enters directly into their spirit. He suffers, dares, and forbears
with them. He feels all their manifold grievances, and bears with

INTRODUCTION. XIII
them the burthen laid upon their shoulders. All the minute
springs of the contest are developed, and in the battle we see the
impulse of each heart, and the despair or joy of the individual
combatant; rejoice with him in the accomplishment of his
cherished revenge, or weep over his untimely fate. In short, we
are transported to the scenes, and become actors in the drama,
whereas, in the loftier air of history, we are only spectators.
It is undoubtedly a truth, that injustice promotes injustice ; a
wrong begun is only maintained by wrong continued. The first
sontest of England with America, sprang from tyranny; she
was the aggressor, the offending party ; and it seems to have been
a moral consequence, that a war, thus unrighteous, should have
been characterised by an entire violation of every humane and
bonorable purpose. The chivalry of the British soldier was compro
mised by an invasion so monstrous, and this principle once ban
ished, there was nothing to restrain the sway of brutal passion,
and cruelty and blood-thirstiness, were suffered to grow and foster
in every breast. Never has England been engaged in a contest
which has left so uneffaceable a stain as the struggle with
America. The long established reputation of her army for
courage and humanity, was sacrificed for the stigma of cruelty and
ferocity ; and this stigma became affixed upon all concerned in the
war. What say the present English historians, of Rawdon, Tarle-
ton and Cunningham ? What can future ages say of those
arch-instruments of wrong and oppression ? Their history re
mains a monument of England's wrong ; and by their deeds alone
could future ages determine the merits of the contest. Those
who are impelled to a course by a sense of right, those who are
engaged in the defence of a principle, never ar« guilty of cruelty

XIV INTRODUCTION.
and oppression ; the sacredness of their cause, preserve their
names unstained, and their souls unblemished.
But perhaps the fact that we were rebels, aside from the injus
tice of their invasion, may have goaded them on to ferocity.
Enghsh history shows that that's a name on which the English
bestow no sympathy, and for those thus ranked they allow no
mercy. Such beings are without the pale of humanity, and are
not to be treated with any faith, with whom no obligations are
binding, and to whom no pity is due. With such severity, at
least, were the rebel Scots treated on the sanguinary field of Cul-
loden. We are all familiar with the atrocities committed on that
day ; how, by the commands of the inhuman butcher, the Duke
of Cumberland, the hapless Scots were shot down, bayoneted,
and murdered, long after they had surrendered, and even while
they were begging for quarter.
But, indeed, the extent which British cruelty was inflicted upon
us in the memorable contest of the Revolution, is scarcely appre
ciated by our countrymen. Nothing equals the determined,
blood-thirsty fury which characterised it in some quarters of the
union. It was almost a war of extermination in the South.
There young lads were often shot down, that they might not
live to be full-grown rebels, and mothers brutally murdered, that
they might bring forth no more enemies to the king. Among
the people in villages, and in the open country, existed the
greatest suffering, and often were manifested the noblest heroism,
the loftiest patriotism, and the grandest fortitude. With such
ferocity were they pursued by the British soldiery, that their
only retreat became the army. At no moment were they
safe. Neither in their beds, by their firesides, nor on the high
ways. Daily and nightly murder frightened the time with their

INTRODUCTION. XV
atrocities. Reckless marauders traversed the country in all di
rections ; sparing neither age, sex, nor infancy. Nightly, the red
flame glared upon the horizon, and houseless children hung over
the desecrated and butchered forms of their parents. Bitter the
hatred, malignant the revenge, that, on such occasions, would
spring into existence, destined to find retribution in torrents of
blood. It is claimed, that these atrocities were mostly chargeable upon
the tories. This is partly true ; but it would have been impossible
for any class of beings to have exceeded the ferocity of the Hessian
hirelings. And the fiercest renegade in the whole South, could
not have equalled the dark deeds of Tarleton. And as an evi
dence that not the tories, nor the marauders alone, but the Bri
tish army, and not the mere ignorant and brutalized privates,
but many of the officers, the high-minded, honorable and chival-
ric officers, were cognizant of the cruelties and atrocities prac
tised, we subjoin an extract from a letter, written by an officer in
General Eraser's battalion, engaged in the unfortunate Battle of
Long Island, which shows the spirit that actuated our enemies
in that oppressive war. This is the extract : " The Hessians and
our brave Highlanders gave no quarters ; and it was a fine sight
to see with what alacrity they despatched the rebels with their
bayonets, after we had surrounded them so they could not resist !
We took care to tell the Hessians that the rebels had resolved to
give no quarter — to them in particular — which made them fight
desperately, and put to death all that came in their hands.''
What are we to think of such savage and diabolic conduct ?
But of all atrocities, those committed in the prisons and prison-
ships of New York, are the most execrable ; and, indeed, there
is nothing in history to excel the barbarities there inflicted. It is

XVI INTRODUCTION.
stated that the enormous number of nearly twehjp thousand
American prisoners "suffered death by their inhuman, cruel,
savage and barbarous usage on board the filthy and malignant
. British prison-ship, called the Jersey, lying in New York.'' This
number, possibly, may be exaggerated, but adding those who
died and were poisoned in the infected jmsons within the city, a
much larger number would be necessary to include all- of those
who suffered by command of British generals in New York. The
scenes enacted within these prisons, almost exceed belief. We
need not go to the dark ages for deeds of crime and terror, when
this more modem history is before us. There were several prisons
in the city, but the most terrible of them all was the Provost,
(now the Hall of Records.) This was under the charge of one
Cunningham, the like of whom, for unpitying, relentless cruelty,
the world has never produced. He had a love for inflicting tor
ture ; it was his passion, his besotted appetite ; he seemed to live
upon the agony of human beings ; their groans were his music,
and their sufferings his pastime. He thirsted for blood, and took
an eager delight in murder. He stopped the rations of the pri
soners, and sold them to add to the luxuries of his own table,
whilst his victims were starving to death. They were crowded
into rooms where there was not space to lay down, with no
blankets to protect them from the cold, to which the unglazed
windows exposed them, while they were suffering from fevers,
thirst and hunger. In the summer months epidemics raged
among them, and they were denied medicine or attendance, and
compelled to breathe damp and putrid air. The dead bodies
were carried in cartfulls, cast into holes prepared for the purpose,
and a bare covering of soil thrown over them. But hear what
Cunningham himself says of his own acts. Our readers will re-

INTRODUCTION. XV11
member that this man, in 1791, committed forgery in London,
was apprehended, tried and executed, before which event he
made his dying speech and confession. We give an extract from
it : "I shudder to think of the murders I have been accessory
to, both with and without orders from the government, espe
cially in New York, during which time there were more than
two thousand prisoners starved in the different prisons, by stop
ping their rations, which I sold. There were also two hundred
and seventy-five American prisoners and obnoxious persons exe
cuted, out of all which number there was only about one dozen
public executions, which chiefly consisted of British and Hessian
deserters. The mode for private executions was thus conducted :
A guard was despatched from the Provost, about half-past twelve
at night, to the Barrack street, and the neighborhood of the up
per barracks, to order the people to shut their window shutters
and put out their lights, forbidding them, at the same time, to
presume to look out of then- windows and doors on pain of death,
after which the unfortunate prisoners were conducted, gagged,
just behind the upper barracks, and hung without ceremony, and
there buried by the Black Pioneer of the Provost." And these
murders were the common, nightly pastime of this monster. If
utter and irremediable depravity ever' existed in the heart of a
human being, it was in that of Cunningham.
The scenes that were enacted on board the Jersey and other
prison-ships, are almost too horrible to relate. They were one
unrelieved succession of horrors. Oppression, tyranny that
gloated in its power and revelled in its crimes, suffering, sickness,
agony unutterable, and death! Over eleven thousand victims
consigned to untimely graves by the ferocity of their oppressors !
Where, in the history of wrong, can we find a page so black and

XV111 INTRODUCTION.
damned as this ? Within these ships were crowded all classes
and all ages, from infancy to decrepid age, and here they lived in
darkness, with scarcely sufficient air to breathe, and that so foul,
a light could not burn in it ; some dead, dying, or delirious with
fever ; prayers and blasphemies filling the air ; then- bodies over
run with vermin ; crowded up to dead and corrupted bodies ; no
food but what was polluted and repugnant to the stomach, often
crazed with thirst ; no relief, no pity, no hope ; nothing but death
— death in its most horrible forms— suffering and anguish ! The
imagination cannot picture the scene in all its horrors. Some
times a dying wretch would creep to the guard and beg a drop
of water to quench his raging thirst ; his answer would be a
curse, a kick, or perhaps the thrust of a bayonet, which would
end his agony at once.* On one occasion, while quite a large
body of prisoners were gathered at the grate at the hatchway to
obtain fresh air, a sentinel for mere pastime thrust his bayonet
down among them, and twenty-five next morning were found to
be dead. And this demoniac spirit was practised more than
once.f We turn from the contemplation of this picture with
sickening horror. Great God ! can it be possible, that deeds like
these could have been enacted by thy creatures S
* At one time two young brothers were sent on board the Jersey. The
elder took the fever and in a few days beeome delirious. One night, as he
was dying, he became calm and sensible, and begged for a little water. His
brother with tears entreated the guard to give him some, but in vain. The
sick youth was soon in his last struggles, when his brother offered the
guard a guinea for an inch of candle only, that he might see his brother die.
Even this was refused. " Now," said he, drying up his tears, " if it please
God that I ever regain my liberty, I'll be a most bitter enemy." He re
gained his liberty, re-joined the army, and when the war ended, he had
eight long and one hundred and twenty-seven small notches on his rifle
stock ! — Life of Silas Talbot.
-f History of Martyrs?

INTRODUCTION. XIX
In examining the history of the revolution, we are struck by
the vast difference in the physical condition of the two armies.
On one side was luxury and ease, on the other every kind of
privation. Our invaders had gold to command every want, while
our own soldiers had only principle by which to fight and starve.
When the British soldier went into the field he had comfort
able clothing on his back and plenty of food in his stomach ; he
was animated by martial array, and inspirited by the confidence
of victory. He had also his comfortable quarters, and he was
rarely oppressed by onerous duties. But the American fought
naked and starving. Death was only a relief from misery,
his prospects were dark, and when in the battle, he had nothing
but his consciousness of right to animate him. It is wonderful
to think how the army was kept together. It is difficult to re
alize how even the loftiest patriotism could keep men in the
field, where the chances of success were so small, and their suffer
ing so great. Nothing but their noble self-devotion, unparalelled
in the world, kept them together. How can posterity be
lieve that in the battle of Eutaw Springs, as stated by Greene
himself, that hundreds of his men were as naked as they were
born ! Their loins were galled by the cartouch-boxes, and a
folded rag, or tuft of grass, saved their shoulders from the same
injury by the musket.* What magic was it that held men to
gether in such a guise ! What was it, but a principle of right,
that mighty lever which no power can restrain, and which will
eventually accomplish its triumphs !
Not only the men, but officers and all suffered alike. Major
* Johnson's Life of General Greene.

XX INTRODUCTION.
Garden* states that often there was but one uniform among a
dozen officers, and that these took turn in wearing it when in
vited 'to head-quarters. Garden gives another anecdote to show
the privations of the officers. Dr. Fayssoux called at the hut of
General Ruger, of the southern army, but was refused admission
by the sentinel. The Doctor insisted upon his right to enter,
which the sentinel denied, when the General hearing the alter
cation, desired the sentinel to let his friend pass. " Pardon me,
Doctor," said the General, who lay upon the ground wrapped
up in his military cloak, " for giving you so ungracious a recep
tion ; but the fact is, the chances of war have robbed me of every
comfort, and I confine myself to solitude, and an old cloak, while
my washerwoman prepares for a future occasion, the only shirt
I own." The many acts of chivalrous heroism which were performed by
those who thus suffered and forebore in our revolutionary contest,
if the truth could be told, and they possessed that distance which
lends enchantment to view, would be found to possess more real
chivalry, than the chronicles of that age affords in which our
fondness for the dim, uncertain events that are traced upon the
horizon of the past, has made us stamp as peculiarly the age of
romantic bravery. If motive constitutes an evidence whereby the
actions of men should be judged, then assuredly the deeds of our
forefathers, must in the impartial judgment of every age, and in
the verdict of the future, which shall from a higher point of view,
look and pronounce judgment on the actions of all the past that
shall be spread out before it, and all alike be surrounded by the
softening and harmonious lines of distance, be admitted to as
* Garden's Anecdotes of the Revolution.

INTRODUCTION. XXI
lofty eminence; as all the half-fabulous wonders performed- by the
poet-sung heroes of the olden time. If by motive, our heroes
should be judged, they would rank above many of those it is
the pride of the world to honor. In old Greece and Rome two
passions combined to urge men on to heroism — a love of glory
and love of country. In the middle ages it was purely a passion
for glory, a thirst for renown in prowess, that actuated and con
trolled those mailed warriors. But with the hero of the Revolu
tion, an unmixed and pure patriotism ; a true, undivided, and
earnest devotion to his country, for' which he would often sacri
fice glory itself, for which he would be content to bear the " scorns
and whips of time," was the sole passion of his breast. Those
who figured in the chivalrous ages, possessed more of the " pride,
pomp and circumstance of glorious war," than did our plain,
simple, uncouth, and " unnamed demi-gods." They were sur
rounded by a glorious halo, through which men look entranced.
A barbaric splendor accompanied alt their movements, and the
soft touches of love, and the gilded decoration of art, invest them
with a softened and marvellous coloring. With flaunting ban
ners, caparisoned steeds, silken canopies, brilliant costumes, jewel
ed weapons, and nodding plumes ; with attending pages, glitter
ing retinues, and imposing pomp ; with a dramatic show and
glitter of war that fired and delighted the imagination, and
steeped men's senses in bewildering wonder, — by all such means
they presented a gorgeous spectacle. And then again in
their huge castles, with battlements and towers, and ramparts,
with tapestried halls, and brilliant feasts, where beauty and song
swayed, and controlled their impulses ; in this and these, and
in their reverence for beauty, to which alone they bent a knee
or yielded service, do we find the romance that surrounds them,

XX11 INTRODUCTION.
and our proneness to deify them. Wrest them, however, of all this
glitter and show, and come close where all the ruggedness of
their characters may be examined, and we find that their chivalry
often was degraded into brutaUty, and their heroism no more
than modern annals attribute to the meanest of those who took
up arms, not for their own selfish advancement, but for the
glory of their country. The reader will find in the following
pages, deeds of greater prowess, incidents of an equal romantic
chivalry, and instances of as pure, unselfish devotion, as can be
afforded by any history whatsoever. The deeds stand out in then-
naked simplicity, " a plain, unvarnished tale," unexaggerated by
poet or romancer.
Perhaps for marvellous adventure, cunning address, great for
titude, and cool daring, no history is so fruitful as that of our
border warfare. The imagination of the romancer is dull, and
his invention weak, if in such scenes he endeavor to substitute fie
tioH. for truth. With these frontier warriors there was no ease,
their energies were never allowed to repose, and their watchful
ness never at rest. At no hour, on no occasions, could they in
dulge in a feeling of safety. Their nerves were always strung to
the farthest tension, their invention ever alive to avert danger, or
to secure a victory. Coolness and courage must ever be at hand,
a moment's weakness would often prove fatal. Every man was
the cunning general, the wily tactician, the undaunted hero!
Stratagems over which we hang in delight, and reckless daring
that make us pause in breathless admiration, were daily enacted.
Acts of heroism were so common, and heroes so many, that they
ceased to create surprise. Not only were the men thus heroic,
but women were inspired with a spirit equal to that which has
immortalized the Spartan mothers, and children often manifested

INTRODUCTION. XX1U
a fortitude in suffering, and courage in danger, superior to any
thing in history. The peculiar warfare of the frontier was of a
kind to nurse such spirits. It developed certain faculties to a
marvellous degree. Men were continually indebted, and often
dependant for their lives upon their acuteness of hearing and
keenness of sight. They were also taught to be close and narrow
observers, and to detect the presence of an enemy by signs that
would have escaped those less skilled and practiced. Wonderful
personal prowess, a capacity for the endurance of fatigue, an in
sensibility -to olimate, and an indifference to hunger or exertion,
were required and manifested by them. Their warfare required
tactics of its own, that were to be acquired in no school but that
of bitter experience. Every man was as necessarily compelled to
learn the art of war, and to obtain an initiation in all the myste
ries of forest warfare, by stern practice, as ever the ancient knight
Warriors were forced to be instructed in all the arts of the tour
nament, or the " tented field." They were as much accomplished
warriors as Surry or Sidney. They did not possess the graces
and the elegancies of war as did those soldiers of song and legend,
but they were as thoroughly accomplished in the art itself. In
the handling of the spear and sabre, in the 'mastery of the rifle,
they acquired a skill equal to that displayed of old with the bat-
tle-axe and sword. In feats of " noble horsemanship," those who
knew the art at all, were unexcelled. Putnam, who was frontier
bred, and inured in all the mysteries of forest life, when he rode
down the precipice at Horse-Neck, performed a feat, that had it
been enacted by Surry, the favorite of romance, song and ballad
Would have made the world ring with it.
But, perhaps, for romance, no part of the Revolution equals
the partizan warfare of the South. Its history is invested with a

XXIV INTRODUCTION.
delightful and charming air. The many details of the contest
possess nearly every requisite to arrest and gratify the imagination.
It only lacked the glitter and pomp of a pageant to fascinate the
world. The deeds performed were unfortunately enacted in home
spun, rather than in steel, and therefore lose some of their charm.
They were without martial parade, but the mode of warfare, the
strange characters gathered in the bands, the wild forest retreats,
all combine to give them a romance of their own. It is with
peculiar delight that the imagination follows Marion and his fol
lowers into their fastnesses. Their retreats were -better strong
holds than was ever the castk of a Norman knight. They defied
the ingenuity and the power of their enemies to expel them. To
follow them was to plunge into a region beset with unknown
dangers, and once involved into its secret depths, the key of
Ariadne was needed to trace the puzzling labyrinth. The herald,
or messenger from tho enemy , was blindfolded, and led by in
tricate courses, through vast morasses, and by paths bowered by
masses of foliage the sun never penetrated, until at last he would
be admitted into the sequestered area where the chief and his
men would receive him. And this area, this eamping ground,
where was organized the daring expedition, the sudden attack,
and the cunning stratagem, from which emanated all the schemes
that held at bay, and in terror the English leaders ; whence sprang
the undying patriotism and the undaunted heroism ; where Lib
erty's altar was erected, and where her fires ever burned with a
hopeful flame, and never sank nor died, when all around, gloom
and horror and wretchedness had wept and extinguished her
flame ; this noble, imposing area of freedom, what a grand piece
of nature's handiwork it was I It was a fit asylum for those true
to nature's behests. It was her grandest cathedral, where trees,

INTRODUCTION. XXV
aged, and with the grey moss streaming in hoary locks from their
venerable trunks, loomed up in their mighty strength, and locked
their giant limbs in a huge dome, through which the stars gleamed,
and the sun shone in a gentle light that fell like the rays through
the stained glass of the cathedral, sofcly upon the virgin moss of
the far extending, and lofty aisles. And here, in the midst of
these scenes, guarded from access by impenetrable thickets, dan
gerous marshes, and rugged defiles, where no enemy could pene
trate, and which no force, however great, could destroy — here
was the home of patriotism in the South — here, in the free air
of heaven, sojourned the partizan, Marion. The soft bank of
moss was his couch, and truly, the couch of Mars, and nothing
but the domed oaks and sycamores canopied his head. No luxu
rious ease intruded in to the sacred precinct — sacred to the cause of
liberty and humanity — for with a Spartan hardihood, those war
riors, in fair or foul, amid the severities of summer or of winter,
clung to their forest home, and nightly embraced the hardened
couch, save when hurling themselves upon the ranks of tho ene
my, or rushing forth upon the beck of victory.
And glorious indeed were the victories achieved by that noble
hand. If the accomplishment of great ends by little means be a
stamp of greatness, we cannot withhold from Marion the highest
rank. It is true that he performed no single great victory, and
his army, if it could be called an army, was but a band of a few
hundred patriots. But with these few hundred, he kept in check
the whole British army. He was the Nemesis of the South ; the
sure and terrible avenger of wrong. The iniquities of the English
leaders, and Tory marauders, were visited with a sudden, rapid
and fearful punishment. Their career of bloodshed was known
to him; and their midnight expeditions, marked by burning

XXVI INTRODUCTION.
dwellings, reckless murders, with flying families before them, and
desolate hearths behind — these were treasured up, and shortly
found a retribution. His scouts traversed every section, in many
disguises, often assuming as many shapes as Proteus, and hung
upon the routes of armies, and watched the actions of men. So
keen was their cunning, so exhaustless their resources, that they
would visit the same encampment many times, each in a different
form ; creep into the councils of the enemy ; sometimes adroitly
capture and carry off persons from the very midst of their armies.
By these, Marion was always kept informed of the movements of
his enemy, while his own were so rapid and so sudden that his
own men were often puzzled to trace and find him.
He usually set out upon his expeditions at about sundown.
He would then ride rapidly thirty or forty miles, fall suddenly
upon some division of the enemy, who were reposing in false
security ; scatter them before they could form for defence ; con
tinue his journey, attack and defeat another detachment twenty
miles farther, and ere the news could spread, he would have
disappeared into his fastnesses, where no step could follow, and his
enemies without, would gaze in wonder about, as if a meteor had
shot down destruction upon them, and suddenly vanished into air
Their expeditions were beset with great difficulties, that only
patience and hardihood could overcome. They had to swim
rivers, penetrate tangled thickets, cross dangerous morasses, and
undergo severe fatigues of all kinds, such as prolonged hunger,
exhaustion from want of sleep, and often suffering from want of
clothing sufficient to protect them from the weather. When
pursued, and many a huge army was sent to destroy him, he was
more cunning than the fox, and still dangerous as the lion. He
would as certainly lure his enemy into his toils, as they would

INTRODUCTION. XXVU
attempt to follow him. He would fall upon their camps,, cut off
their provision, dash upon them like a thunderbolt, in advanta
geous places, and suddenly disappear, lead them into ambuscades
from which they would only be extricated by fearful loss, puzzle
bewilder and send them back defeated, disgraced and utterly
confounded. His brigade formed a picturesque and motely group. — Their
costumes were formed of every imaginable kind and color, such
as their own resources could provide, or their swords capture
from their enemies. Sometimes the contrast presented by them,
would be highly amusing. There would be the huge backwoods
man, with his rough boots and flannel shirt, mounting some
silken or golden remnant of an English officer's regimentals, often
times ridiculously in keeping with his own habiliments; here
would be seen a fortunate adventurer bedecked with conquered
plumes and scarfs, glittering by the side of ragged, threadbare
fustian, there a swarthy negro, with naked feet and a gold em
broidered coat, or perhaps with lace and ruffles, and gilded orna
ments, but hiding himself in shame for his nakedness. Not only
the men themselves, but many of the partisan officers, were suffer
ing from want of clothing, and compelled to adapt such articles as
chance threw in their way. But sometimes they were bedecked
in vesture, furnished by the hands of fair ladies, and pledged to
defend and protect them to the last. The whig ladies of South
Carolina, weretas high-souled and chivalrous a body of the sex
as ever knight broke lance for. During the whole war, they ex
erted themselves for the welfare of their defenders, and often bj
their sacrifices, or their cunning, or their patriotism, was some
signal service done to the state. They particularly exerted them
selves to the procuring of necessaries for the partizan warriors.
2

XXVUI INTRODUCTION.
Many of those who resided in Charleston, by their ingenuity,
supplied their friends from the abundance of the British garrison.
Notwithstanding all those who passed out into the country, were
examined, to prevent smuggling, their resources provided .ways to
elude the vigilance of the guards, and to carry off articles with
impunity. Says Garden,* who served in the South, " The cloth
of many a military coat, concealed with art, and not unfrequently
made an appendage to female attire, has escaped the vigilance of
'the guards, expressly stationed to prevent smuggling, and speedily
converted into regimental shape, worn triumphantly in battle.
Boots, have, in many instances, been relinquished by the delicate
wearer to the active partisan. I have seen a horseman's helmet
concealed by a well arranged head-dress, and epaulettes delivered
from the folds of the simple cap of a matron. Feathers and cock
ades were much in demand, and so cunningly hid, and hand
somely presented, that he could have been no true knight, who
did not feel the obligation, to defend them to the last extremity."
The privations of these devoted bands were manifold. They
were often dependant for food entirely upon the uncertain re
sources of the forest. They were always without salt, except
when captured from the enemy, and even then this necessary
condiment was distributed among destitute whig families, rather
than preserved for themselves, although the want of it was a seri
ous grievance, and made their ill-cooked meals, barely palatable.
We are all familiar with the anecdote of the British officer, who
upon visiting Marion's encampment, was invited to dine, and who,
after a surprised survey of the forest for any signs of dinner, was
shown a few roasted potatoes, on a shingle, which had just been
* Major Garden's Revolutionary Anecdotes.

INTRODUCTION. XXIX
drawn hot from the ashes, and were to be eaten without salt, or
any accompaniment. But, even on this occasion, they were
uncommonly fortunate ; they were often without any food what
ever. But with men resolved in their course, confident in the
justice of their cause, and united by the holy instincts of patriot
ism, no physical suffering could divert them from their purposes,
or dampen their spirit.
In these various phases of our great National contest exist the
romance which the editor of this volume has endeavored to
glean and present to the American public. There can scarcely
be found a period in any history, so replete with variety of interest
as is presented by this era. In the border struggles on the. fron
tier, and the wild partisan warfare of the south, in the regular
army, in the prisons, wherever the contest was an active one, we
find romance on every page of its history, romance that's wild
and entrancing.. It is strange that this fact is so rarely accredited,
and that our histoiy is accounted dull and prosy, with all the rich
materials which it affords for exciting and gratifying the imagina
tion. But our poets have passed over it, with the dogged belief
that, romance only existed in armor and a breast-plate. Not so
thought the English poet Campbell, who gathered golden fruit
where our native romancer would not deign to stoop. Assuredly
there are other passages in our history as capable of being immor
talized in song as the touching story of Wyoming. Let the
pages of this volume bear witness of it. There are many inci
dents here related, that should go down to fame on the buoyant
tide of poetry, but which in prose can scarcely be preserved. It
is the minstrel and the poet, more than the historian, who have
immortalized the heroes ef the past. Achilles and Hector be
came1 immortal, only through the pen of Homer. The poet then

XXX INTRODUCTION.
owes this much to his country, that he should seek to embalm the
fame of her heroes for posterity to admire and emulate. Brave
and heroic deeds have thrice their force as examples, more readily
fire the heart with generous and noble emulation, when written
in the glowing imagery of the poet, than when simply coming to
us in the cold chronicles of the historian. Let our poets, who
would be great, remember this, and say not, when that which
follows in this volume is before them, that there is no material or
incident wherewithal to write.
The editor believes that he has gathered a collection of sketches
which will be acceptable to the American public. Assuredly, a
history of the exploits, heroism and sufferings of our forefathers
can scarcely be aught else but acceptable, to those who are now
reaping the golden fruits of their achievements. He believes that
none can peruse them without a more vivid conception of the era
of which they treat, and a sincere pleasure in the romantic
interest, which is proven to have been wove around the deeds and
lives of our ancestors.

ROMANCE OF THE REVOLUTION-
STORIES AND
ANECDOTES OF WASHINGTON.
On a day in the early part of the revolution, just after the sun
had passed its meridian, an American officer could have.been seen
slowly wending his way along one of the unfrequented roads that
wound their way up among the mountains, in the vicinity of
West Point ; where was then stationed the American army. - The
officer was unaccompanied, and as the horse, with slow and
measured tread moved along the road, with the slackened rein
hanging loose upon his neck, his rider seemed buried in a deep
reverie. The scene around was one of peculiar beauty, the far
mountains heaped up, one above another, against the horizon, and
at his feet the Hudson sweeping on with a sweet and placid look.
But the thoughts of the traveller were turned inward, and his
eyes heeded not the pageant before them, but seemed rather to
be reading the dark and obscure future, or trying to penetrate
into the mysteries which surrounded the present. His thoughts,
however, were apparently not disturbed, but only solemn and deep.
It would have been impossible for any one to have looked upon

3* STORIES AND ANECDOTES
his calm, thoughtful brow, the majestic, but benevolent expression
of his countenance, the firm contour though sweet expression of
his lips, the mild, penetrating glance of his eye, and the noble
proportions of his frame, without detecting the presence of the
great Washington. Presently he drew up before a mansion on
the road, dismounted, and approached the house. Almost imme
diately a door, was thrown open, and an aged gentleman, in a
civilian's dress, rushed forth and greeted the comer with many,
seemingly, earnest protestatious of welcome.
The family in which Washington, on this occasion, was received,
was one he had frequently been in the habit of visiting. During
the stay of the army at West Point, he frequently ' dined with its
members, and with its head he had at first reposed confidence
and friendship. But many suspicions of his honesty were whis
pered about, and in some quarters he was openly accused of
treachery to the American cause. To these suspicions Washing
ton would not heed, but having been invited to dine with him on
a certain day and at a certain hour, and this invitation being
pressed with so much over-earnestness, and accompanied with an
insinuation, that his appearance with a guard was an indication
of his want of confidence in his friend's fidelity, and urged to give
a proof of his unchanged belief in his honesty, by coming unat
tended to partake with him a private dinner, Washington's
suspicions at last became aroused, and he resolved, by accepting
the invitation, to prove at once the truth or falsehood of the sus
picions entertained against him. It was to fulfil this engagement
that Washington, on the occasion we have described, proceeded
to the residense of his suspected friend. '
The time appointed for the dinner was "two o'clock, but it was
not later than one when Washington dismounted at the door of

OF WASHINGTON. 33
his host. He had an especial object in this early arrrival. The
host proposed to occupy the interim before dinner, by a walk on
the piazza. Here conversation occupied the time, and it soon
became apparent to the chief that his host's manner was exceed
ingly nervous and excitable. Without revealing this knowledge,
Washington continued the discourse, and, while he carefully
avoided betraying his suspicions, he skillfully led the conversa
tions to such subjects, that would be most likely to cause his
companion to betray his agitation. So poor an actor was he, and
so often was his conscience probed by the apparently innocent
remarks of the commander-in-chief, that his nervousness of man-
ner became so marked as to give the greatest pain to Washington,
at this proof of the infidelity of one on whom he had once reposed
unlimited confidence. The American commander in commenting
upon the different beauties of the landscape that surrounded them,
pointed out the spot where lay the encampment of the enemy,
at the same time remarking upon the extraordinary lack of prin
ciple that could induce men of American birth to forego the
interests of their country, and every consideration of holy patriot
ism, to enrol themselves among their country's invaders for no
other temptation than a little glittering gold. Before the pene
trating look which Washington fixed upon him while making
these remarks, the guilty traitor quailed, but at this juncture, he
was relieved by the sound of approaching horses, and as both
guest and host turned to the direction whence the sound pro
ceeded, a company of dragoons in British uniforms appeared upon
the brow of the hill, and galloping rapidly along the road towards
the house.
" Bless me, sir !" exclaimed Washington ; " what cavalry are
these approaching the house ?"

34

STORIES AND ANECDOTES

" A party of British light horse," rejoined his trembling host,
" who mean no harm, but are merely sent for my protection !"
" British horse sent here while I am your guest !" said Wash
ington with startling sternness, as he turned upon his guest with
an air of command that awed, and caused to quail, the little soul
of the betrayer before the mighty spirit that he had aroused.
" What does this mean, sir '"continued Washington, as a terrible
look gathered upon his brow.
By this time the troops had arrived, and they were seen dis
mounting from their horses. This gave courage to the trembling
traitor. " General," said he approaching his guest, " General, you are
my prisoner."
" I believe not," replied Washington, his manner having re
gained its former calmness, " but, sir, I know that you are mine !
Officer arrest this traitor !"
In bewildering consternation the treacherous hypocrite looked
from Washington to the men ; the one an American officer, and
the others seemingly British soldiers. But the puzzle was soon
solved. Washington had ordered a company of Americans to
disguise themselves as British cavalry, and to arrive at the man
sion designated, at a quarter before two, by which means he
would be enabled to discover the innocence or guilt of the sus
pected person. The issue proved his suspicions were well founded,
and the mode he adopted for detecting the plot admirably dis
played his great sagacity. The false friend was handed over to
the keeping of the soldiers, and conducted to the American camp
as a prisoner. He afterwards, confessed, that he had been offered
a large sum to betray Washington into the hands of the English ;
and at the hour of two, a party of British horse would have sur-

OF WASHINGTON. 35
rounded the house, and captured the American chief. At first,
Washington meditated making a severe example of the man, but he
yielded to the earnest solicitations of his family, and pardoned him
The incident which we next give, relative to Washington, was
communicated to an old periodical, from which we copy it.
One pleasant evening in the month of June, during the early
part of the- war, a man was observed entering the borders of a
wood, near the Hudson river, his appearance that of a person
above the common rank. The inhabitants of a country village
would have dignified him with the title of 'squire, and, from his
maimer, would have pronounced him proud ; but those more
accustomed to society, would inform you there was something
like a military air about him. * His horse panted as if it had been
hard pushed for some miles, yet from the owners frequent stops.
to caress the patient animal, he could not be charged with want
of humanity ; but seemed to be actuated by some urgent neces
sity. The rider forsaking a good road for a by-path leading
through the woods, indicated a desire to avoid the gaze of other
travelers. He had not left the house where he' enquired the
direction of the above mentioned road, more than two hours
before the quietude of the place was broken by the noise of dis
tant thunder. He was soon after obliged to dismount, traveling
becoming dangerous, as darkness concealed surrounding objects,
except when the lightning's flash afforded him a momentary view
of his situation. A peal louder and of longer duration than any
of the preceding which now burst over his head, seeming as if
it would rend the woods asunder, was quickly followed by a heavy
fall of rain, which penetrated the clothing of the stranger ere he
could obtain the shelter of a large oak, which stood at a little
distance,

36 STORIES AND ANECDOTES
Almost exhausted with the labors of the day, he was about
making such disposition of the saddle and his ovor coat, as would
enable him to pass the night with what comfort circumstances
would admit, when he espied a light glimmering through the
trees. Animated with the hope of better lodgings, he determined
to proceed. The way, which was sometimes steep, became at
tended with some obstacles the farther he advanced ; the soil
being composed of clay, which the rain had rendered so soft that
his feet slipped at every step. By the utmost perseverance, this
difficulty was finally overcome without any accident, and he had
the pleasure of finding himself in front of a decent looking farm
house. The watch-dog began barking, which brought the owner
of the mansion to the door.
" Who is there ?" said he.
" A friend who has lost his way, and in search of a place of
shelter," was the answer.
" Come in sir," added the speaker, " and whatever my house
will afford, you shall have with welcome."
"I must provide for the weary companion of my journey,"
remarked the other.
But the farmer undertook the task, and after conducting the
new-comer into a room where his wife was seated, he led the horse
to a well stored barn, and there provided for him most bounti
fully. On rejoining the traveller, he observed, " That is a noble
animal of yours, sir."
" Yes," was the reply, " and I am sorry that I am obliged to
misuse him so as to make it necessary to give you so much trouble
with the care of him ; but I have yet to thank you for your kind
ness to us both."
" I do no more than my duty, sir," said the entertainer, " and

OF WASHINGTON. 37
therefore, am entitled to no thanks." " But Susan," added he
turning to the hostess with a reproachful look, " why have you
not given the gentleman something to eat ¥'
Fear had prevented the good woman from exercising her well-
known benevolence ; for a robbery had been committed by a law
less band of depredators recently in that neighborhood, and as
report stated that the ruffians were all well dressed, her imagina
tion suggested that this might be one of them.
At her husband's remonstrance, she now readily engaged in
repairing her error, by preparing a bountiful repast. During the
meal, there was much interesting conversation among the three
As soon as the worthy countryman perceived that his guest had
satisfied his appetite, he informed him that it was now the hour
at which the family usually performed their devotions, inviting
him at the same time to be present. The invitation was accepted
in these words : —
" It would afford me the greatest pleasure to commune with
my heavenly Preserver, after the events of the day ; such exer
cises prepare us for the repose which we seek in sleep."
After the devotions the host lighted a pine-knot and conducted
the person he had entertained, to his chamber, wished him a
good night, and retired to the adjoining apartment.
" John," whispered the woman, " that is a good gentleman, and
not one of the highwaymen as I supposed."
" Yes, Susan," said he, " I like him better for thinking of his
God, than all his kind inquiries after our welfare. I wish our
Peter had been home from the army, if it was only to hear this
good man talk ; I am sure Washington himself could not say
more for his country, nor give a better history of the hardships
endured by our brave soldiers."

38 STORIES AND ANECDOTES
" Who knows, now," inquired the wife, " but it may be himself
after all, my dear ; for they do say he travels just so, all alon6,
sometimes. Hark ! What's that ?"
The sound of a voice came from the chamber of their guest,
who was now engaged in private religious worship. After thank
ing the Creator for his many mercies, and asking a blessing on
the inhabitants of the house, he continued, " And now, Almighty
Father, if it be thy holy will, that we shall attain a name and a
place among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be en
abled to show our gratitude for thy goodness, by our endeavors
to fear and obey thee. Bless us with wisdom in our councils,
success in battle, and let our victories be tempered with humanity.
Endow, also our enemies with enlightened minds, that they may
become sensible of their injustice, and willing to restore hberty
and peace. Grant the petition of thy servant, for the sake of him
thou hast called thy beloved Son ; nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. Amen."
The next morning the traveler, declining the pressing solicita
tions to breakfast with his host, declared it was necessary for him
to cross the river immediately ; at the same time offering part of his
purse as a compensation for what he had received, which was refused.
" Well, sir," continued he, " since you will not permit me to
recompence you for your trouble, it is but just that I should. inform
you, on, whom you have conferred so many obligations, and also
add to them by requesting your assistance to cross the river. I
had been out yesterday, endeavoring to obtain some information
respecting our enemy, and, being alone, ventured too far from the
camp. On my return, I was surprised by a foraging party, and
only escaped by my knowledge of the woods, and the fleetness
of my horse. My name is George Washington."

OF WASHINGTON. 39
Surprise kept the listner silent for a moment ; then, after un
successfully repeating the invitation to partake of some refresh
ment, ne hastened to call two negroes, with whose assistance he
placed the horse on a small raft of timber that was lying on the
river, near the door, and soon conveyed the general to the oppo
site side of the river, where he left him to pursue his way to the
camp, wishing him a safe and prosperous journey. On his return
to the house, he found that while he was engaged in making
preparations for conveying the horse across the river, his illus
trious visitor had persuaded his wife to accept a token of remem
brance, which the descendants of the worthy couple are proud of
exhibiting to this day.
" In the summer of 1776, when the American army was in New
^¦yik, a young girl of the city went to her lover, one Francis,
ijid communicated to him, as a secret she had overheard, a plan
that was in operation among the government men to destroy the
American commander-in-chief, by poison, which was to be plenti
fully mingled with his green-peas, a favorite vegetable of his, on
the following day at Richmond Hill head quarters, where he was
to dine. Francis, who was a thorough whig, although supposed
to be friendly to the royalists, went immediately to Washington
and acquainted him with this diabolical plan for his destruction.
Washington having listened with attention, said :
" My friend, I thank you ; your fidelity has saved my life, to
what reserve the Almighty knows ! But now for your safety ; I
charge you to return to your house, and let not a word of what you
have related to me pass your lips ; it would involve you in certain
ruin ; and heaven forbid that your life should be forfeited or endan
gered by your faith to me. I will take the necessary steps to prevent,
and, at the same time, discover the instrument of this wicked device."

40 STORIES AND ANECDOTES
" The next day, about two hours before dinner, he sent for one
of his guard, told him of the plot, and requested that he would
disguise himself as a female, and go to the kitchen, there to keep
a strict watch upon the peas, until they should be served up for
the table. The young man, carefully, observed the directions he
had received, and had not been long upon his post of duty, before
a young man, another of the guard, came anxiously to the door
of the kitchen, looked in, and then passed away. In a few mo
ments after, he returned and approached the hearth where the
peas stood, and was about to mingle in the deadly substance,
when, suddenly, he shrunk back as though from the sting of the
fork-tongued adder, his color changing to the pale hue of death,
and his limbs apparently palsied with fear, evidently horror struck
with his own purpose — but soon, however, the operation of a
more powerful incitement urged forward his reluctant hand that
tremblingly strewed the odious bane, and he left the kitchen,
overwhelmed with conflicting passions, remorse and confusion.
" ' Harold sleeps no more, the cry has reached his heart er|e
the deed be accomplished,' said the youth on duty, in a voice not
devoid of pity, as he looked after the self-condemned wretch.
" ' What Harold !" said the commander-in-chief, sorrowfully,
upon receiving the information ; ' can it be possible — so young,
so fair, and gentle ! He would* have been the last person upon
whom a snspicion of that nature could have fallen, by right of
countenance. You have done well,' said he to the youth before
him. ' Go join your comrades and be secret.' "
" The young man went accordingly, and Washington returned
to the piazza, where several officers were assembled, among whom
was the hero of Saratoga, who was waiting for further instruc
tions from Congress before he departed for Canada. In a few

OF WASHINGTON. 41
moments dinner was announced, and the party was ushered into
a handsome apartment, where the sumptuous board was spread,
covered with all the delicacies of the season.
" The commander-in-chief took his seat, placing General Gates
on his right hand, arid General Wooster on the left. When the
remainder of the officers and company were seated, and eager to
commence the duties of the table, the chief said, impressively :
" ' Gentlemen, I must request you to suspend your meal for a
few moments. Let the guard attend me."
" All was silence and- amazement. The guard entered and
formed in a line towards the upper end of the apartment.
" Washington, having put upon his plate a spoonful of peas,
fixed his eyes sternly upon the guilty man, and said :
" ' Shall I eat of this vegetable ?'
" The youth turned pale and became dreadfully agitated, while
his trembling lips faintly uttered,
" ' I don't know.'
" ' Shall I eat of these V again demanded Washington, raising
some upon his knife.
" Here Harold elevated his hand, as if by an involuntary im
pulse, to prevent their being tasted. A chicken was then brought
in, that a conclusive experiment might be made in the presence of
all those witnesses. The animal ate of the peas and immediately
died, and the wretched criminal, overcome with terror and re
morse, fell fainting, and was borne from the apartment."
The victories of Trenton and Princeton were the turning point
in our revolutionary war At that time our cause looked dark
indeed, and defeat in those attempts would have utterly annihi
lated the last hopes of the Americans. At the battle of Princeton,
independent of the enemy's force in front, Cornwallis had eight

42 STORIES AND ANECDOTES
thousand ready to close on the rear ; and in case of defeat, there
would have been no barrier to prevent them from spreading over
and occupying every inch of the country. Washington felt the
importance of the stake at issue, and his heroic devotion on that
bloody but glorious field, is well known. The following touch
ing reminiscence of that ever memorable event, is from the late
Col. Fitzgerald, who was aid to the chief, and who never related
the story of his General's danger, and almost miraculous preser
vation, without adding to his tale the homage of a tear.
" The aid-de-camp had been ordered to bring up the troops
from the rear of the column, when the band, under General
Mercer, became engaged. Upon returning to the spot where he
had left the Commander-in-chief, he was no longer there, and
upon looking around, the aid discovered him endeavoring to rally
the line which had been thrown into disorder by a rapid onset of
the foe. Washington, after several ineffectual attempts to restore
the fortunes of the fight, is-seen to rein up his steed, with his
head to the enemy, and, in that position, to become immovable.
It was a last appeal to his soldiers, and seemed to say, will you
give up your General to the foe ? Such an appeal was not made
in vain. The discomfitted Americans rally on the instant, and
form into line ; the enemy halt, and dress their line ; the Ameri
can chief is between the adverse parties, as though he had been
placed there a target for both. The arms of both lines are leveled.
Can escape from death be possible ? Fitzgerald, horror-struck at
the danger of his beloved commander, dropped the reins upon
his horse's neck, and drew his hat over his face, that he might
not see him die. A roar of musketry succeeds, and then a' shout.
It was the shout of victory. The aid-de-camp ventures to raise
his eyes, and oh ! glorious sight, the enemy are broken and flying,

OF WASHINGTON. 43
while dimly amid the glimpses of the smoke, is seen the chief,
' alive, unharmed, without a wound,' waving his hat, and cheering
^his comrades to the pursuit. Col. Fitzgerald now dashed to the
side of his chief, exclaiming, ' Thank God ! your excellency is safe,'
while the favorite aid, a gallant and warm-hearted son of Erin, a
man of thews and sinews, and ' albeit unused to the melting
mood,' gave loose to his feelings, and wept like a child for joy.
Washington, ever calm amid scenes of the greatest excitement,
affectionately grasped the hand of his aid and friend, and then
ordered, ' Away, my dear colonel, and bring up the troops, the .
day is our own.'
The aim of the traitor Arnold was not confined to the sur
render of West Point alone. He had projected the betrayal, into
the hands of Sir Henry Clinton, of Washington himself, Lafayette,
and of the principal staff officers. A trifling circumstance caused
its failure. Arnold had invited Washington to dine with him,
the very morning the plot was discovered, and Washington was
only prevented from being present, by the urgent request made
to him by an old officer, near to whose station he passed, that he
would remain the night with him ; and next morning inspect
some works in the neighborhood. Washington, accordingly, dis
patched an aid from his suite to make his excuses to Arnold.
The messenger arrived at West Point the next morning, and
breakfasted with Arnold. During the repast a letter was received,
the superscription of which no sooner met the eyes of Arnold,
than he hurried from the table ; and, in a few minutes afterwards,
was on his way to New York. This letter contained information
of the arrest of Andre. In the meantime, Washington, with his
staff, was seated at the table of the officer whose invitation had
delayed the visit to West Point, when a despatch was brought to

44 STORIES AND ANECDOTES
the chief which he opened, read, and laid down without com
ment. No alteration was visible in his countenance, but he re
mained perfectly silent. After some minutes, he beckoned to
Lafayette, arose from the ^able, and followed by the young
Frenchman, proceeded to an inner apartment, where he placed
the fatal despatch, which revealed the perfidy of Arnold in his
hands, and, then giving way to an uncontrolable burst of feeling —
fell on his friend's neck and wept aloud. " I believe," said La
fayette, "this was the' only occasion throughout that long and
sometimes hopeless struggle, that Washington ever gave way,
even for a moment, under a reverse of fortune ; and, perhaps, I
was the only human being who ever witnessed in him an exhibi
tion of feeling so foreign to his temperament. As it was, he
recovered himself, before I had perused the communication that
gave rise to his emotion ; and when we retm-ned to his staff, not
a trace remained on his countenance either of grief or despon
dency." So true it is, that of all human reverses, the betrayal of
confidence on the part of one who has been implicitly trusted, is,
to a generous nature, the hardest and bitterest to bear.*
Of the coolness of Washington numerous instances are given.
At one time while standing with his aids in a situation where he
was exposed to the musketry and cannons of the whole British
line, Col. Cobb said to him, " Sir, you are too much exposed here.
Had you not better step a little back ?" " Colonel Cobb," replied
he, " if you are afraid, you have liberty to move back."
At the battle of Monmouth, while Washington was personally
engaged in forming the line of the main body, a cannon ball
* Robert Dale Owen. The above anecdote which does not appear in any
history, was related by Lafayette himself to Mr. Owen, while on a visit to
Paris, and recounted by him in a speech delivered in Indiana, in 1840.

OF WASHINGTON. 45
from the enemy struck at his horses feet, throwing the dirt in his
face, and over his clothes. The general continued giving his
orders, without noticing the derangement of his toilet.
On another occasion, while Mr. Evans, one of the chaplains of
the army, was standing near the general, a shot struck the ground
so near as to cover his hat with sand. Somewhat agitated, he took
off his hat and said, " see here General." " Mr. Evans," rejoined
Washington with his usual composure, "you had better carry
that home, and show it to your wife and children."
Major Ferguson, who commanded one of the enemy's rifle
corps, thus describes an incident, in'a letter to a friend, which oc
curred just previous to the battle of Brandywine. " We had not
lain long, when a rebel officer, remarkable -by a hussar dress,
pressed toward our army, within a hundred yards of my right
flank, not perceiving us. He was followed by another, dressed in
dark green and blue, mounted on a bay horse, with a remarkable
high cocked hat. I ordered three good shots to steal near, and
fire at them ; but the idea disgusting me, I recalled the order.
The hussar, in returning, made a circuit, but he passed within
a hundred yards of us ; upon which I advanced from the woods
towards him. Upon my calling, he stopped ; but, after looking
at me, proceeded. I again drew his attention, and made signs to
him to stop, levelling my piece at him ; but he slowly cantered
away. By quick firing, I could have lodged half a dozen of balls
in or about him, before he was out of my reach. I had only to
determine ; but it was not pleasant to fire at the back of an unof
fending individual, who was very cooly acquitting himself of his
duty ; so I let it alone.
" The next day, the surgeon told me that the wounded rebel
officers informed him that General Washington was all the

46

ADVENTURES

morning with the light troops, and only attended by a French
officer in the hussar dress, he himself dressed and mounted as I
have before described. I am not sorry that I did not know who
it was at the time."

ADVENTURES OF MARION.
There are but few characters in the history of the war of the
revolution, that can be looked upon with more unqualified respect
and. admiration, than that of Francis Marion. It is impossible to
point out a weakness or failing in his public acts ; no emergen
cies were too great for his resources, and no temptations or suffer
ing too much for his integrity. His patriotism never waned low,
and his devotion to his country was never crossed by one selfish
consideration. His career, however, does not simply appeal to
our judgment, nor only enlist our commendation ; it is invested
with a romance peculiarly delightful to the imagination. We are
charmed by the details of his camp, and follow his enterprises
with all the entrancing interest we would feel for the exploits of
a favorite character in fiction. But unfortunately, sometimes,
when our interest is most excited, the details are most meagre ;
often when we would hang over the glowing page with pleasure,
the record fails and our imagination alone can fill up the sketch.
It is a source of regret, which time will rather enhance than re
move, -that history is so dry and unsatisfactory in reference to
Marion. Of all the American leaders, the career of Marion would
have afforded the most romantic aud thrilling interest. Able
biographers, however, have, of late years, gathered together all the
knowledge of Marion which their iudustry could effect, which,

OF MARION. 47
while we regret it is no more than it is, is sufficiently full to enable
us to appreciate his character and services.
In the gallant and heroic defence of Fort Moultrie, he took an
honorable part, and the last gun fired on that day, was directed
by him. In the surrender of Charleston, he was saved from cap
tivity by an accident which occured to him during the seige. He
was dining with some friends, when the host, after the manner
of the mistaken hospitality of the time, locked the door upon his
guests until they should be gorged with wine. Marion, who was
a man of abstemious habits, and not willing to offend his host by
raising a disturbance with his half-tipsy companions, cooly threw
up the window and flung himself to the street below. The room
was on the second story, the height considerable, and the result
was a broken ankle. This severe injury totally "unfitted him for
action, and he was removed from the city in accordance with the
orders for the departure of our officers unfit for duty.
After the surrender of Charleston, the county adjoining was
overrun by British troops, while there was no one to head a resis
tance against them. Moultrie and others were prisoners of war,
while Sumpter, Gov. Rutledge, and Horry flew to the north in
order to stimulate the energies of the people in that quarter, and
gain recruits.
" Marion, meanwhile, incapable of present flight, was compelled
to take refuge in the swamp and forest. He was too conspicuous
a person, had made too great a figure in previous campaigns, and
his military talents were too well known and too highly esteemed,
not to render him an object of some anxiety as well to friends as
foes. Still suffering from the hurts received in Charleston, with
bloody and malignant enemies all around him, his safety depended
on his secrecy and obscurity alone. Fortunately he had " won

48 ADVENTURES
golden opinions from all sorts of people." He had friends among
all classes, who did not permit themselves to sleep while he was
in danger. Their activity supplied the loss of his own. They
watched while he slept. They assisted his feebleness. In the
moment of alarm, he was sped from house to house, from tree to
thicket, from the thicket to the swamp. His "hair-breadth
'scapes" under these frequent exigencies, were no doubt among
the most interesting adventures of his life, furnishing rare mate
rial, could they be procured, for the poet and romancer. Unhap
pily, while the chronicles show the frequent emergency which
attended his painful condition, they furnish nothing more. We
are without details. The melancholy baldness and coldness with
which they narrate events upon which one would like to linger, aTe
absolutely humoring to the imagination ; which, kindled by the
simple historical outline, looks in vain for the satisfaction of those
doubts and inquiries, those hopes and fears, which the provoking
narrative inspires only to defraud. How would some old inquisi
tive Froissart have dragged, by frequent inquiry from contempo
raneous lips, the particular fact, the whole adventure, step by
step, item by item, — the close pursuit, the narrow escape, — and
all the long train of little, but efficient circumstances, by which
the story would have been made unique, with all its rich and nu
merous details ! These, the reader must supply from his own
resources of imagination. He must conjecture for himself the
casual warning brought to the silent thicket, by the devoted
friend, the constant woman, or the humble slave ; the midnight
bay of the watch-dog or the whistle of the scout ; or the sudden
shot, from friend or foe, by which the fugitive is counselled to
hurry to his den. A thousand events arise to the imagination as
likely to havo occurred to our partisan, in his hour of feebleness

OF MARION. 49
and danger, from the rapid cavalry of Tarleton, or the close and
keen pursuit of the revengeful Tories. To what slight circum
stances has he been indebted for his frequent escape ! What
humble agents have been commissioned by Providence to save a
life, that was destined to be so precious to his country's liberties !"
After the restoration of his health, Marion formed his celebra
ted brigade. Then commenced that species of partisan warfare,
which the Enghsh in vain endeavored to crush, and which kept
alive the spirit of patriotism in the South. His name became
the terror of the British and Tories. His mode of warfare has
been described in an earlier part of this work ; our present sketch
is merely to present some personal anecdote and adventure.
Marion, who was of diminutive stature, and his person uncom
monly light, placed little dependence on his personal prowess. It
is related of him that, on one occasion, when he went to draw his
sword, he could not because of the rust. Certainly a rich inci
dent in the life of one whose career was so active, but it proves to
us that his successes were obtained by the strong power of intel
lect, and that he ruled his rough, undisciplined men, many of
whom were giants in strength, and confirmed in obstinacy, by the
mere exercise of moral force. He always rode a high-spirited
horse, one of the most powerful chargers the south could produce.
When pursuing nothing could escape, and when retreating, noth
ing could overtake him.
" Being once nearly surrounded by a party of British dragoons,
he was compelled, for safety, to pass into a corn-field, by leaping
the fence. This field, marked with a considerable descent of sur
face, had been in fact, a marsh. Marion entered it at the upper
side. The dragoons in chase leapt the fence also, and were but
a short distance behind him. So completely was he now in their

50

ADVENTURES

power, that his only mode of escape, was to pass over the fence
at the lower side. But here lay a difficulty, which, to all but
himself, appeared insurmountable. To drain the ground of its
superfluous waters, a trench had be'en cut around this part of the
field, four feet wide, and of the same depth. Of the mud and
clay, removed in cutting it, a bank had been formed, on its inner
side, and on top of this, was erected a fence. The elevation of
the whole amounted to more than seven feet, a ditch four feet in
width, running parallel with it, on the outside, and a foot or more
of space intervening between the fence and the ditch. The dra
goons, acquainted with the nature and extent of this obstacle,
and considering it impossible for their enemy to pass it, pressed
towards him, with shouts of exultation and insult, and summoned
him to surrender, or perish by the sword. Regardless of their
clamor, Marion spurred his horse to the charge. The noble ani
mal, as if conscious that his master's life was in danger, and that
on his exertion depended its safety, approached the barrier' in his
finest style, and with a bound that was almost supernatural, com
pletely cleared the fence and ditch, and recovered himself without
injury, on the other side. Marion, immediately, faced his pursuers,
discharged his pistols at them, but without effect, and then bid
ding them ' good morning,' he dashed into an adjoining thicket,
leaving the dragoons astonished at what they had seen, and
almost doubting if their foe was mortal."
The following incident admirably illustrates Marion's great hu
manity. He was dining at the hospitable table of Mrs. Moultrie,
when it was whispered in his ears, that some of Col. Lee's men
were engaged in executing certain tory prisoners. Marion hur
ried from the table, and seizing his sword, rushed with all haste
to the gallows, but reached it in time to save only one poor

OF MARION. 51
wretch. Two were already dead. With his drawn sword, and his
face flushed with indignation, Marion threatened to kill the first
man that made any attempt to continue their infamous proceed
ings. Rebuked by his words, and overawed by his manner, the
men desisted and seperated.
We alluded to Marion's exercise of command by moral force.
The following incident, admirably illustrates the means by which
he enforced discipline and obedience, and also displays his equal
powers of firmness and forbearance.
" He had placed one of his detachments at the plantation of a
Mr. George Crofts, on Sampit Creek. This person had proved
invariably true to the American cause ; had supplied the partisans
secretly with munitions of war, with cattle and provisions. He
was an invalid, however, suffering from a mortal infirmity, which
compelled his removal for medical attendance to Georgetown,
then in possession of the enemy. During the absence of the
family, Marion placed a sergeant in the dwelling-house, for its
protection. From this place, the guard, was expelled by two offi
cers of the brigade, and the house stripped of its contents. The
facts were first disclosed to Marion by Col. P. Horry, who received
them from the wife of Crofts. This lady pointed to the sword of
her husband actually at the side of the principal offender. The
indignation of Marion was not apt to expend itself in words.
Redress was promised to the complainant and she was dismissed.
Marion, proceeded with all diligence, to the recovery of the prop
erty. But his course was governed by prudence as well as deci
sion. The offenders were men of some influence, and had a small
faction in the brigade, which had already proved troublesome,
and might be dangerous. One of them was a major, the other a
captain. Their names are before us in the MS. memoir of Horry,
2

52

ADVENTURES

whose copious details on this subject leave nothing to be supplied.
We forbear giving them, as their personal publication would
answer no good purpose. They were in command of a body of
men, about sixty in number, known as the Georgia Refugees.
Upon the minds of these men the offenders had already sought
to act, in reference to the expected collision with their general.
Marion made his preparations with his ordinary quietness, and
then dispatched Horry to the person who was in possession of
the sword of Crofts ; for which he made a formal demand. He
refused to give it up, alleging that it was his, and taken in war.
1 If the general wants it,' he added, ' let him come for it himself.'
When this reply was communicated to Marion he instructed
Horry to renew the demand. His purpose seems to have been,
discovering the temper of the offender, to gain the necessary time.
His officers, meanwhile, were gathering around him. He was
making his preparations for a struggle, which might be bloody,
which might, indeed, involve not only the safety of his brigade,
but his own future usefulness. Horry, however, with proper
spirit, entreated not to be sent again to the offender, giving as a
reason for his reluctance, that, in consequence of the previous
rudeness of the other, he was not in the mood to tolerate a repe
tition of the indignity, and might, if irritated, be provoked to
violence. Marion then dispatched his orderly to the guilty ma
jor, with a request, civilly worded, that he might see him at head
quarters. He appeared accordingly, accompanied by the captain
who had joined with him in the outrage, and under whose influ
ence he appeared to act. Marion renewed his demand, in person,
for the sword of Crofts. The other again refused to deliver it,
alleging that ' Crofts was a Tory, and even then with the enemy
in Georgetown.'

OP MARION. 53
" ' Will you deliver me the sword or not, Major  V was
the answer which Marion made to this suggestion.
" ' I will not !' was the reply of the offender. ' At these words,'
says Horry in the MS. before us, ' I could forbear no longer, and
said with great warmth, ' By G— d, sir, did I command this bri
gade, as you do, I would hang them both up in half an hour !'
Marion sternly replied, — ' This is none of your business, sir : they
are both before me ! — Sergeant of the guard, bring me a file of
men with loaded amis and fixed bayonets !' — ' I was silent !' adds
Horry : ' all our field officers in camp were present, and when the
second refusal of the sword was given, they all put their hands to
their swords in readiness to draw. My own sword was already
drawn !'
" In the regular service, and with officers accustomed to, and
bred up in, the severe and stern sense of authority which is usu
ally thought necessary to a proper discipline, the refractory of
fender would most probably have been hewn down in the moment
of his disobedience. The effect of such a proceeding, in the pres
ent instance, might have been of the most fatal character. The
esprit de corps might have prompted the immediate followers of
the offender to have seized upon their weapons, and, though anni
hilated, as Horry tells us they would have been, yet several
valuable lives might have been lost, which the country could ill
have spared. The mutiny would have been put down, but at
what a price ! The patience and prudence of Marion's character
taught him forbearance. His mildness, by putting the offender
entirely in the wrong, so justified his severity, as to disarm the
followers of the criminals. These, as we have already said, were
about sixty in number. Horry continues : ' Their intentions were,
to call upon these men for support — our officers well knew that

54

ADVENTURES

they meant, if possible, to intimidate Marion, so as to [make him]
come into their measures of plunder and Tory killing.' The affair
fortunately terminated without bloodshed. The prudence of the
general had its effect. The delay gave time to the offenders for
reflection. Perhaps, looking round upon their followers, they
saw no consenting spirit of mutiny in their eyes, encouraging their
own ; for ' though many of these refugees were present, none of
fered to back or support the mutinous officers ;' — and when the
guard that was ordered, appeared in sight, the companion of the
chief offender was seen to touch the arm of the other, who then
proffered the sword to Marion, saying,' General, you need not have
sent for the guard.' Marion, refusing to receive it, referred him
to the sergeant of the guard, and thus doubly degraded, the dis
honored major of Continentals — for he was such — disappeared
from sight, followed by his associate."
What adds to our respect for Marion and his followers, was the
patient endurance with which they suffered every kind of priva
tion and hardihood. During the whole early part of his career,
Marion slept in the open air. When he took command of the
" Brigade," he had one blanket, but on one occasion as he was
sleeping soundly, after one of his forced marches, upon a bed of
pine straw, it took fire, his blanket was destroyed, and he himself
very narrowly escaped destruction. The cap that he wore was
shrivelled up by the flames. After this event, he was even denied
the poor luxury of a blanket, the cause for which his life and time
was wholly surrendered, not being able to afford him another one.
In other places the reader will find sketches of the exploits en
acted by Horry, Jasper, and Macdonald, all of whom served under
Marion. We propose here to subjoin a few of the most striking
adventures and exploits of others of his heroic band. The con-

OF MARION. 55
stant employment which he gave his scouts, and in them it was
necessary to repose unlimited confidence, as it was by their fidelity
and activity that his own movements were controlled, taught
them coolness and audacity.
" They were out in all directions and at all hours. They did
the double duty of patrol and spies. They hovered about the
posts of the enemy, crouching in the thicket, or darting along
the plain, picking up prisoners, and information, and spoils to
gether. They cut off stragglers, encountered patrols of the foe,
and arrested his supplies on the way to the garrison. Sometimes
the single scout, buried in the thick tops of the tree, looked
down upon the march of his legions, or hung perched over the
hostile encampment till it slept, then slipping down, stole through
the silent host, carrying off a drowsy sentinel, or a favorite
charger, upon which the daring spy flourished conspicuous among
his less fortunate companions. The boldness of these adventurers
was, sometimes, wonderful almost beyond belief. It was the strict
result of that confidence in their woodman skill, which the prac
tice of their leader, and his invariable success, naturally taught
them to entertain."
Gavin Witherspoon, on one occasion, while performing his duty
as scout, performed the following exploit. " He had taken refuge
in Pedee Swamp from the pursuit of the enemy, and, while
hiding, discovered one of the camps of the Tories who had been
in pursuit of him. Whitherspoon proposed to his four comrades
to watch the enemy's camp, until the Tories were asleep. But
his men timidly shrunk from the performance, expressing their
dread of superior numbers. Witherspoon undertook the adven
ture himself. Creeping up to the encampment, he found that
they slept at the butt of a pine tree, which had been torn up by

56 ADVENTURES
the roots. Their guns were piled against one of its branches at
a little distance from them. These he first determined to secure,
and, still creeping, with the skill and caution of an experienced
scout, he succeeded in his object. The guns once in his posses
sion, he. aroused the Tories by commanding their surrender.
They were seven in number, unarmed, and knew nothing of the
force of the assailant. His own more timid followers drew near in
sufficient time to assist in securing the prisoners."
The following instance of daring is related of Major James, of
whose corn-age the reader will find another instance, in another place.
In one of Marion's sudden attacks upon the enemy, James distin
guished himself, by singling out Major Gainey, the commander
of the enemy's troops, for personal combat. " But Gainey shrank
from his more powerful assailant, and sought safety in flight.
James pursued for a distance of half a mile. In the eagerness
of the chase he did not perceive that he was alone and unsup
ported. It was enough that he was gaining upon his enemy, who
was almost within reach of his sword, when the chase brought
them suddenly upon a body of Tories who had rallied upon the
-oad. There was not a moment to be lost. Hesitation would
have been fatal. But our gallant Major was not to be easily intimi
dated. With great coolness and presence of mind, waving his
sword aloft, he cried out, ' come on, boys ! here they are !' and
rushed headlong upon the group of enemies, as if perfectly as
sured of support. The ruse was successful. The Tories broke
once more, and sought safety from their- individual enemy in the
recesses of Pedee swamp."
During the attack on Georgetown by Marion and Lee, a party
of the English made an attack upon a small party of the Ameri
cans who were in possession of an inclosure that surrounded a

OF MARION. 57
house, from which they had but a few moments before expelled
the enemy. The royalists were most anxious to recover posses
sion of the ground, and their leader urged them to the attack, by
exclaiming : " Rush on, my brave fellows, they are only worthless
militia, and have no bayonets." Sergeant Ord, a soldier re
nowned for his heroic valor, immediately hastened to the gate of
the inclosure, ancl placed himself as barrier to their progress.
And when they rushed up to force their way in, he laid six of his
enemies, in succession, dead at his feet, crying out at every
thrust. " Any bayonets here — none at all to be sure !" following
up' his strokes with such rapidity and force, that the British party
fell back dismayed before the unwavering front, and Herculaen
strength of their single adversary, and were obliged to retire
Certainly, this was a performance not excelled, and, scarcely, equal
ed, by any of the Homeric heroes.
The following exploit as enacted by one of " Marion's men,"
was worthy to have been performed by Richard of the Lion
Heart, and reminds us of the incident when that " Pearl of Crusa
ders" dashed up singly before the army of Saladin, and by the
simple shaking of his spear held in check the Mahommaden hosts.
Colonel Watson, when in pursuit of Marion, came up with his
guard at Wiboo swamp, and, immediately, commenced the attack.
Horry, who commanded tho cavalry, was thrown back in disorder,
and the enemy's horse were following up the advantage, pressing
closely upon the whigs as they were crossing a narrow causeway,
when Gavin James, a man of gigantic frame, and mounted on a
powerful horse, whirled in front of the advancing column, and
discharged his musket, shooting the first man dead. In an in
stant, a volley blazed from the advancing foe, but, wonderful to
state, not a shot took effect. A dragoon rushed forward, but he

68 A ROMANTIC STORY.
was, instantly transfixed by the bayonet in the hand of James —
another shared the same fate, and fell beside his companion.
Awed by a single adversary, the whole column halted, when ani
mated and inspired by such signal daring, the cavalry of Marion
turned upon their enemy, and charged with such impetuosity as
to scatter the royalists before them.

A ROMANTIC STORY.
At the battle of Eutaw Springs, in the midst of the conflict, as
the two armies were hurled on each other with a fearful force,
two officers of the same rank became engaged in a desperate per
sonal conflict. Their swords flashed with inconceivable rapidity,
now one advanced, and now the other, each bending the whole
thought of his soul to the single adversary before him, and grow
ing unmindful of the din around him. They heeded not the
crash of artillery, the rapid clang of arms, the loud shriek of pain,
nor the wild cry of despair. But it soon became manifest that the
loyalist officer, though somewhat inferior to the other in weight,
was the better swordsman ; this the American perceived, and re
solving at all hazards to conquer his foe, he beat down his guard,
closed in, clasped him in his firm embrace, and made him prisoner.
When the captor and his prisoner met after the battle, it was
observed that there was a strong personal resemblance between
them. They were both youthful, high-minded, and chivalrous
gentlemen ; and a strong unanimity of feeling existing between
them, with a respect already implanted by their respective bearing
in the combat, a familiar acquaintance sprang up, which gradu-

ffiiipmSgjrs

Incident at Eutaw Spring

A ROMANTIC STORY. 50
aliy grew into friendship, and ended in a sincere, and ardent mu
tual attachment, as chivalrous in its nature, as it was romantic in
its origin. Some little tune after the battle, the American officer
returning home, on furlough, requested and obtained permission
for his captive friend to accompany him.
They traveled like brother knights of old, each pledged to the
other's defence, and bound to consider all alike as common friends
or common enemies. Their route lay through a district, which
was the sanguinary field of many bloody collisions, and cursed by
prowling detachments of tories, who exercised a robber's privilege
of warring on all whom it pleased their fancy to construe into
foes, or who tempted their avarice, or excited their vengeance.
One day, the two heroes were suddenly overtaken by a shower,
and throwing their cloaks over their shoulders, they retreated
under the shelter of a group of trees. Suddenly there appeared
on the road, a party of tories, who with drawn swords, and shout
ing over then1 anticipated plunder, dashed toward the spot where
stood the two friends. The high-souled American resolved not
to fall into the hands of those, whom, every instinct of his nature,
and every impulse of his .virtuous mind, stamped as men to detest
and loathe, and as stinging aspens in the bosom of his country ;
and, the heroic Briton, scorning the motives that actuated them,
and although to make himself known, was but to obtain safety
and freedom, also resolved to defend himself to the last, and fall
or live, the friend of him by whom he had been so generously
distinguished. But their cunning and their valor achieved for
them a glorious triumph. With waving swords, and with signals
to the rear, as if urging companions behind them to follow, they
spurred their horses, and both together dashed upon the approach
ing enemy. The fury of their onset, the determined vigor with

60 A ROMANTIC STORY.
which they whirled their weapons above their heads, and their
shouts for their supposed companions to follow, alarmed their
opponents, who offered but a feeble resistance, and then fled
rapidly, leaving the field to their victorious enemy, whom they
outnumbered by many fold.
With numerous adventures that more effectually linked their
friendship, they arrived safely at the home of the American offi
cer. Here the Englishman was welcomed, and in the home of
his friend he found those who generously admitted into their
confidence and friendship, one who had become so attached to
one of its promising members. In course of his sojourn here,
some remarks were dropped which led to inquiries, and the father
of the American, to the unmingled joy of all parties, discovered
that the two officers were first cousins. Their striking personal
resemblance thus became accounted for, and perhaps their invol
untary and mental attraction may be attributed to the same cause.
The joy of the American family in discovering a kinsman so
lofty in virtue, and possessed of all generous qualities, and one
who brought to their circle, high talents and briliant parts, that
daily won upon their hearts, was greatly augmented by the ap
pearance of an attachment springing up between the new found
cousin, and a sister of the American. This lady was amiable and
highly accomplished, and charmed by the bearing of the gen
erous stranger, she soon yielded to him more of affection and
admiration, than was due to a cousin. He also was moved by
her beauty and her many amiable traits, and thus they became
betrothed, to the unbounded satisfaction of the brother. The
Englishman had as effectually been conquered by the beauty of
the sister, as by the superior strength of the brother. He was a
prisoner, soul and body, in the conquerer's family. The reader

A ROMANTIC STORY. 61
may be assured that what we write is not fiction, though it sounds
marvelously like legends of knightly love and conquest in the
olden time. The facts of the story are given by Dr. Caldwell,
author of a life of Gen. Greene, who knew the parties when a
boy, and saw them often.
But alas ! our romance now becomes a tragedy. The stern
front of Mars breaks in upon the scene, and Fate, with his iron
hand, rends the happy picture. The youthful foreigner, has been
exchanged, and a summons comes demanding his presence in his
regiment. The duty is a sad one, but his honor compels him to
yield, and the lady, worthy of his chivalrous heroism, bids him
go, as she would .be the last to wither his lam-els. Never went
forth mailed knight, followed by prayers of greater loveliness, or
accompanied by the blessings of superior beauty. Their parting
was a scene of woe and tenderness. The future was a blank
with no lankmark that might show them where to hope. Danger
and death hovered on the horizon, and gloomy uncertainty racked
the present. The lover was to bear arms against his betrothed's
brother, and the two friends were again to assume to each other
the deadly front of war. But they parted, duty pointing to each
his course. Ere the lovers seperated, however, they pledged
themselves to remain faithful to each other, and, in the event of a
happy reunion, to become united in wedlock. With mingled
hopes and fears, the Briton hastened to his regiment, leaving a
sad vacuum in the circle where he had brought so much joy, and
left so much sorrow. But his noble heart was soon doomed to
sink beneath a blow, that, at once, and forever, prostrated his
hopes of happiness, and consigned them to the grave where lay
buried his love. But a few weeks after the departure of the of
ficer, the young lady was stricken down by an epidemic, which

62 CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE
ravaged alike on the young, the hopeful and the beautiful, as it
did on the withered, and the defiled, and her hopeful page of life
was closed suddenly and forever.

CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE
OF GENERAL WADSWORTH.
"In the spring of 1780, General Peleg Wadsworth was ap
pointed to the command of a party of state troops in Camden, in
the district of Maine. At the expiration of the period for which
the troops were engaged, in February following, General Wads-
worth dismissed his troops, retaining six soldiers only as his guard,
as he was making preparations to depart from the place. A
neighboring inhabitant communicated his situation to the British
commander at Penobscot, and a party of twenty-five soldiers
commanded by Lieut. Stockton, was sent to make him a prisoner.
They embarked in a small schooner, and landing within four
miles of the General's quarters, they were concealed in the house
of one Snow, a Methodist preacher, professedly a friend to him,
but really a traitor, till eleven o'clock in the evening, when they
made their arrangements for the attack on the general's quarters
" The party rushed suddenly on the sentinel, who gave the
alarm, and one of his comrades instantly opened the door of the
kitchen, and the enemy were so near as to enter with the senti
nel. The lady of the general, and her friend, Miss Fenno of Bos
ton, were in the house at the time, and Mrs. Wadsworth escaped
from the room of her husband into that of Miss Fenno.
¦" The assailants soon became masters of the whole house, except

OF GENERAL WADSWORTH. 63
the room where the general was, and which was strongly barred,
and they kept up a constant firing of musketry into the windows
and doors except into those of the ladies' room. General Wads
worth was provided with a pair of pistols, a blunderbuss and a
fusee, which he employed with great dexterity, being determined
to defend himself to the last moment. With his pistols, which
he discharged several times, he defended the rooms of his window
and a door which opened into a kitchen. His blunderbuss he
snapped several times, but unfortunately it missed fire, he then
secured his fusee, which he discharged on some who were break
ing through the windows, and obliged them to flee. He next
defended himself with his bayonet, till he received a ball through
his left arm, when he surrendered, which terminated the contest.
The firing, however, did not cease from the kitchen until the
general unbarred the door, when the soldiers rushed into the
room, and one of them who had been badly. wounded, pointing a
musket at his breast, exclaimed with an oath, ' you have taken
my life and I will take yours.' But Lieutenant Stockton turned
the musket aside and saved his life. The commanding officer now
applauded the general for his admirable defence, and assisted in
putting on his clothes, saying, ' you see we are in a critical situa
tion, and therefore you must excuse haste.' Mrs. Wadsworth
threw a blanket over him, and Miss Fenno affixea a handkerchief
closely around his wounded arm.
" In this condition, though much exhausted, he, with a wounded
American soldier, was directed to march on foot, while the British
wounded soldiers were mounted on a horse taken from the general's
barn. They departed in great haste. When they proceded
about a mile, they met at a small house, a number of people
collected, and who inquired if they had taken General Wads-

64 CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE
worth. They said no, and added, that they must leave a
wounded man in their care, and if they paid proper attention to
him, they should be compensated, but if not, they would burn
down their house ; but the man appeared to be dying. General
Wadsworth was mounted on the horse behind the other wounded
soldier, and was warned that his safety depended on his silence.
Having crossed over a frozen mill-pond about a mile in length,
they were met by some of their party who had been left behind.
At this place they found a British privateer which brought the
party from the fort. The captain on being told that he must re
turn there with the prisoner and the party, and seeing some of
his men wounded, became outrageous, and d  d the general
for a rebel, demanded how he dared to fire on the king's troops,
and ordered him to help launch the boat, or he would put his
hanger through his body. The general replied, that he was a
prisoner, and badly wounded, and could not assist in launching
the boat. Lieutenant Stockton, on hearing of this abusive treat
ment, in a manner honorable to himself, told the captain that the
prisoner was a gentleman, had made a brave defence, and was to be
treated accordingly, and added, that his conduct should be repre
sented to General Campbell. After this the captain treated the pris
oner with great civility and afforded him every comfort in his power.
" General Wadsworth had left the ladies in the house, not a
window of which escaped destruction. The doors were broken
down and two of the rooms were on fire, the floors were covered
with blood, and on one of them lay a brave old soldier danger
ously wounded, begging for death, that he might be released from
misery. The anxiety and distress of Mrs. Wadsworth was inex
pressible, and that of the general was greatly increased by tho
uncertainty in his mind respecting the fate of his little son, only

OF GENERAL WADSWORTH. 65
five years old, who had been exposed to every danger by the
firing into the house, but he had .the happiness afterwards of
hearing of his safety.
" Having arrived at the British fort, the capture of General
Wadsworth was soon announced, and the shore thronged with
spectators, to see the man, who through the preceding year had
disappointed all the designs of the British in that quarter ; and
loud shouts, were heard from the rabble that covered the shore;
but when he arrived at the fort and was conducted into the offi
cer's guard, room, he was treated with politeness. General
Campbell, the commandant of the British garrison, sent his com
pliments to him, and a surgeon to dress his wound, assuring him
that his situation should be made comfortable. The next morning,
General Campbell invited him to breakfast, and at table paid
him many compliments in the defence he had made, observing
however, that he had exposed himself in a degree not perfectly
justifiable. General Wadsworth replied, that from the manner
of the attack, he had So reason to suspect any design of taking
him alive, and that he intended therefore to sell his life 'as dearly
as possible. He was then informed,- that a room in the officer's
barracks within the fort, was prepared for him, and that an or
derly sergeant should daily attend him to breakfast and dinner
at the commandant's table. Having retired to his solitary apart
ment, and while his spirits were extremely depressed by a recol
lection of the past, and by his present situation, he received from
General Campbell several books of amusement, and soon after a
visit from him, kindly endeavoring to cheer the spirits of his pris
oner by conversation. The principal officers of the garrison also
called upon him, and from them all; whom he daily met at the
commandant's table,"he received particular attention and kindness,

66 CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE
'¦ He now made application for a flag of truce, by which means
he could transmit a letter to the governor of Massachusetts, and
another to Mrs. Wadsworth. This was granted, on the condition
that the letter to the governor should be inspected. The flag was
entrusted to Lieutenant Stockton, and on his return, the general
was relieved from all anxiety respecting his wife- and family.
At the end of five weeks, he requested of General Campbell, the
customary privilege of parole, and received in reply, that his case
had been reported to the commanding officer at New York, and
that no alteration could be made, till orders were received from
that quarter. In about two months time, Mrs. Wadsworth and
Miss Fenno arrived, and the officers of the garrison contributed
to render their visit agreeable to all concerned.
" About the same time, orders were received from the com
manding general at New York, which were concealed from Gene
ral Wadsworth, but he finally learnt that he was not to be paroled
nor exchanged, but was to be sent to England as a rebel of too
much consequence to be at liberty. Not long afterwards, Major
Benjamin Benton, a brave and worthy man, who had served un
der the general the preceding summer, was taken and brought
into the fort, and lodged in the same room with him. He had
been informed, that both himself and the general, were to be sent
immediately after the return of a privateer now on a cruise, either
to New York or Halifax, and thence to England. The prisoners
immediately resolved to make a desperate effort to effect their
escape. They were confined in a grated room in the officer's bar
racks within the fort. ' The walls of this fortress, exclusively of
the depth of the ditch surrounding it, were twenty feet high,
with fraising on the top, and chevanx de frise at the bottom.
Two sentinels were always in the entry, and their door — the upper

OF GENERAL WADSWORTH. 67
part of which was glass, might be opened by their watchmen
whenever they thought proper, and was actually opened at sea
sons of peculiar darkness and silence. At the exterior doors of
the entnes, sentinels were also stationed, as were others in the
body of the fort, and at the quarters of General Campbell. At
the guard house a strong guard was daily mounted. Several
sentinels were stationed on the walls of the fort, and a complete
line occupied them by night. Without the ditch, glacis and '
abattis, another complete set of soldiers patroled through the
night, and a piquet guard was placed in or near the isthmus lead
ing from the fort to the main land. Notwithstanding all these
fearful obstacles to success, they resolved to make the perilous
attempt. "The room in which they were confined, was railed with
boards. One of these they determined to cut off so as to make a
hole large enough to pass through, and then to creep along till
they should come to the next or middle entry ; and there lower
themselves down into this entry by a blanket. If they should
not be discovered, the passage to the walls of the fort was easy
In the evening, after the sentinels had seen the prisoners retired
to bed, General Wadsworth got up, and standing in a chair at
tempted to cut with his knife, the intended opening, but soon
found it impracticable. The next day, by giving a soldier a dol
lar they procured a gimblet. With this instrument, they pro
ceeded cautiously and as silently as possible to separate the
board, and in order to conceal every appearance from their ser
vants and from the officers, their visitors, they carefully covered
the gimblet holes with chewed bread. At the end of three
weeks, their labors were so far completed, that it only remained
to cut with a knife the parts which were left to hold the piece in

68 CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE
its place. When their preparations were finished, they learned
that the privateer in which they were to embark, was daily ex
pected. "In the evening of the 18th of June, a very severe storm of
rain, with great darkness and almost incessant lightning came on.
This the prisoners considered as the propitious moment. Having
extinguished their lights, they began to cut the corners of the
• board, and in less than an hour the intended opening was com
pleted. The noise which the operation occasioned, was drowned
by the rain falling on the roof. Major Benton first ascended to
the ceiling, and pressed himself through the opening. General
Wadsworth next, having put the corner of his blanket through
the hole and made it fast by a strong wooden skewer, attempted
to make his way through, standing on a chair below, but it was
with extreme difficulty that he at length effected it, and reached
the middle entry. From this he passed through the door which
he found open, and made his way to the wall of the fort,
and had to encounter the greatest difficulty before he could as
cend to the top. He had now to creep along the top of the fort
between the sentry boxes, at the very moment when the relief
was shifting sentinels, but the falling of the heavy rain kept the
sentinels within their boxes, and favored his escape. Having
now fastened his blanket round a picket at the top, he let him
self down through the chevaux de frise to the ground, and, in a
manner astonishing to himself, made his way into the open field.
Here he was obliged to grope his way among rocks, stumps and
brush in the darkness of night, till he reached the cove. Hap
pily the tide had ebbed, and he was enabled to cross the water,
which was about a mile in breadth, and not more than three feet
deep.

OF GENERAL WADSWORTH. 69
" About two o'clock in the morning, General Wadsworth found
himself a mile ancl a half from the fort, and he proceeded through
a thick wood and brush to the Penobscot river, and, after passing
some distance along the shore, being seven mile's from the fort, to
his unspeakable joy, he saw his friend Benton advancing towards
him. Major Benton had been obliged to encounter in his course,
equal difficulties with his companion, and such were the incredible
perils, dangers and obstructions, which they surmounted, that
their escape may be considered almost miraculous.
" It was now necessary that they should cross the Penobscot
river, and very fortunately they discovered a canoe with oars on
the shore suited to their purpose. While on the river, they dis
covered a barge with a party of the British from the fort, in pur
suit of them, but by taking an oblique course, and plying their
oars to the utmost, they happily eluded the eyes of their pursuers,
and arrived safe on the western shore. After having wandered
in the wilderness for several days and nights, exposed to extreme
fatigue ancl cold, and with no other food than a little dry bread
and meat, which they brought in their pockets from the fort, they
reached the settlements on the river St. George, and no further
difficulties attended their return to their respective families.''

GALLANT ENTERPRISE OF MAJOR BARTON.
In the latter part of 1"776, Major General Lee, during Wash
ington's retreat through the Jerseys, unfortunately fell into the
hands of the enemy, and was conveyed with triumph into New

70 GALLANT ENTERPRISE
York. This circumstance, at tlie darkest era of our revolutionary
contest, greatly depressed the spirits of the Americans, particu
larly as there was no prisoner in their hands for whom he could
be exchanged.
Under these circumstances many enterprises were projected to
capture some English officer of equal rank, by which means an
exchange could be effected, but it was reserved for Major Barton
of the Rhode Island line, to successfully plan ancl accomplish this
purpose. Shortly after the capture of Lee, the British took possession of
the islands of Rhode Islaud, Canonicut and Prudence, in Nar-
ragansett Bay. Major Barton was, at this time, attached to a
regiment, under command of Colonel Stanton, that was stationed
at Tiverton, on the eastern shore of the Bay. From this place, he
anxiously watched an opportunity to effect the object he had at
heart. In June lVTV, he learned from a prisoner, that General
Richard Prescott had established his head-quarters on the west
side of Rhode Island, and the prisoner gave a minute description
of the house. This account was, a few days after, confirmed by a
deserter from the British ranks. Conceiving the favorable op
portunity now afforded, he began to make preparations for the
execution of his design. But there were serious obstacles in the
way. The enterprize proposed was hazardous to the extreme,
and its failure liable to bring upon it, condemnation as rash and
foolhardy ; but then again, if successful, an enviable and honor
able renown would be the reward of those concerned. He com
municated his designs to Col. Stanton, his superior officer, who
gave it his commendation, and permitted him to select from his
regiment such men and officers as he desired to assist him in the
attack. From an apprehension that his design might become

OF MAJOR BARTON. f 1
known to the enemy, he did not make a selection of the neces
sary number of men until the last moment, and then with a de
sire that he might be accompanied only by volunteers, he ordered
his whole company upon parade, and in a brief speech stated that
he wished to obtain forty volunteers for an expedition of great
hazard, and all that wished to accompany him, should signify it
by stepping from the ranks. Without one exception, the whole
regiment advanced. He now found it necessary to make the
selection himself, and he did so, choosing those whose courage
and fidelity were tested. Several officers had personaly volunteered,
but not one of the party, save Barton himself, knew of the object
in view, but all trusted to the honor ancl courage of their leader
Some delay was experienced in procuring boats, but on the 4th
of July 1*7 1 7, they embarked from Tiverton for Bristol. In cross
ing Mount Hope Bay, they suffered from a severe storm, but they
arrived at Bristol at midnight. On the morning of the 5th, the
Major, with his officers, went over to Hog Island for the purpose
of reconnoitering the position of the enemy. Here he revealed
the object of the expedition, and his plan for its accomplishment.
It was not until the evening of the 5th, that the party again
embarked. Crossing Narragansett Bay, they landed on War
wick Neck, but were here detained by a severe storm which re
tarded their plans considerably. On the 9th, however, it became
clear, and they prepared once more to sail, with the intention of
proceeding directly to Rhode Island. Some hours after the set
of sun, all was still, and the darkness affording them a protection
from observation, the little squadron shot out from the land, and
proceeded noiselessly and cautiously on its course. This was a
very hazardous part of the enterprise, as there was great danger
of being discovered by some of the ships of war that lay near the

72 GALLANT ENTERPRISE
shore. Cautiously gliding along between the islands of Pru
dence and Patience, by which means they were secured from ob
servation from the enemy's shipping that lay off by Hope Island,
they advanced rapidly to their destination. While passing the
north end of Prudence Island, they could distinctly hear the sen
tinels from the ships, cry out, "All's well.' The night was one
of excessive darkness, and this fortunate circumstance, no doubt,
contributed largely to the success of the plan.
The landing was effected without difficulty. In order to secure
a rapid retreat, one man was commanded to remain in each boat,
and instructed to be ready for departing at a moment?s notice
When all were on shore, the requisite instructions were given
and the party advanced rapidly in the direction of General Pres
cott's head-quarters. The difficulties of Major Barton's situation
will be, readily appreciated. Even should he surprise General
Prescott, a very few moments would suffice for an alarm to be
carried to the enemy, and if so, the whole British army would be
upon them before they could get to their forts, Or even should
they reach their boats, if an alarm were conveyed to the enemy's
shipping, their retreat would, with certainty, be cut off. It was,
therefore, necessary to proceed with the utmost caution and care ;
and to act with equal daring, prudence, and celerity.
The distance to the residence of the English general, was about
a mile. The party was divided into five divisions ; one to ap
proach the door on the south side, another one on the east, and
a third on the west side, there being three doors to the house,
while the fourth division was to guard the road, and the fifth to
be ready to act on emergencies. They were obliged in order to
reach the house, to pass the guard house of the enemy, on their
left, and on the right a house occupied by a company of cavalry.

OF MAJOR BARTON. 73
On arriving at Prescott's head-quarters, they were challenged by
a sentinel who was stationed at the gate of the front yard. The
darkness of the night prevented him from determining the nature
of the party approaching, but, as they continued to advance in
silence, he again challenged them, demanding, "Who goes
there ?" ' " Friends" said Barton. " Advance and give the coun
tersign," was the rejoinder. " Pho !" replied Barton, as he con
tinued to advance close to the person of the sentinel, " we have
no countersign — have you seen any rascals to night ?" Almost
simultaneous with this remark, Barton suddenly seized the mus
ket of the sentinel, and charged him to make no noise on the
penalty of instant death. So much had been accomplished in
perfect silence. The divisions rapidly advanced to their respec
tive positions, while Barton questioned the bewildered and terri
fied sentinel, as to whether the General was in the house, who
replied that he was. The signal was now given, and in an instant
the south door was burst open, and the division there stationed,
rushed into the building followed by the Major.
The first person Barton met, was Mr. Perwig, who denied that
General Prescott was in the house, and his son also obstinately
denied the presence of the English officer. Not being able to
find nim in their rapid search through the apartments, Barton
now had result, to stratagem. In a loud voice, he declared his
intention of capturing the general dead or alive, and ordered his
soldiers immediately to set fire to the house. At this juncture, a
a voice which Barton suspected to belong to the General, inquired
the cause of the disturbance. Barton rushed to the apartments
from which came the voice he heard, and finding there an elderly
gentleman, just rising from his bed, he accosted him as General
Prescott. To this the gentleman assented, and declared he bore

<t gallant enterprise
the name and title. "Then you are my prisoner," replied Bar
ton. " I acknowledge that I am," was the rejoinder. He was
only allowed time to partially dress himself, when he was hurried
off by his captors.
Meanwhile a singular circumstance had occurred. At the very
moment when Barton first gained admission into the house, one
of the British soldiers managed to escape, and flew to the quarters
of the main guard to give the alann. This man, in the alarm of
the moment, rushed forth with no other clothing than his shirt ;
and having hastily explained the matter to the sentinel on duty,
he passed on to the quarters of the cavalry, which was much more
remote from the head-quarters of the General. But when the
sentinel came to explain the matter to the officer of the guard, it
seemed so incredible, that he was laughed at, and was told that
he had seen a ghost. He admitted that the messenger was
clothed in white, and after being heartily laughed at for his cre
dulity, was ordered back to his station, and the guard went back
to their quarters. This was a most fortunate circumstance, for
had the alarm of the soldier been believed, nothing could have
preserved the gallant Major and his band from destruction.
The whole party with the English general in their midst,
marched rapidly toward the shore. When they arrived a%the
boat, their prisoner, who had been hurried away half dressed, was
permitted to complete his toilet. They re-embarked with all pos
sible haste, and had not got far from the island, when the dis
charge of cannon and three sky rockets gave the signal for alarm.
But, for some cause, the signal was not understood by those on the
ships, and, by this fortunate circumstance, the gallant band was
preserved, for it would have been easy for their enemy to have
cut off their retreat. Although full of anxiety and apprehension,

OF MAJOR BARTON. 75
they bent every nerve to reach their port of destination, and hap
pily succeeded without meeting with any obstacle.
When they had landed, General Prescott said to the Major,
" Sir, you have made an amazing bold push to night." " We have
been fortunate," was the modest reply. The British commander
was conveyed as a prisoner to Providence, while this gallant en
terprise soon becoming noised abroad, it was received every
where with unqualified admiration, and the gallant Major and his
party, became the heroes of the campaign. It was not long after
the performance of this brilliant exploit, that the prisoner was
exchanged for General Lee, to the great joy and satisfaction of
the American army.

AN INTERESTING STORY.
Israel Israel, a native of Pennsylvania, after having passed
ten years in the island of Barbadoes, and amassed a considerable
property, returned to his native land to enjoy his wealth, and to
be restored to the society of his family. He married and pre
pared to pass the remainder of his years in quiet and ease, when f
the war broke out, and his whole fortune became sacrificed. From
the commencement of the struggle, he had resolved to take up
arms for the cause of freedom, but his unprotected family en
treated so urgently not to be left alone, and exposed to a merci
less enemy, that he determined to draw lots with his younger
brother, Joseph, to decide which should become a soldier. The
chance fell upon - the younger, and it became Israel's duty to de
vote himself to the safety and welfare of his family. He took up
4

76

AN INTERESTING STORY.

his residence on a small farm near Wilmington, in Deleware,
while his mother and her family resided at Philadelphia. When
this city fell into the hands of the British, the privations and hard
ships endured by the whig families resident in the town, were all
that a rapacious soldiery could inflict. Each household had
several soldiers quartered upon it,, who took delight in terrifying
and plundering its helpless inmates. Such was the condition of
Mrs Israel, who was deprived of supplies and in want of the ac
tual necessities. Israel, who watched over them with a continued
anxiety, learned of this, and this knowledge determined him to
undertake a hazardous journey into the town and to smuggle sup
plies for his suffering family. A tory neighbor, who professed
great sympathy for him, gave him the countersign.
It was towards evening, on a day in the latter part of the year
1777 — that darkest era of the American cause — that Israel ap
proached the city of Philadelphia, on the road leading from Wil
mington. His large and powerful frame was enveloped in a
capacious cloak, which not only was a protection against the
weather, but which served to conceal sundry parcels of provisions,
and a bag of money. It was sometime after dark when he
reached the ferry, when he was hailed by the sentinel, with " Who
goes there?"
" A friend," was the reply given with an anxious heart.
" The countersign !"
He promptly gave the countersign.
" Pass friend !" replied the sentinel ; and with a beating heart,
the adventurous whig passed quickly on. The main difficulty
was now over, and his enterprise promised a successful issue.
A few moments more sufficed to bring him to his mother's resi
dence, which he found in possession of several soldiers, quartered

AN INTERESTING STORY. 77
upon the family. Among them was a fierce and ferocious look
ing Hessian, whose aspect was well calculated to terrify the timid,
and produce disgust among the brave. But he was welcomed
with open arms by his family, and their happiness was complete
from the fact that the younger brother, Joseph, was there on a
secret visit also. But their joy was of short duration. At eleven
o'clock, while seated at supper, the tramp of horses was heard
without ; and almost immediately, there was a clamor at the door,
and an imperious voice demanded admittance. The scene of
peace within, was instantly changed to one of consternation and
dismay. The brothers were frantically entreated to fly. The
younger sprang up the stairs, threw off his uniform, and escaped
upon the roof of the house. The noise below had now become
furious, and further delay in admitting them was impossible.
Accompanied by the pale and terrified females, Mr. Israel pro
ceeded to unbar the door, when the intruders, headed by the
Hessian sergeant, rushed in, and roughly seized Mr. Israel's arm,
exclaiming, ',' We have caught him at last — the rebel rascal."
With an undisturbed mien, a calmness unshaken by the immi
nence of the danger, and a consciousness that his brother's safety
could only be secured by delay, he shook off his assailants, while
he quietly demanded what was meant, and who it was that
dared to charge him of being a rebel. The Hessian pointed to
Ccesar, a slave Mr. Israel had brought from the West Indies.
The young man turned to the negro with a tenible look, and
exclaimed, " Dare you, Caesar, call me a rebel ?" The guilty
black hung his head and trembled. " Gentlemen," said Mr. Is
rael, K there is some mistake here. My brother Joseph is the per
son meant, I presume. Let me fetch the uniform ; and then you
can judge for yourselves. Csesar come with me."

78

AN INTERESTING STORY.

Grasping the arm of the black, the young man led him up
stairs, exclaiming in his ear, " not one word you rascal, or I'll kill
you upon the spot." He procured the uniform and returned to
his captors, and when its entire disproportion became apparent,
Joseph being light and short of build, while Israel was of a tow
ering and robust frame, the soldiers acknowledged their mistake,
and the Hessian officer made some rough attempts at apologising.
He then impertinently seated himself at the supper table, from
which the family had been driven by their terror, and saying, " as
your supper is ready, we will sit down." Mr. Israel controlled
his resentment, and the family returned to their places at the
table, and patiently endeavored to listen to the coarse and brutal
remarks of their untimely guest. The young ladies restrained
their terror, but still trembling secretly, for fear that the noble in
dignation of their brother, would lead him to some act of impru
dence. And indeed it was only by a powerful exercise of his
self-control that he was enabled to submit to his brutal and dis
gusting conversation. He gave boastful details of his exploits in
slaughtering the rebels, so atrocious in their recital, that Mr. Is
rael several times grasped his knife, with an impulse to strike
down the savage, but the entreating looks of his agonized mother
and sisters, restrained the blow.
" That Paoli affair," said he continuing his recital, " was capital !
I was with General Grey in the attack. It was just after mid
night when we forced the outposts, and not a noise was heard so
loud as the dropping of a musket. How the fellows turned out
of their encampment when they heard us ! What a running
about — barefoot and half clothed — and in the light of their own
fires ! These showed us where to chase them, while they could
not see us. We killed three hundred of the rebels with the bayo-

AN INTERESTING STORY. 79
net ; I stuck them myself like so many pigs — one after another —
till the blood ran out of the touch-hole of my musket."
The horrible story of the bloody-minded Hessian, was inter
rupted by Mr. Israel, who starting to his feet, with face pale with
rage, and his eyes glancing fire, was about to inflict summary
vengeance on the wretch, but his sisters sprang forward, and a
shriek from the younger one, who fell fainting in his arms, pre
vented the catastrophe that might have ensued. All now thrown
into confusion, the Hessian bade them good night, and left the
house. Relieved from the presence so much dreaded, they now pre
pared for the sad scene of parting. Before departing, Mr. Israel
summoned Csesar before him, and sternly questioned the black
who declared that he had been compelled to do what he had
done, and now solemnly promised fidelity for the future. He al
ways remained faithful to his promise. The parting was a scene
of subdued anguish and pain, for the danger was not over. Tearing
himself from their arms, Mr. Israel left the house, and hastened
on his journey homeward. But scarcely had he arrived upon his
farm at Wilmington, than he with his brother-in-law, were ar
rested upon the information of the loyalist from whom he had
received the countersign, and carried on board a frigate lying in
the Delaware, directly opposite to his farm, where they were con
fined, in order to be tried as spies.
He was treated with the utmost severity in his captivity.
Several of his tory neighbors came forward to testify against him,
and declared that while the tory population had all come forward
to fm-nish their share of provisions for the royal army, he was
heard to declare, that he, " would sooner drive his cattle as a pres-

80 AN INTERESTING STORY.
ent to General Washington, than receive thousands of dollars in
British gold for them."
When this speech was told the .commander, he gave orders for
a detachment to proceed to the farm, and drive the cattle down
to the water's edge, and slay them in the full view of the pris
oners. This order gave an opportunity for the display of one of
the most intrepid acts of female heroism that occurred during the
whole war.
The young wife of Mr. Israel, had been overcome by anguish,
at the fearful fate which seemed to await her husband and brother.
She was but nineteen, of a slight and symmetrical figure, consid
erable beauty, and of a modest, retiring deportment, which gave
no promise of that heroism, that a trying moment was about to
develop. From the farrn she saw the soldiers land from the ships, and
march towards the meadow which contained her husband's cattle.
She divined their purpose, and instantly resolved, to thwart it.
Calling to a little boy, eight years old, to follow her, she started
for the field with her utmost speed. In an instant the bars were
clown, and she was hurrying forward to drive the herd through the
opening. The soldiers called out to her to desist, or they would
fire. " Fire away !" exclaimed she, neither fearing nor hesitating.
They fired, and the balls flew thick about her, while the fright
ened cattle began to run in every direction. Heedless of the con
tinued threats of the soldiers, she headed them off, and drove
them toward the barn-yard.
" Do not let one escape, Joe !" exclaimed she, while the bullets
continued to whistle around her. And not one did escape ! The
little boy became so paralyzed with terror, that he fell to the

AN INTERESTING STORY. 81
ground, but seizing him in her arms, the heroic woman herself
drove them into the barn-yard, and put up the bars. The soldiers
either baffled by her courage, or out of respect to it, did not pur
sue their intentions, and returned to their vessel.
This scene had passed in view of the officers of the frigate, and
the two prisoners. The fear and agony endured by the husband
and brother, while they saw the peril in which the wife was
placed, must have been great, while they openly showed their ex
ultation at her triumph.
At last they were brought to trial. Mr. Israel openly confessed
his visit to Philadelphia, stating the cause, which was to carry re
lief to his suffering parent and family. Matters looked dark for
them, but Mr. Israel having learned that the officers of the court
belonged to the order of Masons, and being himself a member, at
the close of his story, made the secret sign of the brotherhood to
the presiding officer. There was an evident change in his favor
at once. The officer's stern countenance softened, and the pris
oners were eventually acquitted. The court severely rebuked the
informers, for preferring charges against an honorable man, en
gaged on a mission of love and duty. The prisoners were dis
missed with honor ; but the magnanimity of a verdict, not based
upon principles of justice, but upon a connection foreign to the
point at issue, may well be questioned.*
* Mrs. Ellet's "Women of the Revolution."

82 A THRILLING NARRATIVE.

A THRILLING NARRATIVE.
The following Revolutionary reminisence we find in an old
periodical, where it is given as a well authenticated fact.
In the autumn of 1777, when Lord Howe had possession of
Philadelphia, the situation of the Americans who could not follow
their beloved commander, was truly distressing, subject to the
every day insults of cruel and oppressive foes. Bound to pay
obedience to laws predicated, on the momentary power of a proud
and vindictive commander, it can be better pictured than des
cribed. To obtain the common necessaries of life, particularly
flour, they had to go as far as Bristol, a distance of eighteen or
twenty miles, and even this indulgence was not granted them, un
til a pass was procured from Lord Howe, as guards were placed
along Vine street, extending from the Delaware to the Schuylkill,
forming a complete barrier ; beyond these, through the woods
extending as far as Frankford, were stationed the piquet guards — •
thus rendering it in a manner impossible to reach the Bristol
mills, unless first obtaining a pass.
The American forces were then encamped at the Valley Forge,
suffering from cold, hunger, and the inclemency of the season.
The British rolled in plenty, and spent their days in feastings,
their nights in balls, riots, and dissipation ; thus resting in sup
posed security, while the American chief was planning a mode
for their final extirpation. A poor woman, with six small children,
'whose husband was at the Valley Forge, had made frequent ap
plications for a pass. Engagements rendered it impossible for
her cruel tormentors to give her one. Rendered desperate 'from
disappointment and the cries of her children, she started alone

A THRILLING NARRATIVE. 83
without a pass, and by good luck eluded the guards and reached
Bristol. About this time, there were six brothers of the name of Doale,
renowned for many acts of heroic bravery, but which were in the
character of marauders rather than soldiers. They were men full
six feet high, stout and active, a fearless intrepidity characterizing
their deeds, and they always succeeded in making their escape. A
marked partiality to the Americans, rendered them obnoxious to
the British, and always welcome to the former, to whom they
conveyed what information they could glean in their adventures.
Our adventurous female, having procured her flour in a pillow
case, holding about twenty pounds, was returning with a light
heart to her anxious and lonely babes. She had passed the
piquet guards at Frankford, and was just entering the woods a
little this side, when a tall, stout man, stepped from behind a tree
and putting a letter in her hand, requested her to read it. She
grasped with eager joy, the letter bearing the character of her
husband's hand-writing. After a pause, he said, " Your husband
is well, madam, and requested me to say, that in a short time he
will be with you ; money is a scarce article among us — I mean
among them ; but on account of your husband's partiality to the
cause of liberty, I am willing to become his banker." So saying,
he handed her a piece of money, " my means, madam, are ade
quate or I would not be thus lavish," seeing she was about to re
fuse it.
'¦ You said, sir,3' my husband would see me shortly; how do
you know that which seems so impossible ? and how did you
know me, who never  " ¦
" Hush, madam, we are now approaching the British guard ;
suffice it to say, the American commander has that in his head,

84 A THRILLING NARRATIVE.
which, like an earthquake, will shake the whole American conti
nent, and expunge all these miscreants ; but, hark ! take the road
to the left — farewel." So saying, he departed. She gave one
look, but vacancy filled the spot where he stood. With slow and
cautious steps, she approached Vine street. Already her fire
burned beneath her bread, when the awful word " halt !" struck
her to the soul. She started, and found herself in the custody of
a British sentinel. " Your pass, woman." " I have none, sir ;
my children are  " " D  n the rebel crew, why do you
breed enemies to your king — this flour is mine — off, woman, and
die with your babes." A groan was her only answer. The ruf
fian was about departing, when the former messenger appeared —
his whole demeanor was changed ; humble simplicity marked his
gait — he approached the guard with a seeming fearfulness, and
begged him in a suppliant voice, to give the poor woman her
flour. " Fool ! idiot !" exclaimed the guard, " who are you ? see
yonder guard house, if you interfere here, that shall be your
quarters.'' " May be so, sir ; but wont yoii give the poor woman
the means of supporting her little family one week longer ? recol
lect the distance she has walked, the weight of the bag, and
recollect  "
" Hell and fury, sirrah ! Why bid me recollect, you plead in
train — begone, or I'll seize you as a spy."
" You won't give the poor woman her flour 2"
"-No."" Then by my country's faith, and hopes of freedom, you shall !"
and with a powerful arm, he seized the guard by the throat and
hurled him to the ground. " Run, madam, run — see the guard
house is alive — secure your flour, pass Vine street, and you are
safe." 'Twas done. The guard made an attempt to rise, when

A THRILLING NARRATIVE. ' 85
the stranger drew a pistol, and shot him dead. The unfortunate
man gazed around him with fearless intrepidity. There was but
one way of escape, and that through the woods. Seizing the
dead man's 'musket, he started like a deer, pursued by the hounds.
" Shoot him down ! shoot him down !" was echoed from one line
to another. The desperado was lost in the woods, and a general
search commenced ; the object of their pursuit, in the meantime,
flew like lightning ; the main guard was left behind, but the
whole piquet line would soon be alarmed-~one course alone pre
sented itself, and that was to mount his horse, which was con
cealed among the bushes, and gallop down to the Delaware ;
a boat was already there for him. The thought was no sooner
•suggested, than it was put into execution. He mounted his horse,
and, eluding the alarmed guards, had nearly reached the
Delaware. Here he found himself headed and hemmed in, by at least
fifty exasperated soldiers. One sprang from behind a tree, and
demanded immediate surrender. " 'Tis useless to prevaricate —
you are now in our possession." " Son of a slave ! slave of a king !
how dare you to address a freeman ! Surrender yourself — a Doale
never surrendered himself to any roan, far less to a blinded pol
troon — away, or die ;" and attempted to pass. The guard levelled
his gun ; but himself was levelled in the dust ; the ball of Doale's
pistol, had been swifter than his own. His case was now truly
desperate ; behind him was the whole line of guards — on the
north of him, the Frankford . piquets, and on the left of him, the
city of Philadelphia, filled with British troops.
One way, and only one presented itself, and that was to cross
the river. He knew his horse ; he plunged in— a shout succeeded
and ere he reached half the distance, twenty armed boats were in

86 ' THE STORY OF
swift pursuit. His noble horse dashed through the Delaware, his
master spurred him on with double interest, while the balls whis
tled around him. The tide was running down, and when he reached
the Jersey shore, he found himself immediately opposite the old
slip, at Market street. On reaching the shore, he turned round,
took out a pistol, and, with steady aim, fired at the first boat ; a
man fell over the side and sank to rise no more. He then disap
peared in the wood. The angry, harassed, and disappointed
pursuers gave one look, one curse, and returned to the Pennsyl
vania shore,fully believing, that, if he was not the devil, he was
at least one of his principal agents.

THE STORY OF AN OLD SOLDIER.
The following story is as it was related by an old soldier.
It was in the summer of 1780, at the close of a Sabbath day,
that the inhabitants of a retired farm house in Georgia assembled
at their evening repast. The venerable farmer, the widow of his
son, and her only daughter, a blooming girl of sixteen, composed
the little circle. " I should like," said the old man, " to know
where our young soldier is now." Tears and blushes appeared
at once on the countenance of Kate, and when the mother fer
vently exclaimed " God preserve him," she could not restrain her
sobs ; for it was of her cousin Leonard, her. betrothed husband,
that they spoke. " Out with your tears, baby face," cried her
grandsire, cheerfully ; " he will come home to you soon, nothing
less than a captain. What ! would you have him stay at home
at such a time ; ah ! if I felt not the aches of seventy in my limbs,

AN OLD SOLDIER. 87
or could I shake from my gray head a score of years; I would not
be now sitting in the chimney corner." Kate smiled at her sire's
earnestness. She handed him the Bible and his spectacles, and
having listened to the evening portion, and joined in the fervent
prayer, the peaceful family retired to rest. '
The dwelling of John Cammel was situated on the side of a
hill, at the foot of which ran a deep narrow stream that watered
the valley. On the bank of this stream terminated the bounda
ry of the farm, and the vale beyond was mostly a thick wood,
where some new settlers had begun to clear small portions of the
ground. The huts of these people were the only dwellings with
in some miles of Cammel's house, which was rendered the more
retired by the thick shade of the numerous trees which grew
around it. It was built in the plain style, most suitable to a farm
er ; consisting of one story, divided into a parlor and three sleep
ing apartments, where the inmates lodged. The servants belong
ing immediately to the house, occupied the loft above ; while the
negroes who tilled the farm had their own cottages on the other
side of the hill, nearly two miles from the dwelling. Kate and
her mother slept in the back room, whose windows looked on the
path which wound along the brow of the hill, as it led to the
house. It was midnight, and Kate had sunk into an uneasy slum
ber, when she was startled from it by the indistinct sound of
smothered voices. Unsuspicious of evil, and unwilling to awake
her mother, she arose, and gently opened the window ; she leaned
out and listened ; all was silent, and she saw nothing but the tall
trees that stood smiling in the moonlight. She was withdrawing,
when she suddenly perceived something gleam among the thick
foliage of the old willow, whose branches trailed to the ground.
She fixed her eye upon it — the wind gently waved the leaves —

88

THE STORY OF

it was a bayonet which glanced in the moonbeam. At the same
instant she saw one of the negroes running toward the house. —
" Shut the window," he cried, perceiving her : " the British are
here." A mortal wound from a musket prevented his concluding.
Kate had heard enough ; she attempted to bar the shutters, but
ere she could effect it, she heard the report of a gun, and felt its
burning contents in her bosom. Darkness came over her, and for
some moments she lay insensible. The fresh air which blew from
the window on her face, revived her ; she crept to the bed to
speak to her mother, but it was empty ; and the sound of men's
footsteps, deep execrations, and horrid oaths, struck her with
tenor. Amidst the noise and tumult, she distinguished the voice
of her faithful nurse, calling from the upper window, and entreat
ing her to come to the loft : " Quick, quick," repeated the woman.
Kate rose, and with difficulty walked to the door. It was but to
cross the hall and she would reach- the stairs of the,garret. She
entered the hall, and was hastening through it, when she saw the
inanimate body of a man lying across a chair. Another glance
told her that it was her aged parent. She lingered an instant —
but that instant decided her fate. The door of the parlor was
opened, and an officer, with several soldiers, rushed into the hall.
Approaching the affrighted girl, he addressed her in coarse and
jeering terms. She sunk on her knees, and attempted to suppli
cate his mercy ; he rudely grasped her arm, when extreme fear,
combined with the agonies of her wound, burst the strings of life,
and she expired at his touch. The officer threw her stiffening
form from him, with an exclamation of horror, and giving some
order to his men, they quitted the house. But there was one who
had been a trembling witness to his brutality ; who had marked
his sountenance, as for a moment he stood with his head uncov-

AN OLD SOLDIER 89
ered, and had heard the name by which the soldiers addressed
him. The old negro, the husband of Kate's nurse, had ventured
to descend the stairs to seek the ill-fated girl, and had partly un
closed the door which shut him from the hall, when he beheld
her situation, without the power of affording her assistance. He
now hastened to raise her, and observing the blood which flowed
from her bosom, he called to his wife to aid him in carrying her
to the loft. But the volume of smoke that burst forth from every
part of the house, announced that the marauders had finished
their dreadful errand. While the nurse supported the cold form of
her foster child, the old man stole out to observe the motions of the
enemy. They were marching silently up the hill, and the faithful
servants, with their lifeless burthen, fearfully descended to the
stream, and crossing over a rough bridge, they followed a narrow
path, which brought them in safety to the cottage of a- young
farmer, who readily opened his door to them.
Leonard Cammel had entered the army a private soldier, but
his merit soon gained him promotion. He had just received a
lieutenant's commission, and was appointed, in conjunction with
myself, then of the same rank, to conduct an expedition, the plan
of which was unfolded to us by Colonel Clarke, our immediate
commander. As a mark of favor, Leonard was permitted to stop
at Cammel's farm for two hours, to see and converse with his
friends. I could not but envy his feelings, as I looked on his
glowing cheek and sparkling eye, and joined in his bright antici
pations. At length we arrived at the farm, and entered the road
which led to the place of Leonard's nativity. As we ascended
a high hill, Leonard looked around, and turning pale, said
" I do not see the house." We put the spur to our horses, and
another moment brought us before the black and smothered

90 THE STORY OF
ruin. The house was burnt to the ground, and some of the finest
trees had shared its fate. The garden, which even in its desola
tion seemed to own a woman's taste, was trampled, and its flow
ers were crushed. A bower, which had been shaded by the white
roses of the luxuriant multiflora, was levelled with the earth ; yet
the flowers still reared their pale heads, and perfumed the morn
ing air.
" This is not the effect of accident," exclaimed Leonard, lean
ing against a tree, as if stunned by the shock, while the soldiers
vented their anger in oaths and threats of vengeance.
" Where shall we seek your family ?" I inquired.
" Not on earth, I fear," answered Leonard ; yet the eagerness
with which he led the way to the cottage, showed that he stiL
cherished hope. The old nurse was sitting at the entrance of the
hut as we approached ; at the sight of Leonard, she wrung her
hands, and weeping bitterly, cried, " you have come too late."
" Where is Kate and my grandfather ?" was Leonard's eager
inquiry ; and, without waiting her answer, he rushed into the
house. I followed him, and beheld stretched on the bed the life
less form of a young female ; her white arms were crossed on her
bosom — her beautiful features were not only convulsed by the
agony of death, but of mental terror — and her long brown hair,
which flowed over her form, was, in some places, clotted with
blood. It was only by speaking of revenge, and urging the im
perious calls of duty, that I was enabled to tear the wretched
youth from the corpse of his murdered love. Before he departed,
he ascertained the name of the officer, who had commanded these
fiends. I was not surprised, when the negro, after detailing the
whole scene, mentioned the name of G  . " You will easily
know him," he continued, " by a scar which covers his cheek."

AN OLD SOLDIER. 91
" I shall know him," said Leonard bitterly ; and his deportment
then changed from deep dejection to a fierce and feverish eager
ness of manner. We were successful in our errand, and, after a
few days absence, rejoined Colonel Clarke. One morning, as I
was sitting alone, Leonard came to my tent, his face lighted up
-with a joyful, but ferocious expression. Before I could speak, he
exclaimed, " Have you heard the order ? we are to attack Fort
G  ."
" Who defends it ?" I asked.
" Who ? G  ." Alarmed at his fierceness, I. said, " What
do you think of my friend ?" Grasping his sword, while his brow
crimsoned with rage, he replied, " of the smoking ruin, and stiff
corpse I left behind me."
Colonel G  was obliged to surrender to our superior force.
As at the head of his men, he walked from the fort between the
ranks of his conqueror, a musket ball whistled through the air ;
it was aimed by an unerring hand, and G  fell to the ground,
a dead man. Although every exertion was used, it was never
discovered who was the murderer. I dared not question-Leonard,
but the calm sternness of his countenance spoke of satisfied re
venge. Once I ventured to deplore the event, as a stain upon our
honor. " Would he had died in battle ; he had trusted to our
faith ; he was unarmed ; to harm him then, was faithless and un
merciful." " He showed her no mercy," said Leonard, in a voice
which made me shudder.

92 ADVENTURES OF THE

ADVENTURES OF THE BROTHERS SAMMONS.
Jacob Sammons, and his four sons, were celebrated in the
border warfare of the Mohawk Valley, as staunch and intrepid
supporters of the American cause. The whole family, with the
exception of one son, who was absent from home at the time,
were taken prisoners by Sir John Johnson, in his night descent on
Johnstown, near which town the Sammons family resided. The
particulars of the arrest, and Of the subsequent marvelous and
perilous adventures of Jacob and Frederick Sammons, we draw
from Stone's " Life of Joseph Brant." A more deeply absorbing
and wonderful history of escapes by flood and field — the history
of adventure can scarcely produce.
" On the night of the attack, Thomas, the youngest, had risen
at an unwonted hour, in order to feed his horses, and go over to
a neighboring farm to work with his brother. On coming down
stairs, however, and stepping out of doors half dressed, to take an
observation of the weather — it being yet dark, though day was
just breaking — the thought occurred to him, that should any
straggling Indians be prowling about, he would stand but a poor
chance if fallen upon alone. While standing thus in doubt,
whether to proceed or to wait for more light, he was startled by
a noise of heavy steps behind, and, as he turned, by the glitter of
steel passing before his' eyes. At the same instant, a hand was
laid upon his shoulder, with the words — ' you are my prisoner !'
In such perfect stillness had the enemy approached, that not the
sound of a footstep was heard, until the moment when the
younger Sammons was thus arrested, and the house immediately
surrounded. One of the officers, with several soldiers, instantly

BROTHERS SAMMONS. 93
entered the house, and ordered the family to get up, and sur
render themselves as prisoners. Jacob and Frederick, who were
in bed, in the second story, sprang upon their feet immediately,
and seized their arms. The officer called to them and offered
quarter if they would surrender. Jacob inquired whether there
were Indians with them ; adding, that if there were, he and his
brother would not be taken alive. On being assured to the con
trary, the brothers descended the stairs and surrendered. The
old gentleman was also taken. They were directed to make
ready to march immediately. Thomas here remarked to the sol
dier who yet stood sentinel over him, that he could not travel to
Canada without his clothes, and especially without his shoes,
which he had not yet put on — requesting liberty to return to his
chamber for his raiment. The sentinel refused permission ; but
Thomas persisted that he must obtain his shoes at least, and was
stepping toward the door, when the barbarian made a plunge at
at his back with his bayonet, which had proved fatal, but for the
quick eyes and the heroism of a sister, standing by, who, as she
saw the thrust at her brother, sprang forward, and seizing the
weapon, threw herself across its barrel, and by falling, brought it
to the ground. The soldier struggled to disengage his arms
and accomplish his purpose. At the same time, an officer
stepped forward, and demanded what was the matter. The
girl informed him of the attempt upon her brother, whereupon
he rebuked the soldier, by the exclamation — ' you d  d rascal,
would you murder the boy ?' Immediate permission was then
given him, to procure whatever articles he wanted."
With their arms pinioned behind them, the prisoners com
menced their march. The course of the. tories was one uninter
rupted outrage. Houses burned, prisoners made, helpless age,

94

ADVENTURES OF THE

and smiling infancy brutally murdered, and property of all kinds
recklessly destroyed. They continued along the Mohawk Valley,
for several miles, burning and destroying, and then retraced thejr
steps to Johnstown. Here an English lady interested herself
successfully for some of the prisoners, with Sir John, and in going,
into the field to seleet them, she managed adroitly to include
young Sammons into the group, for whom an interest had been
excited in her bosom. The elder Sammons was also released,
having privately made an appeal to the Baronet, based upon early
associations and services rendered to him, to which Sir John
yielded. Jacob and Frederick Sammons, however, were continued
in captivity. The march was resumed, and the captives marched
to St. John's, and from thence transferred to the fortress of
Chamblee. " The prisoners at this fortress numbered about forty. On the
day after their an-ival, Jacob Sammons having taken an accurate
survey of the garrison, and the facilities of escape, conceived the
project of inducing his fellow prisoners to rise upon the guards
and obtain their freedom. The garrison was weak in number,
and the sentinels less vigilant than is usual among good soldiers.
The prison doors were opened once a day, when the prisoners were
visited by the proper officer, with four or five soldiers. Sammons
had observed, where the arms of the guards were stacked in the
yard, and his plan was, that. some of the prisoners should arrest
and disarm the visiting guard, on the opening of their door, while
the residue were to rush forth, seize the arms, and fight their wav
out. The proposition was acceeded to by his brother Frederick,
and one other man named Van Sluyck, but was considered too
daring by the great body of the.pisoners to be undertaken. It
was therefore abandoned, and the brothers sought afterwards only

BROTHERS SAMMONS. 96
for a chance for escaping by themselves. Within three days, the
desired opportunity occurred, viz, on the 13th of June, 1780.
The prisoners were supplied with an allowance of spruce beer, for
which two of their number were detached daily, to bring the
cask from the beer house, under a guard of five men, with fixed
bayonets. Having reason to suppose, that the arms of the guards
though charged, were not primed, the brothers so contrived mat
ters, as to be taken together to the brewery on the day mentioned,
with an understanding, that, at a given point, they were to dart
from the guard, and run for their lives — believing that the con
fusion of the moment, and the consequent delay of priming their
muskets by the guards, would enable them to escape beyond the
ordinary range of musket shot. The project was boldly executed.
At the concerted moment, the brothers sprang from their con
ductors, and stretched across the plain with great fleetness. The
alarm was given, and the whole garrison was soon after them in
hot pursuit. Unfortunately for Jacob, he fell into a ditch, and
sprained his ankle. Perceiving the accident, Frederick returned
to his assistance ; but the other generously admonished him to
secure his own flight if possible, and leave him to the chances of
war. Recovering from his fall, and regardless of the accident,
Jacob sprang forward again, with as much expedition as possible,
but finding the lameness impeded his progress, he plunged into a
thick clump of shrubs and trees, and was fortunate enough to
hide himself between two logs, before the pursuers came up.
Twenty or thirty shots had previously been fired upon them, but
tvithout effect. In consequence of the smoke of their- fire, prob
ably, the guards had not observed Jacob when he threw him self
into the thicket, and supposing that, like his brother, he had
passed around it, they followed on, until they were fairly dis-

96 ADVENTURES OF THE
tanced by Frederick, of whom they lost sight and trace. They
returned in about half an hour, halting by the bushes, in which
the other fugitive was sheltered, and so near, that he could dis
tinctly hear their conversation. The officer in command, was
Capt. Steele. On calling his men together, some were swearing.
and others laughing at the race, and the speed of the ' long-
legged Dutchmen,' as they called the flying prisoners. The pur
suit being abandoned, the guards returned to the fort.
" The brothers had agreed, in case of separation, to meet at a cer
tain spot, at 10 o'clock that night. Of course Jacob lay en-
sconsced in the bushes until night had dropped her sable curtains,
and until he supposed the hour had arrived, when he sallied forth,
according to the antecedent understanding. But time did not
move as rapidly on that evening as he supposed. He waited
upon the spot designated, and called aloud for Frederick, until he
despaired of meeting him, and prudence forbade him remaining
any longer. It subsequently appeared, that he was too early on
the ground, and that Frederick made good his appointment.
" Following the bank of the Sorel, Jacob passed Fort St. John's
soon after day break, on the morning of the 14th. His purpose
was to swim the river at that place, and pursue his course home
ward, through the wilderness on the eastern shore of Lake Cham-
plain ; but, just as he was perparing to enter the water, he des
cried a boat approaching from below, filled with officers and sol
diers of the enemy. Concealing himself again in the woods, he
resumed his journey after their departure, but had not proceeded
more than two or three miles, before he came upon a party of
several hundred men, engaged in getting out timber for the pub
lic works at the fort. To avoid these, he was obliged to describe
a wide circuit, in the course of which, at about 12 o'clock, he

BROTHERS! SAMMONS. 97
came to a small clearing. Within the enclosure was a house and
in the field were a man and a boy engaged in hoeing potatoes.
They were at that moment called to dinner, and supposing them
to be French, who, he had heard, were rather friendly to the
American cause than otherwise — incited also by hunger and
fatigue* — he made bold to present himself, trusting that he might
be invited to partake of their hospitality. But instead of a friend,
he found an enemy. On making known his character, he was
roughly received. ' It is by such 7illians that you are,' replied
the forester, ' that I was obliged to fly from Lake Champlain.'
' The rebels,' he added, ' had robbed him of all he possessed, and
he would now deliver his self-invited guest to the guard, which,
he said, was not more than a quarter of a mile distant.' Sam
mons promptly answered him that ' that was more than he could
do !' The refugee then said ' he would go for the guard himself;'
to which Sammons replied, ' that he might act as he pleased, but
that all the men in Canada should not make him again a
prisoner.' "The man thereupon returned with his son to the potatoe field,
and resumed his work , while his more compassionate wife gave
him a bowl of bread and milk, which he ate sitting on the thresh-
hold of the door, to guard against surprise. While in the house,
he saw a musket, powder horn, and bullet pouch hanging against
the wall, of which he determined, if possible, to possess himself,
that he might be able' to procure food during the long and soli
tary march before him. On retiring, therefore, he traveled only
far enough into the woods, for concealment — returning to the
woodman's house in the evening, for the purpose of obtaining
the musket and ammunition. But he was again beset by immi
nent peril. Very soon after he entered the house, the sound of

98 ADVENTURES OF THE
approaching voices were heard, and he took to the rude chamber
for security, where he lay flat upon the irregular floor, and look
ing through the interstices, saw eleven soldiers enter, who, it soon
appeared, came for milk. His situation was now exceedingly
critical. The churlish proprietor might inform against him, or a
single moment betray him. But neither 'circumstance occurred.
The unwelcome visitors departed in due time, and the family all
retired to bed, excepting the wife, who, as Jacob descended from
the chamber, refreshed him with another bowl of milk. She en
deavored to persuade him, to secrete himself in the woods for two
days, when she would be enabled to furnish him with some provi
sions, for a supply of which her husband was going to the fort the
next day, and she would likewise endeavor to provide him with a
pair of shoes.
" Disinclined to linger so long in the country of the enemy,
and in the neighborhood of a British fort, he took his departure
forthwith. But such had been the kindness of the good woman,
that he had it not in his heart to seize upon her husband's arms,
and he left this wild scene of rustic hospitality without supplies,
and without the means of procuring them. Arriving once more
at the water's edge, at the lower end of Lake Champlain, he
came upon a hut, within which, on cautiously approaching it for
reconnoisance, he discovered a party of soldiers all soundly asleep.
Their canoe was moored by the shore, into which he sprang, and
paddled himself up the lake, under the most encouraging pros
pect of a speedy and comparatively easy voyage to its head,
whence his return home would be unattended with either diffi
culty or danger. But his pleasing anticipations were extinguished
on the night following, as he approached the Isle au Noix, where
he descried a fortification, and the glitter of bayonets bristling in

BROTHERS SAMMONS. 99
the air, as the moonbeams played upon the burnished arms of the
sentinels, who were pacing their tedious rounds. The lake being
very narrow at this point, and perceiving that both sides were
fortified, he thought the attempt to shoot his canoe between them,
rather too hazardous an experiment. His only course, therefore,
was to run ashore and resume his travels on foot. . Nor on land
ing, was his case in any respect enviable. Without shoes, with
out food, and without the means of obtaining either — a long
journey before him, through a deep and trackless wilderness — it
may well be imagined, that his mind was not cheered by the
most agreeable anticipations. But without pausing to indulge
unnecessarily his ' thick coming fancies,' he commenced his soli
tary journey, directing his course along the eastern lake shore,
toward Albany. During the first four days of his progress, he
subsisted entirely upon the bark of the birch — chewing the twigs
as he went. On the fourth day, while resting by a brook, he
heard a rippling of the water caused by the fish as they were
stemming its cm-rent. He succeeded in catching a few of these,
but having no means of striking a fire, after devouring one of
them raw, the others were thrown away.
" His feet, by this time, were cruelly cut, brusied, and torn by
thorns, briars, and stones ; and while he could scarcely proceed
by reason of their soreness, hunger and fatigue united to retard
his cheerless march. On the fifth day, his miseries were aug
mented by the hungiy swarms of musquetoes, which settled upon
him in clouds, while traversing* a swamp. On the same day, he
fell upon the nest of a black duck — the duck sitting quietly upon
her eggs until he came up and caught her. The bird was no
sooner deprived of her life, and her feathers, than he devoured
the whole, including its head and feet. The eggs were nine in

100 ADVENTURES OF THE
number, which Sammons took with him ; but on opening one,
he found a little half-made duckling, already alive. Against
such food his stomach revolted, and he was obliged to throw the
eggs away.
" On the tenth day, he came to a small lake. His feet were
now in such a horrible state, that he could scarcely crawl along.
Finding a mitigation of pain, by bathing them in water, he
plunged his feet into the lake, and lay down upon its margin.
For a time it seemed as though he could never rise upon his feet
again. Worn down by hunger and fatigue — bruised in body and
wounded in spirit — in a lone wilderness, with no eye to pity and
no human act to protect — he felt as though he must remain in
that spot until it should please God, in his goodness, to quench the
dim spark of life that remained. Still he was comforted in some
measure, by the thought that he was in the hands of a. Being
without whose knowledge, not a sparrow falls to the ground.
" Refreshed at length, though to a trifling degree, he resumed
his weary way, when on raising his right leg on the trunk of a
fallen tree he was bitten in the calf by a rattlesnake. Quick as
a flash, with his pocket knife, he made an inscision in his leg,
removing the wounded flesh to a greater depth than the fangs of
the serpent had penetrated. His next business was to kill the
venemous reptile, and dress it for eating ; thus appropriating the
enemy that had sought to take his life, to its prolongation. His
first meal was made from the heart and fat of the serpent. Feel
ing somewhat strengthened by the repast, and finding, moreover,
that he could not travel farther in his present condition, he deter
mined to remain where he was for a few days, and by repose.
and feeding on the body of the snake, recruit his strength. Dis
covering also, a dry fungus upon the trunk of a maple tree, he

BROTHERS SAMMONS. 101
succeeded in striking a fire, by which his comforts were essen
tially increased. Still he was obliged to creep upon his hands
and knees to gather food, and gather fuel, and on the third day,
he was in such a state of exhaustion, as to be utterly unable to
proceed. Supposing that death was inevitable and very near, he
crawled to the foot of a tree, upon the bark of which he com
menced inscribing his name — in the expectation that he should
leave his bones there, and in the hopes that, in some way, by the
aid of the inscription, his family might ultimately be apprised of
his fate. While engaged in this sad work, a cloud of painful
thoughts crowded upon his mind ; the tears involuntary stole
down his cheeks, and before he had completed the melancholy
task, he fell asleep.
" On the fourth day of his residence at this place, he began to
gain strength, and as- a part of the serpent yet remained, he deter
mined upon another effort to resume his journey. But he could
not do so without devising some substitute for shoes. For this
purpose he cut up his hat and waistcoat, binding them upon his
feet — and thus he hobbled along. On the following night, while
lying in the woods, he became strongly impressed with a belief
that he was not far distant from a human habitation. He had
seen no indications of proximity to the abode of man ; but never
theless, he was so confident of the fact, that he wept with joy.
Buoyed up and strengthened by this impression, he resumed his
journey on the following morning ; and in the afternoon, it being
the 28th of June, he reached a house in the town of Pittsford, in
the New Hampshire Grants — now forming the state of Vermont.
He remained there for several days, both to recruit his health,
and if possible, to gain intelligence of his brother. But no tidings
came ; and as he knew Frederick to be a capital woodsman, he,

102 NARRATIVE OF
of course, concluded that sickness, death, or recapture, must have
interrupted his journey. Procuring a conveyance, Jacob traveled
to Albany, and thence to Schenectady, where he had the happi
ness of finding his wife and family."
NARRATIVE OF FREDERICK SAMMONS.
" Not less interesting, nor marked by fewer vicissitudes were
the adventures of Frederick Sammons. The flight from tne fort
at Chamblee, was made just before sunset, which accounts for the
chase having been abandoned so soon. On entering the edge of
the woods, Frederick encountered a party of Indians, returning to
the fort, from fatigue duty. Perceiving that he was a fugitive,
they fired, and called out — ' we have got him I' In this opinion,
however, they were mistaken ; for, although he had run close
upon before perceiving them, yet being like Ashael of old, swift
of foot, by turning a short corner, and increasing his speed, in ten
minutes he was entirely cleared of the party. He then sat down
to rest, the blood gushing from his nose, in consequence of the
extent to which his physical powers had been taxed. At the
time appointed, he also had repaired to the point, which, at his
separation from Jacob, had been agreed upon as the place of
meeting. The moon shone brightly, and he called loud and often
for his brother — so loud indeed, that the guard was turned out in
consequence. His anxiety was very great for his brother's safety ;
but in ignorance of his situation, he was obliged to attend to his
own. He determined, however, to approach the fort — so near it,
at least, as he could venture — and in the event of meeting any
one, disguise his own character by inquiring whether the rebels
had been taken. But a flash from the sentinel's musket, the re
port, and the noise of a second pursuit, compelled him to change

FREDERICK SAMMONS. 103
the direction of his march, and proceed again with all possible
speed. It had been determined by the brothers to cross the
Sorel, and return on the east side of the river and lake ; but
there was a misunderstanding between them, as to the point of
crossing the river — whether above or below the fort. Frederick
repaired to what he supposed to be the designated place of cross
ing, below the fort, where he lingered for his brother until near
morning. At length, having found a boat, he crossed over to the
eastern shore, and landed just at the cock crowing. He pro
ceeded directly to the barn where the supposed chanticleer had
raised his voice, but found not a fowl on the premises. The sheep
looked too poor by the dim twilight, to serve his purpose of food,
but a bullock presenting a more favorable appearance, Frederick
succeeded in cutting the unsuspecting animal's throat, and sever
ing one of the hind quarters from the carcass, he shouldered and
marched off with it directly into the forest. Having proceeded
to a safe and convenient distance, he stopped to dress his beef,
cutting off what he supposed would be sufficient for the journey,
and forming a knapsack from the skin, by the aid of bark pulled
from a tree.
¦' Resuming his journey, he arrived at the house of a French
family, within the distance of five or six miles. Here he made
bold to enter, for the purpose of procuring bread and salt, and in
the hope also of obtaining a gun and ammunition. But he could
neither obtain provisions, nor make the people understand a word
he uttered. . He found means, however, to prepare some tinder,
with which he re-entered the woods, and hastened forward in a
southern direction, until he ascertained, by the filing of the even
ing guns, that he had passed St. John's. Halting for the night,
he struck a light ; and having kindled a fire, occupied himself till

104

NARRATIVE OF

morning in drying and smoking his beef, cutting it into slices for
that purpose. His knapsack of raw hide was cured by the same.
process. Thus prepared, he proceeded onward without intemip-
tion or adventure, until the third day, when he killed a fawn and
secured the venison. He crossed the Mirooski, or Onion river, on the
next day ; and having discovered a man's name carved upon a tree,
together with the distance from the lake, (Champlain) eight miles,
he bent his course for its shores, when he found a canoe with pad
dles. There was now a prospect of lessening the fatigue of his
journey ; but his canoe had scarce begun to dance upon the
waters, ere it parted asunder, and he was compelled to hasten
ashore and continue his march by land.
" At the close of the seventh day, and when, as he supposed, he
was within two day's travel of settlement, he kindled his fire, and
lay down to rest in health and spirits. But ere the dawn of day;
he awoke with racking pains, which proved to be an attack of
pleurisy. A drenching rain came on, continuing three days ;
during which time he lay helpless, in dreadful agony, without
fire or shelter, or sustenance of any kind. On the fourth day, his
pain having abated, he attempted to eat a morsel, but his provi
sions had become too offensive to be swallowed. His thirst being
intense, he fortunately discovered a pond of water near by, to
which he crawled. It was a stagnant pool, swarming with frogs —
another providential circumstance, inasmuch as the latter served
him for food. Too weak, however, to strike a light, he was com
pelled to devour them raw, and without dressing of any kind,
Unable to proceed, he lay in this wretched condition fourteen
days. Supposing that he should die there, he succeeded in hang
ing his hat upon a pole, with a few papers, in order that, if dis
covered, his fate might be known. He was lying upon a high

FREDERICK SAMMONS. 105
bluff, in full view of the lake, and at no great distance therefrom.
The hat, thus elevated, served as a signal, which saved his life.
A vessel sailing past, descried the hat, and sent a boat ashore to
ascertain the cause. The boatmen discovered the body of a man
yet living, but senseless and speechless, and transferred him to the
vessel. By the aid of medical attendance, he was slowly restored
to his reason, and having informed the captain who he was, had
the rather uncomfortable satisfaction of learning that he was on
board of an enemy's ship, and at that moment lying at Crown
Point. Here he remained sixteen days, in the course of which
time he had the gratification to hear, from a party of Tories
coming from the settlements, that his. Ijrother Jacob had arrived
safe at Schenectady, and joined his family. He was also apprised
of Jacob's sufferings, and the bite of the serpent, which took place
near Otter Creek, close by the place where he had himself been
so long sick. The brothers were, therefore, near together at the
time of the greatest peril ancl endurance of both.
" Frederick's recovery was very slow. Before he was able to
walk, he was taken to St. John's, and thence, partly on a wheel
barrow and partly in a calash, canied back to his old quarters, at
Chamblee — experiencing much rough usage by the way. On ar
riving at the fortress, the guards saluted him by the title of Cap
tain Lightfoot ; and there was great joy at his re-capture. It was
now about the 1st of August. As soon as his health was sufficiently
recovered to bear it, he was heavily ironed, and kept in close con
finement at that place, until October, 1782 — fourteen months,
without once beholding the light of the sun. Between St. John's
and Chamblee he had met a British officer with whom he was
acquainted, and by whom he was informed that severe treatment
would be his portion. Compassioning his situation, however,

106 NARRATIVE OF
the officer slipped a guinea and a couple of dollars into his hand,
and they moved on.
" No other prisoners were in irons at Chamblee, and all but
Sammons were taken upon the parade ground, twee a week for
the benefit of fresh air. The irons were so heavy and so tight, as
to wear into the flesh of his legs ; and so incensed was Captain
Steele, the officer of the 32 regiment, yet commanding the garri
son at Chamblee, at the escape of his prisoner, that he would not
allow the surgeon to remove the irons to dress the wounds, of
which they were the cause, until a peremptory order was pro
cured for that purpose, from General St. Leger, who was then at
St. John's. The humanify of the surgeon prompted this applica
tion of his own accord. Even then, however, Steele would only
allow the leg bolts to be knocked off — still keeping on the hand
cuffs. The dressing of his legs was a severe operation. The iron
had eaten to the bone, and the grangrened flesh was of course to
be removed. One of the legs ultimately healed up, but the other
never became entirely well. *¦
" In the month of November, 1781, the prisoners were trans
ferred from Chamblee, to an island in the St. Lawrence, called, at
that time, Prison Island — situated in the rapids, some distance
above Montreal. Sammons was compelled to travel in his hand
cuffs, but the other prisoners were not thus encumbered. There
were about two hundred prisoners on the island, all of whom
were very closely guarded. In the spring of 1782, Sammons or
ganized a conspiracy with nine of his fellow prisoners, to make
their escape, by seizing a provision boat, and had well nigh
effected their object. Being discovered, however, their purpose
was defeated, and Sammons, as the ringleader, once more placed

FREDERICK SAMMONS. 107
in irons. But at the end of five weeks, the irons were removed,
and he was allowed to return to his hut.
". Impatient of such protracted captivity, Frederick was still
bent on escaping, for which purpose he induced a fellow prisoner,
by the name of M'Mullen, to join him in the daring exploit of
seeking an opportunity to plunge into the river, and .taking their
chance of swimming to the shore. . A favorable moment for at
tempting the bold adventure, was afforded on the 1 7th of August.
The prisoners having, to the number of fifty, been allowed to
walk to the foot of the island, but around the whole of which a
chain of sentinels was extended, Sammons and M'Mullen, without
having conferred with any one else, watching an opportunity
when the nearest sentinel turned his back upon them, quietly
glided down beneath a shelving rock, and plunged into the
stream — each holding up and waving a hand, in token of fare
well to their fellow prisoners, as the surge swept them rapidly
down the stream. The sentinel was distant about six rods when
they threw themselves into the river, and did not discover their
escape until they were beyond the reach of any molestation he
could offer them. Three quarters of a mile below the island, the
rapids were such as to heave the river into swell, too large for
boats to encounter. This was a frightful part of their voyage.
Both, however, were expert swimmers, and by diving as they ap
proached each successive surge, both succeeded in making the
perilous passage — the distance of this rapid being about one
hundred and fifty rods. As they plunged successively into these
rapids, they had little expectation of meeting each other again in
this world. But a protecting Providence ordered it otherwise,
and they emerged from the frightful billows quite near each other.
' I am glad to see you,' said Sammons to his friend ; ' I feared we

108 NARRATIVE OF
should not meet again.' ' We have had a merry ride of it,' re
plied the other; 'but we could not have stood it much longer.'
" The adventurous fellows attempted to land about two miles
below the island, but the current was so violent as to baffle their
purpose, and they were driven two miles farther, when they hap
pily succeeded in reaching the land, at a place on the north side
of the St. Lawrence, called by the Canadians ' The Devil's Point.'
A cluster of houses stood near the river, into some of which it
was necessary the fugitives should go to procure provisions.
They had preserved each a knife and tinder-box in their waist
coat pockets, and one of the first objects, after arming themselves
with substantial clubs, was to procure a supply of tinder. This
was effected by boldly entering a house and • rummaging an old
lady's work-basket. The good woman, frightened at the appear
ance of the visitors, ran out and alarmed the village — the inhab
itants of which were French. In the meantime, they searched the
house for provisions, fire-arms, and ammunition, but found none
of the latter, and only a single loaf of bread. They also plun
dered the house of a blanket, blanket-coat, and a few other arti
cles of clothing. By this time, the people began to collect in such
numbers, that a precipitate retreat was deemed advisable.
M'Mullen, being seized by two Canadians, was only released from
their grasp by the well-directed blows of Frederick's club. They
both then commenced running for the woods, when Sammons,
encumbered with his luggage, unluckily fell, and the loaf rolled
away from him. The peasants now rushed upon them, and their
only course was to give battle, which they prepared to do in earn
est; whereupon, seeing their resolution, the pursuers retreated
almost as rapidly as they advanced. This demonstration gave the
fugitives time to collect and arrange their plunder, and commence

FREDERICK SAMMONS. 109
their travels anew. Taking to the woods, they found a resting
place, where they halted until nightfall. They then sallied forth
once more in search of provisions, with which it was necessary to
provide themselves, before coming to the south side of the river,
where, at that day, there were no settlements. The cattle fled at
their approach ; but they at length came upon a calf in a farm
yard, which they captured, and appropriating to their own use
and behoof a canoe moored in the river, they embarked with their
prize, to cross over to the southern shore, but alas ! when in the
middle, of the stream, their paddle broke, and they were in a mea
sure left to the mercy of the flood, which was hurrying them on
ward, as they well knew, toward the rapids or falls of the Cedars.
There was an island above the rapids, from the bank of which a
tree had fallen into the river. Fortunately, the canoe was swept
by the current into the branches of this tree top, among which it
became entangled. While struggling in this predicament, the
canoe was upset. Being near shore, however, the navigators got
to land without losing the calf. Striking a fire, they now dressed
their veal, and on the following morning, by towing their canoe
along shore, to the south edge of the island, succeeded in crossing
to their own side of the' river. They then plunged directly into
the unbroken forest, extending from the St. Lawrence to the Sa-
condaga, and after a journey of twelve days of excessive hardship,
emerged from the woods within six miles of the point for which
without chart or -compass, Sammons had laid his course. Their
provisions lasted but a few days, and their only subsequent food
consisted of roots and herbs. The whole journey was made almost
in a state of nudity — both being destitute of pantaloons* Having
worn out their hats upon their feet, the last three days they were
compelled to travel bare-footed. Long before their journey was

110

DEBORAH SAMSON

ended, therefore, their feet were dreadfully lacerated and swollen.
On arriving at Schenectady the inhabitants were alarmed at their
wild and savage appearance — half naked, with lengthened beards
and matted hair. The people at length gathered round them
with strange curiosity ; but when they made themselves known, a
lady named Ellis, rushed through the crowd to grasp the hand of
Frederick, and was so much affected at his altered appearance
that she fainted and fell. The welcome fugitives were forthwith
supplied with whatever food and raiment was necessary ; and
young Sammons soon joined his family, who had long given him
up as lost, and who now received him with unspeakable joy, as
one who had arisen from the dead." *
Jacob Sammons died in 1810. Frederick and Thomas Sam
mons have since figured in the affairs of their country. Thomas
for several years, represented his native county, Montgomery, in
Congress ; and in 1836, Frederick was chosen as elector for Presi
dent and Vice President. A few years since, they were both
alive, and were highly respected, and " prosperous gentlemen."

DEBORAH SAMSON.
It is not generally known that in the war of Independence
there figured a character of scarcely less romantic interest than
the maid of old whose name so abounds in song and history.
Deborah Samson was the daughter of obscure parents in Ply
mouth, Massachusetts. Poverty and evil example accompanied
her childhood, but charity interfered, and the young girl was res
cued from a position that threatened her with misery and placed

DEBORAH SAMSON. II.
with those from whom she received kindly treatment and every
physical comfort. But her education was neglected. She, how
ever, began to feel her inferiority in this point, and made eveiy
exertion in acquiring knowledge. By her own unaided exertions
she succeeded in learning to read tolerably well. When her term
of apprenticeship expired, she went into service, but as her main
object was to acquire an education, she made an arrangement
whereby she was to devote but half of her time in return for her
board and clothing, and the remainder to an attendance upon the
common district school. Here she progressed in her studies with
great rapidity, and evinced a superior mind in her appetite for
knowledge, and her determination to procure it in the face of all
obstacles. " Meantime the Revolutionary struggle had commenced. The
gloom that had accompanied the outburst of the storm, hung over
the whole land ; the news of the carnage on the plains of Lexing
ton ; the sound of the cannon at Bunker's Hill, had reached every
dwelling and vibrated on the heart of every patriot in New Eng
land. The zeal which had urged the men to quit their homes for
the battle field, found its way to a female bosom ; Deborah felt as
if she would shrink from no effort or sacrifice in the cause which
awakened all her enthusiasm. She entered with the most lively
interest into every plan for the relief of the army, and bitterly
regretted that, as a woman, she could do no more, and that she
had not the privilege of a man, of shedding her blood for her
country. " There is no reason to believe that any consideration foreign to
the purest patriotism, impelled her to the resolution of assuming
male attire and enlisting in the army. She could have been ac
tuated by no desire of gaining applause ; for the private manner

112 DEBORAH SAMSON.
in which she quitted her home and associates, entrusting no one
with her, design, subjected her to surmises of a painful nature ;
and the careful preservation of her secret during the period of
her military service, exonerates her from the least suspicion of
having been urged to the step by an imprudent attachment. It
is very likely that her youthful imagination was kindled by the
rumor of brave deeds, and that her visions of ' the camp's stir and
crowd and ceaseless 'larum' were colored richly by the hue of fancy.
Curiosity to see and partake of this varied war-life, the restlessness
of ' a heart unsouled and solitary ' — the consuming of energies
which had no object to work upon, may have contributed to the
forming of her determinatian. It must be borne in mind, too,
that she was restrained by no consideration that could interfere
with the project. Alone in the world, there were few to inquire
what had become of her, and still fewer to care for her fate. She
felt herself accountable to no human being.
" By keeping the district school for a summer term, she had
amassed the sum of twelve dollars. She purchased a quantity of
coarse fustian, and working at intervals when she could be secure
from observation, made up a suit of men's clothing ; each article,
as it was finished, being hid in a stack of hay. Having completed
her preparations, she announced her intention of going where she
could obtain better wages for her labor. Her new clothes, and
such articles as she wished to take with her, were tied in a bundle.
The lonely girl departed ; but went not far, probably only to the
shelter of the nearest wood, before putting on the disguise she
was so eager to assume. Although not beautiful, her features
were animated and pleasing, and her figure, tall for a woman, was
finely proportioned. As a man, she might have been called hand-

DEBORAH SAMSON. 113
some ; but her general appearance was extremely prepossessing,
and her manner calculated to inspire confidence.
" She now pursued her way to the American army, where she
presented herself in October, 1778, as a young man anxious to
join his efforts to those of his countrymen in their endeavors to
oppose the common enemy. She was received and enrolled in
the army under the name of Robert Shirtliffe.
" For three years our heroine appeared in the character of a
soldier. During this time, her exemplary conduct, and the fidel
ity with which her duties were performed, gained the approbation
and confidence of the officers. She was a volunteer in several
hazardous enterprises, and was twice wounded, the first time by a
sword cut on the left side of the head. Many were the adven
tures she passed through ; as she herself would often say, volumes
might be filled with them. Sometimes placed unavoidably in
circumstances in which she feared detection, she nevertheless es
caped without the least suspicion being awakened among her
comrades. The soldiers were in the habit of calling her ' Molly,'
in playful allusion to her want of a beard ; but not one of them
ever dreamed that the gallant youth fighting by their side was in
reality a female.
"About four months after her first wound she received another
severe one, being shot through the shoulder. Her emotion when
the ball entered she described to be a sickening terror at the pro
bability that her sex would be discovered. She felt that death on
the battle-field were preferable to the shame that would over
whelm her, and ardently prayed that the wound might close her
earthly campaign. But, strange as it may seem, she escaped this
time also unsuspected ; and soon recovering her strength, was
able again to take her place at the post of duty and in the deadly

114 DEBORAH SAMSON.
conflict. Her immunity was not, however, destined long to con
tinue — she was seized with a brain fever, then prevalent among
the soldiers. For the few days that reason struggled against the
disease, her sufferings were indescribable ; and most terrible of all
was the dread least consciousness should desert her, and the secret
she had guarded so carefully, be revealed to those around her.
She was carried to the hospital, and there could only ascribe her
escape to the number of patients, and the negligent manner in
which they were attended. Her case was considered a hopeless
one, and she perhaps received less attention on that account. One
day the physician of the hospital, inquiring — ' How is Robert ?"
received from the nurse in attendance the answer — ' Poor Bob is
gone.' The. doctor went to the bed, and taking the hand of the
youth supposed dead, found that the pulse was still feebly beating ;
attempting to place his hand on the heart, he perceived that a
bandage was fastened tightly round the heart. This was removed,
and to his utter astonishment he discovered a female patient,
where he had least expected one !
' This gentleman was Dr. Bimey, of Philadelphia. With a pru
dence, delicacy and generosity ever afterwards warmly appreciated
by the unfortunate sufferer, he said not a word of his discovery,
but paid her every attention, and provided every comfort her
perilous condition required. As soon as she could be removed
with safety, he had her taken to his own house, where she could
receive better care. His family wondered not a little at the un
usual interest manifested for the poor invalid soldier.
" Here occurred one of those romances in real life, which in
strangeness surpass fiction. The doctor had a young and lovely
niece, an heiress to considerable property, whose compassionate
feelings led her to join her uncle in bestowing kindness on the

DEBORAH SAMSON. 115
friendless youth. Many censured the uncle's imprudence, in per
mitting them to be so much in each other's society, and to take
drives so frequent together. The doctor laughed to himself, at
the warnings and hints he received, and thought how foolish the
censorious would feel, when the truth should come out. His
knowledge, meanwhile, was buried in his own bosom, nor shared
even with the members of his family. The niece was allowed to
be as much with the invalid as suited her pleasure. Her gentle
heart was touched, by the misfortunes she had contributed to
alleviate ; the pale and melancholy soldier, for whose fate no one
seemed to care, who had no possession in the world save his sword,
who had suffered so much in the cause of liberty, became dear to
her. She saw his gratitude for the benefits and kindness received,
yet knew by intuition, that he would never dare to aspire to the
hand of one so gifted in fortune. In the confiding abandonment
of woman's love, the fair girl made known her attachment, and
offered to provide for the education of its object, before marriage.
Deborah often declared, that the moment in which she learned
that she had unwillingly gained the love of a being so guileless,
was fraught with the keenest anguish she ever experienced. In
return for the hospitality and tender care, that had been lavished
upon her, she had inflicted pain upon one she would have died to
shield. No way of amends seemed open, except confession of her
real character, and to that, though impelled by remorse and self-
reproach, she could not bring herself. She merely said to the
generous girl that they would meet again ; and though ardently
desiring the possession of an education, that she could not avail
herself of the noble offer. Before her departure, the young lady
pressed on her acquaintance, several articles of clothing, such as
in those times, many of the soldiers received from fair hands. All

1 16 DEBORAH SAMSON.
these were afterwards lost, by the upsetting of a boat, except the
shirt and vest Robert had on at the time, which are still preserved
as relics in the family.
" Her health being now restored, the physician had a long con
ference with the commanding officer of the company in which
Robert had served, and this was followed by an order to the youth
to carry a letter to General Washington.
" Her worst fears were now confirmed. From the time of her
removal into the doctor's family, she had cherished a misgiving ;
which sometimes amounted almost to a certainty, that he had
discovered her deception. In conversation with him, she anxiously
watched his countenance, but not a word or look indicated sus
picion, and she had again flattered herself that she was safe from
detection. When the order came for her to deliver a letter into
the hands of the commander-in-chief, she could no longer deceive
herself. " There remained no course but simple obedience. When she
presented herself foi admission at the head-quarters of Washing
ton, she trembled as she had never done before the enemy's fire.
Her heart sank within her ; she strove in vain to collect and com
pose herself, and overpowered with dread and uncertainty, was
usherd into the presence of the Chief. He noticed her extreme
agitation, and supposing it to proceed from diffidence, kindly en
deavored to re-assure her. He then bade her retire with an at
tendant, who was directed to offer her some refreshment, while
he read the communication of which she had been the bearer.
" Within a short, time, she was again summoned into the pres
ence of Washington. He said not a word, but handed her in
*ilence a discharge from the service, putting into her hand at the
6ame time, a note containing a few brief words of advice, and a

ca
JOSEPH BETTYS. 117
sum of money sufficient to bear her expenses to some place where
she might find a home. The delicacy and forbearance thus ob
served, affected her sensibly. ' How thankful'-^she has often
said, ' was I to that great and good man, who so kindly spared
my feelings ! He saw me ready to sink with shame ; one word
from him at that moment, would have crushed me to the earth.
But he spoke no word- — and I blessed him.'
" After the war, she manied Benjamin Gannett of Sharon. —
It is but a few years since, she passed from the stage of human
life. Her career to which her patriotism urged her, cannot be
commended as an example : but her exemplary conduct after the
first step, will go far to plead her excuse."*

JOSEPH BETTYS.
Joseph, or " Joe Bettys," was a remarkable character, who fig
ured in the border wars of the revolution. He was a renegade
from the American army, and for a long while was the scourge
of the New York frontier ; his deeds were marked by an equal
boldness and cruelty, that made him the terror of all who had the
misfortune to be ranked as his enemies. His principal employ
ment, was the abduction of citizens to be conveyed into Canada,
for each of whom he received a bounty ; and in his expeditions
for this purpose, he 'was always accompanied by small bodies of
Indians. His hour for executing his projects, was at night, and it
frequently happened that his conduct was not confined to tho
* Mrs. Ellett

118 JOSEPH BETTYS.
securing of prisoners, but he often revelled in the destruction of
property and the infliction of cruelty, and his victims were often
tormented by every means his savage ingenuity could devise.
Cold blooded murder, and reckless barbarities of every kind, con
tinually stained his soul. The section of country which suffered
from his marauding expiditions, to this day is rife with stories of
his daring and ferocity.
In the year 1776, he entered as sergeant in the New York
forces, in which capacity he served his country faithfully, until
being exasperated at the treatment, which he received from one
of his superior officers, and retorting with threats and menances,
he was reduced to the position of a common sentinel. This was
more than he could bear, and he yould have "deserted, haid not
Lieutenant Ball, who had before befriended him, anticipating such
a step, applied and procured for him, appointment as sergeant on
board on one of the vessels on Lake Champlain, commanded by
Arnold, which he accepted. In an action that ensued, Bettys
displayed a wonderful daring and gallantry, which receiving no
other notice than the thanks of his General, he conceived himself
slighted, and determined to retaliate. In the spring of 1777, he
deserted, and went over to the British forces, where he was soon
elevated to the position of a spy, in which character he carried on
the depredations we have spoken of.
Among the prisoners that he secretly seized and carried off in
the early part of his career, was Samuel Patchim, afterwards a
captain in the army. The account of his captivity and subsequent
hardships, as here given, is as it was related by himself : —
" I was captured by Bettys, taken into Canada, and confined
in Chamblee prison, in irons. I was the only prisoner whom he
had on this occasion brought into Canada. There were six or

JOSEPH BETTYS. 119
seven more of my neighbors, when we started, to whom he gave
the oath of allegiance, and sent them back. As for myself, ho
said I had served Congress long enough, and that I should now
serve the king. He wished me to enlist in his company, but soon
found that this. was not agreeable to my feelings. He then swore,
that if I would not serve the king, I should remain in irons. I
was confined in Chamblee prison four months ; then I was re
moved to Montreal, and thence to an island, forty-five miles up
the St. Lawrence, opposite Cadalake Fort. There I remained
about one year. There were five prisoners in all, and we were
guarded by sixty soldiers ! seven sentinels at night.
" They had left no boats on the island by which we might
make our escape, yet we all crawled out of the barracks at night,
and went to the river side, there we made a raft by means of two
or three logs and our suspenders, on which we sailed down the
river five miles, when we landed on the Canada shore. There we
appropriated to our own use, a boat belonging to the British, and
crossed over to the American shore. While going down the
rapids, we had lost our little stock of provisions, and for eight
days out of twelve which we spent in the woods, we had nothing
to eat save frogs, and rattlesnakes, and not half enough of them.
We were chased eight days by the Indians, and slept every night
on the boughs of some hemlock trees. At length we arrived at
Northwest Bay, on Lake Champlain, when my companions, un
able longer to travel, utterly gave out. I then constructed a raft
on which to cross the lake, and having stripped my companions
of their clothing, in order to make myself comfortable, left them
to die of hunger and fatigue, and committed myself to the wintry
waves. When in about the centre of the lake, I was taken by
the crew of a British ship, and conveyed to St. John's, from thence

120 JOSEPH BETTYS.
to Quebec, and finally to Boston, where I was exchanged and
sent home."
Bettys seemed to have a particular delight in taking prisoners
among his own townsmen, and especially those against whom he
held any grudge. On one occasion, having taken one whom
he supposed to be the object he sought, and his prisoner mana
ging to escape, he deliberately shot him dead, and then discovered
that he had made a fatal mistake, and killed one of his best
friends. But his bloody career was destined to find a retributive end.
One day, in the winter of 1781-2, a suspicious looking person
was seen to pass oyer the farm of one John Fulmer, situated near
Ballston Lake, in Albany county. A son of the farmer, Jacob,
immediately obtained the aid of three of his neighbors, James
and John Cory, and Francis Perkins, and started in pursuit of
the suspicious stranger. There was a light fall of snow on the
ground, by which means his course was easily tracked. But we
will give an account of the enterprise in the words, of Jacob Ful
mer, one of the party : —
" The morning had been foggy, and it appeared by the track,
that the man had made a circuitous route, as if lost or bewildered.
After making several turns, we came at length in sight of a log
house, where one Hawkins, a noted tory, lived, toward which it
appeared, he had laid a regular line. We followed the track,
and found that it went into the house. We approached undis
covered, for the snow was soft, and our footsteps were not heard.
We went up to the door, and found it was unfastened, but heard
people talking within.
" John Cory, who was the strongest of the party, now went for
ward, we following closely behind, and burst open the door. The

JOSEPH BETTYS. 121
man, who was the object of our suspicions and search, sat at the
table eating his breakfast, with the muzzle of his gun leaning
upon his shoulder, and the breech upon the floor between his
legs. He grasped his Inusket and presented it to fire at us, but
was hindered for a moment to remove the deer skin covering
from the lock, and that moment lost his life. We seized him,
took possession of his gun, and also two pistols, which he had in
his coat pockets, and a common jack-knife. We then bound his
arms behind him, with a pocket handkerchief, and conveyed him
to my father's house. As yet, we knew not the name of our pris
oner, but having asked him, he said. ' my name is Smith.'
" My mother knew him, and said, ' It is Joe Bettys.' He hung
his head, and said, ' No, my name is Smith.' My sister Polly
then came to the door and said, ' This is Joe Bettys — I know him
well.' She had known him before he went to Canada, as he had
boarded at Lawrence Van Epps, in Schenectady Patent, while she
lived in the same house.
" We then conveyed him to John Cory's house, about a quar
ter of a mile distant, where we pinioned him more firmly. He
sat down in a chair by the fire, and asked permission to smoke
which was granted, and he then took out his tobacco box, and
seemed to be engaged in filling his pipe, but as he stooped down,
under pretence of lighting it, he threw something toward the fire
which bounded from the forestick and fell upon the hearth. He
then seized it, and threw it into the fire, before any one could
prevent. John Cory then snatched it from the fire, with a hand
ful of live coals. It was not injured. It was a piece of lead
about three inches long, and one and a quarter inches wide,
pressed together, and contained within it, a small piece of paper,
on which Were twenty-six figures, which none of our company

122 MR. AND MRS. FISHER.
could .understand. It also contained an order, drawn on the
mayor of New York, for thirty pounds sterling, payable on the
delivery of the sheet-lead and paper enclosed. Bettys showed
much uneasiness at the loss of the lead, and offered one hundred
guineas to allow him to burn the paper. This we refused, for,
though we did not understand the figures, we well knew the
character of Bettys, as I had heard that he had killed two men
at Shenesborough, near Whitehall, for fear of being betrayed in
regard to the burning and plundering of a house in Chaughna-
waga, and that he was generally known as a spy."
The nai-rative goes on to give the particulars of the journey to
Albany, and the precautions taken to convey their prisoner safely
through a district, abounding with tories who were affected to
Bettys, but no rescue was attempted.
Much rejoicing was expressed, at the capture of the notorious
Bettys, and when he was marched through Albany, the people
gathered in maases to look upon him. In a short time, he was
brought to trial, on the charge of being a spy, found guilty, con
demned, and accordingly executed in the month of April, 1782.*

MR. AND MRS. FISHER.
In the town of North Castle, Westchester Co., N. Y, resided
during the war of Independence, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, a young
married couple, who were both heart and soul enlisted in the pat
riotic cause, and whose best services were devoted to their coun-
* Prepared from a Paper by Joseph L. Chester, Esq.

MR. AND MRS. FISHER. 123
try. Mr. Fisher was an efficient and active member of a partisan
band, under Major Paulding, whose confidence and esteem ha
always enjoyed to an eminent degree, and who by his unflinching
patriotism, and the energy and skill with which he thwarted the
plans and designs of the tories, made himself particularly obnox
ious to them. His active duties as a scout, sometimes kept him
for months from his home, where his young wife had nothing but
her heroism of spirit to oppose to the marauding bands that tra
versed the " Neutral Ground," and whose creed it was, to make
war upon women and children indiscriminately. While the high-
minded whig, therefore, was serving his country, in the swamp
and on the mountain, the wife had to undergo scenes, requiring
an equal courage and fortitude, with those of his.
She was one of those women of the revolution, by whose in
domitable spirit and active benevolence our armies were often
held together, and our soldiers encouraged to persevere in the
glorious course they had begun. She was without fear, and was
always ready to serve her country, or defend herself, upon any
emergency. The American soldier, too, often found relief from
suffering, through her benevolence. She was one of those, who
attended upon the wounded of White Plains, and administered
comfort to the dying, and relief to the wounded. After this bat
tle, when Washington's army was encamped near her residence,
the commander-in-chiefs table was often indebted for many of its
delicacies, to the prudent attention and care of Mrs. Fisher.
Washington often expressed his obligations to her in person.
Many anecdotes are related of her daring. On one occasion,
a favorite colt was stolen, when she mounted a horse and rode
down to Morrissania, where the loyalists were encamped, and de
manded of the English officer in command, the restoration of her

124

MR. AND MRS. FISHER.

property. The Englishman courteously assented, and the colt
being found, it was restored to her. This was considered at the
time, a most daring expedition. Her route, which was a long one,
was through a section of country beset with marauders, who were
never in the habit of hesitating to make war on a woman.
We remarked that the danger from the marauding tory bands,
prevented Mr. Fisher from visiting his home, but at long intervals.
There was one band of tories notorious for its cruelty, headed by
one Blindberry, a most blood-thirsty wretch, whose memory to
this day, is only preserved to be execrated. This fellow was the
terror of the whole community. On one occasion, after having
been absent for six months, Mr. Fisher's anxiety to see his family,
became so great, that one evening he cautiously approached the
house, and was admitted unseen. Late that night, after he had
retired, steps were heard without, and presently there was a loud
knocking at the door, with,, a peremptory summons for it to be
opened. This not being heeded, it was repeated, with a threat
to break open the door, if it was not complied with. The house
was a simple, old-fashioned cottage, the door opening directly
into a room, which was used by Mr. Fisher and his wife as a sleep
ing room. The party now discharged their pistols three or four
times through the window, but the balls lodged harmlessly in the
walls. This proceeding effecting nothing, they began .at once to
demolish the door, and in a few moments they burst roughly into
the room. Mr. Fisher sprang from the bed, prepared to defend
his wife and himself to the last. But the only object of this band
was plunder. In those times, the country people were compelled
to convert their effects into money, as everything moveable, would
be sure to be captured, and having no means of investing their
wealth, it was generally concealed in secure places. But these

MR. AND MRS. FISHER. 125
concealments rarely availed them anything, if their persons
should fall into the hands of the tories, as every means of torture
that ingenuity could suggest, was availed of to force the hapless
victims to betray the hiding place of their wealth. Hanging,
roasting over slow fires, or a pistol at the head, were the usual
modes adopted.
The tory leader who was no other than this same Blindberry,
demanded of Mr. Fisher his gold. The stern patriot, who was a
man of unconquerable will, calmly refused. The mauraders became
enraged, and he was threatened with death if he persisted in his
denial. But neither the flashing swords that gleamed around
him, the musket at his breast, nor the furious aspects of the
wretches, could move him a jot from his determined purpose.
The word was given to try hanging. In an instant a rope was
thrown over the branch of a tree, that stood by the door, and their
victim was drawn beneath it, and the rope adjusted to his heck.
Once more he was asked to give up his money. Without the
tremor of a muscle he refused. The next moment he was dang
ling high up in the air. He was allowed to suspend for a few
seconds, and lowered to the ground. His reply to the same ques
tion was given, in an undaunted refusal. Again did his tormen
tors run him up into the air ; but when they again lowered him,
he had fainted. In a few moments, however, he revived, and as
the knowledge of the affair gradually broke upon his mind, he
thundered out, "No, not a farthing!" Once more did the
wretches swing him off, and this time he was kept suspended un
til they thought he was dead, when they lowered him, and seeing
now no chance of obtaining the coveted gold, they departed.
The agony of the wife during this scene, can only be imagined.
A tory was stationed by her side, and with a pistol at her head,

126 MR. AND MRS. FISHER.
enjoined silence on the penalty of her life. In those few minutes
were crowded a life of torture and suffering. When they had
gone, she tremblingly stole out to the side of her husband, and
with what little strength she possessed, dragged his lifeless form
into the house. With the vague hope that he might not be dead,
she applied restoratives, and soon had the unspeakable joy of de
tecting signs of life. Ere morning, he was entirely restored, and
that very day joined his scout.
Continuing their route, the tories fell upon several other of the
neighbors, all of whom suffered some cruelty at their hands. At
one house they placed its master in a chair, tied him down, and
built a fire under him, by which means he was at last compelled
by his unsupportable agony, to reveal the hiding place of his gold.
But a terrible retribution was preparing for them. Major Pauld
ing had gathered a party of his men, and were in hot pursuit of
them. As the Major was following up their track, he stopped at
the residence of Mr. Wright, an old Quaker, who felt a strong
sympathy for the American cause, but whose principles prevented
him from taking an active part in the contest. To the inquiry if
such a party of tories as has been described, was seen, the Quaker
replied in the affirmative, pointing out the course they had taken.
" What do you say, my men," said the Major* to his followers,
" shall we follow them up ?" A unanimous assent was given.
" Jonathan, if thee wishes to see those men," said Mr. Wright
approaching Major Paulding, with a knowing look, "if thee
wishes to see them particular, would it not be better for thee to
go to " Brundage's Corner," as they are most likely from the
north, and will return that way. There thee can'st see them
without doubt."

MR. AND MRS. FISHER. 12"
The shrewd insinuation of the Quaker, was caught in an instant.
The place referred to, afforded a most admirable place for an am
buscade, and by secreting themselves there, the enemy was cer
tain to fall into their hands.
The whigs had not been concealed long, ere the party was
heard approaching. At the signal, the patriots sprang forward,
and discharged their weapons. At the very first fire, the blood
thirsty tory leader fell, some said from a bullet discharged by the
hand of Major Paulding himself.
The intense hatred felt by the people toward Blindbeny, and
the universal joy manifested at his fall, prompted some to make
a public rejoicing on the event, and in order to express their un
compromising hostility to their foe, his body was hung before the
assembled patriots of the district, amid their jeers and expressions
of pleasure. Among the assembly was Mr. Fisher, who but a few
hours before had so nearly fallen a victim to his cruelty.
Some little time after the preceding events, while Mr. Fisher
was on another visit to his family, sudden word was brought, that
the tories were approaching. This, as before, was during the
night. Mr. Fisher had reason to suppose, that the object of this
party, was to secure his person, and it became necessary to obtain
a place of concealment. The most advantageous one that offered,
was beneath the flooring, which was loose, where was ample
room for him, and where it was hoped, the tories would not think
of looking for their enemy. Scarcely had he secreted himself,
when the tories appeared. They burst into the presence of Mrs
Fisher, in a boisterous manner, and with brutal jests and extra va
gant threats, demanded to be informed, where her husband was.
To these inquiries, the undaunted woman deigned no reply.
"Come,. give us a light," said the leader, "that we may ferret

128 MR. AND MRS. FISHER.
out your rebel husband's hiding place. I'll swear, that you've
got him stowed away somewhere here."
" I have no light," was the calm reply. The difficulties of pro
curing stores, sometimes left whig families for weeks without the
common necessities.
" Come my woman, none of that !" broke in the tory ; " a light
we want, and a light we must have, so bring out your candles !"
" I have none," reiterated Mrs. Fisher.
The tory, with an oath, drew a pistol, cocked it, and coming up
to her, placed the muzzle in her face. " Look here, my lady,"
said he, " we know that you've got your d  d rebel of a hus
band somewhere about here, and if you don't at once give us a
candle, so that we may hunt out his hiding place, I'll blow your
brains out."
" I have told you," replied the lady, " that I have no candle ; I
cannot give you one, so you may blow my brains out the moment
you please." The heroic spirit that breathed in her words, and
the firm look from her undauuted eye, convinced the tory that
she was not to be intimidated. They were compelled to make
their search in the dark. After rummaging into every nook and
corner in vain, they gave up their object. On several other occa
sions, Mr. Fisher had similar narrow escapes.
We cannot refrain from referring to one enterprise in which
Mr. Fisher was engaged, by which means fifteen whigs put to
flight, over three hundred Hessians. The news of their approach
was spread abroad, and the utmost consternation prevailed. The
Hessians were always held in great terror by the country people.
On this occasion, they fled at their approach into the forests and
other secure fastnesses. Coney Hill, was the usual place of re
treat on these alarms. This was a hill somewhat off from the

MR. AND MRS. FISHER. 129
main roads, and which was surrounded by narrow defiles, and
reached only through dense thickets, while its rocky and irregular
surface, afforded a means of defence impregnable. No fortress
could have been more secure. All the inhabitants, therefore, re
treated to this fastness, Mrs. Fisher alone of all neighbors, ven
turing to remain within her own house.
The usual road traveled by the armies, that led north from
White Plains, in one place described a wide circuit, but there was
a narrow, irregular road, sometimes used, that shortened the dis
tance considerably. But this road was very dangerous to any
large body of men. It led by the Coney Hill, which we have
mentioned, and its whole length was through a rocky region,
overgrown with tangled thickets of laurel, that would have af
forded effectual protection and concealment to a body of assailants,
and have made a small force formidable to a large one.
At a point on this road, therefore, Major Paulding and fifteen
followers stationed themselves, with a belief, that from the irregu
lar and incautious manner the Hessians were marching, they
would be induced to lessen their route, by taking the shorter cut.
The belief proved to be well founded. The spot where Major
Paulding posted his ambuscade, was one remarkably well adapted
to that kind of warfare. It was, where the road passing through
a defile, made a sudden turn around a huge rock, and where it
was so narrow, that six men could not pass abreast, while the
whole rising ground on either side was irregular, with rough,
jagged rocks, and covered with a dense growth of laurel.
Stationed, at different points, and protected by rocky battle
ments, the little band quietly awaited the coming of their enemy.
At last they appeared, approaching carelessly, and with an utter
want of military prudence. Not a sound, nor a breath betrayed

130 MR. AND MRS. FISHER.
to them, the presence of a foe. The rocks, and laurel bushes,
gave forth no sign of the deadly messengers to be launched from
their bosoms. Part of the Hessians had already passed the turn
of the road, when suddenly, like a clap of thunder from an azure
sky, an explosion burst from the flinty rocks that .surrounded
them, and several of their number, pitched headlong to the earth-
Those in front, panic struck, fell back upon those in the rear
while those in the rear pressed forward, uncertain of the danger,
and discharged their muskets into the thickets, but the bullets re
bounded harmlessly from the rocky walls, that enclosed their
enemy. Another volley completed their panic. Terrified at the
presence of an enemy, that seemed to fight from the bowels, of
the earth, and unable to estimate the full extent of their danger,
which their imagination greatly magnified, they gave a wild cry,
and fled precipitately.
This event afforded the whigs for a long time, much merriment,
particularly as it was accompanied with no loss to the little party,
who had given the Hessians their terrible fright. Mrs. Fisher was
accustomed to give an amusing relation of the manner they ap
peared, as they flew by her house, each running at his utmost
speed, with the tin cannisters and other numerous accoutrements
with which the Hessian soldiers were always so plentifully pro
vided—flying out in a straight line behind them.
The following incident, admirably illustrates the presence of
mind, and the many resources of this courageous lady. One day,
a whig neighbor burst hastily into her presence, saying, that he
was pursued by a body of tories, and if not concealed immediately,
he was lost. It did not take a moment for Mrs. Fisher to decide
upon her course. There was a large ash heap just out of the
back door, some four or five feet in height, and as many long.

MR. AND MRS. FISHER. 131
Seizing a shovel, she hastened to the spot, and in a moment a
sufficient excavation was made, into which the fugitive crawled,
and Mrs. Fisher covered him with the ashes, first taking the pre
caution to procure a quantity of quills, which she placed one into
the other, so as to form a continuous tube, through which the man
could breathe, while remaining in his novel situation. Scarcely
was all this accomplished, when the pursuers appeared, and ques
tioned Mrs. Fisher sharply, at the same time examining the house
and grounds. Several times during the search, Mrs. Fisher
thought the hiding place was about to be discovered ; and when
one of the party walked directly over the ash heap, she gave up
all for lost. But finding no clue to their enemy, they departed,
leaving him in safety, and overcome with gratitude to his
preserver. Mr. Fisher survived the war several years, and Mrs. Fisher
lived until quite recently. She often entertained her descendants
with stories of the olden time, to one of whom the editor is in
debted for the above particulars.

THRILLING ADVENTURE OF
LIEUTENANT SLOCUMB.
From Mrs. Ellet's " Women of the Revolution," we draw the
following interesting sketch :
" When Lord Cornwallis set out from Wilmington, with the
avowed purpose of conquering Virginia, he encanroed, on the
march from Halifax on the Neuse, in what is now called Wayne
Co., North Carolina. His head-quarters were at Springbank
while Colonel Tarleton, with his renowned legion, encamped on

132 THRILLING ADVENTURE OF
the plantation of Lieutenant Slocumb. This consisted of level
and extensive fields, which at that season presented a most invi
ting view of fresh verdure from the mansion house. Lord Corn
wallis himself gave it the name of " Pleasant Green," which it
ever afterwards retained. The owner of this fine estate, held a
subaltern's commission in the state line under Colonel Washing
ton, and was in command of a troop of light horse, raised in his
own neighborhood, whose general duty it was to act as rangers,
scouring the country for many miles around, watching the move
ments of the enemy, and punishing the loyalists when detected
in their vocation of pillage and murder. These excursions had
been frequent, for two or three years, and were often of several
weeks duration. At the present time, Slocumb had returned to
the vicinity, and had been sent with twelve or fifteen recruits to
act as scouts in the neighborhood of the British General. The
morning of the day, on which Tarleton took possession of his plan
tation, he was near Springbank, and reconnoitered the encamp
ment of Cornwallis, which he supposed to be his whole force. He
then with his party, pursued his way slowly back in the direction
of his own house, little dreaming that his beautiful and peaceful
home, where, sometime before, he had left his wife and child, was
then in possession of the terrible Tarleton.
" During these frequent excursions of the rangers, and the
necessary absence of her husband, the superintendence of the
plantation had always devolved upon Mrs. Slocumb. She de
pended for protection upon her slaves, whose fidelity she had
proved, and from her own fearless and intrepid spirit. The scene
of the occupation of her house, and Tarleton's residence with her,
are drawn from her own relation.
*' It was about ten o'clock, on a beautiful spring morning, that

LIEUTENANT SLOCUMB. 133
a splendidly dressed officer, accompanied by two aids, and fol
lowed at a short distance, by a guard of some twenty troopers,
dashed up to the piazza in front of the ancient-looking mansion.
Mrs. Slocumb was sitting there, with her child and a near rela
tive young lady, who afterwards became the wife of Major Wil
liams. A few house servants were also on the piazza.
" The officer raised his cap, and bowing to his horse's neck, ad
dressed the lady with the question —
" ' Have I the pleasure of seeing the mistress of this house and
plantation V
" ' It belongs to my husband.'
" ' Is he at home V ' He is not' ' Is he a rebel V
" ' No sir. He is in the army of his countiy, and fighting
against our invaders ; therefore not a rebel.' It is not a little sin
gular, that although the people of that period gloried in their re
bellion, they always took offence at being called rebels
" ' I fear madam,' said the officer; ' that we differ in opinion.
A friend to his country, will be a friend of the king, our master.'
" ' Slaves only acknowledge a master in this country,' replied
the lady.
" A deep flush crossed the florid cheeks of Tarleton, for he was
the speaker ; and turning to one of his aids, he ordered him to
pitch the tents, and form the encampment in the orchard and field
on the right. To the other aid, his orders were to detach a quar
ter guard, and station piquets on each road. Then bowing very
low, he added, ' Madam, the service of his Majesty requires the
temporary occupation of your property ; and if it will not be too
great an inconvenience, I will take up my quarters in your house.'
" The tone admitted no controversy. Mrs. Slocumb answered.

134 THRILLING ADVENTURE OF
" ' My family consists of only myself, my sister and child, and a few
negroes. We are your prisoners.'
"From the piazza where he seated himself, Tarleton com
manded a view of the ground, on which his troops were an-anging
their camp, The mansion fronted the east, and an avenue one
hundred and fifty feet wide, and about half a mile in length,
stretched to the eastern side of the plantation, where was a high
way, with open grounds beyond it, partly dry meadow and partly
sand barren. This avenue was lined on the south side by a high
fence, and a thick hedge row of forest trees. These are now re
moved, and replaced by the ' Pride of India.' and other ornamen
tal trees. On the north side, extended the common rail fence,
seven or eight feet high, such as is usually seen on plantations ¦
in the low country. The encampment of the British troops being
on that part of the plantation lying' south of the avenue, it was
completely screened by the fences and hedge row, from the view
of any one approaching from down the counrtry.
" While the men were busied, different officers came up at in
tervals, making their reports and receiving orders. Among others,
a tory captain, whom Mrs. Slocumb immediately recognised — for
before joining the royal army, he had lived fifteen or twenty
miles below — received orders in her hearing, to take his troop
and scour the country for two or three miles round.
" In an hour, every thing was quiet, and the plantation pre
sented the romantic spectacle of a regular encampment, of some
ten or eleven hundred of the choicest cavalry of the British
Monarch. " Mrs. Slocumb now addressed herself to the duty of preparing
for her uninvited guests. A dinner was prepared,- consisting of
turkey, ham, beef, fowls, with vegetables, fruits, and some excel

LIEUTENANT SLOCUMB. 135
lent peach brandy, prepared under Lieutenant Slocumb's own
supervision. This latter beverage received the unqualified
praise of the party ; and its merits were fully discussed. A Scotch
officer, praising it by the name of whiskey, protested that he had
never drank as good out of Scotland. An officer speaking with a
slight brogue, insisted it was not whiskey, and that no Scotch
drink ever equalled it. ' To my mind,' said he, ' it tastes as
yonder orchard smells.'
" ' Allow me, madam,' said Tarleton, ' to inquire, where the
spirits we are drinking is procured V
" ' From the orchard where your tents stand,' answered Mrs.
Slocumb. " ' Colonel,' said the Irish captain, ' when we conquer this
countiy, is it not to be divided out amongst us ?'
" ' The officers of this army,' replied the Colonel, ' will undoubt
edly receive large possessions of the conquered American pro
vinces.' " Mrs. Slocumb here interposed. ' Allow me to observe, and
prophecy,' said she, ' the only land in the United States, which
will ever remain in possession of a British officer, will measure but
six feet by two.'
" ' Excuse me, madam,' remarked Tarleton, ' for your sake, I
regret to say — this beautiful plantation will be the ducal seat of
some of us.'
" ' Don't trouble yourself about me,' retorted the spirited lady
' My husband is not a man who will allow a duke, or even a king,
to have a quiet seat upon his ground.'
" At this point, the conversation was interrupted by rapid vol
leys of fire-arms, appearing to proceed from the wood, a short
distance to the eastward. One of the aids pronounced it some

136 THRILLING ADVENTURE OF
straggling scout, running from the picket-guard ; but the experi
ence of Colonel Tarleton, could hot be easily deceived.
" ' There are rifles and muskets,' said he, ' as well as pistols ;
and too many to pass unnoticed. Order boots and saddles, and
you — captain, take your troop in the direction of the firing.'
" The officer rushed out to execute his orders, while the Colonel
walked into the piazza, whither he was immediately followed by
the anxious ladies. Mrs. Slocumb's agitation and alarm, may be
imagined ; for she guessed but too well the cause of the interrup
tion. On the first arrival of the officers, she had been importuned
even with harsh threats — not, however, by Tarleton — to tell
where her husband when absent on duty, was likely to be
found ; but after her repeated and peremptory refusals, had es
caped further molestation on the subject. She feared now that
he had returned unexpectedly, and might fall into the enemy's
hands, before he was aware of their presence.
" Her sole hope, was in a precaution she had adopted soon after
the coming of her unwelcome guests. Having heard Tarleton
give the order to the tory captain as before-mentioned, to patrol
the county, she immediately sent for an old negro, and gave him
directions to take a bag of corn to the mill, about four miles dis
tant, on the road she knew her husband must travel, if he re
turned that day. ' Big George' was instructed to warn his master
of the danger of approaching his home. With the indolence and
curiosity natural to his race, however, the old fellow remained
loitering about the premises, and was at this time lurking under
the hedge row, admiring the red coats, dashmg plumes, and
shining helmets of the British troops.
" The colonel and the ladies continued on the look out from the
piazza. ' May I be allowed, madam,' at length said Tarleton,

LIEUTENANT SLOCUMB. 137
' without offence, to-inquire if any part of Washington's army is
in this neighborhood V
" ' I presume it is known to you,' said Mrs. Slocumb, ' that the
Marquis and Greene are in this State. And you would not
of course,' she added, after a slight pause, ' be surprised at a call
from Lee, or your old friend Colonel Washington, who although
a perfect gentleman, it is said, shook your hand, (pointing to the
scar left by Washington' sabre,) very rudely when last you met.'*
"This spirited- answer inspired Tarleton with apprehensions
that the skirmish in the woods was only the prelude to a con
certed attack on his camp. His only reply was a loud order to
form the troops on the right ; and springing on his charger, he
dashed down the avenue a few hundred feet, to a breach in the
hedge-row, leaped the fence, and in a moment was at the head of
his regiment, which was already in line.
" Meanwhile, Lieutenant Slocumb, with John Howell, a private
in his band, Henry Williams, and the brother of Mrs. Slocumb,
Charles Hook, a boy of about thirteen years of age, were leading
a hot pursuit of the tory captain who had been sent to reconnoitre
the country, and some of his routed troop. These were first dis
cerned in the open grounds east and northeast of the plantation,
closely pursued by a body of American mounted militia ; while i\
running fight was kept up with different weapons, in which four
or five broadswords gleamed conspicuous. The foremost of the
pursuing party appeared too busy with the tories to see anything
else ; and they entered the avenue at the same moment with the
party pursued. With what horror and consternation did Mis.
* It is said, that in a close encounter between Tarleton and Col. "Wash
ington, at the battle of the Cowpens, the former was wounded by a sabre
cut in the hand-

138 THRILLING ADVENTURE OF
Slocumb recognize her husband, her brother, and two of her
neighbors, in chase of the tory captain and four of his band, al
ready half way down the avenue, and unconscious that they were
rushing into the enemy's midst.
" About the middle of the avenue one of the tories fell ; and
the course of the brave and imprudent young officers was sud
denly arrested by 'Big George,' who sprang directly in front of
their horses, crying, ' Hold on Massa ! de debbil here ! Look
yon !' A glance to the left showed the young men their danger ;
they were within pistol shot of a thousand men drawn up in order
of battle. Wheeling their horses they discovered a troop already
leaping the fence into the avenue in their rear. Quick as thought
they again whirled their horses, and dashed down the avenue, di
rectly towards the house, where stood the quarter-guard to receive
them. On reaching the garden fence — a rude structure formed
of a kind of lath, and called a wattled fence — they leaped that
and the next, amid a shower of balls from the guard, cleared the
canal at one tremendous leap, and, scouring across the open field to
the northwest, were in the shelter of the wood before their pur
suers could clear the fence of the enclosure. The whole ground
of this adventure may be seen as a traveller passes over the Wil
mington railroad, a mile and a half south of Dudley depot.
" A platoon had commenced the pursuit ; but the trumpets
sounded the recall before the flying Americans had crossed the
^anal. The presence of mind and lofty language of the heroic
wife, had convinced the British colonel that the daring men who
so fearlessly dashed into his camp were supported by a formidable
force close at hand. Had the truth been known, and the fugi
tives pursued, nothing could have prevented the destruction not

LIEUTENANT SLOCUMB. 139
only of the four who fled, but of the rest of the company on the
east side of the plantation.
" Tarleton had rode back to the front of the house, where he
remained eagerly looking after the fugitives till they disappeared
in the wood. He called for the tory captain, who presently came
forward, questioned him about the attack, asked the names of the
American officers, and dismissed him to have his- wounds dressed,
and see after his men. The last part of the order was needless ;
for nearly one half of his men had fallen.
" The British officers now returned to their peach brandy and
coffee, and closed the day with a merry night.
" Slocumb and his companions passed rapidly around the plan
tation and returned to the ground where the encounter had taken
place, collecting on the way the stragglers of their troop.
" Slocumb raised a company of two hundred men, and with
them thoroughly harassed the rear of the royal army on its march
until it crossed the Roanoke, when he hastened to join Lafay
ette at Wan-enton."

THE EXECUTION OF COL. ISAAC HAYNE.
After Charleston had fallen into the hands of the British,
many of the Whigs of South* Carolina were induced to take the •
protections which were offered by Cornwallis. They were led to
this step by the belief that the cause was hopeless in the South,
and were promised by virtue of these protections to be allowed to
remain quietly at their homes and take no part in the contest.
But what was their surprise when soon after they were called upon
to take up arms under the British commanders and against their

140 THE EXECUTION OF
countrymen. Conceiving that faith had been broken with them,
and their promises of neutrality no longer binding, they destroyed
their protections and at once ranked themselves under the Conti
nental leaders. Among these was Col. Isaac Hayne, a man of
unblemished reputation, fine talents, and lofty patriotism. Indig
nant at the course pursued by the British, and being summoned
to appear at Charleston to take up arms against his country, he
hastened to the American army and began to take an active part
in the contest. But unfortunately he fell into the enemy's hands,
was conveyed to Charleston, submitted by the order of Rawdon
to a mock trial, and to the horror of all, condemned to death. He
received his sentence with calmness, but the whole country was
horrified. Both English and Americans interceded for his life,
and the ladies of Charleston immortalized themselves by the
spirited address they framed and delivered to his captors in his
behalf. But all was of no avail. The cruel heart of Rawdon
could not be moved ; not even the captive's motherless children
with bended knees and tearful prayers could move his obdurate
nature. His eldest child was a boy of thirteen, and he was permitted to
remain with his father in prison up to the time of the execution.
This boy was actuated by an affection for his father of the most
romantic earnestness and fervor. Beholding him loaded with
irons and condemned to die, he was overwhelmed with conster
nation and sorrow ; nothing could assuage his grief nor allay his
son-ow. In vain did his father endeavor to console him by re
minding him that his unavailing grief only tended to increase
his own misery ; that he was only to leave this world to be ad
mitted into a better ; that it was glorious to die for liberty, and
that he himself was calm and prepared for the event. The boy

COL. ISAAC HAYNE. 141
would not be comforted. " To-morrow," said the unhappy father,
" I set out for immortality ; you will accompany me to the place
of my execution, and when I am dead, take my body and bury
it by the side of your poor mother." In an agony of grief the
wretched youth fell weeping on his father's neck, crying, " Oh,
my father, my father, I die with you !" The chains that bound
the father prevented him from returning the embrace of his son,
but he said, in reply, " Live, my son ; live, to honor God by a
good life, live to take care of your brothers and sisters."
The next morning the son walked beside the father to the
place of execution. The history of the war does not afford a
more heart-rending incident. There was not a citizen of Charles
ton whose bosom did not beat with anguish and swell with sup
pressed indignation. There was sorrow in every countenance, and
when men spoke with each other it was in accents of horror.
When the parent and child came in sight of the gallows, the
father strengthened himself, and said to the weeping boy by
his side, " Tom, my son, show yourself a man ! that tree is the
boundary of my life and all my life's sorrow. Beyond that the
wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. Don't
lay too much at heart our separation, it will be short. 'Twas but
lately your mother died — to-day, I die. And you, my son, though
but young, must shortly follow."
"Yes, my father," replied the heart-broken youth, "I shaF
shortly follow you, for indeed I feel that I cannot live long."
And this melancholy anticipation was fulfilled in a manner far
more dreadful- than is implied in the mere extinction of life.
When his father was torn from his side his tears flowed inces
santly, and his bosom was convulsed with heart-rending sobs, but
when he saw his beloved parent in the hands of the executioner,

142 ADVENTURES OF
the halter adjusted to his neck, and then his form convulsively
struggling in the air, the fountain of his tears was suddenly
staunched, and he stood transfixed and motionless with horror.
He never wept again. When all was over he was led from the
scene, but there was a strange wildness in his look, and a palor in
his cheek, that alarmed and terrified all who looked upon him.
The tei-rible truth soon became known. His reason had fled for
ever. It was not long ere he followed his father to the grave,
but his death was even more terrible than that of his parent's.
In his last moments he often called upon his father, and in ac
cents of such thrilling anguish that the sternest hearted wept to
hear him. We know of no incident in history, no passage in
romance, more truly touching than this melancholy history.

ADVENTURES OF MAJOR GENERAL CLINTON.
Major General James Clinton commanded at Fort Clinton
on the occasion of its assault by Sir Henry Clinton. Here he
was joined by his brother George Clinton. The attack of Sir
Henry was resisted with a devoted heroism, but overcome by
superior numbers, and attacked by English ships of war in the
stream, they were gradually overcome. But the battle was des
perately contested, and when at last all hope was gone, Clinton,
disdaining to surrender, gathered a body of men around him, and
with his brother at his side, attempted to force his way through
the enemy's ranks.
" Fleeing to the river shore he came upon a small boat, in
which he urged his brother George to embark, and make his

MAJOR GENERAL CLINTON. 143
escape. The latter firmly refused to go, unless he accompanied
him. But this was impossible ; ancl to end the dispute, James
pushed his brother into the boat, and shoved it from the shore,
before he had any time to offer any resistance, then springing on
a horse near by, galloped away. It was dark ; and as he came
to a bridge, which he must cross, he saw it occupied with English
soldiers. They challenged him ; but ordering them to clear the
way, he drove the spurs in. his horse, and dashed through the bay
onets, one of which pierced his leg. Knowing that his safety lay
in reaching the mountains, he flung himself from his horse, and
snatching the bridle from his head, plunged into the woods. His
remarkable presence of mind did not forsake him in this critical
moment. He knew that unless he could catch another horse, he
must perish amid the mountains with his wound, before he could
reach any settlement ; and remembering that there were many
half-wild horses roving about the shores, he suddenly bethought
himself that he might possibly take one of these next morning and
escape. So, preserving the bridle he had taken, he limped away ;
and sliding down a precipice a hundred feet high into a ravine,
was out of the reach of his pursuers. Creeping along the steep
and rocky sides, with the blood oozing rapidly from his wound,
he slipped and fell into the stream. The cold plunge helped him,
for it stayed the effusion of blood ; and drenched and faint, he
made his way to the mountains, where he remained all night,
racked with pain, covered with blood, and burned with fever.
When daylight dawned he began to look about him, and finally
came upon a horse, which he caught. Placing the bridle, which
he still retained, upon him, he mounted bare-back and rode six
teen miles — every step driving a dagger into the wounded leg ;
before he came to a house. He presented a frightful spectacle to

144 ADVENTURES OF
the astonished inmates— his regimentals were covered with blood,
his cheeks flushed with fever, and his voice hollow and husky."
After his recovery Clinton joined Sullivan's expedition against
the Indians, in which he won new laurels. On his return he was
stationed at Albany, where he remained until near the close of
the war.
" While here an incident occurred which illustrated in a striking
manner his character. A mutiny had broken out in a regiment,
and it refused to obey the orders to march. When word was
brought to Clinton a fearful expression passed over his counte
nance, and snatching up his pistols, he walked to the head of the
refractory regiment. Casting his eye along it for a moment, he
thundered out ' March !' but not a soldier stirred. Turning to
the ringleader, he presented his pistol to his breast, and told him
to advance, or he would shoot him dead on the spot. The das
tardly sergeant knew well what kind of a man he had to deal
with, and pale with rage and fear, moved on. Clinton then passed
along to the second and third officer, in the same way, till he
traversed the whole line and put it in motion. Thus, by his re
solution and energy, he quelled a dangerous mutiny, and reduced
the disobedient ranks to subordination."

ADVENTURES OF LIEUT. RICHARD DALE.
Lieutenant Richard Dale, afterwards Commodore, served in
our youthful navy during the Revolutionary contest. Four several
times he was taken a prisoner. On one occasion being captured
by a frigate, the prisoners were placed on board the prize, under

LIEUT. RICHARD DALE. 145
a small crew, but during the night becoming separated from the
English vessel, the captors rose upon their conquerors, retook the
brig, and carried her into Baltimore. He put out to sea in the
same vessel, but encountering an English man-of-war, he was
again captured, and this time carried. into Plymouth. The prison
ers were examined and thrown into Mill prison on a charge of
treason. Here they were doomed to a rigorous and painful con
finement. " So severe," says Cooper, " were the privations of the
Americans on this occasion, that, in pure hunger, they caught a
stray dog one day, skinned, cooked and ate him to satisfy their
cravings for food." But their situation eventually attracted the
attention of the humane, and their sufferings were relieved. But
time passing on, and despairing of ever being freed by exchange,
they resolved to attempt an escape. We quote from his life by
Cooper. "A suitable place was selected, and a hole under a wall was
commenced. The work required secrecy and time. The earth
was removed, little by little in the pockets of the captives, care
being had to conceal the place, until a hole of sufficient size was
made to permit the body of a man to pass through. It was a
tedious process, for the only opportunity which occurred to empty
their pockets, was while the Americans were exercising in the
halls of their prison for a short period each day. By patience
and perseverance they accomplished their purpose, however, every
hour dreading exposure and defeat.
" When all was ready, they passed through the hole and es
caped. This was in February 1778. The party wandered about
the country in company, and by night, for more than a week, suf
fering all sorts of privations, until it was resolved to take the wiser
course of separating. Dale, accompanied by one other, found his

146 ADVENTURES OF
way to London', hotly pursued. At one time, the two lay under
some straw in an out-house, while the premises were searched by
those who were in quest of them. On reaching London, Dale and
his companion immediately got on board a vessel about to sail
for Dunkirk. A press gang unluckily took this craft in its rounds
and suspecting the true object of the fugitives, they were arrested,
and their characters being, ascertained, they were sent back to
Mill Prison in disgrace.
" This was the commencement of a captivity far more tedious
than the former. In the first place, they were condemned to forty
days imprisonment in the black hole, as a punishment for the
late escape ; and released from this durance, they were deprived
of many of their former indulgences. Dale himself took his re
venge in singing " rebel songs," and paid a second visit to the
black hole as the penalty. This state of things, with alternations
of favor and punishment, continued quite a year, when Dale,
singly succeeded in again effecting his great object of getting free.
" The mode in which this second escape was made is known,
but the manner by which he procured the means, he refused to
his dying day to disclose. At all events, he obtained a full suit
of British uniform, attired in which, and seizing a favorable op
portunity, he boldly walked past all the sentinels, and got off.
That some one was connected with this escape, who might suffer
by his revelations is almost certain ; and it is a trait in his char
acter worthy of notice, that he kept this secret, with scrupulous
fidelity, for forty-seven years. It is not known that he ever di
vulged it even to any individual in his own family.
" Rendered wary by experience, Dale now proceeded with
great address and caution. He probably had money as well as
clothes. At all events, he went to London, found means to pro-

LIEUT. RICHARD DALE. 147
cure a passport, and left the country for France unsuspected and
undetected. On reaching a friendly soil, he hastened to L'Orient,
and joined the force then equipping under Paul Jones. This
commander obtained a commission for Dale, and made him the
first lieutenant of his own ship."
When Dale effected this last escape, he was but twenty-three
years of age, having been made four times a prisoner, and effecting
his escape three different times, each under very different circum
stances. So much variety of adventure at so early an age, gives
a peculiar charm to his history.

MISS MONCRIEFFE.
During the early part of the war, a gentleman named Wood;
was residing about seven miles from Peekskill. He was a zealous
whig, but the associations and tastes of his English wife, caused
her prejudices to decide in favor of the loyalists. Among the in
mates of the family, was Miss Moncrieffe, a visitor from New York,
and the daughter of Major Moncrieffe of the English army. This
lady was young, of surpassing beauty, fascinating manners, and
possessed of rare accomplishments, with intellectual gifts of a high
order. Her beauty, the care and richness lavished upon her dress,
combined with her pleasing attainments, dazzled all those who
came within the range of her influence, and Mr. Wood's house
soon became the resort of all those who could obtain the acquain
tance of this beautiful and spirited girl. Among the visitors who
thronged around the brilliant lady, were several officers of the
American army. It was not in the power of these to resist the
6

148 miss moncrieffe.
enslaving charms of their beautiful countrywomen, and they were
delighted to find, that her sentiments sympathized with the patri
otic cause, and listened with unqualified pleasure to the words of
patriotism from lips so fair, and to the approbation of one to whom
it was not in their power to resist doing homage. She encour
aged conversation, upon the state of the country and its prospects,
and so unrestrained became their connection, that confidential dis
closures were made to her from time to time, and by insinuating
questions, she would often learn of all the plans and movements
in contemplation, to circumvent the enemy.
Miss Moncrieffe was an excellent equestrian. She rode out'
every day, sometimes accompanied, but oftener alone. She could
ride any horse, however spirited, and usually went abroad in a
magnificent costume, that from its exceeding beauty, and singular
style, received much comment. One morning as she was taking
her accustomed ride, alone, on passing a farm-house, the barking
of a dog, that suddenly sprang into the road, frightened the horse.
The animal started aside ; she was thrown to the ground, and so
severely stunned, as to be entirely insensible. The people ran
out from the house, lifted her up, and carried her in and laid her
on the bed. While endeavoring to restore her, they unbuttoned
the vest of her riding habit, to allow her to breathe more freely,
when a letter fell out, which was picked up and lain on the table.
It was not long before she began to recover consciousness, and in
a few moments was fully restored to her senses. Suddenly observ
ing the open flaps of her vest, she started up in great agitation
exclaiming, " Who unbuttoned my waist-coat ? Where is the
letter ? ah, I am lost — lost !" A woman at her side took up the
letter, and was about to hand it to her, when a man standing by,
whose suspicions were aroused by the strangeness of her manner,

MISS MONCRIEFFE. 149
sprang forward and seized it. With the greatest alarm and anxi
ety, she begged him to restore it, but as he observed it was ad
dressed to New York, and more and more suspicious from the over
anxiety of her manner, he positively refused to deliver it up, until
its contents should be known. Finding her efforts to obtain the
letter in vain, and having received no injury from her fall, she was
obliged to mount her horse and depart without it.
There was now but one course for her to pursue. An exposure
of the contents of the letter would . prove her ruin. She immedi
ately began to prepare for returning to New York, but before she
could get ready to depart, a party of soldiers rode up and entered
the house, and the officer informed her that she must be consid
ered as a prisoner, and be conducted to 'the destination pointed
out by his. orders.
It was ascertained, that the letter thus opportunely discovered,
contained information relative to an intended movement of the
American army. It was proved in the examination, that the
young -lady was in the habit, repeatedly of sending her British
friends the information reposed in her by the young American
officers, who supposing her to b' actuated by a strong interest in
the cause they espoused, had confided in her the secrets of the
army. When she wrote a letter, she concealed it in the vest of
her riding habit, and riding by an appointed spot, contrived to
drop it upon the ground unseen, when it was immediately picked
up by an accomplice hid At the bushes, and then conveyed from
hand to hand until it reached New York. All this came to light
by the confession of the accomplice himself.
Miss Moncrieffe was retained as a prisoner. Her countrymen
not disposed to de.<d harshly with' one so young, beautiful and ac-

150 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE,
complished, her trial was postponed from time to time, until at
last she was given up to her friends.*

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.t
The American authorities found much difficulty in disposing
of their prisoners. They had no posts regularly fitted for the
purpose ; and they could suggest no better means for securing
them, than to place them under guard in a thickly settled part of
the country, where the inhabitants were most decidedly hostile to
the English. The town of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, was one of
those selected for this purpose. The prisoners were confined in
barracks, enclosed with a stockade, and vigilantly guarded. But
in spite of all precautions, they often disappeared in an unaccount
able manner, and nothing was heard of them till they had re
sumed their places in the English army. Many and various were
the conjectures as to the means of their escape ; the o'fficers inquired
and investigated in vain ; the country was explored to no purpose ;
the soldiers shook their heads, and told of fortune-tellers, pedlars,
and such characters who had been seen at intervals ; and sundry
of the more credulous could think of nothing but supernatural
agency ; but whether man or spirit, was the conspirator, the mys
tery was unbroken.
When this became known to Washington, he sent General
Hazen to take this responsible charge. This energetic officer,
» Mrs. Ellett.
t From the first volume of the " New England Magazine.''

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 151
after exhausting all resources, resorted to stratagem. He was
convinced that, as the nearest British post was more than a hun
dred miles distant, the prisoners must be aided by Americans, but
where the suspicion should fall, he could not even conjecture, the
reproach of toryism being almost unknown in that region. Hav
ing been trained to meet exigencies of this kind in a distinguished
career, as colonel in the British army, his plan was formed at
once, and communicated to an officer of his own, upon whose
talent he relied for its successful execution. This was Captain
Lee, whose courage and ability fully justified the selection.
The secret plan concocted between them, was this. It was to
be given out that Lee was absent on furlough or command. He,
meanwhile, -was to assume the dress of a British prisoner, ancl,
having provided himself with information and a story of his cap
ture, was to be thrown into the barracks where he might gain the
confidence of the soldiers, and join them in a plan of escape.
How well Captain Lee sustained his part, may be inferred from
the fact that when he had disappeared and placed himself among
the prisoners, his own officers and soldiers saw him every day
without the least suspicion. The person to whom the author of
this sketch is indebted for these particulars, was the intendant of
the prisoners, and familiar with Lee ; but, though compelled to
see him often in the discharge of his duty, he never penetrated
the disguise. Well it was for Lee, that his disguise was so com
plete. Had his associates suspected his purpose to betray them,
his history would have been embraced in the proverb, " dead men
tell no tales."
For many days he remained in this situation, making no dis
coveries whatever. He thought he perceived at times, signs of
intelligence between the prisoners and an old woman, who was

152 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
allowed to bring fruit for sale, within the enclosure. She was
known to be deaf and half-witted,' and was therefore no object of
suspicion. It was known that her son had been disgraced and
punished in the American army, but she had never betrayed any
malice on that account, and no one dreamed that she could have
had the power to do injury if she possessed the will. Lee watched
her closely, but saw nothing to confirm his suspicions. Her dwell
ing was about a mile distant, a wild retreat where she shared her
miserable quarters, with a dog and cat, the former of which
mounted guard over her mansion, while the latter encouraged
superstitious fears that were equally effectual in keeping visitors
away. One dark, stormy night, in autumn, he was lying awake at
midnight, meditating on the enterprise he had undertaken, which
though in the beginning it had reccommended itself to his ro
mantic disposition, had now lost all its charms. It was one of
those tempests, which in our climate so often hang upon the path
of the departing year. His companions slept soundly, but the
wind, which shook the building to its foundation, and threw
heavy splashes of rain against the window ; conspired with the
state of his mind to keep him wakeful. All at once, the door;
was gently opened, and a figure moved silently into the room.
It was too dark to observe its motions narrowly, but he could see
that it stooped towards one of the sleepers who immediately rose ;
next it approached and touched him on the shoulder. Lee im
mediately started up; the figure then allowed a slight gleam
from a dark lantern to pass over his face, and as it did so, whis
pered impatiently, " not the man — but come !" It then occurred
to Lee, that this was the opportunity he then desired. The un
known then whispered to him, to keep his place till another man

AN KXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 153
was called ; but just at that moment, some noise disturbed him,
and makmg a sign to Lee to follow, he moved silently out of the
room. They found the door of the house unbarred, and a small part of
the fence removed, where they passed out without molestation ;
the sentry had retired to a shelter where he thought he could
guard his post without suffering from the rain ; but Lee saw that
his conductors put themselves in preparation to silence him if he
should happen to address them. Just without the fence, appeared
a stooping figure, wrapped in a red cloak, and supporting itself
with a large stick, which Lee at once perceived could be -no other
than the old fruit woman. But the most profound silence was
observed ; a man came out of a thicket at a little distance, and
joined them, and the whole party moved onward under the guid
ance of the old woman. At first, they frequently stopped to listen,
but having heard the sentinels cry, " all's well," they seemed re
assured, and moved with more confidence than before.
They soon came near to her cottage, under an overhanging
bank, where a bright light was shining out from a little window
upon the wet and drooping boughs that hung near it. The dog
received them graciously, and they entered. A table was spread
with some coarse provisions upon it, and a large jug, which one
of the soldiers was about to seize, when the man who conducted
them, withheld him.
" No," said he, " we must first proceed to business." He then
went to a small closet, from which he returned with what seemed
to have been originally a bible, though now it was worn to a ma
hogany color, and a spherical form. While they were doing this,
Lee had time" to examine his companions ; one of whom was a
large, quite good-looking soldier, the other a short,' stout man, with

154 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
much the aspect of a villain. They examined him in turn, and
as Lee had formerly been obliged to punish the shorter soldier
severely, he felt some misgivings when the fellow's eye rested
upon him. Their conductor was a middle-aged, harsh-looking
man, whom Lee had never seen before.
As no time was to be lost, then- guide explained to them in a
few words, that, before he should undertake his dangerous enter
prise, he should require of them to swear upon the scriptures, not
to make the least attempt to escape, and never to reveal the cir
cumstances or agents in the proceeding, whatever might befal
them. The soldiers, however, insisted on deferring this measure,
till they had formed some slight acquaintance with the contents
of the jug, and expressed their sentiments on the subject, rather
by actions than words. In this they were joined by Lee, who by
this time had begun to contemplate the danger of the enterprise,
in a new and unpleasant point of view. If he were to be com
pelled to accompany his party to New York, his disguise would at
once be detected, and it was certain that he would be hanged as
a spy. He had supposed, beforehand, that he should find no dif
ficulty in escaping at any moment ; but he saw that their conduc
tor had prepared arms for them, which they were to use in taking
the life of any One who should attempt to leave them — and then
the oath. He might possibly have released himself from its obli
gations, when it became necessary for the interests of his country ;
but no honorable man can well bear to be driven to an emergency,
in which he must violate an oath, however reluctantly taken. He
felt that there was no retreating, when there came a heavy shock,
as if something falling against the sides of the house ; their prac
ticed ears at once detected the alarm gun ; and their conductor,
throwing down the old bible, which he had held all the while

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 155
impatiently in his hand, directed the party to follow him in close
srder, and immediately quitted the house, taking with him his
dark lantern.
They went on with great dispatch, but not without difficulty.
Sometimes their footing would give way on some sandy bank or
slippery field ; and when their path led through the woods, the
wet boughs dashed heavily in their faces. Lee felt that he might
have deserted his precious companions while they were in this
hurry and alarm ; but he felt, that, as yet, he had made no dis
coveries ; and however dangerous his situation was, he could not
bear to confess that he had not nerve to carry it through. On he
went, therefore, for two or three hours, and was beginning to sink
with fatigue, when the barking of a dog brought the party to a
stand. Their conductor gave a low whistle, which was answered
at no great distance, and a figure came forward in the darkness
who whispered to their guide, and then led the way up to a
building, which seemed, by the shadowy outline, to .be a large
stone barn. They entered it, and were severally placed in small
nooks where they could feel that the hay was all around them,
except on the side of the wall. Shortly^ after, some provisions
were brought to them with the same silence, and it was signified
to them that they were to remain concealed through the whole of
the coming day.
Through a crevice in the wall Lee could discover, as the day
came on, that the barn was attached to' a small house. He was
so near the house that he could overhear the conversation which
was carried on about the door. The morning rose clear, and it
was evident from the inquiries of horsemen, who occasionally gal
loped up to the door, that the country was alarmed. The farmer
gave short and surly replies, as if unwilling to be taken off from

156 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
his labor ; but the other inmates were eager in their questions,
and, from the answers, Lee gathered that the means by which he
and his companions had escaped were as mysterious as ever.
The next night, when all was quiet, they resumed their march,
and explained to Lee, that, as he was not with them in their con
spiracy and was accidentally associated with them in their escape,
they should take the precaution to keep him before them, just
behind the guide. He submitted without opposition, though the
arrangement considerably lessened the chances in favor of his es
cape. He observed, from the direction of the stars, that they did
not move in a direct line toward the Delaware, but they changed
their course so often that he could, not conjecture at what point
they intended to strike the river. He endeavored, whenever
any peculiar object appeared, to fix it in his memory as well
as the darkness would permit, and succeeded better than could
have been expected, considering the agitated state in which he
traveled. For several nights they went on in this manner, being deliver
ed over to different persons from time to time ; and as Lee could
gather from their whispering conversation, they were regularly
employed on occasions like the present, and well rewarded by the
British for their services. Their employment was full of danger ;
and though they seemed like desperate men, he could observe
that they never remitted their precautions. They were concealed
by day in barns — cellars-^aves made for the purpose, and simi
lar retreats, and one day was passed in a tomb, the dimensions
of which had been enlarged, and the inmates, if there had been
any, banished to make room for the living. The burying grounds
were a favorite retreat, and on more occasions than one they
were obliged to resort to superstitious alarms to remove intruders

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 157
upon their path ; their success fully justified the experiment, and,
unpleasantly situated as he was, in the prospect of soon being a
ghost himself, he could not avoid laughing at the expedition with
which old and young fled from the fancied apparitions under
clouds of night, wishing to meet such enemies, like Ajax, in the
face of day.
Though the distance to the Delaware was not great, they had
now been twelve days on the road, and such was the vigilance
and suspicion prevailing throughout the country, that they almost
despaired of effecting their object. The conductor grew impa
tient; and Lee's companions, at least one of them, became fero
cious. There was, as we have said, something unpleasant to him
in the glance of this fellow toward him, which became more and
more fierce as they went on ; but it did not appear whether it
were owing to circumstances or actual suspicion. It so happened
that, on the twelfth night, Lee was placed in a barn, while the
rest of the party sheltered themselves in the cellar of a little stone
church, where they could talk and act with more freedom, both
because the solitude of the place was not often disturbed even on
the Sabbath — and because even the proprietors did not know
that illegal hands had added a cellar to the conveniences of
the building.
The party were seated here as the day broke, and the light,
which struggled in through crevices opened for the purpose
showed a low room, ¦about twelve feet square, with a damp floor
and large patches of white mould upon the walls. Finding, pro
bably, that the pavement afforded no accommodations for sleep
ing, the worthies were seated each upon a little cask, which seemed
like those used for gunpowder. Here they were smoking pipes
with great diligence, and, at intervals not distant, applying a huge

158 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
canteen to their mouths, from which they drank with upturned
faces, expressive of solemn satisfaction. While they were thus
engaged, the short soldier asked them in a careless way, if they
knew whom they had. in the party. The others started, and took
their pipes from their mouths to ask him what he meant.'
" I mean," said he, " that we are honored with the company of
Captain Lee, of the rebel army. The rascal once punished me,
and I never mistook my man when I had a debt of that kind to
pay. Now I shall have my revenge."
The others hastened to express their disgust at his ferocity, say
ing, that if, as he said, their companion was an American officer,
all they had to do was to watch him closely. They said that, as
he had came among them uninvited, he must go with them to
New York and take the consequences ; but, meantime, it was their
interest not to seem to suspect him, otherwise he might give an
alarm, whereas it was evidently his intention to go with them till
they were ready to embark for New York. The other persisted
in saying that he would have his revenge with his own hand, upon
which the conductor, drawing a pistol declared to him that if he
saw the least attempt to injure Captain Lee, or any conduct which
would lead him to suspect that his disguise was discovered, he
would that moment shoot him through the head. The- soldier
put his hand upon his knife with an ominous scowl upon the con
ductor, but seeing that he had to do with one who was likely to
be as good as his word, he restrained himself, and began to ar
range some rubbish to serve him for a bed. The other soldiers
followed his example, and their guide withdrew, locking the door
after him.
The next night they went on as usual, but the manner of their
conductor showed there was more danger than before ; in fact, he

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 159
explained to the party, that they were now not far from the Dela
ware, and hoped to reach it before midnight. They occasionally
heard the report of a musket, which seemed to indicate that some
movement was going on in the country. Thus warned, they
quickened their steps, and it was not long before they saw a
gleam of broad clear light before them, such as is reflected from
calm waters even in the darkest nights. They moved up to it
with deep silence ; there were various emotions in their breasts ;
Lee was hoping for an opportunity to escape from an enterprize,
which was growing too serious, and the principal objects of
which were already answered ; the others were anxious lest some
accident might have happened to the boat on which they de
pended for crossing the stream.
When they came to the bank there were no traces of a boat on
the waters. Their conductor stood still for a moment in dismay ;
but, recollecting himself, he said it was possible it might have
been secured lower down the stream, and, forgetting everything
else, he directed the larger soldier to accompany him, and, giving
a pistol to the other, he whispered, " if the rebel officer attempt
to betray us, shoot him ; if not, you will not, for your own sake,
make any noise to show where we are." In the same instant
they departed, and Lee was left alone with the ruffian.
He had before suspected the fellow kne* him, and now doubts
were changed to certainty at once. Dark as it was, it seemed as
if fire flashed from his eye, now. that he felt revenge was in his
power. Lee was as brave as any officer in the army ; but he was
unarmed, and though he was strong, his adversary was still more
powerful. While he stood, uncertain what to do, the fellow
seemed to be enjoying the prospect of revenge, as he looked upon
him with a steady eye. Though the officer stood in appearance

160 AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
unmoved, the sweat rolled in heavy drops from his brow. He
soon took his resolution, and sprang upon his adversary with the
intention of wresting the pistol from his hand ; but the other was
upon his guard, and aimed with such precision, that, had the pis
tol been charged with a bullet, that moment would have been his
last. But it seemed that the conductor had trusted to the sight
of his weapons to render the use of them unnecessary,- and had
therefore loaded them only with powder ; as it was, the shock
threw Lee to the ground ; but fortunately as the fellow dropped
the pistol, it fell where' Lee could reach it, and as his adversary
stooped, and was drawing his knife from his bosom, Lee was able
to give him a stunning blow. He immediately threw himself upon
the assassin, and a long and bloody struggle began ; they were
so nearly matched in strength and advantage, that neither dared
unclench his hold for the sake of grasping the knife ; the blood
gushed from their mouths, and the combat would have probably
ended in favor of the assassin, when steps and voices were heard
advancing, and they found themselves in the hands of a party of
countrymen, who were armed for the occasion, and were scouring
the banks of the river. They were forcibly torn apart, but so ex
hausted. and breathless, that neither could make any explanation,
and they submitted quietly to the disposal of their captors.
The party of armed countrymen though they had succeeded
in their attempt, and were sufficiently triumphant on the occasion,
were sorely perplexed to determine how to dispose of their pris
oners. After some discussion, one of them proposed to obtain tho
decision of the wisdom of the nearest magistrate. They accord
ingly proceeded with their prisoners to his mansion, about two
miles distant, and called on him to rise and attend to business.
A window was hastily thrown up, and the justice put forth his

AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 161
night-capped head, and, with more wrath than became his dignity,
ordered them off; and, in requital for their calling him out of
bed in the cold, generously wished them to the warmest place
which then occurred to his imagination. However, resistance was
vain ; he was compelled to rise ; and, as soon as the prisoners
were brought before him, he- ordered them to be taken in irons
to the city of Philadelphia. Lee improved the opportunity to
take the old gentleman aside, and told him who he was, and why
he was thus disguised ; the justice only interrupted him with the
occasional inquiry, " Most done 2" When he"had finished, the
magistrate told him that his story was very well made, and told
in a manner very creditable to his address, and that he should
give it all the weight it seemed to require. All Lee's remon
strance were unavailing.
As soon as they were fairly lodged m prison, Lee prevailed on
the jailor to carry a note to Gen. Lincoln, informing him of his
condition. The general received it as he was dressing in the
morning, and immediately sent one of his aids to the jail. That
officer could not believe his eyes when he saw Captain Lee. His
uniform, worn out when he assumed it, was now hanging in rags
about him, and he had not been shaved for a fortnight ; he wished,
very naturally, to improve his appearance before presenting him
self before the Secretary of War ; but the orders were peremptory
to bring him as he was. The general loved a joke full well ; his
laughter was hardly exceeded by the report of his own cannon ,
and long and loud did he laugh that day.
When Captain Lee returned to Lancaster, he immediately at
tempted to retrace the ground ; and so accurate, under all the
unfavorable circumstances, had been his investigation, that he
brought to justice fifteen persons, who had aided the escape of

162 MISS MOORE.
British prisoners. It is scarcely necessary to say to those who
know the fate of revolutionary officers, that he received, for this
hazardous and effectual service, no reward whatever.

MISS MOORE.
Miss Bkhethland Moore, the daughter of Captain Moore,
who was present at Braddock's defeat, and who died in 1770,
resided with her mother and step-father, Captain Samuel Savage,
in Edgefield District, South Carolina. Her youth was- passed
among -the eventful scenes of our revolution, and a number of in
cidents are related, that go to prove her calm courage, and her
inflexibility of purpose. She was born in 1764, and therefore, in
the earlier part of the contest was nothing more than a child.
The terrors of the war were often enacted before the very door
of her step-father's residence. On one occasion, a most san
guinary skirmish took place just before the house, between a
a body of Col. Washington's cavalry, and some of Rawdon's men.
Shortly after a party of the British in search of plunder, broke
into the house. But the family had been forewarned, and con
cealed their treasures. In searching for plunder they discovered
a quantity of apples, and began to roll them down the stairs,
while the soldiers below picked them up. Miss Moore, nothing
fearing, commanded them to desist, with an air so. determined
and resolute, that an officer standing by, admiring so courageous
a spirit in a girl so young, ordered the soldiers to obey her.
On another occasion, a party of tories in pillaging the house,
commanded one of the servants to bring them the horses. Miss

MISS MOORE. 163
Moore commanded him not to obey. The tories repeated the
order, accompanied with a threat to beat him if he refused. The
command of the young girl was reiterated, and just as the tory
was about putting his threat into execution, she threw herself be
tween them, and preserved the slave from the intended violence.
At one time, great danger was threatening Captain Wallace,
who commanded a small force, a few miles distant. It was of
the utmost importance that this intelligence should be conveyed
to him, but there was no male whose services could be commanded,
and, therefore, Miss Moore volunteered to convey the message
herself. This was when she was but fifteen. Midnight was
chosen as the hour, and accompanied by her little brother, and a
female friend, she set out in a canoe up the river towards the en
campment of the whigs. Silently and swiftly they propelled their
frail vessel up the dark current, through forests buried in dark
ness, and a profound silence that awed them ; with the calm stars
above, and the deep river gloomily rolling by, and no human
sounds to relieve the oppressive solemnity of the hour. It was
the hour too, when the enemy usually set out on their, marauding
expeditions, and the young girls knew that neither their sex, noi
innocence would preserve them from ruthless foes, who were
more relentless and cruel, than the swarthy savages of the forest
But the fate of many of their countrymen depended on their exer
tions, and, as it proved, the future destiny of our heroine, was in
volved in the successful issue of their enterprise. Undismayed by
the perils of the journey, the young girls bent their energies to
the task before them, and at last saw lights glimmering in the
distance, that pointed out their destination. They soon reached
the encampment, a picturesque scene, with the ruddy glow from
the camp fires, casting the sun-ounding scene in still greater shadow,

164 MISS MOORE.
and motley groups of figures gathered around the fires, sleeping,
talking, eating, &c. After delivering the warning to Captain
Wallace, the girls embarked in their canoe to return, and soon
left the encampment behind, winding their way through dense
forests, and reached their home in safety.
The next morning, a handsome and gallant looking American
officer, rode up to the door of Captain Savage's residence, and re
quested to make a few inquiries of the young lady, by whose en
ergy and zeal her countrymen had been saved from an impending
danger. Miss Moore appeared, and when her youthful and
blooming beauty greeted the eyes of the young officer, an excla
mation of pleasure burst from his lips.. He almost forgot to
make his inquiries, until reminded by the blushing damsel, but
her voice rather increased than relieved his embarrassment. All
his questions having been at last answered, and having no excuse
by which to prolong the interview, he was reluctantly compelled
to depart, but his eyes to the last rested on the fair girl's form.
It is said that the young la.ly was no less struck with the hand
some dragoon's figure, and that his face came often to her' in her
dreams that night.
It was not long before the young officer made an excuse for
again visiting the house where resided the beauty who had bound
him captive to her charms, and as these impressions were recipro
cal, he soon discovered welcome in her manner, and drew happy
auguries therefrom. He became an accepted suitor. But their
love in a measure verified the old adage. The step-father op
posed the union ; at first strenuously, but the perseverance of the
lover, gradually broke down his opposition, and he eventually
yielded consent

MIBS MOORE. 165
It was not till 1784, that Miss Moore became united to Captain
William Butler, afterwards General Butler, member of Congress,
from 1801 till 1814, and commander of the southern forces, as
Major General, during the last war with Great Britain.
Mrs. Butler filled a distinguished place in society, and was cele
brated for her lofty virtues, high intelligence, and graceful refine
ment. Her distinguished husband died in 1821, but not until
quite recently was she called upon to close her mortal career.

ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS.
At early morn, of a day in September, 1776, a long. line of
boats put off from the enemy's fleet, which for some days had
been lying nearly opposite Throg's -Neck, on Long. Island
sound, and approached in an imposing manner to the shore. The
gay regimentals of the soldiers, and the glittering bayonets that
threw back the sun's rays in floods of brilliant and dazzling light,
with the sounds of martial music, and the occasional solemn boom
ing of a gun, presented. a beautiful and inspiriting scene. But to
the residents of the country, who were tremblingly watching the
disembarkation, the pageant was only one of terror, and as with
heavy hearts they watched the invaders land upon their soil, their
bosoms sunk in hopeless despair, and a long era of oppression,
suffering, and imprisonment was opened to them, of which this
was the first scene in the drama.
In the house of James Ferris, a large land holder, and wealthy
farmer, residing on the Neck, a cheerful and happy family group
were gathered at the morning meal. But as they arose from the

166 ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS.
table, the appalling sight burst upon their view, and in an instant
peace and contentment were changed into dismay and terror.
Part of the troops had already landed, and their danger was im
minent. Mr. Ferris was aged ancl crippled, and thus escape to
him was impossible, but his son, Thomas Ferris, a young man of
twenty, he determined to save for future services to his country.
The trembling hands of the whole family group, were immediately
engaged in preparing him for departure ; his clothes were hastily
tied up in a handkerchief, and with his "musket thrown over his
shoulder, he sprang upon the horse ready saddled at the- door, and
galloped off toward the head of the Neck. But he was observed
by the British, and a party sent to prevent his escape. He suc
ceeded, however, in reaching the head of the Neck before his ene
mies, but as he crossed the bridge, a volley of musketry was dis
charged after him by the disappointed soldiery. Not a bullet
touched him, however, and he hurried forward to join the Ame
rican ranks.
The members of the family, whose peace had been thus sud
denly disturbed, meanwhile, remained in the most keen anxiety
as to the fate of the fugitive. The discharges which they heard
did not serve to allay then- fears, but the approach of the enemy
to the door, turned their thoughts to their own danger. Mr. Fer
ris had hoped that his age, and his inaction in the contest, would
preserve him from molestation. But he was mistaken. When,
indeed, in the course of the war, was a dependence on British
mercy justified ! He was ruthlessly seized, and torn from his fa
mily, despite their entreaties, and sent to New York as a prisoner.
We are all aware of the terrible sufferings of the American captives
confined in New York, and of the attrocities practiced upon them
by their inhuman keepers. Mr. Ferris was thrown into the old

ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS. 167
sugar-house prison, where, subjected to every exposure, half star
ved, and compelled to eat the unwholesome food placed before
him, he contracted a disease which then prevailed among the pri.
soners. His strength became utterly prostrated, and he was
brought to an extremity of suffering, difficult to realize. But du
ring the term of his confinement, Mrs. Ferris, who was a deter
mined and resolute woman, went into the city for the purpose of
attempting to procure his liberation. Undaunted by the innume
rable obstacles in such an attempt, and undismayed by the al
most utter hopelessness, she persevered to the last, and eventually
procured his release. But it was at an horn- when disease had
wasted his strength, and death was hovering so close upon him
that his captors considered him of no more danger to the cause
of his majesty. The devoted wife bore him to her home, only to
see him die. If was but a few days after he was borne out from
his pestilential - dungeon, that he was carried to his last earthly
abode ; and the soil that rested upon his bosom, covered one of
the many martyrs who purchased the liberty of their country, not
in the wild excitement of the battle field, but in the silent, slow,
and unanimated agonies of the dungeon ; by the cancker of suf
fering that eat into their souls and consumed their heart-strings.
Thomas Ferris, young and active, with a vigorous and powerful
frame, now became one of the deadliest and most dangerous ene
mies to the invader. We can readily imagine that the horrors
which surrounded his father's untimely end, gave an edge to his
animosity, and often nerved his- arm in the contest. He was ge
nerally employed in collecting information of the movements of
the British forces, and this duty brought him into frequent con
nection with Luther Kennicut, one of those persons employed by
the commander-in-chief to frequent the camp of the enemy in the

168 ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS.
capacities of spies, and who have been immortalized in the cha
racter of Harvey Birch* This class of men in doing signal service
to their country, were placed in situations most trying to their
patriotism. They were usually suspected to be refugees, and as
such were frequently exposed to the honest indignation of their
whig neighbors, and indignities thus heaped upon them by those
whom they served, could only have been allayed by the conscious
ness of the great benefits their services were conferring upon the
patriotic cause. They usually went about as pedlars, and would
pass through the enemy's lines, and even penetrate into the very
presence of the British leaders, by means of their pursuit, with
unsuspected impunity. This Kennicut was one of the most active
men thus employed. Whenever any movement was in contem
plation by the British army, he would adroitly manage to become
possessed of all the particulars, and then pass through the line
under the pretence of selling his articles, and meeting his accom
plices in secret places, at night, in the depths of the wood, convey
his intelligence to the American officers. Young Ferris was of
those employed in receiving the intelligence thus gained by Ken
nicut ; and he declared after the war that many serious conse
quences were averted from the American army, by means of the
faithful services of the despised, but patriotic pedlar.
In one of the many interviews between Ferris and Kennicut, a
bold plan was conceived by them for the surprise and capture of
one of the principal British officers while in his own camp. The
British army were encamped on Throg's Neck, and the quarters
of the officer, whom they designed to capture, were in the house
of Mr. Ferris. Two other enterprising patriots were engaged in
* Kennicut Was the original of this celebrated character of Cooper'i.

ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS. 169
the attempt. On the evening fixed upon, Ferris and his two
companions, Kennicut appointing to meet them on the Neck, cau
tiously approached the sentinels. Their manner of passing the
guard, was ingenious and bold. It was done by crawling along
the shore through the sedge, cautiously advancing as the senti
nel's back was turned toward them, and when he advanced, they
would lie close and still in the sedge. By this slow and critical
means, they at last passed the sentinel, and got on to the Neck,
and soon joined Kennicut at the place of meeting. A place of
concealment was now found for them, and the plan for the cap
ture arranged, which was to take place at midnight of the next
evening. Young Ferris who. was acquainted with the house, was
to conduct the party to the apartment of the officer, whom they
were to seize, gag, and muffle, and escape with him from the
Neck as expeditiously and silently as possible. It was a daring
plan, but its success would crown them with lasting honor. After
the completion of all the arrangements, Kennicut left them. Some
little time after his departure, Fen-is becoming very thirsty, in
cautiously ventured to the well, near to the house, for the purpose
of procuring water, when he was observed and recognized by one
of the negro slaves belonging -to the house. In j&, few minutes
after this incident, Kennicut came to them hurriedly, and in
formed them that their presence on the Neck was known, that
the guard was doubled all round the Neck, and that a thorough
search was ordered to be made for them, at the first approach of
daylight. They were now in a critical situation. To escape from
the Neck in the same manner they reached it, was impossible, as
at this point a vigilant watch would doubtless be stationed. Fer«
ris proposed to escape by swimming, but his two companions could
not swim, and they begged most earnestly not to be abandoned.

170 ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS.
But the resources of men inured to danger, and familiar with stra
tagem, were not exhausted. Towards the lower end of the Neck
there was an old stone wall, which had been built double, and
which was surrounded by a thick and tangled mass of plumb
bushes. The plan was to remove one side of the wall, and rebuild
it in such a manner so as to afford hollow places for their conceal
ment. Ferris and Kennicut first built in their two companions,
and lastly, Ferris took his place, and Kennicut alone completed
the entombment. These singular and ingenious cages having
been finished, Kennicut surveyed them closely, and with scrutiny
on all sides. The form of the wall was but little altered from its
original shape, while the screen work of bushes effectually cur
tained it from observation. Assured of the completeness of the
concealment, Kennicut, with a few words of caution, left Ferris
and his companions in their voluntary imprisonment, with a prom
ise to return to them whenever he might do so with prudence.
The situation of our heroes, must indeed have been trying. It
was not long before daylight appeared, and then they could hear
the search that was going on all around them. Presently the
tramp of soldiers was heard, which grew nearer and nearer, and
their hearts sank desparingly within them, as they could detect
their approach directly to the spot where they were concealed.
Two files of soldiers, one on each side of the wall, came along
close by the side of the wall, and so near to them, that with a
switch two feet long, the prisoners could have touched them. Sud
denly, and to the great terror of the adventurers, the word of halt
was given, and our heroes believed their discovery certain. The
grass which had been trampled down by them in the process of
erecting their prisons, arrested the attention of the soldiers, and a
brief conference as to its cause, was held within hearing of the

ADVENTURES OF MR. FERRIS. 171
captives. One remarked, that " there the d  d rebels must have
lain last night," — but another was of opinion, that it was where
the deserters, who had escaped the day previous, had lain during
the night. Satisfied with this solution of the cause, the party re
sumed their march, much to the relief and delight of our incar
cerated friends. They remained in their concealment the entire
day, and much of the ensuing night, without food, and in a state
of unceasing anxiety. Towards morning, Kennicut came and re
leased them. They now abandoned their intention of securing
the officer, and set about escaping from the Neck in the same
manner they had come upon it.
Mr. Ferris was frequently engaged in enterprizes of a similar
nature to this, during the period of the war. On one occasion,
lie accompanied an expedition in two whale boats, eastward, and
approaching Stonington they resolved to cut out two vessels, a
sloop and a schooner belonging to the British, which were lying
at anchor in the harbor. At the hour of midnight, when all was
hushed and still, they cautiously rowed towards the vessels, the
one to which. Mr. Ferris belonged approaching the schooner. But
one man walked its deck, the others being asleep below, and he
seemed to be unconscious of the danger which threatened the ves
sel. Not a sound denoted their approach, and the boat was by
the vessel's side, and the assailants already pouring upon the deck,
ere the sentinel was aware of the attack. A pistol at his head
commanded immediate silence, or death the penalty, and in a
moment the hatches and companion-way were secured, the cables
cut, the sails hoisted, and they slowly moved from the shore. But
at this juncture they were saluted by cannon from the battery on
shore, the alarm having been given by the hoisting of the sails,
and with balls ploughing the sea about them and occasionally
7

172

EXPLOITS OF SERGEANT JASPER.

whistling through the rigging, they stood out to sea, but were
soon out of sight and beyond the reach of the enemy.
Numerous adventures and "hair-breadth 'scapes" occurred to
Mr. Ferris during the eventful period of the war, but the forego
ing, from their daring and ingenuity particularly commend them
selves to the admiration of the reader. The author is indebted' to
a son of Mr. Ferris, now residing in Westchester County, in this
State, for the particulars of the above sketch.

EXPLOITS OF SERGEANT JASPER.
Evert reader of American history is acquainted with the name
of Sergeant Jasper. He served in " Marion's Brigade," and by
his heroism and talents he won a reputation rarely acquired by
one in so obscure a position. At the celebrated battle of Fort
Moultrie, in the hottest fire of the battle, the flag of the fort was
shot away, and fell without the fort. Jasper instantly leapt over
the ramparts on to the beach, where he was fully exposed to a
most ten-ific fire, and seizing the flag, bound it to a sponge staff,
and stuck it on the rampart in the sand. This act was performed
with the most undisturbed coolness, and received the acclamations
of the soldiers. After the battle, Gen. Rutledge presented him
with a sword as a token of esteem for his chivalrous bravery.
" Jasper possessed remarkable talents for a scout. He could
wear all diguises with admirable ease and dexterity. He was a
perfect Proteus, in ability to alter his appearance ; perpetually en
tering the camp of the enemy, without detection, and invariably
returning to his own with soldiers he had seduced, or prisoners he

EXPLOITS OF SERGEANT JASPER. 173
had captured. Such was the confidence in his fidelity and skill,
that a roving commission was granted him, with liberty to pick
his associates from the brigade. Of these he seldom chose more
than six. He would often go off and return with a prisoner be
fore his absence was known. He was known to catch a party
that was looking for him. On one occasion he went into the Bri
tish lines at Savannah, as a deserter, and was gladly received.
After a stay of eight days in which time he learned of the strength,
situation and intentions of the enemy, he returned to his com
panions. " While in the exercise of his roving privileges he, on one oc
casion, visited the post of the enemy at Ebenezer. At this post
he had a brother, who held the same rank in the British service,
that he held in the American. ' This instance was quite too com
mon in the history of the period and country, to occasion much
surprise, or cause any suspicion of the integrity of either party.
William Jasper loved his brother and wished to see him : it is
very certain, at the same time, that he did not deny himself the
privilege of seeing all around him. The Tory was alarmed at
William's appearance in the British camp, but the other quieted
his fears, by representing himself as no longer an American sol
dier. He checked the joy which this declaration excited in his
brother's mind, by assuring him that, though he found little en
couragement in fighting for his country, " he had not the heart
to fight against her." Our scout lingered for two or three days
in the British camp, and then, by a detour, regained that of the
American's ; reporting to his Commander all that he had seen.
He was encouraged to repeat his visit a few weeks after, but this
time he took with him a comrade, one Sergeant Newton, a fellow
quite as brave in spirit, and strong in body as himself. Here he-

174 EXPLOITS OF SERGEANT JASPER.
was again well received by his brother, who entertained the
guests kindly for several days. Meanwhile, a small party of
Americans were brought into Ebenezer as captives, over whom
hung the danger of " short, shrift and sudden cord." They were
on their way to Savannah for trial. They had taken arms with
the British, as hundreds more had done, when the country was
deemed reconquered ; but, on the approach of the American
army, had rejoined their countrymen, and were now once more at
the mercy of the power with which they had broken faith. ' It
will go hard with them,' said the Toiy Jasper to his Whig bro
ther ; but the secret comment of the other was, ' it shall go hard
with me first.' There was a woman, the wife of one of the pris
oners, who, with her child, kept them company. William Jasper
and his friend were touched by the spectacle of their distress ;
and they conferred together, as soon as they were alone, as to the
possibility of rescuing them. Their plan was soon adopted. It
was a simple one, such as naturally suggests itself to a hardy
and magnanimous character. The prisoners had scarcely left the
post for Savannah, under a guard of eight men, a sergeant and
corporal, when they took leave of their host, and set forth also,
though in a different direction from the guard. Changing their
course when secure from observation, they stretched across the
country and followed the footsteps of the unhappy captives. But
it was only in the pursuit that they became truly conscious of the
difficulty, nay, seeming impossibility, of effecting their object.
The guard was armed, and ten in number ; they but two, and
weaponless. Hopeless, they nevertheless followed on. Two miles
from Savannah there is a famous spring, the waters of wlSch are
well known to travelers. The conjecture that the guard might
stop there, with the prisoners, for refreshment, suggested itself to

EXPLOITS OF SERGEANT JASPER. 175
our companions ; here, opportunities might occur for the rescue,
which had nowhere before presented themselves. Taking an ob
scure path with which they were familiar, which led them to the
spot before the enemy could arrive, they placed themselves in
ambush in the immediate neighborhood of the spring. They
had not long to wait. Their conjecture proved correct. The
guard was halted on the road opposite the spring. The corporal
with four men. conducted the captives to the water, while the ser
geant, with the remainder of his force, having made them ground
their arms near the road, brought up the rear. The prisoners
threw themselves upon the earth — the woman and her child, near
its father. Little did any of them dream that deliverance was at
hand. The child fell asleep in the mother's lap. ' Two of the
armed men kept guard, but we may suppose with little caution. .
What had they to apprehend, within sight of a walled town in
the possession of their friends? Two others approached the
spring, in order to bring water to the prisoners. Resting their
muskets against a tree they proceeded to fill then- canteens. At
this moment Jasper gave the signal to his comrade. In an in
stant the muskets were in their hands. In another, they had shot
down the two soldiers upon duty ; then clubbing their weapons,
they rushed out upon the astonished enemy, and felling their first
opponents each at a blow, they succeeded in obtaining possession
of the loaded muskets. -This decided the conflict, which was over
in a few minutes. The surviving guard yielded themselves to
mercy before the presented weapons. Such an achievement could
only be successful from its audacity and the operation of circum
stances. The very proximity of Savannah increased the chances
of success. But for this the guard would have taken better pre
cautions. None were taken. The prompt valor, the bold decision

176 AN ACT OF MERCY REWARDED.
the cool calculation of the instant, were the essential elements
which secured success. The work of our young heroes was not
done imperfectly. The prisoners were quickly released, the arms
of the captured British put into their hands, and, hurrying away
from the spot which they have crowned with a local celebrity not
soon to be forgotten, they crossed the Savannah in safety with
their friends and foes."
Soon after this Jasper lost his life in a manner that has immor
talized him. After the celebrated victory achieved by Moultrie
at the fort which bears his name, the citizens of Charleston vied
with each other in doing honor to the conquerors. A lady, named
Mrs. Elliot, presented a pair of colors to the regiment, and in a
speech that accompanied the presentation she invoked its courage
to defend them " as long as they can wave in the air of liberty."
Subsequently, in the attack upon Savannah, the ensign bearers,
Lieutenants Bush and Hume, in planting them on the British
lines, were shot down. Lieutenant Gay, in endeavoring tp carry
them forward, also fell ; and Jasper in seizing one of the flags, as
it fell from Hume, was mortally wounded, but he succeeded in
bearing it away in safety.

AN ACT OF MERCY REWARDED.
At the time when the cause of the patriots looked so dark in
the south, and when the few whigs who refused to receive the
offered protections of the British commander, were beginning to
gather in partizan bands with the determination to resist the foe
unto the last, Col. Bratton assumed an important influence in

AN ACT OF MBROY REWARDED. 177
furthering the plans of the whigs, and gathering them together
to resist the enemy. The active energy he manifested in the
cause, made him particularly obnoxious to the British, who at last
resolved to crush hini. Captain Huck, with a command of four
hundred men, was dispatched with instructions to hunt him
down. Col. Bratton resided near Brattonsville, South Carolina, and his
grounds became the scene of a victory, known in the history of
the war, as Huck's defeat. To this spot, Captain Huck proceeded,
and entered the house, on the evening of the day which preceded
the victory, roughly demanding of Mrs. Bratton, where her hus
band was. She calmly replied that he was in Sumter's army.
This reply enraged the British officer, but he controlled his anger,
while he endeavored to persuade her to confess her knowledge of
his retreat, and promising that if she would induce him to join
the royalists, he should receive a commission in the army. The
officer eloquently pictured the hopelessness of the " rebel" cause,
and stated truly that the whigs themselves generally despaired of
success. But to these specious arguments, and tempting promi
ses, the heroic lady yielded nothing, and declared that she would
rather see her husband perish at once, in the cause he had assu
med to defend, than to wear lofty honors in the armies of her
country's enemy. This reply broke down the officer's command
of his temper, and one of the soldiers, actuated by that spirit of
deadly hatred, and unrelenting cruelty, that so pervaded the
breasts of our country's invaders, seized a reaping hook near at
hand, and bringing it into contact with her throat, would in an
instant have ruthlessly murdered her, had not the officer second
in command, sprang forward and rescued her from his hands.
The troops, after partaking of a supper in Mrs. Bratton's resi-

178 AN ACT OF MERCY REWARDED.
dence; proceeded to another house at a short distance, and en
camped for the night. Colonel Bratton having received informa
tion of their whereabouts, meanwhile, was rapidly approaching
their position, with the hope of surprising and defeating them.
His own command numbered only fifty, while that of the enemy
was four hundred. But they kept negligent watch, and the little
band of patriots falling suddenly upon them, in their sleep, a short
and bloody conflict ensued, which resulted in the total defeat and
rout of the enemy. Captain Huck was killed in the contest, and
the command devolved upon the second officer, whose valor and
exertions to retrieve the disaster, were in vain. The conflict
had changed ground, so as to be directly around Mrs. Bratton's
house, and when it was ceased, Mrs. Bratton appeared upon the
ground, administering relief to the wounded and dying.
Among the prisoners was the officer by whose interposition the
life of Mrs. Bratton had been saved. Actuated by a spirit of re
taliation, for the many enormities that had been inflicted by the
British on their whig prisoners, the conquerors expressed a deter
mination to condemn this officer to death. The more humane
remonstrated, but the majority were blinded to justice by a thirst
for vengeance. When the officer learned the doom to which he
was condemned, he disdained to plead for his life, but requested
to be conducted to the presence of Mrs. Bratton. He seemed to
be one of finer spirit than most of the officers in the British army,
in the southern country. When brought before Mrs. Bratton, she
instantly recognized him as the officer who had saved her life.
Prompted by gratitude as well as mercy, she pleaded with his cap
tors for his life. At first they turned a deaf ear to her interces
sion ; but when in a simple and touching eloquence, she related
the noble part he had taken in her deliverance, the stern purpose

CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE. 179
of the conquerors relaxed, and he was srjared. He resided with
her in mutual friendship until he was exchanged. This romantic
incident is well attested.
Another anecdote is told of Mrs. Bratton. On one occasion her
husband had secretly stored a large quantity of ammunition near
the house, but the royalists getting wind of it, a party was de
spatched to obtain it. Mrs. Bratton heard of their approach, and
seeing no chance to preserve the much valued treasure from their
conquest, resolved that if the whigs must lose, the royalists should
not gain it. She therefore laid a train from the depot of the am
munition, and just as the royalists came in sight, she fired it. The
explosion that suddenly broke upon the ears of the foe, told them
that their purpose was frustrated, and disappointed, they retraced
their steps.

CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE.
The impartial reader will question the justice of history, which
has done so much for the memory of Andre, and left that of Hale
in comparative oblivion. And yet we can discover but little differ
ence in their cases. Both were possessors of genius and taste,
both were endowed with all excellent qualities and attainments,
and both were impelled by a desire to serve the cause they res
pectively espoused, and both suffered a similar death, but under
vastly different circumstances. And yet a magnificiently sculp
tured monument in Westminister Abbey, perpetuates the name
of the English officer, while none know where sleeps the ashes
of Hale, and neither stone nor epitaph tells us of the services ren-

180 CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE.
dered by him ; while the first is honored in every quarter where
the English language is spoken, the name of the latter is unknown
to many of his countrymen. " There is something more than
natural in this, if philosophy could find it out."
Nathan Hale was not twenty years of age, when the first
gun of the revolution broke upon the ears of the colonists. The
patriotic cause at once aroused his enthusiastic love for liberty and
justice, and without pausing for a moment to consider the pru
dence of such a step, his ardent nature prompted him at once, to
throw himself into the ranks of his country's defenders. Distin
guished as a scholar, and respected, by all who knew him, for his
brilliant talents, he was at once tendered a captain's commission
in the light infantry. He served in the regiment commanded by
Col. Knowlton, and was with the army in its retreat after the dis
astrous battle of Long Island.
After the army had retreated from New York, and while it was
posted on the heights at Harlem, the commander-in-chief earn
estly desired to be made acquainted with the force and contem
plated movements of the enemy, and for this purpose, applied to
Col. Knowlton to select some individual capable of performing the
hazardous and delicate service. Knowlton applied to Hale, who,
on becoming acquainted with the wishes of Washington, immedi
ately volunteered his services. He stated, that his object in join
ing the army, was not merely for fame, but to serve the country ;
that as yet, no opportunity had offered for him to render any sig
nal aid to her cause, and when a duty so imperative and so impor
tant as this was demanded of him, he was ready to sacrifice not
only life, but all hope of glory, and to suffer the ignomy which its
failure would cast upon his name. His friends endeavored to dis-

CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE.* 181
suade him from the undertaking, but lofty considerations of duty
impelled him to the step.
Having disguised himself as a schoolmaster, he crossed the
sound at Fairfield, to Huntingdon, and proceeded thence to
Brooklyn. This was in September, 1776. When he arrived at
Brooklyn, the enemy had already taken possession of New York.
He crossed over to the city, his disguise unsuspected, and pursued
the objects of his mission. He examined all their fortifications
with care, and obtained every possible information relative to the
number of the enemy, their intentions, &c. Having accomplished
all that he could, he left the city, and retraced his steps to Hun
tington. While here, waiting for a boat to convey him across the
sound, his apprehension was effected. There are great discrepancies
in the various accounts which are given of his anest, but all agree
that it was through the means of a refugee cousin, who detected
his disguise. According to one account, while he was at Hun
tingdon, a boat came to the shore, which he at first supposed to
be one from Connecticut, but which proved to be from an English
vessel lying in the sound. He incautiously approached the boat
and was recognised by his tory relative, who was in the boat at the
time. He was arrested, and sent to New York.
There cannot be a more striking proof of the different value set
upon the services of Andre and Hale by their respective nations
than the fact afforded by the different manner of their arrest.
There was not a single circumstance connected with the capture
of Andre, but what is known to every reader of history, but in the
case of Hale, who stands Andre's equal in every particular, it is not
even known with certainty how he was apprehended. We have
a few uncertain legends relative to it, but these are widely different
some making him arrested on the sound, some on the island, and

182 CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE.
others on the outskirts of the city. But there was one circum
stance connected with Hale's capture, which should enhance our
sympathy for him. Andre fell into the American hands by means
of the sagacity, watchfulness, and fidelity of our own soldiers ; but
Hale was betrayed by the base perfidy and treason of a renegade
relative. And what two opposite phases of human nature does
the contrast between these two incidents afford ! In the first, we
find three men, three poor men, so fixed in principle and deter
mined in right, that the most tempting offers — offers when an as
sent would have given them wealth, ease, and luxury — were
refused. Strong honesty overcame temptation, and they were
content to struggle on in poverty, oblivion, and privation, with un
sullied hearts, rather than feast and riot in luxury. But in the
latter incident, we find one of the most execrable acts recorded in
history. The betrayal of Hale by his relative, contrasted with the
stern integrity of Andre's captures, affords a most striking picture
between virtue and vice, between lofty honor, and degraded base
less. We are all aware of what followed the capture of Andre. He
was tried before an honorable court, and while strict justice de
manded his life, the necessity was deplored by his judges, and his
fate aroused in every heart the keenest sympathy and the deepest
sorrow. But how widely different was the unhappy, end of the
noble Hale ! He was surrendered to the incarnate fiend, Cun
ningham, the provost-marshal, and ordered to immediate execu
tion, without even the formality of a trial. On the twenty-first of
September, 1776, he was dragged to the spot designed for the
purpose, and there accompanied by only a few privates, his sen
tence was brutally executed. His manner was undaunted, and
his soul never flinched in the moment of trial. Previous to the

CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE. 183
execution, he had, by permission, addressed a few lines to his family,
but these, after his death, were destroyed by Cunningham, and
the reason assigned for this was, " that the rebels should never
know they had a man in their army, who could die with such
firmness." The use of a bible, and the attendance of a minister
were denied him ; and thus surrounded by mocking lips and un-
pitying hearts, his noble soui took flight.
It m«st be remembered, in measuring the character of Hale, that
it was not hope of promotion, nor promise of pecuniary reward,
that induced him to take the step he did. Nothing but an earn
est wish to serve his country, impelled him to the course, and this
circumstance removes every stigma that would otherwise hang
upon him as a spy, and elevates him to the rank of a martyr.
It is absurd to argue, that there is any difference between the cases
of Andre and Hale. Both were apprehended within the. enemy's,
lines, disguised in assumed characters, and this made them amenable
to the stern construction of military law. There is not a shadow
of reason for elevating the character of Andre above that of Hale.
Indeed, when we remember the last words of each, the American
officer appears as the grandest hero of the two. " Bear witness,"
said Andre, " that I die like a brave man." His last thoughts were
selfish, and he wished only for the preservation of his own un
stained honor. But the thoughts of Hale were upon his native
land, " he only lamented that he had but one life to lose for his
country" Several efforts have been made, at different times, to erect a
monument to Hale. But it has not yet been done. In 1835, con
gress voted a thousand dollars towards this object, but no action has
since been taken upon it. It is a trite and often quoted saying,

184 CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER.
" that republics are ungrateful." Is not this history a shameful
evidence of its truth ?
The late Dr. Dwight penned the following tribute to the memo
ry of Hale : —
" Thus, while fond virtue wished in vain to save,
Hale, bright and generous, found a hapless grave ;
While Genius' living flame his bosom glow'd,
And science charmed him to her sweet abode ;
In worth's fair path, adventured far,
The pride of peace, and rising grace of war." ^

CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER.
In the montn of April m 1780 it was the intention of Captain
Brant, the Indian chieftain, to make a descent upon the upper fort
of Schoharie, but which was prevented by an unlooked for cir
cumstance. Col. Vrooman had sent out a party of scouts to pass
over to the head waters of the Charlotte river, where resided cer
tain suspected persons, whose movements it was their duty to
watch. " It being the proper season for the manufacture of maple
sugar, the men were directed to make a quantity of that article,
of which the garrison were greatly in want. On the 2d of April
this party, under the command of Capt. Harper, commenced their
labors, which they did cheerfully, and entirely unapprehensive of
danger, as a fall of snow, some three feet deep, would prevent,
they supposed, the moving of any considerable body of the enemy,
while in fact they were not aware of any body of the armed foe
short of Niagara. But on the 7th of April they were suddenly
surrounded by a party of about forty Indians and Tories, the first
knowledge of whose presence was the death of three of their party.

CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER. 185
The leader was instantly discovered in the person of the Mohawk
chief, who rushed up to Capt. Harper, tomahawk in hand, and
observed ; ' Harper, I am sorry to find you here !'
" ' Why are you sorry Captain Brant ?' replied the other.
" ' Because' replied the chief, ' I must kill you, although we
were schoolmates in our youth*' — at the same time raising his
hatchet, and suiting the action to the word. Suddenly his arm
fell, and with a piercing scrutiny, looking Harper full in the face,
he inquired — ' Are there any regular troops in the fort in Scho
harie V Harper caught the idea in an instant. To answer truly,
and admit there were none, as was the feet, would but hasten
Brant and his wamors forward to fall upon the settlements at
once, and their destruction would have been swift and sure. He
therefore informed him that a reinforcement of three hundred
Continental troops had arrived to garrison the forts only two or
three days before. This information appeared very much to dis
concert the chieftain. He prevented the farther shedding of
blood, and held a consultation with his subordinate chiefs. Night
coming on, the prisoners were shut up in a pen of logs, and
guarded by the Tories, while among the Indians controversy ran
high whether the prisoners should be put to death or carried to
Niagara. The captives were bound hand and foot, and were so
near the council that Harper, who understood something of the
Indian tongue, could hear the dispute. The Indians were for
putting them to death, but Brant exercised his authority to' effec
tually prevent the massacre.
" On the following morning Harper was brought before the
Indians for examination. The chief commenced by saying that
• Brant received an English education.

186 CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER.
he was suspicious he had not told him the truth. Harper, how
ever, although Brant was eyeing him like a basilisk, repeated his
former statements, without the improper movement of a muscle,
or any betrayal that he was deceiving. Brant satisfied of the
truth of the story, resolved to retrace his steps to Niagara. But
his warriors were disappointed in their hopes of spoils and victory,
and it was only with the greatest difficulty that they were pre
vented from putting the captives to death.
" Their march was forthwith commenced, and was full of pain,
peril, and adventure. They met on the succeeding1 day with two
loyalists who both disproved Harper's story of troops being at
Schoharie, and the Captain was again subjected to a piercing
scrutiny ; but he succeeded so well in maintaining the appearance
of truth and sincerity as to arrest the upraised and glittering to
mahawk. On the same day an aged man, named Brown, was
accidentally fallen in with and taken prisoner, with two youthful
grandsons ; the day following being unable to travel with suffici
ent speed, and sinking under the weight of the burden imposed
upon him, the old man was put out of the way with the hatchet.
The victim was dragging behind, and when he saw preparations
making for his doom, took an affectionate farewell of his little
grandsons, and the Indians moved on, leaving one of then- num
ber, with his face painted black — the mark of the executioner —
behind with him. In a few moments afterward, the Indian came
up, with the old man's scalp dangling from between the ramrod
and the muzzle of his gun.
" They constructed floats, and sailed down the Susquehana to
the confluence of the Chemung,' at which place their land-travel
ling commenced. Soon after this, a severe trial and nan-ow es
cape befel the prisoners. During his march from Niagara on this

CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER. 187
expedition, Brant had detached eleven of his warriors, to fall once
more upon the Minisink settlement, for prisoners. This detach
ment, as it subsequently appeared, had succeeded in taking cap
tive five athletic men, whom they secured and brought with them
as far as Tioga Point. The Indians slept very soundly, and the
five prisoners had resolved, on the first opportunity, to make their
escape. While encamped at this place during the night, one of
the Minisink men succeeded in extricating his hands from tho
binding cords, and with the utmost caution, unloosed his four
companions. The Indians were locked in the arms of deep sleep
around them. Silently, without causing a leaf to "rustle, they
each snatched a tomahawk from the girdles of their unconscious
enemies, and in a moment nine of them were quivering in the
agonies of death. The two others were awakened, and springing
upon their feet, attempted to escape. One of them was struck
with a hatchet between the shoulders, but the other fled. The
prisoners immediately made good their own retreat, aud the only
Indian who escaped unhurt, returned to take care of his wounded
companion. As Brant and his warriors approached this point of
their journey, some of his Indians having raised a whoop, it was
returned by a single voice, with the death yell ! Startled at this
unexpected signal, Brant's warriors rushed forward to ascertain
the cause. But they were not long in doubt. The lone warrior
met them, and soon related to his brethren the melancholy fate
of his companions. The effect upon the warriors, who gathered
in a group to hear the recital, was unexpressibly fearful. Rage,
and a desire of revenge, seemed to kindle every bosom, and light
every eye as with burning coals. They.gathered around the pri
soners in a circle, and began to make unequivocal preparations
for hacking them to pieces. Harper and his men, of course gave

188 CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER.
themselves up for lost. While their knives were unsheathing, and
their hatchets glittering, as they were flourished in the sunbeams,
the only survivor of the murdered party rushed into the circle and
interposed in their favor. With a wave of the hand, as of a war
rior entitled to be heard — for he was himself, a chief — silence was
restored, and the prisoners were surprised by the utterance of an
earnest appeal in their behalf. He eloquently and impressively
declaimed in their favor, upon the ground that it was not they
who murdered their brothers ; and to take the lives of the inno
cent, would not be right in the eyes of the Great Spirit. His ap
peal was effective. The passions of the incensed warriors were
hushed, their eyes no longer shot forth the burning glances of re
venge, and their gesticulations ceased to menace immediate and
bloody vengeance.
" True, it so happened, that this chief knew all the prisoners —
he having resided in the Schoharie canton of the Mohawks, du
ring the war. He doubtless felt a deeper interest in their behalf
on that account. Still, it was a noble action, worthy of the proud
est era of chivalry, and in the balmy days of Greece and Rome,
would have crowned hini almost with ' an apotheosis and rights di
vine.' The interposition of Pochohantas, in favor of Captain Smith,
before the rude court of Powhaltan, was, perhaps, more romantic ;
but when the motive which prompted the generous action of the
princess, is considered, the transaction now under review, exhibits
the most of genuine benevolence. Pochohantas was moved by
the tender passion — the Mohawk Sachem, by the feelings of mag-
" nanimity, and the eternal principles of justice. It is a matter of
regret, that the name of this high souled warrior is lost, as, alas !
have been too many that might serve to relieve the dark and
vengeful portraiture of Indian character, which it has so well

"S3
CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN HARPER. 189
pleased the white man to draw ! The prisoners themselves were
so impressed with the manner of then- signal deliverance, that they
justly attributed it to a direct interposition of Providence."*
After the most acute sufferings from hunger and exhaustion
the party at last arrived at Niagara. The last night of their jour
ney, they encamped a short distance from the fort. In the morn
ing the prisoners were informed that they were to run the gaunt
let, and were brought out, where two parallel lines of Indians were
drawn out, between which the prisoners were to pass, exposed to
the whips and blows of , the savages. The course to be ran, was
towards the fort. Harper was the first one selected, and at the
signal, sprang from the mark with extraordinary swiftness. An
Indian near the end of the line, fearing he might escape without
injury, sprang before him, but a blow from Harper's fist felled
him ; the Indians enraged, broke their ranks and rushed aftel
him, as he fled with the. utmost speed towards the fort. The gar
rison, when they saw Harper approaching, opened the gates, and
he rushed in, only affording sufficient time for the garrison to close
the gates, ere the Indians rushed upon it, clamoring for the posses
sion of their victim. The other prisoners taking advantage of the
breaking up of the Indian ranks, took different routes, and ail
succeeded in reaching the fort without passing through the terrible
ordeal, which was intended for them.
* Stone's Life of Brant.

190 A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.

A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
" Col. Allen Mc Lane, who died at Wilmington, Del., in
1829, at the patriarchial age of 83, was distinguished for Ms per
sonal courage, and for his activity as a partisan officer. He was
long attached to Major Lee's famous legion of horse. While the
British occupied Philadelphia, Mc Lane was constantly scouring
the upper end of Bucks and Montgomery counties, to cut off the
scouting parties of the enemy, and intercept their supplies of pro
visions. Having agreed for some purpose, to rendesvouz near
Shoemakertown, Col. Mc Lane ordered his little band of troopers
to follow at some distance,, and commanded two of them to pre
cede the main body, but also to keep in his rear ; and if they dis
covered an enemy, to ride up to his side and inform him of it,
without speaking aloud. While leisurely, approaching the place
of rendesvouz in this order, in the early gray of the morning, the
two men directly in the rear, forgetting their orders, suddenly
called out, " Colonel, the British !' faced about, and putting spurs
to their horses, were soon out of sight. The colonel looking
around, discovered that he was in the centre of a powerful am
buscade, into which the enemy had silently allowed him to pass,
without his observing them. They lined both sides of the road,
and had been stationed there to pick up any straggling party of
the Americans that might chance to pass. Immediately on find
ing they were discovered, a file of soldiers rose from the side of the
highway, and fired at the colonel, but without effect ; and as he
put spurs to his horse, and mounted the road-side into the woods,
the other part of the detachment also fired. The colonel miracu-
ously escaped ; but a shot striking his horse upon the flank, he

A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER. 191
dashed through the woods, and in a few minutes reached a paral
lel road upon the .opposite side of the forest Being familiar with
the country, he feared to turn to the left, as that course led to the
city, and he might be intercepted by another ambuscade. Turning
therefore, to the right, his frightened horse carried him swiftly be
yond the reach of those who -had fired upon him. All at once,
however, on emerging from a piece of woods, he observed several
British troops stationed near the road-side, and directly in sight
ahead, a farm house, around which he observed a whole troop of
the enemy's cavalry drawn up. He dashed by the troops near
him without being molested, they believing he was on his way
to the main body to surrender himself. The farm-house was situ
ated at the intersection of two roads, presenting but two avenues
by which he could escape. Nothing daunted by the formidable
array before him, he galloped up to the cross roads, on reaching
which, he spurred his active horse, turned suddenly to the right,
and was soon fairly out of reach of their pistols, though as he
turned, he heard them call loudly to surrender or die ! A dozen
were instantly in pursuit ; but in a short time they all gave up
the chase except two. Col. Mc Lane's horse, scared by the first
wound he had ever received, and being a chosen animal, kept
ahead for several miles, while his two pursuers followed with un
wearied eagerness. The pursuit at length waxed so hot, that, as
the colonel's horse stepped out of a small brook which crossed the
road, his pursuers entered it at the opposite margin. In ascend
ing a little hill, the horses of the three were greatly exhausted, so
much so, that neither could be urged faster than a walk. Occa
sionally, as one of the troopers pursued on, a little in advance of
his companion, the colonel slackened his. pace, anxious to be at
tacked by one of the two ; but no sooner was his willingness dis-

192 A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
covered, than the other fell back to his station. They at length
approached so near, that a conversation took place between them ;
the troopers calling out, ' surrender you d  d rebel, or we'll
cut you in pieces.' Suddenly one of them rode up on the right
side of the colonel, and, without drawing his, sword, laid hold of
the colonel's collar. The latter, to use his own words, " had pis
tols which he knew he could depend on! Drawing one from the
holster, he placed it to the heart of his antagonist, fired, and tum
bled him dead on the ground. Instantly the other came upon his
loft, with his sword drawn, and also seized the colonel by the col
lar of his coat. A fierce and deadly struggle here ensued, in the
course of which Col. Mc Lane was desperately wounded in the
back of his left hand, the sword of his antagonist cutting asun
der the veins and tendons of that member. Seeing a favorable
opportunity, he drew his other pistol, and with a steadiness of
purpose, which appeared even in his recital of the incident, placed
it directly between the eyes of his adversary, pulled the trigger,
and scattered his brains on every side of the road ! Fearing that
others were in pursuit , he abandoned his horse in the highway ;
and apprehensive, from his extreme weakness, that he might die
from loss of blood, he crawled into an adjacent mill-pond, entirely
naked, and at length succeeded in stopping the profuse flow of
blood occasioned by his wound."

ANECDOTES OF COL. HORRY. 193
ANECDOTES OF COL. HORRY.
Col. Horry served under General Marion. His adventures
were numerous, and some of them very amusing. He has left a
MS. Memoir from which Mr. Simms draws the particulars of seve
ral of his exploits. From Mr. Simms we quote :*
" He was brave, and ambitious of distinction. This ambition
led him to desire a command of cavalry rather than of infantry.
But he was no rider — was several times unhorsed in combat, and
was indebted to the fidelity of his soldiers for his safety. On
one occasion his escape was more narrow from a different Cause.
Crossing the swamp at Lynch's Creek, to join Marion, in the dark,
and the swamp, swimming, he encountered the bough of a tree,
to- which he clung, while his horse passed from under him. He
was no swimmer, and but for timely assistance from his followers,
would have been drowned. Another story is told of him which
places him in a scarcely less ludicrous attitude. He was ordered
by Marion to Wait, in ambush, the approach of a British detach
ment. The duty was executed with skill ; the enemy was com
pletely in his power. But he labored under an impediment in
his speech, which, we may readily suppose, was greatly increased
by anxiety and excitement. The word ' fire' stuck in his throat,
as ' Amen' did in that of Macbeth. The emergency was press
ing, but this only increased the difficulty. In vain did he make
the attempt. He could say ' fi-fi — fi !' but he could get no fur
ther — the ' or' was incorrigible. At length, irritated almost to
madness, he exclaimed, i shoot, i — n you, shoot! you know what
I would say ! Shoot, and be d  d to you !'
* Life of Marion, by W. Gilmore Simms.

194 ANECDOTES OF COL. HORRY.
" He was present, ancl acted bravely, in almost every affair of
consequence, in the brigade of Marion. At Quimly, Capt. Baxter,
a man distinguished by his great strength and courage, as well
as size, and by equally great simplicity of character, cried out,
' I am wounded, colonel !' ' Think no more of it, Baxter,' was
the answer of Horry, ' but stand to your post.' ' But I can't
stand' says Baxter, .' I am wounded a second time.' ' Lie down
then, Baxter, but quit not your post.' ' They have shot me again
colonel,' said the wounded man, ' and if -I stay any longer here,
I shall be shot to pieces.' ' Be it so, Baxter, but stir not,' was
the order, which the brave fellow obeyed, receiving a fourth wound
before the engagement was over."
Another adventure is thus related by Horry himself. " I was
sent" he writes, " by Gen. Marion to reconnoitre Georgetown. I
proceeded with a guide through the woods all night. At the
dawn of day, I drew near the town. I laid an ambuscade, with
thirty men and three officers, near the road. About sunrise a
chair appeared with two ladies escorted by two British officers.
I was ready in advance with an officer to cut them off, but reflect
ing that they might escape, ancl alarm the town, which would
prevent my taking greater numbers, I desisted. The officers and
chair halted very near me, but soon the chair went on, Kind the
officers gallopped in retrogade into the town. Our party con
tinued in ambush, until 10 o'clock A. M.
" Nothing appearing, and men ancl horses having eaten nothing
for thirty-six hours, we were hungered, and retired to a plantation
of my quarter-master's, a Mr. White, not far distant. There a
curious scene took place. As soon as I entered the house ....
four ladies appeared, two of whom where Mrs. White and her
daughter. I was asked what I wanted. I answered, food, re

ANECDOTES OF COL. HORRY. 195
freshment. The other two ladies were those whom I had seen
escorted by the British officers. They seemed greatly agitated,
and begged most earnestly that I would go away, for the family
was very poor, had no provisions of any sort, — that I knew that
they were Whigs, and surely would not .add to their distress. So
pressing were they for my immediately leaving the plantation,
that I thought they had more in view than they pretended. I
kept my eye on Mrs. White, and saw she had a smiling counte
nance, but said ' nothing. Soon she left the room, and I left it
also and went into the piazza, laid my cap, sword and pistols on
the long bench, and walked the piazza ; — when I discovered Mrs.
White behind the house chimney beckoning me. I got to her
undiscovered by the young ladies, when she said : ' Colonel Horry,
be on your guard ; these two young ladies, Miss F — and M — ,
are just from Georgetown ; they are much frightened, and I be
lieve the British are leaving it and may soon attack you. As to
provisions, which they make such a rout about, I have plenty for
your men and horses in yonder barn, but you must affect to take
them by force. Hams, bacon, rice, and fodder, are there. You
must insist on the key of the barn, and threaten to split the door
with an axe if not immediately opened.' I begged her to say no
more, for I was well acquainted with all such matters — to leave
the ladies and everything else to my management. She said
' Yes ; but do not ruin us : be artful and cunning, or Mr. White
may be hanged and all our houses burnt over our heads.' We
both secretly returned, she to the room where the young ladies
were, and I.to the piazza I had just left." "This little narrative
will give' some idea of the straits to which the good whig matrons
of Carolina were sometimes reduced in those days. But no time
was allowed Horry to extort the provisions as suggested. He had
9

196

ANECDOTES OF COL. HORRY.

scarcely got to the piazza when his videttes gave the alarm. Two
shots warned him of the approach of the foe, and forgetting that
his cap, sabre and pistols, lay on the long bench on the piazza,
Horry mounted his horse, left the enclosure, and rushed into the
melee. The British were seventeen in number, well mounted, and
commanded by a brave fellow named Merritt. The dragoons,
taken by surprise, turned in flight, and, smiting at every step, the
partisans pursued them with fatal earnestness. But two men are
reported to have escaped death or captivity, and they were their
captain and a sergeant. It was in approaching to encounter
Merritt that Horry discovered that he was weaponless. ' My offi
cers,' says he, ' in succession, came up with Captain Merritt, who
was in the rear of his party, urging them forward. They engaged
him. He was a brave fellow. Baxter, with pistols, fired at his
breast, ancl missing him, retired ; Postelle and Greene, with
swords, engaged him ; both were beaten off. Greene nearly lost
his head. His buckskin breeches were cut through several
inches .... I almost blush to say that this one British officer
beat off three Americans." The honor of the day was decidedly
with Merritt, though he was beaten. He was no doubt a far bet
ter swordsman than our self-taught cavalry, with broadswords
wrought out of mill saws. Merritt abandoned his horse, ancl es
caped to a neighboring swamp, from whence, at midnight, he
got into Georgetown.*
* Weems speaking for Horry, tells us that he met with Captain Merritt
after the war in New York, who recognized him, and told him that he had
never bad such a fright in all his life as upon that occasion. " Will you be
lieve me, sir," said he, " when I assure you that I went out that morning
with my locks of as bright an auburn as ever curled upon the forehead of
youth, and by the time I had crawled out of the swamp into Georgetown
that night, they were as gray as a badger !"

A HIGH-SPIRITED FAMILY. 197
In one of his numerous encounters, while his men were indi
vidually engaged and scattered through the woods around him,
he suddenly found himself alone, and assailed by a tory captain
named Lewis, at the head of a small party. "Lewis was armed
with a musket, and in the act of firing, when a sudden shot from
the woods tumbled him from his horse, in the very moment when
his own gun was discharged. The bullet of Lewis took effect on
Horry's horse. The shot which so seasonably slew the tory, had
been sent by the hands of a boy named Given.

A HIGH SPIRITED FAMILY.
Just after the defeat of Col. Ferguson at King's Mountain
General ' Cornwallis in retreating towards Winnsboro' halted for
the night at Wilson's plantation, near Steel creek. The British
general, with his staff, and the infamous Tarleton occupied the
house of Mrs. Wilson. Supper was ordered and prepared for the
British officers. Cornwallis in order to obtain a knowledge of
his hostess, entered into conversation with her, and soon found
that he was occupying the house of a noted whig leader, Robert
Wilson, who at that time with his son John, was a prisoner in the
Camden jail, and who was the father and brother of more than a
dozen active whig soldiers. The British genera] upon this, at
tempted to enlist the sympathies of his hostess with the royal cause.
He observed, that it was a matter of sincere regret .with him, to
be compelled to wage a war, the worst calamities of which fell
upon women. He was inclined to believe, that there were many
worthv men in the rebel army, who had been induced to take up

198 A HIGH-SPIRITED FAMILY.
arms by the delusive promises of unprincipled leaders. " Madam,"
he continued, " your husband and. your son are my prisoners ; the
fortunes of war may soon place others of your sons — perhaps all
your kinsmen, in my power. Your sons are young, aspiring and
brave. In a good cause, fighting for a generous and powerful
king, such as George III., they might hope for rank, honor and
wealth. If you could but induce your husband and sons to leave
the rebels, and take up arms for their lawful sovereign, I would
almost pledge myself, that they shall have rank and consideration
in the British army. If you, madam, will pledge yourself to in
duce them to do so, I will immediately order their discharge."
To this appeal, Mrs. Wilson replied, that her husband and
sons were indeed dear to her, and that she would do anything
her conscience would uphold to advance their interests. For five
years, they had been engaged in the struggle for liberty, and had
never faltered nor fled from the contest. " I have seven sons
who are now, or have been, bearing arms," she continued, — " in
deed my seventh son, Zaccheus, who is only fifteen years old, I
yesterday assisted to get ready, to go and join his brothers in
Sumpter's army. Now, sooner than see one of my family turn
back from the glorious enterprise, I would take those boys, (point
ing to three or four small sons) and with them would myself en
list under Sumter's standard, and show my husband and sons how
to fight, and if necessary, to die for their country !" " Ah ! Gene
ral !" broke in Tarleton, — " I think you've got into a hornet's
nest ! Never mind, when we get to Camden, I'll take good care
that old Robert Wilson never comes back again !"
" On the next day's march, a party of scouts captured Zaccheus,
who was found on the flank of the British army, with his gun,
endeavoring to diminish his Majesty's forces. He was immediately

A HIGH-SPIRITED' FAMILY. 199
taken to the head of the column, and catechised by Cornwallis,
who took the boy along with him on the march, telling him that
he must act as his guide to the Catawba, and show him the best
ford. Arriving at the river, the head of the army entered at the
point designated by the lad, but the soldiers had scarcely gone
half across, before they found themselves in deep water — and
drawn by a rapid current down the stream. Believeing that the
boy, on whom he had relied, to show him the best ford, had pur
posely brought him to a deep- one, in order to embarrass his
march, the general drew his sword, and flourishing it over him
swore he would cut off his head for his treachery. Zaccheus re
plied, that he had the power to do so, as he had no arms, and
was his prisoner ; ' but sir,' said he, ' don't you think it would be a
cowardly act for you to strike an unarmed boy with your sword ?
K I had but the half of your weapon, it would not be so cowardly ;
but then you know it would not be so safe !'
" Struck by the lad's cool courage, the general became calmer — ¦
told him he was a fine fellow, and that he would not hurt a hair
of his head. Having discovered that the ford was shallow enough
by bearing up stream, the British army crossed over in safety, and
proceeded towards Winnsboro'. On this march, Cornwallis dis
missed Zaccheus, telling him to go home and take care of his
mother, and to tell her, to keep her boys at home. After he
reached Winnsboro', Cornwallis dispatched an order to Rawdon,
to send Robert Wilson and his son John, with several others, to
Charleston, carefully guarded. Accordingly in November, about
the 2Qth., Wilson, his son and ten others, set off under the escort
of an officer and fifteen or twenty men. Below Camden, on the
Charleston route, parties of British soldiers and trains of waggons
were continually passing, so that the officer had no fear of the

200 A HIGH-SPIRITED FAMILY.
Americans, and never dreamed of the prisoners attempting an es
cape. Wilson formed plans, and arranged everything several
times, but owing to the presence of large parties of the enemy,
they could not be executed. At length, being near Fort Watson,
they encamped before night, the prisoners being placed in the
yard, and the guard in the portico and house. A sentinel was
posted in the portico over the stock of arms, and all hands went
to providing for their evening repast.
" Having bribed a soldier to buy some whiskey, for it had been
a rainy day, the prisoners pretended to drink freely, and one of
them seemingly more intoxicated than the rest, insisted upon
treating the sentinel. Wilson followed him as if to prevent him
from giving him the whiskey, it being a breach of military order.
Watching a favorable opportunity, he seized the sentinel's musket,
and the drunken man, suddenly becoming sober, seized the sentinel.
At this signal the prisoners rushed to the guns in the portico,
while the guard taking the alarm, rushed out of the house. In
the scramble for arms, the prisoners succeeded — drove the soldiers
into the house, at the point of the bayonet, and the whole guard
surrendered at discretion. Unable to take off their prisoners,
Wilson made them all hold up their right hands and swear never
again to bear arms against the cause of ' liberty and the continen
tal congress,' and then told them that they might go to Charleston
on parole ; but if he ever caught one of them in arms again, he
would ' hang him up to a tree like a dog.'
" Scarcely were they rid of their prisoners, before a party of
British dragoons came in sight. As the only means of escape,
they separated and took to the woods. Some of them reached
Marion's camp at Snow Island, and Wilson, with two or three

ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN PLUNKETT. 201
others, arrived safely at Mecklenburg — a distance of over two
hundred miles, through a country overrun by British troops."*

ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN PLUNKETT.
" Captain Plunkett, a high-spirited Irishman, whose attach
ment to the cause of liberty had led him to seek a commission in
the continental army, had, by the chances of war, been compelled
to give up his sword, and to surrender himself a prisoner to the
enemy. Previously to this untoward event, by the suavity of his
manners, and uniformly correct conduct, he had rendered himself
an acceptable guest in many families in Philadelphia, and parti
cularly so, to one of the society of Friends, who, however averse
to warfare,, were not insensible of the claims of those to their re
gard, who, by the exercise of manly and generous feelings, de
lighted to soften its asperities. There was among them, a female,
mild and gentle as a dove, yet, in firmness of mind, a heroine, in
personal charms, an angel. She saw the sufferings of the captive
soldier, and under the influences of pity, or perhaps a more pow
erful passion, resolved, at all hazards, to relieve him. It acciden
tally happened that the uniform of Captain Plunkett's regiment,
bore a striking resemblance to that of a British corps, which was
frequently set as a guard over the prison in which he was confined.
A new suit of regimentals was, in consequence, procured and con
veyed, without suspicion of sinister design, to the captain. On the
judicious use of them rested the hopes of his fair friend to give
* "Women of the Revolution."

21)2 ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN PLUNKETT.
him freedom. It frequently happened that officers of inferior
grade, while their superiors affected to shun all intercourse with
the rebels, would enter the apartments of the prisoners, and con
verse with them with kindness and familiarity, and then at their
pleasure, retire. Two sentinels constantly walked the rounds
without, and the practice of seeing their officers walking in and
out of the interior prison, became so familiar, as scarcely to attract
notice, and constantly caused them to give way without hesitation,
as often as an officer showed a disposition to retire. Captain
Plunkett took the advantage of this circumstance, and putting on
his new coat, at the moment thatthe relief of the guard was taking
place, sallied forth, twitching a switch carelessly about, and order
ing the exterior door of the prison to be opened, walked without
opposition into the street. Repairing without delay, to the habi
tation of his fair friend, he was received with kindness, and for
some days secreted and cherished with every manifestation of af
fectionate regard.
" To elude the vigilance of the British Guards, if he attempted to
pass into the country in his present dress, was deemed impossible.
Woman's wit, however, is never at a loss for contrivances, while
swayed by the influence of love or benevolence. Both, in this in
stance may have aided invention. Plunkett had three strong
claims in his favor ; he was a handsome man — a soldier — and an
Irishman. The general conduct of the Quakers, exempted the
sect in a great measure from suspicion, in so great a degree, in
deed, that the barriers of the city were generally entrusted to the
care of their members, as the best judges of the characters of those
persons who might be allowed to pass them. A female Friend,
from a farm near the city, was in the family, on a visit to a rela
tive. A pretext was formed to present her with a new suit of

ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN PLUNKETT. 203
clothes, in order to possess that which she wore when she entered
the city. Captain Plunkett was immediately disguised as a wo
man, and appeared at the barrier, accompanied by his anxious
deliverer. " ' Friend Roberts,' said the enterprising enthusiast, ' may this
damsel and myself pass to visit a friend at a neighboring farm V
" ' Certainly,' said Roberts, ' go forward.' The city was spee
dily left behind, and Captain Plunkett found himself safe, under
the protection of Colonel Allen M'Lane, his particular friend,"

ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION OF GEN. SCHUYLER.
The scouting parties of the enemy, emboldened by the feeble
state of the country, and encouraged by the high rewards offered
them, were exceedingly active in the securing of influential Ameri
cans, and conveying them to Canada as prisoners. By stratagems,
and sometimes by force, they fell upon those persons, marked as
their victims, and by rapid marches would manage to escape be
yond pursuit almost before their outrages would be known. Many
of these attempts were successful, but others signally failed. The
latter was the case with one of their most audacious attempts, in
the securing of Gen. Schuyler ; they, also, failed in then- object with
Gen. Gansevoort.
Gen. Schuyler's residence was in the suburbs of Albany. He
had retired from the army, but still was of vast consequence and
influence to the American cause. The importance that he assu
med in the control of affairs, made it an especial object with Hal-
dimandy the British commander in Canada, to secure his person.

204 ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION
A desperate plot was, therefore, set on foot. John Waltermeyer,
a notorious Tory partizan, was entrusted with the execution of the
design, and with a company of whites and Indians, he proceeded
to Albany, and prepared to entrap his anticipated victim. The
General had been cautioned often of the danger to which he was
subjected by such attempts ; and the frequency with which influ
ential citizens were entrapped, and captured, was sufficient cause
for him to exercise every vigilance and caution. He had, there
fore, added to his usual household, a guard of six men, who were,
by turns, on duty day and night.
The evening of a sultry day in August, was selected as the oc
casion to make the attempt. The general and his family were
all gathered in the front hall of his house, and the doors were all
thrown wide open, in order to admit all the cooling air possible,
when a servant announced that a stranger at the back gate re
quired the presence of the general, on a matter of business. A
message so singular, at once excited suspicion. Unfortunately,
the evening was so very warm, that the servants had dispersed.
The three sentinels just relieved from duty, had retired, and the
others, who should have been at. their post, were stretched on the
grass in the garden. The doors were hastily closed and fastened,
while the family hurried to the upper rooms, the general to arm
himself, and the others for security. They presently discovered
the house sun-ounded by a body of armed men, and almost imme
diately was heard the crash of heavy blows against the doors be
low. The general threw up a window to arouse the guard, and
with the hope that it might alarm the town, or bring assistance
from some quarter. A violent struggle was now heard below.
The three guards who were within the house, had been aroused,
and were endeavoring to drive the assailants back. But by an

OF GEN. SCHUYLER. 205
unfortunate incident, they were without their weapons, and had
only the weight of their persons to oppose in resistance. Mrs.
Church, a daughter of the general, had perceived, some hours be
fore, her little son playing with the muskets, and not supposing
they would be wanted, while she feared" the consequences of their
being within reach of the child, had caused them to be removed,
while she neglected to inform the guard of the circumstance.
But the brave fellows, nothing daunted, opposed, themselves, un
armed, to the besieging troop, and by dealing blows as soundly
as they could with their fists, they managed for a few moments to
keep them at bay, but their overwhelming force soon overcome
the resistance, and they rushed into the house. While this strug
gle was going on, the alarmed and terrified ladies above, were in
an agony of fear at the remembrance that in their bustle of es
caping, an infant had been left in the nurseiy, which was situated
on the first floor. Mrs. Schuyler was about flying to its rescue, but
the general prevented her, when Margaret, the third daughter,
rushed forth, and hastily descending a private stairway, reached
the room, and snatched the babe from the cradle, where it was
lying in undisturbed repose. But as she was hurrying from tho
room with her valued burthen, a tomahawk, hurled by an unseen
hand, glanced by her side, and buried itself in the wall, carrying
with it a remnant of her dress. Undismayed by this circumstance,
or by the violent commotion in the hall, she hastened to the same
private way by which she had descended, when in rapid flight to
the rooms above, to her terror, she was confronted by Walter
meyer, the leader of the gang, who exclaimed — " Wench, where
is your master ?" With admirable presence of mind, she replied —
" Gone to arouse the town." Alarmed at this, he hurried by, per
mitting her to escape to the room where the family was gathered,

206 ADVENTURES OF DR. CALDWELL.
who, in dreadful apprehension, were awaiting the issue of her da
ring and heroic exploit.
Waltermeyer hastily summoned his followers from the draw
ing room, where they were engaged in plundering the plate, and
who reluctantly desisted from their work, to listen to the orders of
their leader. At this moment the general threw up a window,
and called out — " Come on my brave fellows, surround the house
and secure the villains who are plundering." The party terrified
at this, and supposing that they were surrounded, -made a preci
pitate retreat from the house, carrying with them the three men
who had so heroically defended the house, one of whom was
wounded. Waltermeyer himself had received a bullet from one
of the general's pistols, but was only slightly wounded. By this
time the city was alarmed, and the citizens came hurrying to the
'spot, but not before the entire body of assailants .had fled.
The three guard were conveyed into Canada, and were restored
after the war. To each the general bequeathed a farm in reward
for his services.

ADVENTURES OF DR. CALDWELL.
The Rev. David Caldwell, a Presbyterian minister in North
Carolina, was very much subjected to the persecutions of the loy
alists. At one time, while he was absent, a party of British came
to his house and occupied it, turning Mrs. Caldwell out of doors,
who was obliged to seek refuge in the smoke house, where she
remained for two days with no other food than a little dried, fruit.
After remaining for two days on the plantation, during which

ADVENTURES OF DR. CALDWELL. 207
time they had destroyed everything, they prepared to leave, but
before doing so, in order that nothing should be left undone
which their hatred could suggest to do, the valuable library of
Dr. Caldwell, containing books it was impossible to replace, and
manuscripts that had cost years of study and labor, was wantonly
burned. A large fire was built for the purpose, and the books
brought in armsfull and cast upon the flames.
" The persecution of Dr. Caldwell continued while the British
occupied that portion of the state. His property was destroyed,
and he was hunted as a felon ; snares were laid for him, and pre
tences used to draw him from his hiding places ; he was com
pelled to pass nights in the woods, and ventured only at the most
imminent peril to see his family. Often he escaped captivity or
death, as it were, by a miracle. At one time when he had ven
tured home on a stolen visit, the house was, suddenly surrounded
by armed men, who seized him before he could escape, designing
to carry him to the British camp. One or two were set to guard
him, while the others went to gather such articles of provisions
and clothing as could be found worth taking away. When they
were nearly ready to depart, the plunder collected being piled in
the middle of the floor, and the prisoner standing beside it with
his guard, Mrs. Dunlap, who with Mrs. Caldwell had remained
in an adjoining apartment, came forward. With the promptitude
and presence of mind for which women are often remarkable in
sudden emergencies, she stepped behind Dr. Caldwell, leaned
over his shoulder, and whispered to him as if intending the ques
tion for his ear alone, asking if it was not time for Gillespie and
his men to be there. One of the soldiers who stood near caught
the words, and with evident alarm demanded what men were
meant. The lady replied that she was merely speaking to her

208 ADVENTURES OF DR. CALDWELL
brother. In a moment all was confusion ; the whole party was
panic-struck ; exclamations and hurried questions followed ; and
in the consternation produced by this ingenious, though simple
manoeuvre, the tories fled precipitately, leaving their prisoner and
their plunder. The name of Gillespie was a scourge and ten-or
to the loyalists, and this party knew themselves to be within the
limits of one of the strongest whig neighborhoods in the state."
The plantations of Dr. Caldwell and his brother Alexander,
were near each other. One evening, during Alexander's absence
from home, two soldiers entered his house, and began rudely to
seize upon everything they saw worth carrying off, having ordered
his wife to prepare supper for them. They were supposed to be
long to the army of Cornwallis, at that time foraging in the neigh .
borhood. Not knowing what to do, Mrs. Caldwell sent to her
brother-in-law for advice. He sent word in answer, that she must
treat the men civilly, and have supper ready as soon as practicable ;
but that she must observe where they placed their guns, and set
the table at the other end of the house. He promised to come
over in the meantime, and conceal himself in a haystack close by ;
and she was to inform him as soon as the men had set down to
supper. These directions were implicitly followed. The house
was a double cabin, containing two rooms on the same floor.
While the men were leisurely discussing their repast, Dr. Cald
well quietly entered the other apartment, took up one of the guns
and stepping to the door of the room where they were so com
fortably occupied, presented the weapon, and informed them they
were his prisoners, and their lives would be the forfeit, should they
make the least attempt to escape. They surrendered immedi
ately, and Dr. Caldwell marched them to his own house, where

Adventure of Dr. Caldwell.

COLONEL WILLETT. 209
he kept them till morning, and then suffered them to depart on
their parole."*

COLONEL WILLETT.
Colonel Willett, possesses an enviable reputation for the
skill and courage he manifested in the border wars of New York,
during the revolution. He was engaged in many successful en
terprises, two of which won for him especial honor. During the
siege of Fort Stanwix, General Herkimer made an attempt to re
lieve it. He was approaching with a large body of militia, when
it was resolved to make a diversion in his favor. Two hundred
men were placed on parade, for the purpose, and Col. Willett en
trusted with the command. But meanwhile,.Gen. Herkimer fell
into an ambuscade of the enemy, when ensued the fearful battle
of Oriskany. The sally, however, was made by Col. Willett,
which was most successful. The camp of the enemy was attacked,
they were routed, and large quantities of stores fell into the hands
of the conqueror. With so much skill was this attack made, that
although two camps, one of the British, the other of the Indians,
fell successively into the hands of Willett, and in returning to the
fort with the conquered stores, he encountered some opposition by
Colonel St. Leger, yet the enterprise was accomplished without
the loss of a single man.
But the relief of the fort still being an object of the utmost im
portance, and the failure of General Herkimer, to come to their
aid, convincing them that he had met with some misfortune, it
* " Women of the Revolution."

210 COLONEL WILLETT.
was thought advisable to make another effort to secure the assis
tance so much needed. The militia of Tyron county, having for
merly expressed a strong attachment to Col. Willett, it was sup
posed that if he could appear among them, it might have the ef
fect of inspiriting them with fresh resolution, and induce them a
second time to attempt the raising of the seige. Actuated by
these considerations, Col. Willett resolved to make the hazardous
attempt of reaching the settlements down the river. From the
memoirs of Col. Willett,- by his son, we draw the particulars of
this perilous enterprise :
"About 10 o'clock, on the night of the 10th of August, [1711],
Col. Willett left the fort, accompanied by Major Stockwell, whom
he selected for this purpose, as he was a good hunter, and was
well acquainted with the Indian method of travelling in the wil
derness. They passed privately through the sally-port of the fort,
and proceeding silently along "the marsh, they reached the river,
which they crossed by crawling over a log, unperceived by the
enemy's sentinels, who were not many yards from them. Having
thus happily succeeded in crossing the river without being discov
ered, they advanced cautiously into a swampy wood, where they
soon found themselves so enveloped in darkness, as to be unable
to keep a straight course. While in a state of uncertainty as to
the safest step for them to take, they were alarmed by the barking
of a dog, at no great distance from them. Knowing that the In
dians, after their camp had been broken up on the other side of
the river, had removed to this side, they thought it most advisable
to remain where they were, until they should have light suffi
cient to direct their course. Placing themselves therefore against
a large tree, they stood perfectly quiet for several hours. At
length, perceiving the morning-star, they again set out, but in-

COLONEL WILLETT. 211
stead of proceeding in a direct line to reach the settlement, they
took nearly a northern direction, which after a few miles brought
them again to the river. With the intention of concealing their
route, in case their tracks should be discovered, they stepped in
and out of the river several times, crossing occasionally to the
opposite side, until reaching a spot where they could completely
conceal their track by stepping on stones, they left the river, took
a north course for a few hours, and then travelled east until night,
without making a single stop. As it was necessary for them to
be encumbered as little as possible, they had left -the fort with no
other weapon, but a spear for each, eight feet in length, which
was intended to serve as a staff as well as a weapon of defence.
They had taken no baggage nor blanket ; and all the provision
they had with them, consisted of a few crackers and cheese, which
they had put in their pockets, together with a quart of canteen
spirits. Having halted for the night, they refreshed themselves
with such provision as they had ; after which, their situation being
too perilous to think of kindling a fire, they lay down to sleep
wrapped in each other's arms. Though it was then the height of
summer, yet the night was so cold, as, together with hard travel
ling the day before, and sleeping on the ground without any cov
ering, made them feel very stiff when they arose the next morning.
Colonel Willett had so severe a rheumatic attack in one of his
knees, as to cause a limp in his walk for several hours. Setting
out once more, they directed their course farther to the south, and
about 9 -o'clock came to an opening in the woods, occasioned by
a windfall. In this opening, among the fallen trees, they found
a forest of raspberries and blackberries, quite ripe, which afforded
them a most delicious and refreshing repast. Though the day-
was very warm, yet, deriving new vigor from their banquet of

212 INTREPID CONDUCT
berries, they proceeded expiditously towards the settlement, where
they arrived at three o'clock, having travelled in this time about
fifty miles. On arriving at Fort Dayton, a small stockade fort at
the German Flats, they received a hearty welcome from Colonel
Weston, who was stationed there with his regiment."
Proceeding from Fort Dayton, Colonel Willett soon joined a
detachment of troops under Gen. Leamand, marching to the re
lief of the fort. The British General Register for 1111, speaking
of this enterprise, says : — " They passed by night through the
besieger's works, and in contempt of the danger and cruelty of
the savages, made their way fifty miles through pathless and un
explored morasses, in order to raise the country and bring relief
to the fort. Such an action demands the praise even of an
enemy."

INTREPID CONDUCT OF MAJOR JAMES.
After the fall of Charleston, the British commander in South
Carolina issued a proclamation, granting protection to all those
of the rebels, who would lay down their arms, and refrain from
the further levying of war on his majesty. The apparently hope
less condition of the cause and the entire want of an organized
force for resistance, induced many worthy citizens to avail them
selves of England's offered protection. But scarcely had they
done so, when another proclamation appeared, to the effect that
they were not only to submit to English authority, but be com
pelled to take up arms in support of the royal cause. This pro
ceeding, looked upon, by the people, as an infamous trap, aroused

OF MAJOR JAMES. 213
then- indignation. The residents of one district when about to
avail themselves of the offers in the first proclamation, had the
second placed before them. At a loss to understand such con
flicting offers, they despatched a delegate to the nearest British
authority in order that the matter should be explained, and their
doubts satisfied. Major John James was chosen as this delegate.
" Under this appointment, Major James repaired to George
town, the nearest British post, which was then under the command
of one Captain Ardesoif. Attired as a plain backwoodsman,
James obtained an interview with Ardesoif, .and, in prompt and
plain terms, entered at once upon the business- for which he Came.
But when he demanded the meaning of the British protection,
and asked upon what terms the submission of the citizens was to
be made, he was peremptorily informed that ' the submission
must be unconditional.' To an inquiry, whether the inhabitants
were to be allowed to remain upon their plantations, he was an
swered in the negative. ' His Majesty,' said Ardesoif, ' offers you
a free pardon, of which you are undeserving, for you all ought to
be hanged ; but it is only on condition that you take up arms in
his cause.' James, whom we may suppose to have been very far
from relishing the tone and language in which he was addressed,
very coolly replied, that ' the people whom he came to represent,
would scarcely submit on such conditions.' The republican lan
guage of the worthy Major provoked the representative of royalty.
The word ' represent,' in particular, smote harshly on his ears ;
something, too, in the cool, contemptuous manner of the Major,
may have contributed to his vexation. 'Represent /' he exclaimed
in a fury — ' You d  d rebel, if you dare speak in such lan
guage, I will have you hung up at the yard arm !' Ardesoif, it
must be known was a sea-captain. The ship which he command-

214 A NOVEL SITUATION.
ed lay in the neighboring river. He used only an habitual form
of speech when he threatened the ' yard-arm,' instead of the tree.
Major James gave him no time to make the correction. He was
entirely weaponless, and Ardesoif wore a sword ;• but the inequal
ity, in the moment of his anger, was unfelt by the high-spirited
citizen. Suddenly rising, he seized upon the chair on which he
had been sitting, and floored the insolent subordinate at a blow ;
then hurrying forth without giving his enemy time to recover, he
mounted his horse, and made his escape to the woods before pur
suit could be attempted.
" His people were soon assembled to hear his story. The ex
actions of the British, and the spirit which James had displayed,
in resenting the insolence of , Ardesoif, at once aroused their own.
Required to take the field, it did not need a moment to decide
' under which king.'

A NOVEL SITUATION.
In the fall of 1781 a man was captured in the vicinity of Fort
Plain, by seven Indians and hurried off into the wilderness. At
night the party halted at a deserted log tenement. The Indians
built a fire, and after supper gathered around it discussing the
misfortunes of their expedition which thus far had resulted in but
a few scalps, and only one prisoner. They therefore resolved to
kill and scalp their captive in the morning, and return toward the
Mohawk with the hope of better success. Upon this conclusion
they stretched themselves upon the floor for sleep, with their pris
oner between two of them, who was bound by cords which were
also fastened to the bodies of his keepers. The whole of the dis-

A NOVEL StTUATlON. 215
cussion carried oft by the savages was. understood by the captive,
who, in the greatest alarm at his approaching fate, began to tax
his ingenuity for some way to escape. The Indians were soon in
a sound slumber, but their white companion kept wide awake,
vainly striving to devise a plan for his escape, and beginning to
despair and to yield himself to his doom, when, as he accidentally
moved his hand upon the floor, it rested upon a fragment ol
broken window glass.
" No sooner did the prisoner seize the glass, than a ray of hope
entered his bosom, and with this frail assistant he instantly set
- about regaining his liberty. He commenced severing the rope
across his breast, and soon it was stranded. The moment was
one of intense excitement ; he knew that it was the usual custom
for one or more of an Indian party to keep watch and prevent
the escape of their prisoners. Was he then watched ? Should
he go on, with the possibility of hastening his own doom, or wait
and see if some remarkable interposition of Providence might
save him ? A monitor within whispered, " Faith without works
is dead," and after a little pause in his efforts, he resumed them,
and soon had parted another strand ; and as no movement was
made, he tremblingly cut another ; it was the last, and as it yield
ed he sat up. He was then enabled to take a midnight view of
the group around him, in the feeble light reflected from the
moon through a small window of a single sash. The enemy ap
peared to sleep, and he soon separated the cords across his limbs.
He then advanced to the fire and raked open the coals, which re
flected their partial rays upon the painted visages of those mis
guided heathen, whom British gold had bribed to deeds of dam
ning darkness ; and being fully satisfied that all were sound
asleep, he approached the door.

216 A NOVEL SITUATION.
The Indians had a large watch-dog outside the house. He
cautiously opened the door, sprang out and ran, and as he had
anticipated, the dog was yelling at his heels. He had about
twenty rods to run across a cleared field before he could reach the
woods : and as he'neared them, he looked back, and in the clear
light of the moon, saw the Indians all in pursuit. As he neared
the forest, they all drew up their rifles and fired upon him, at
which instant a strong vine caught his foot and he fell to the
ground. The volley of balls passed over him, and bounding to
his feet, he gained the beechen shade. Not far from where he
entered, he had noticed the preceding evening, a large hollow log,
and on coming to it, he sought safety within it. The dog, at first
ran several rods past the log, which served to mislead the party,
but soon returned near it, and ceased barking, without a visit to
the entrance of the captive's retreat.
" The Indians sat down over him, and talked about their pris
oner's escape. They finally came to the conclusion, that he had
either ascended a tree near, or that the devil had aided him in his
escape, which to them appeared the most reasonable conclusion.
As morning was approaching, they determined on taking an early
breakfast, and returning to the river settlements, leaving one of
their number to keep a vigilant watch in that neighborhood, for
their captive, until afternoon of the following day, when he was
to join his fellows at a designated place. This plan settled, an
Indian proceeded to an adjoining field, where a small flock of
sheep had not escaped their notice, and shot one of them. While
enough of the mutton was dressing to satisfy their immediate
wants, others of the party struck up a fire, which they chanced,
most unfortunately for his comfort, to build against the log directly
opposite their lost prisoner. The heat became almost intolerable

A NOVEL SITUATION 217
to the tenant of the fallen basswood, before the meat was cooked
— besides, the smoke and steam which found their way through
the small worm-holes and cracks, had nearly suffocated him, ere
he could sufficiently stop their ingress, which was done by thrust
ing a quantity of leaves and part of his own clothing into the
crannies. A cough, which he knew would insure his death, he found
it most difficult to avoid : to back out of his hiding place would
also seal his fate, while to remain in it much longer, he felt con
scious, would render his situation, to say the least, not enviable.
" After suffering most acutely in body and mind for a time, the
prisoner (who was again such by accident), found his miseries al
leviated when the Indians began to eat, as they then let the fire
burn down, and did not again replenish it. After they had dis
patched their breakfast of mutton, the prisoner heard the leader
caution the one left to watch in that vicinity, to be wary, and soon
heard the retiring footsteps of the rest of the party. Often during
the morning, the watchman was seated or standing over him.
Not having heard the Indian for some time, and believing the
horn- of his espionage past, he cautiously crept out of the log ;
and finding himself alone, being prepared by fasting and steaming
for a good race, he drew a bee-line for Fort Plain, which he
reached in safety, believing, as he afterwards stated, that all the
Indians in the state could not have overtaken him in his flight."*
* Simms' " History of Schoharie Co "

218 THE DEATH OF MAJOR HENLEY.
THE DEATH OF MAJOR HENLEY.
After the retreat from Long Island, and while the American
army was stationed at Harlem Heights, the English had posses
sion of a small island at the mouth of the Harlem river, near Hurl
Gate in the East river, which was covered by one of their ships of
war. From this ship, on the twenty-second day of September
1116, two seamen deserted and went to the quarters of General
Heath. s Upon being examined, they stated that the cannon had
been removed from the island to the frigate, and that but a few
men, with a number of officers, and a large quantity of provisions
and stores, remained there at this time. On receiving this infor
mation a surprise of the island was determined upon, and three
flat-bottomed boats were at once prepared for the purpose, each
boat to carry two hundred and forty men. They were under the
command of Colonel Jackson, Major Logan, and a Major whose
name is not known. At the favorable opportunity, they floated
down the Harlem river, at night, and with the tide, with the hope
of arriving to their destination about the break of day.
Major Henly who was mortified at being excluded from the
enterprise, applied to General Heath for the privilege of accom
panying the expedition as a volunteer, which with some reluctance
was granted. Says the biographer of Major Henley, " Perhaps
of the many young and gallant spirits, who then crowded to fight
beneath the banners of liberty, none were more ardent in her
cause, or more amiable and better loved by his cotemporaries than
was Major Henley. Young, courageous, aspiring and sanguine
in the cause of his native country, he considered no duty too ar
duous, no deprivation too great, no suffering too severe, in assist
ing her advancement to independence."

THE DEATH OF MAJOR HENLEY. 219
"A couple of hours after midnight, the boats received their
complement of men,- and were proceeding slowly down the narrow
and winding creek. There was no light to guide them on their
way, save that which issued from the bright stars of heaven,
shining from its broad spread canopy. There was no voice nor
whispering to break the perfect silence of that hour ; and the rip-
plings caused by the prows of the boats passing through the
water, was all the indication of their making any progress. They
had nearly gained the scene of their operations, when lo ! as they
considered themselves secure from any annoyance, and all things
promising the best success to the undertaking, they were hailed
from the shore by one of the American sentinels.
" ' Stop !' cried he, ' or I will fire !'
" This faithful sentinel had not, unfortunately, been informed
of the expedition. They replied from the boats :
" ' We are friends !'
" He repeated his challenge and said :
" ' You must stop and come to the shore.'
" ' Hush we are friends,' said they from the boats, ' keep si
lence.' " This interruption occurred opposite the point where General
Heath was to stand a spectator of the attack upon the island.
Major Henly seeing the general and several officers there, leaped
from the boat into the water, which was some feet deep, and
waded to the shore, and in an instant was before him.
" ' Sir, will it do V said he, taking the general by the hand.
" ' I see nothing to the contrary.'
" ' Then sir, it shall do,' answered the major in an emphatic
manner, at the same time shaking the general smartly by the
hand ; in a moment he was on board the boat again. He had
10

220 THE DEATH OF MAJOR HENLEY.
no sooner seated himself than a command was given to the oars
men to proceed.
" ' Pull away for your lives.'
" The sentinel heard the order, presented his piece and fired,
but without doing any injury. Early dawn was just lighting up
the horizon when they reached the island ;¦ the precise moment
they had intended. The boat in which the officers were, landed
The two seconds in command were to spring from the boat, one
on each side, and lead on the troops from the other two boats,
which were to land each side of the first. The enemy's guard
charged them on their gaining the shore, having been apprised
of the attack by the discharge of the sentinel's musket, but were
instantly driven back. Owing to some unaccountable misunder
standing, or something that deserves a less honorable designation,
the men in the other two boats, instead of joining them, lay at
a distance from the shore irresolute and inactive. The British,
observing that the Americans were not supported, returned
warmly to the charge ; while the latter finding themselves de
serted, and Colonel Jackson having received a shot in his leg, re
turned to their boat.
" They lost fourteen of their number ; and painful to relate,
Major Henly, who had proved himself most active in this unfor
tunate affair, while getting over the side of the boat, was shot
through the heart by a musket ball. He gave one shrill cry, and
leaping some two or three feet from where he stood, fell dead
among his comrades, covering them with his blood.
" Thus fell a brave and gallant soldier. He had just entered
into manhood, with a robust health and strong arm, and had it
pleased the Great Disposer for him to have continued for a longer
period upon the stage of life, he would probably, from his early

ADVENTURES OF COL. HARPER. 221
promise, have been a theme of eulogy and admiration. His body
was consigned to the dust with military honors, and the soldiers
who gathered around the remains of their much loved companion,
wept at his untimely fall.
" The success of the expedition in which he was engaged would
have been very probable had only one of the other boats landed ;
but, in the opinion of all concerned, the two would have insured
the full execution of the whole plan. The delinquents were ar
rested and tried by a court-martial. One of the captains was
cashiered."

ADVENTURES OF COL. HARPER.
In the year 1778 a notorious Tory leader, McDonald, at the
head of three hundred Indians and Tories, were committing great
ravages on the frontiers, and audaciously carrying on their depre
dations in the vicinity of the forts of Schoharie, which were all
so weakly garrisoned, that they could offer no resistance to them.
Col. Harper, stationed at one of the forts, perceiving the wanton
barbarities of the enemy, resolved to undertake a journey to Al
bany, in order to procure sufficient aid to an-est them in their
career. It was an expedition full of peril,, but he sallied boldly
forth, and although the enemy lined his entire route, he undamuV
edly resolved to secure help for the perishing inhabitants, or sac
rifice his own life in the attempt. His first day's journey was
uninterrupted, and at evening he rode up to a tory tavern, coolly
demanded a room, and without apparent fear or apprehension
retired for the night. But he was not unprepared. Presently

222 ADVENTURES OF COL. HARPER.
there was a loud rapping at the door. He demanded what was
wanted? " We want to see Col. Harper," was the reply. He
deliberately arose, unlocked the door, and taking his sword and
pistols, seated himself on the bed to receive his visitors. They
were four, and entered blusteringly, and with threatening aspects.
The colonel raised his pistols and said, " step one inch over tha*
mark, and you are dead men." There was something in his d»
termined and resolute aspect that arrested their progress. Their
boldness fled before his unflinching eye, and irresolute they looked
from one to the other at a loss how to proceed.' In vain did they
look for a sign of weakness in his manner ; the least show of such
a thing would have proved his destruction. Overawed, and
abashed, they retreated from his presence with what grace they
could, and left him master of the field. Still, however, feeling
himself insecure, he did not sleep again that night, but kept a
wary watch. In the morning he boldly mounted his horse, and
although the enemy were concealed in the vicinity of the house,
for some reason he was allowed to pass unmolested. But an In
dian followed him almost the entire rest of the way ; whenever
the colonel would turn and present a pistol he would run with
all his might, but again steal cautiously in his rear. Uninjured
the colonel reached Albany, procured aid, hastened back to Scho
harie, and wreaked a sudden retribution on the marauders.
The following account of another succesful enterprise of Col.
Harper, we find in Campbell's " Annals of Tryon County."
"In the year 1777, he had command of one of the forts in
Schoharie county, and of all the frontier stations in that region.
He left the fort in Schoharie, and came out through the woods to
Harpersfield, in the time of making sugar, and thence laid his
course for Cherry Valley, to investigate the state of things there }

ADVENTURES OF COL. HARPFR, 223
and as he was pursuing a blind kind of Indian trail, and was as
cending what are now called Decatur Hills, he cast his eye for
ward, and saw a company of men coming directly towards him,
who had the appearance of Indians. He knew that if he at
tempted to flee from them, they would shoot him down ; he re
solved to advance right up. to them, and make the best shift for
himself he could. As soon as he came near enough to discern
the white of their eyes, he knew the head man and several others ;
the head man's name was Peter, an Indian with whom Col. Har-'
per had often traded, at Oquago before the revolution began. The
colonel had his great-coat on, so that his regimentals were con
cealed, and he was not recognised ; the first words of address of
Col. Harper's was; ' How do you do, brothers ?'
" ' Well — how do you do, brother ?' was the reply.
'"On a secret expedition : and which way are you bound
brothers V
" ' Down the Susquehannah, to cut off the Johnstown settle
ment.' " ' Where do you lodge to night V inquired the colonel.
" ' At the mouth of Schenevas creek,' was the reply. Then
shaking hands with them, he bid them good speed and proceeded
on his journey.
" He had gone but little way from them, before he took a cir
cuit through the woods, a distance of eight or ten miles; on to the
head of Charlotte river, where were a number of men making
sugar ; ordered them to take their arms, two days provisions, a
canteen of rum, and a rope, and meet him down the Charlotte, at
a small clearing called Evan's Place, at a certain hour that after
noon ; then rode with all speed through the woods to Harpers
field ; collected all the men there making sugar, and being armed

224 ADVENTURES OF COL. HARPER.
and victualed, each man with his rope, laid his course for Char
lotte. When he arrived at Evan's Place, he found the Charlotte
men in good spirits, and when he mustered his men, there were
fifteen, including himself, exactly the same number as there were
of the enemy ; then the colonel made his men acquainted with
the enterprise.
" They marched down the river a little distance, and then bent
then- course accross the hill to the mouth of Schenevas creek ;
when they arrived at the brow of the hill, where they could over
look the valley where the Schenevas flows, they- cast their eyes
down upon the flats, and discovered the fire around which the
enemy lay encamped,
" ' There they are,' said Col. Harper. They descended with
great stillness, forded the creek, which was "breast high to a man;
after advancing a few hundred yards, they took some refreshment,
and then prepared for the contest. Daylight was just beginning
to appear in the east. When they came to the enemy, they lay
in a circle with their feet towards the fire, in a deep sleep ; then-
arms and all their implements of death, were all stocked up ac
cording to the Indian custom, when they lay themselves down
for the night ; these the colonel secured by carrying them off a
distance, and laying them down. Then each man taking his rope
in his hand, placed himself by his fellow ; the colonel rapped his
man softly, and said, ' Come, it is time for men of business to be
on their way,' and then each one sprang upon his man, and after
a most severe struggle they secured the whole of the enemy.
" After they were all safely bound, and the morning had so far
advanced, that they could discover objects distinctly, says the In
dian Peter, ' Ha ! Col. Harper! now I know thee — why did I
not know thee yesterday ?'

NARROW ESCAPE OF COL. SNIPES. 225
" ' Some policy in war, Peter.'
" ' Ah, me find em so now.'
" The colonel marched the men to Albany, delivered them up
to the commanding officer, and by this well executed feat of valor,
he saved the Johnstown settlement from a wanton destruction."

NARROW ESCAPE OF COLONEL SNIPES.
During the revolutionary contest in South Carolina, the most
malignant enmity existed between the whigs and tories, which
often occasioned scenes and incidents of the most ferocious and
terrible nature. One of these which occurred to Col. Snipes of
Marion's brigade, we extract from the " Life of Marion," by
Simms. " Col. Snipes was a Carolinian, of remarkable strength and cour
age. He was equally distinguished for his vindictive hatred of
the tories. He had suffered some domestic injuries at their hands,
and he was one who never permitted himself to forgive. His
temper was sanguinary in the extreme, and led him, in his treat
ment of the loyalists, to such ferocities as subjected him, on more
than one occasion, to the harshest rebuke of his commander. It
is not certain at what period in the war the following occurrence
took place, but it was on one of those occasions when the partisan
militia claimed a sort of periodical privilege of abandoning their
general to look after their families and domestic interests. Avail
ing himself of this privilege, Snipes pursued his way to his plan
tation. His route was a circuitous one, but it is probable that he
pursued it with little caution. He was more distinguished for au-

226 NARROW ESCAPE OF COL. SNIPES.
dacity than prudence. The Tories fell upon his trail, which they
followed with the keen avidity of the sleuth-hound. Snipes
reached his plantation in safety, unconscious of pursuit. Having
examined the homestead and received an account of all things
done in his absence, from a faithful driver, and lulled into se
curity, by the seeming quiet and silence of the neighborhood,
he retired to rest, and, after the fatigues of the day, soon fell
into a profound sleep. From this he was awakened by the ab
rupt entrance and cries of his driver. The faithful negro apprised
him, in terror, of the approach of the. Tories. They were already
on the plantation. His vigilance alone prevented them from
taking his master in bed. Snipes, starting up, proposed to take
shelter in the barn, but the driver pointed to the flames already
bursting from that building. He had barely time to leave the
house, covered only by his night shirt, and by the counsel of the
negro, to fly to the cover of a thick copse of briars and brambles,
within fifty yards of the dwelling, when the Tories surrounded it.
The very task of penetrating this copse, so as to screen himself
from sight, effectually removed the thin garment which concealed
his nakedness. The shirt was torn from his back by the briars, and
the skin shared in its injuries. But, once there, he lay effectually
concealed from sight. Ordinary conjecture would scarcely have
supposed that any animal larger than a rabbit would have sought
or found shelter in such a region. The Tories immediately seized
upon the negro and demanded his master, at the peril of his life.
Knowing and fearing the courage and the arm of Snipes, they did
not enter the dwelling, but adopted the less valorous mode of set
ting it on fire, and, with pointed muskets, surrounded it, in waiting
for the moment when their victim should emerge. He, within
a few steps of them, heard their threats and expectations, and be-

NARROW ESCAPE OF COL. SNIPES. 227
held all their proceedings. The house was consumed, and the in
tense heat of the fire subjected our partisan, in his place of retreat,
to such torture, as none but the most dogged hardihood could have
endured without complaint. The skin was peeled from his body
in many places, and the blisters were shown long after, to persons
who are still living. But Snipes too well knew his enemies, and
what he had to expect at their hands, to make any confession.
He bore patiently the torture, which was terribly increased, when
finding themselves at fault, the Tories brought forward the faith
ful negro who had thus far saved his master, and determined to
extort from him, in the halter, the secret of his hiding-place. But
the courage and fidelity of the negro proved superior- to the ter
rors of death. Thrice was he run up the tree, and choked
nearly to strangulation, but in vain. His capability to endure
proved superior to the will of the Tories to inflict, and he was at
length let down, half dead, — as, in truth, ignorant of the secret
which they desired to extort. What were the terrors of Snipes
in all this trial ? What his feelings of equal gratitude and appre
hension ? How noble was the fidelity of the slave — based upon
what" gentle and affectionate relationship between himself and
master — probably from boyhood ! Yet this is but one of a thou
sand such attachments, all equally pure and elevated, and main
tained through_ not dissimilar perils."

! !

228 A SCENE IN THE FOREST.

A SCENE IN THE FOREST.
" In the early, part of the war, a sergeant and twelve armed
men undertook a journey through the wilderness, in the state of
New Hampshire. Their route was remote from any settlements,
and they were under the necessity of encamping over night in
the woods. Nothing material happened the first day of their ex
cursion ; but early in the afternoon of the second, they, from an
emminence discovered a body of armed Indians advancing to
wards them, whose number rather exceeded their own. As soon
as the whites were perceived by their red brethren, the latter made
signals, and the two parties approached each other in an amicable
manner. The Indians appeared to be much gratified with meet
ing the sergeant and his men, whom they observed they consid
ered as their protectors ; said they belonged to a tribe which had
raised the hatchet with zeal in the cause of liberty, and were de
termined to do all in their power to repel the common enemy
They shook hands in friendship, and it was, 'How d'ye do pro,
how d'ye do pro,' that being their pronunciation of the word
brother. When they had conversed with each other, for some
time, and exchanged mutual good wishes, they at length separa
ted, and each party travelled in a different direction. After pro
ceeding to the distance of a mile or more, the sergeant, who was
acquainted with all the different tribes, and knew on which side
of the contest they were respectively ranked, halted his men and
addressed them in the following words :
" ' My brave companions, we must use the utmost caution, or
this night may be our last. Should we not make some extraor
dinary exertions to defend ourselves, to-morrow's sun may find us

A SCENE IN THE FOREST. 229
sleeping never to wake. You are surprised comrades, at my
words, and your anxiety will not be lessened, when I inform you,
that we have just passed our most inveterate foe, who^ under tho
mask of pretended friendship you have witnessed, would lull us
to security, and by such means, in the unguarded moments of our
midnight slumber, without resistance, seal our fate.'
" The men with astonishment listened to this short harrangue ;
and their surprise was greater, as not one of them had enter
tained the suspicion but they had just encountered friends. They
all immediately resolved to enter into some scheme, for their mu
tual preservation and destruction of their enemies. By the propo
sal of their leader, the. folio wing plan was adopted and executed :
" The spot selected for their night's encampment, was near a
stream of water, which served to cover their rear.. They felled a
large tree, before which on the approach of night, a brilliant fire
was lighted. Each individual cut a log of wood about the size
of his body, rolled it nicely in his blanket, placed his hat upon
the extremity, and laid it before the fire ; that the enemy might
be deceived, and mistake it for a man. After logs equal in. num
ber to the sergeant's party were thus fitted out, and so artfully
arranged, that they might be easily mistaken for so many soldiers,
the men with loaded muskets placed themselves behind the fallen
tree, by which time the shades of evening began to close around
The fire was supplied in fuel, and kept burning brilliantly until
late in the evening, when it was suffered to decline. The critical
time was now approaching, when an attack might, be expected
from the Indians ; but the sergeant's men rested in their place of
concealment with great anxiety, till near midnight, without per
ceiving any movement of the enemy.

230 A SCENE IN THE FOREST.
" At length a tall Indian was discovered through the glimmer
ing of the fire, cautiously moving towards them, making no noise,
and apparantly using every means in his power to conceal him
self from any one about the camp. For a time his actions showed
him to be suspicious, that a guard might be stationed to watch
any unusual appearance, who would give the alarm in case of
danger ; but all appearing quiet, he ventured forward more boldly,
rested upon his toes, and was distinctly seen to move his finger as
he numbered each log of wood, or what he supposed to be a hu
man being quietly enjoying repose. To satisfy himself more
fully, as to the number, he counted them over a second time, and
cautiously retired. He was succeeded by another Indian, who
went through the same movements, and retired in the same man
ner. Soon after the whole party, sixteen in number, were dis
covered, approaching, and greedily eyeing their supposed victims.
The feelings of the sergeant's men can better be imagined than
described, when they saw the base and cruel purpose of their en
emies, who were now so near, that they could scarcely be re
strained from filing upon them. The plan however, of the sergeant
was to have his men remain silent in their places of concealment
till the muskets of the savages were discharged, that their own
fire might be more effectual, and opposition less formidable.
" Their suspense was not of long duration. The Indians, in a
body, cautiously approached, till within a short distance, they
then halted, took deliberate aim, discharged their pieces upon in
animate logs, gave the dreadful warwhoop, and instantly rushed
forward, with tomahawk and scalping knife in hand, to despatch
the living, and obtain the scalps of the dead. As soon as they
had collected in close order, more effectually to execute their hor
rid intentions, the party of the sergeant, with unerring aim, dis-

A GALLANT COMBAT. 231
charged then- pieces, not on logs of wood, but perfidious savages,
not one of whom escaped destruction by the snare into which
their cowardly and blood-thirsty dispositions had led them."

A GALLANT COMBAT.
Soon after the capture of Charleston, Capt. Watson, at the
head of a party of mounted Rangers, conceived the idea of sur
prising a party of Tories encamped near Orangeburgh. He was
joined by William Butler, who commanded a small body of ca
valry, some fifteen in number. Butler was burning with the de
sire to avenge the most brutal and atrocious murder of his father,
which had ocourred a short time before. He had been surround
ed in a house by a large body of Tories, and in view of the supe
rior numbers, himself and party had capitulated, when they were
marched out of the house one by one, and deliberately cut to •
pieces. The elder Butler, was singled out by the blood-thirsty
leader of the party, who slew him with his own hand. Fired by
this remembrance, young Butler, afterward so distinguished in
the annals of the south, let no opportunity pass for wreaking his
vengeance on the enemy. On this occasion the whole party,
under Watson, set out, at near sundown, and rode rapidly towards
their destination. On their route they captured a Tory, who un
fortunately afterwards escaped, and thus their hope of meeting
their adversaries unprepared, was destroyed. Watson prudtently
advocated for return, but the fiery Butler, still mourning his mur
dered parent's memory, earnestly urged an advance, and avowed
his determination to proceed with his own command, whether as-

232 A GALLANT COMBAT.
sisted by Watson or not. Watson was of too chivalrous a nature
to turn his back upon.his friend, and they, therefore, hurried for
ward upon their enterprise. It was after daylight when they ar
rived near the place where they expected to find the Tory encamp
ment. They descried two men standing alone, and Butler, Wat
son, and Varney, a sergeant of renowned courage, rode up to arrest
them. Suddenly Watson cried out, " Beware ! the whole body
of the enemy are at hand !" The whole party were close at his
heels, when suddenly the Tories, sprang from their ambuscade,
and poured into the devoted body of patriots, a destructive and
terrible fire. The heroic Watson, and the intrepid Varney, with
several others, tumbled wounded from their horses. Butler, alone
of all the officers, was unwounded. " Suffer me not," exclaimed
Watson, to him, " to fall into their hands." Butler sprang -for
ward, and seizing the bodies of his friends, unmindful of the fire
poured in by the enemy, he triumphantly bore .them into the
midst of his own party.
It was seen that the Tories doubled the Whigs, while to give
them a greater preponderance, a part of the Whigs took flight
and fled. But those that remained, were every one a hero, and
prepared to conquer or fall. To add to the desperation of their
situation, their ammunition, in the conflict that ensued, soon gave
out, and the Royalists began to advance upon them. Butler,
however, was equal to the emergency. He formed his men in
compact order, and placing himself at their head, charged impe
tuously on the enemy. With nothing but their swords and their
high courage to support them, the heroic band hmied themselves
upon their adversaries, and with so much violence and impetuous
fury was the crash, that the enemy were staggered, and began to
fall into confusion. Butler's sword swept everything before him,

A GALLANT ENTERPRISE. 233
and fell upon his opponent like a thunderlolt, each blow nerved
by the recollection of his murdered father. The little band bore
their antagonists along, who, in Vain, though far superior in num
ber, endeavored to bear up against their assailants. They began
to yield, and to seek safety in flight ; their resistance grew weak,-
and Butler following up his charge with still greater resolution,
they were driven into the swamp in their rear, and the whigs re
mained master of the field. It had been a hard fought conflict
against a superior number, and the victory was gallantly and hero
ically achieved. But alas ! it was attained by a fearful price.
Those gallant heroes, Watson and Varney, lay weltering in their
blood. As the party passed the place where they lay, Varney, by
an effort, raised himself on one arm — waved his hand, while a
gleam of triumph passed athwart his countenance — fell back, and
his book of life was closed. They dug with their swords, soldier's
graves, and buried them on the field of victory.*

A GALLANT ENTERPRISE.
" On the river Ogechee, in the state of Georgia, was stationed
Captain French, with a detachment of about, forty British regu
lars. At the same place, lay five British vessels ; of these, four
were armed, the largest mounting fourteen guns.
" Col. John White, of the Georgia line, meditating the capture
of this station, was able to call to his assistance but four indi
viduals, Captain Etholen, and three privates. Resolute in their
* Garden.

234 A GALLANT ENTERPRISE.
purpose, notwithstanding the disparity of force they would be
obliged to encounter, theses five soldiers of fortune boldly ad
vanced to the enemy's post.
" Having arrived in the neighborhood of it at night, they
kindled numerous fires, the light of which reached their adversa
ries, so arranging them, as to represent, by them, the lines of a
considerable camp. To render their stratagem the more impo
sing, they then rode hastily about, in various directions, in imita
tion of the staff of an army, disposing their sentinels, and issuing
their orders in a loud voice.
" The artifice succeeded, and Captain French supposed that he
was menaced by a large body of Americans. Accordingly, on
being summoned by Col. White, he surrendered his detachment,
the crews of the five vessels, amounting to nearly fifty in number,
with the vessels themselves, and one hundred and fifty stand of
arms. "But the difficulty of the enterprising captors was not yet
terminated. The British soldiers and sailors might discover the
imposition that had been practised on them, and attempt a
rescue ; and five armed men were not sufficient to restrain, by
force, near a hundred without arms. The same genius, however,
that had planned the first part of the adventure, was competent
to the completion of it.
" With great seriousness, and some emotion in his manner,
Col. White told Capt. French, that in consequence of certain
recent enormities, perpetrated by a detachment of British and
royalists, his troops were so deeply exasperated, that he was afraid
they would advance on the captured party, and in violation of his
commands put them to death : that he had, already, experienced
great difficulty in restraining them ; and should they be placed

A GALLANT ENTERPRISE. 235
as a guard over the prisoners, he was convinced their rage would
become ungovernable. He, therefore, directed the British Captain
to follow, with his whole party, Capt. Etholen, and two of the
soldiers as guides, who would conduct' them, without delay, to a
place of safety, and good quarters. For his kindness and hu
manity, Col. White received the thanks of his prisoners, who
immediately marched off, in a body, with their small escort)
anxious to hasten their pace, lest the enraged Americans, should
advance on them, and cut them to pieces.
" The Colonel and one soldier remained behind, with a view, as
he informed Captain French, to restrain by his presence any
improper violence his troops might be inclined to offer, and to
conduct their march at some distance in the rear. Meanwhile, he
collected as expeditiously as possible, a body of militia from the
neighboring district. Placing himself at the head of these, who
were mostly mounted on good horses, he soon overtook his
prisoners, whom he found safe under their guides, and rejoicing
in the generous treatment they had experienced.
" This affair of partisan gallantry, though not very momentous
in its consequences, was, notwithstanding, so extraordinary in its
nature, conducted with so much address, marked with such a
chivalrous spirit of enterprise, and so honorable to the officers
who conceived and executed it, that it should be much more
generally known and admired than it is."

236 NARRATIVE OF THE

NARRATIVE OF THE BARONESS REIDESEL.
Evert American reader is familiar with this lady's name. She
was the lady of one of Burgoyne's Major-Generals, a distinguished
German officer, and with two infant children, accompanied. her
husband in the disastrous campaign of Burgoyne. She was a
beautiful and accomplished woman, and the devotion which
prompted her to follow her lord to the camp and tented field, and
the sufferings and privations she there was" compelled to undergo,
have always excited the admiration and sympathy of the world.
The sufferings which beset the English army on their retreat,
after the battle of Saratoga, exceeds the power of words to de
scribe. But no history gives so vivid and powerful a picture of
the retreat, as the simple and unaffected narrative of Baroness
Reidesel. General Wilkinson, who introduces her account into
his memoirs, remarks, that she suffered more than the horrors of
the grave, in their most frightful aspect; and. he adds, that he
had " more than once seen her charming blue eyes bedewed with
tears at the recital of her sufferings."
" As we had to march still further, I ordered a large calash to
be .built, capable of holding my three children, myself and two
female servants ; and in this manner we moved with the army in
the midst of the soldiery, who were very merry, singing songs,
and panting for action. We had to travel through almost im
passable woods, and a most picturesque and beautiful country,
which was abandoned by its inhabitants, who had repaired to the
standard of General Gates : they added much to his strength, as
they were all good marksmen, and fitted by habit for the species
of warfare the contending parties were then engaged in ; and

BARONESS REIDESEL. 237
the love of their country inspired them with more than ordinary
courage. The army had shortly to encamp. I generally re
mained about an hour's march in the rear, where I received daily
visits from my husband. The army was frequently engaged in
small affairs", but nothing of importance took place ; and as the
season was getting cold, Major Williams, of the artillery, pro
posed to have a house built for me, with a chimney, observing-
that it would not cost more' than five or six guineas, and that the
frequent change of quarters was very inconvenient to me : it was
accordingly built, and was called the Block-house, from its square
form, and the resemblance it bore to those buildings.
" On the 19th of September, an affair happened, which, though
it turned out to our advantage, yet obliged us to halt at a place
called Freeman's Farm ; I was an eye-witness to the whole affair,
and as my husband was engaged in it, I was full of anxiety, and
trembled at every shot I- heard. I saw a great number of the
wounded, and, what added to the distress of the scene, three of
them were brought into the house in which I took shelter. One
was a Major Harnage, of the sixty-second British regiment, the
husband of a lady of my acquaintance ; another was a lieutenant,
married to a lady with whom I had the honor to be on terms of
intimacy ; and the third was an officer of the name of Young.
" In a short time afterwards I heard groans proceeding from a
room near mine, and knew they must have been occasioned by
the sufferings of the last mentioned officer, who lay writhing with
his wounds.
" His mournful situation interested me much ; and the more
so, because the recollection of many polite attentions, received
from a family of that name during my visit to Englund, was still
forcibly impressed on my mind. I sent to him, and begged him

238

NARRATIVE OF THE

to accept my best services, and afterwards furnished him with
food and refreshments ; he expressed a great desire to see me,
politely calling me his benefactress. I accordingly visited him,
and found him lying on a little straw, as he had lost his equip ¦
age. He was a young man eighteen or nineteen years of age,
and really the beloved nephew of the Mr. Young, the head of the
family I have mentioned, and the only son of his parents. This
last circumstance was what he lamented most ; as to his pain, he
'thought lightly of it. He had lost much blood, and it was
thought necessary to amputate the leg, but this he would not
consent to, and of course a mortification took place. I sent him
cushions and coverings, and my female friends sent him a mat
tress. I redoubled my attention to him, and visited him every
day, for which I received a thousand wishes for my happiness.
At last his limb was amputated, but it' was too late, and he died
the following day. As he lay in the next room to me, and the
partition was very thin, I distinctly heard his last sigh, when his
immortal part quitted its frail tenement.
" But severer trials awaited us, and on the 7th of October, our
misfortunes began. I was at breakfast with my husband, and
heard that something was intended. On the same day I expected
Generals Burgoyne, Phillips, and Frazer, to dine with us. I saw
a great movement among the troops ; my husband told me it
was merely a reconnoisance, which gave me no concern, as it often
happened. I walked out of the house, and met several Indians
in their war dresses, with guns in their hands. When I asked
them where they were going, they cried out, " war ! war!"
meaning that they were going to battle. This filled me with
apprehension, and I had scarcely got home before I heard re-

BARONESS REIDESEL. 239
ports of cannon and musketry, which grew louder by degrees, till
at last the noise became excessive.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, instead of the guests
whom I expected, General Frazer was brought on a litter, mor
tally wounded. The table, which was already set, was instantly
removed, and a bed placed in its stead for the wounded general.
I sat trembling in a corner ; the noise grew louder, and the alarm
increased ; the thought that my husband might perhaps be
brought in, wounded in the same manner, was terrible to me, and
distressed me exceedingly. General Frazer said to the surgeon,
' Tell me if my wound is mortal ; do not flatter me.' The ball
had passed through his body, and, unhappily for the general, he
had eaten a very hearty breakfast, by which the stomach was
distended, and the ball, as the surgeon said, had passed through
it. I heard him often exclaim with a sigh, " 0 fatal ambition!
Poor General Burgoyne ! Oh ! my poor wife !" He was asked
if he had any request to make, to which he replied, that, ' If
General Burgoyne mould permit it, he should like to be buried, at
six o'clock in the evening, on the top of a mountain, in a redoubt
which had been built there!
" I did not know which way to turn ; all the other rooms were
full of sick. Towards evening I saw my husband coming ; then
I forgot all my sorrows, and thanked God that he was spared to
me. He ate in great haste, with me and his aid-de-camp, behind
the house. We had been told that we had the advantage over
the enemy, but the sorrowful faces I beheld told a different tale ;
and before my husband went away he took me aside, and said
everything was going very badly, and that I must "keep myself in
readiness to leave the place, but not to mention it to any one.

240 NARRATIVE OF THE
I made the pretence that I would move the next morning into
my new house, and had everything packed. up ready.
" LadyAckland had a tent, not far from our house ; in this
she slept, and the rest of the day she was in the camp. All of a
sudden a man came in to tell her that her husband was mor
tally woimded, and taken prisoner. On hearing this she became
very miserable. — We comforted' her by telling her that the wound
was very slight, and advised her to go over to her husband, to
do which she would certainly obtain permission, and then she
could attend him herself. She was a charming woman, and very
fond of him. I spent much of the night in comforting her, and
then went again to my children, whom I had put to bed.
" I could not go to sleep, as I had General Frazer and all the
other wounded gentlemen in my room, and I was sadly afraid
my' children would wake, and by their crying disturb the dying
man in his last moments, who often addressed me and apologized
'/or the trouble he gave me.' About three o'clock in the morn
ing, I was told that he could not hold out much longer ; I had
desired to be informed of the near approach of this sad crisis, and
I then wrapped up my children in their clothes, and went with
them into the room below. About eight o'clock in the morning
lie died.
" After he was laid out, and his corpse wrapped up in a sheet,
we came again into the room, and had this sorrowful sight before
us the whole day ; and, to add to the melancholy scene, almost
every moment some officer of my acquaintance was brought in
wounded. The cannonade commenced again ; a retreat^was
spoken of, but not the smallest motion was made towards it.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, I saw the house, which had
just been built for me, in flames, and the enemy was now not

BARONESS REIDESEL. 241
far off. We knew that General Burgoyne would not refuse the
last request of General Frazer, though, by his acceding to it, an
unnecessary delay was occasioned, by which the inconvenience of
the army was much increased. At six o'clock the corpse was
brought out, and we saw all the generals attend it to the moun
tain. The chaplain, Mr. Brudenell, performed the funeral service,
rendered unusually solemn and awful from its being accompanied
by constant peals from the enemy's artillery. Many cannon-balls
flew close by me, but I had my eyes directed towards the moun
tain,* where my husband was standing, amidst the fire of the
enemy ; and, of course, I could not think of my own danger.
" General Gates afterwards said, that, if he had known it had
been a funeral, he would not have permitted it to be fired on.
" As soon as the funeral service was finished, and the grave of
General Frazer closed, an order was issued that the army should
retreat. My calash was prepared, but I would not consent to go
before the troops. Major Harnage, though suffering from his
wounds, crept from his bed, as he did not wish to remain in the
hospital, which was left with a flag of truce. When General
Reidesel saw me in the midst of danger, he ordered my women
and children to be brought into the calash, and intimated to me
to depart without delay. I still prayed- to remain, but my hus
band, knowing my weak side, said, ' well then, your children
must go, that at least they may be safe from danger.' I then
agreed to enter the . calash with them, and we set off at eight
o'clock. '*Ehe retreat was ordered to be conducted with the greatest

* The height occupied by Burgoyne on the 18th, which ran parallel with
the river till it approached General Gate's camp.

242 NARRATIVE OF THE
silence, many fires were lighted, and several tents left standing ;
we travelled continually during the night. At six o'clock in the
morning we halted, which excited the surprise of all ; Genera]
Burgoyne had the cannon ranged and counted ; this delay seemed
to displease everybody, for if we could only have made another
good march, we should have been in safety. My husband, quite
exhausted with fatigue, came into my calash, and slept for three
hours. During that time, Capt. Willoe brought me a bag full of
bank notes, and Captain Grismar his elegant watch, a ring, and a
purse full of money, which they requested me to take care of, and
which I promised to do, to the utmost of my power. We again
marched, but had scarcely proceeded an hour, before we halted,
as the enemy was in sight ; it proved to be only a reconnoitering
party of two hundred men, who might easily have been made
prisoners, if General Burgoyne had given proper orders on the
occasion. " The Indians had now lost then- courage, and were departing
for their homes ; these people appeared to droop much under
adversity, and especially when they had no prospect of plunder.
One of my waiting-women was in a state of despair, which ap
proached to madness ; she cursed and tore her hair, and when I
attempted to reason with her, and to pacify her, she asked me if
I was not grieved at our situation, and on my saying I was, she
tore her cap off her head and let her hair fall over her face, say
ing to me ' it is very easy for you to be composed and talk ; you
have your husband with you ; I have none, and what remains to
me but the prospect of perishing or losing all I have 3' I again
bade her take comfort, and assured her I would make good what
ever she might happen to lose ; ancl I made the same promise

BARONESS REIDESEL. 243
to Ellen, my other waiting-woman, who, though filled with ap
prehensions, made no complaints.
" About evening we arrived at Saratoga ; my dress was wet
through and through with rain, ancl in this state I had to remain
the whole night, having no place to change it ; I however got
close to a large fire, and at last lay down on some straw. At this
moment General Phillips came up to me, and I asked him why
he had not continued our retreat, as my husband had promised
to cover it, and bring the army through ? ' Poor, dear woman,'
said he, ' I wonder how, drenched as you are, you have the courage
still to persevere, and venture further in this kind of weather ; I
wish,' continued he, ' you was our commanding general ; General
Burgoyne is tired, and means to halt here to-night and give us
our supper.'
" On the morning of the 7th, at 10 o'clock, General Burgoyne
ordered the retreat to be continued, and caused the handsome
houses and mills of General Schuyler to be burnt ; we marched,
however, but a short distance, and then halted. The greatest mis
ery at this time prevailed in the army, and more than thirty offi
cers came to me, for whom tea and coffee was prepared, and with
whom I shared all my provisions, with which my calash was in
general well supplied, for I had a cook who was an excellent ca
terer, andjWho often in the night crossed small rivers, ancl foraged
on the inhabitants, bringing in with him, sheep, small pigs, and
poultry, for which he very often forgot to pay, though he received
good pay from me so long as I had any, and was ultimately hand
somely rewarded. Our provisions now failed us, for want of
proper conduct in the commissary's department, and I began to
despair. " About two o'clock in the afternoon," we again heard a firing

244

NARRATIVE OF THE

. of cannon ancl small arms ; instantly all was alarm, and eveiy
thing in motion. My husband told -me to go to a house not far
off. I immediately seated myself in my calash, with my children,
and drove off ; but scarcely had we reached it before I discovered
five or six armed men on the other side of the Hudson. Instinct
ively I threw my children down in the calash, and then concealed
myself with them. At this moment the fellows fired, and wounded
an already wounded English soldier, who was behind me. Poor
fellow ! I pitied hiin exceedingly, but at this moment had no
means or power to relieve him.
" A terrible cannonade was commenced by the enemy, against
the house in which I sought to obtain shelter for myself and
children, under the mistaken idea that all the generals were in it.
Alas ! it contained none but wounded and women. We were at
last obliged to resort to the cellar for refuge, ancl in one corner
of this I remained the whole clay, my childern sleeping on the
earth with their heads in my lap ; ancl in the same situation I
passed a sleepless night. Eleven cannon balls passed through the
house, and we could distinctly hear them roll away. One poor
soldier who was lying on a table, for the purpose of having his
leg amputated, was struck by a shot, which carried away his other ;
his comrades had left him, ancl when we went to his assistance,
we found him in the corner of a room, into which he had crept,
more dead than alive, scarcely breathing. My reflections on the
danger to which my husband was exposed now agonized me ex
ceedingly, ancl the thoughts of my children, and the necessity of
struggling for their preservation, alone sustained me.
" The ladies of the army who were with me, were Mrs. Ham-
age, a Mrs. Kennels, the widow of a lieutenant who was killed,
and the lady of the commissary. Major Harnage, his wife, ancl

RAR0NESS REIDESEL. 245
Mrs. Kennels, made a little room in a corner with curtains to it,
and wished to do the same for me, but I preferred being near the
door, in case of fire. Not far off my women slept, and opposite
to us three English officers, who, though wounded, were deter
mined not to be left behind ; one of them was Captain Green, an
aid-de-camp to Major General Phillips, a very valuable officer and
most agreeable man. They each made me a most sacred promise
not to leave me behind, and, in case of sudden retreat, that they
would each of them take one of my children on his horse ; and
for myself, one af my husband's was in constant readiness.
" Our cook, whom I have before mentioned, procured us our
meals, but we were in want of water, and I was often obliged to
drink wine, and to give it to my children. It was the only thing
my husband took, which made our faithful hunter, Rockel, express
one day his apprehensions, that, ' the general was weary of his life,
or fearful of being taken, as he drank so much wine.' The con
stant danger which my husband was in, kept me in a state of
wretchedness ; and I asked myself, if it was possible, I should be
the only happy one, and have my husband spared to me unhurt,
exposed as he was to so- many perils. He never entered his tent,
but lay down whole nights by the watch fires ; this alone was
enough to have killed him, the cold was so intense.
" The want of water distressed us much ; at length we found a
soldier's wife, who had courage enough to fetch us some from the
river, an office nobody else -would undertake, as the Americans
shot at every person who approached it ; but out of respect for her
sex, they never molested her.
"I now occupied myself through the day in attending the
wounded ; I made them tea and coffee, and often shared my din
ner with them for which they offered me a thousand expressions

246

NARRATIVE OF THE

of gratitude. One day a Canadian officer came to our cellar, who
had scarcely the power of holding himself upright, and we con
cluded he was dying for want of nourishment : I was happy in
offering him my dinner, which strengthened him, and procured
me his friendship. I now undertook the care of Major Bloom
field, another aid-de-camp of General Phillips ; he had received a
musket ball through both cheeks, which in its course had knocked
out several of his teeth, and cut his tongue ; he could hold nothing
in his mouth, the matter which ran from his wound almost choked
him, and he was not able to take any nourishment except a little
soup, or something liquid. We had some Rhenish wine, and in
the hope that the acidity of it would cleanse his wound, I gave
him a bottle of it. He took a little now and then, and with such
effect, that his cure soon followed; thus I 'added another to my
stock of friends, and derived a satisfaction which in the midst of
suffering, served to tranquilize me and diminish their acuteness.
" One day, General Phillips accompanied my husband, at the
risk of their lives, on a visit to us. The General, after having wit
nessed our situation, said to him, ' I would not for ten thousand
guineas come again to this place, my heart is almost broken.'
" In this horrid situation we remained six days ; a cessation of
hostilities was now spoken of, and eventually took place. A con
vention was afterwards agreed on ; but one day a message was
sent to my husband who had visited me, and was reposing
in my bed, to attend, a council of war, where it was proposed
to break the convention ; but, to my great joy, the majority were
for adhering to it. On the 16th, however, my husband had to re
pair to his post, and I to my cellar. This day fresh beef was
served out to the officers, who till now had only had . salt provis
ions, which was very bad for their wounds. The good woman

BARONESS REIDESEL. 247
who brought us water, made us an excellent soup of the meat, but
I had lost my appetite, and took nothing but crusts of bread
dipped in wine. The wounded officers, my unfortunate compan
ions, cut off the best bit, and presented it to me on a plate. I de
clined eating anything, but they contended that it was necessary
for me to take nourishment, and declared they would not touch
a morsel till I afforded them the pleasure of seeing me partake.
I could no longer withstand their pressing invitations, accompanied
as they were by assurances of happiness they had in offering me
the first good thing they had in their power, and~ I partook of a
repast rendered palatable by the kindness and good will of my
fellow-sufferers, forgetting for the moment the misery of our apart
ment, and the absence of almost every comfort.
" On the 17th of October, the convention was completed. Gen
eral Burgoyne and the other generals waited on the American
General Gates ; the troops laid down their arms, and gave them
selves up prisoners of war ! And now the good woman who had
supplied us with water at the hazard of her life, received the re
ward of her services ; each of us threw a handful of money into
her apron and she got altogether about twenty guineas. At such
a moment as this, how susceptible is the heart, of feelings of grati
tude !
" My husband sent a message to me; to come over to him with
my children. I seated myself once more in my dear calash, and
then rode through the American camp. As I passed on, I ob
served, and this was a great consolation to me, that no one eyed
me with looks of resentment, but that they all greeted us, and
even showed compassion in their countenances at the sight of a
woman with small children. I was, I confess*, afraid to go over
to the enemy, as it was quite a new situation to me. When I

248 NARRATIVE OF THE
drew near the tents, a handsome man approached and met me,
took my children from the calash, and hugged and kissed them,
which affected me almost to tears. ' You tremble,' said he, ad
dressing himself to me, ' be not afraid.' ' No,' I answered,
' you seem so kind and tender to my children, it inspires me with
courage.' He now led me to the tent of General Gates, where I
found Generals Burgoyne and Phillips, who were on' a friendly
footing with the former. Burgoyne said to me, ' Never mind ;
your sorrows have now an end.' I answered him, ' that I should
be reprehensible to have any cares, as he had none ; and I was
pleased to see him on such friendly footing with General Gates.'
All the Generals remained to dine with General Gates.
" The same gentleman who received me so kindly, now came
and said to me, " You will be very much embarrassed to eat with
all these gentlemen ; come with your children to my tent, where 1
will prepare for you a frugal dinner, and give it with a free will!
I said ' You are, certainly a husband and a father, you have
shown me so much kindness! I now found that he was
General Schuyler. He treated me with excellent smoked
tongue, beefsteaks, potatoes, and good bread and butter ! Never
could I have wished to eat a better dinner ; I was content ; I saw
all around me were so likewise ; and, what was better than all, my
husband was out of danger.
" When we had dined, he told me his residence was at Albany,
and that General Burgoyne intended to honor him as his guest,
and invited myself and children to do so likewise. I asked my-
husband how I should act ; he told me to accept the invitation.
As it was two days' journey there, he advised me to go to a place
which was about three hour's ride distant. General Schuyler had
the politeness to send with me a French officer, a very agreeable

BARONESS REIDESEL. 249
man, who commanded the reconnoitering party, of which I have
before spoken ; and when he had escorted me to the house where
I was to remain, he turned back again.
" Some days after this we arrived at Albany, where we so often
wished ourselves ; but we did not enter it as we expected we should
— victors ! We were received by the good General Schuyler, his
wife, and daughters, not as enemies, but kind friends ; and they
treated us with the most marked attention and politeness, as they
did General Burgoyne, who had caused General Schuyler's beau
tifully finished house to be burnt. In fact, they behaved like per
sons of exalted minds, who determined to bury all reccollections
of their own injuries in the contemplation of our misfortunes.
General Burgoyne was struck with General Schuyler's generosity,
and said to him, 'You show me great kindness, though I have
done you much injury.' ' That was the fate of war ;' replied the
brave man, ' let us say no more about it.' '

LYDIA DARRAH.
The following account of the signal service rendered to our
cause by a heroine quakeress, Lydia Darrah, first appeared in the
American Quarterly Review :
When the British army held possession of Philadelphia, Gene
ral Harris' head-quarters were in Second street, the fourth door
below Spruce, in a house which was before occupied by General
Cadwallader. Directly opposite, resided William and Lydia
Darrah, members of the Society of Friends. A superior officer of
the British army, believed to be the Adjutant General, fixed upon

250 LYDIA DARRAH.
one of their chambers, a back room, for private conference ; and
two of them frequently met there, with fire and candles, in close
consultation. About the second of December, the Adjutant Ge
neral told Lydia that they would be in the room at seven o'clock,
and remain late ; and that they wished the family to retire early
to bed ; adding, that when they were going away, they would
call her to let them out, and extinguish their fire and candles.
She accordingly sent all the family to bed ; but, as the officer had
been so particular, her curiosity was excited. She took off her
shoes, and put her ear to the key-hole of the conclave. She over
heard an order read for all the British troops to march out, late
in the evening of the fourth, and attack General Washington's
army, then encamped at White Marsh. On hearing this, she re
turned to her chamber and laid herself down. Soon after, the
officers knocked at her door, but she rose only at the third sum
mons, having feigned to be asleep. Her mind was so much agi
tated that, from this moment, she could neither eat nor sleep ;
supposing it to be in her power to save the lives of thousands of
her countrymen ; but not knowing how she was to convey the
necessary information to General Washington, nor daring to con
fide it even to her husband. The time left, was, however, short ;
. she quickly determined to make her way, as soon as possible, to
the American outposts. She informed her family, that, as they
were in want of flour, she would go to Frankfort for some ; her
husband insisted that she should take with her the servant maid ;
but, to his surprise, she positively refused. She got access to Ge
neral Howe, and solicited — what he readily granted, — a pass
through the British troops on the lines. Leaving her bag at the
mill, she hastened towards the American lines, and encountered
on her way an American, Lieutenant Colonel Craig, of the light

LYDIA DARRAH. 251
horse, who, with some of his men, was on the look-out for infor
mation. He knew her, and inquired whither she was going
She answered, in quest of her son, an officer in the American
army ; and prayed the Colonel to alight and walk with her. He
did so, ordering his troops to keep in sight. To him she disclosed
her momentous secret, after having obtained from him the most
solemn promise never to betray her individually, since her life
might be at stake, with the British. He conducted her to a house
near, at hand, directed a female in it to give her something to eat,
and he speeded for head-quarters, where he brought General
Washington acquainted with what he had heard. Washington
made, of course, all preparation for baffling the meditated surprise.
Lydia, returned home with her flour ; sat up alone to watch the
movement of the British troops ; heard their footsteps ; but when
they returned, in a few days after, did not dare to ask a question,
though solicitous to learn the event. The next evening, the Ad
jutant General came in, and requested her to walk up to his room,
as he wished to put some questions. She followed him in terror ;
and when he locked the door, and begged her, with an air of
mystery to be seated, she was sure that she was either suspected,
or had been betrayed. He inquired earnestly whether any of her
family were up the last night he and the other officer met : — she
told him that they all retired at eight o'clock. He observed — " I
know you were asleep, for I knocked at your chamber door three
times before you heard me ; I am entirely at a loss to imagine
who gave Washington information of our intended attack, unless
the walls of the house could speak. When we arrived near White
Marsh, we found all their cannon mounted, and the tooop prepared
to receive us ; and we have marched back like a parcel of fools."

252 CAPTURE OF PRESIDENT DAGGETT.

CAPTURE OF PRESIDENT DAGGETT.
On the occasion of the invasion of New Haven, the Rev. Dr.
Daggett, at that time president of Yale College, armed himself
with a musket, and went out with his fellow citizens to oppose
the enemy. He was wounded and taken prisoner. Whilst in
the hands of the British he was asked, whether if released, he
would again take up arms against them ?— to which he answered,
" I rather believe I shall, if I get an opportunity." We subjoin
an account of his captivity, as given by himself.
" An account of the cruelties and barbarities which I received
from the British soldiers, after I had surrendered myself a prisoner
into their hands. It is needless to relate all the leading circum
stances which threw me in their way. It may be sufficient just
to observe, that on Monday morning, the €th inst., (July 1779,)
the town of New Haven was justly alarmed, with very threaten
ing appearances of a speedy invasion from the enemy. Numbers
went out armed to oppose them ; I among the rest, took the sta
tion assigned me, upon Milford Hill, but was soon directed to quit
it, and retire further north, as the motions of the enemy required.
Having gone as far as I supposed was sufficient, I turned down
the hill to gain a little covert of bushes, which I had in my eye ;
but to my great surprise, I saw the enemy much nearer than I
expected, their advanced guards being little more than twenty
rods distant, plain, open ground between us. They instantly fired
upon me, which they continued until I had run a dozen rods, dis
charging not less than fifteen or twenty balls at me alone ; how
ever, through the preserving providence of God, I escaped them
all unhurt, and gained the little covert at which I aimed, which

CAPTURE OF PRESIDENT DAGGETT. 253
concealed me from their view, while I could plainly see them
through the weeds and bushes, advancing towards me within
about twelve rods. I singled out one of them, took aim, and
fired upon him ; I loaded my musket again, but determined not
to discharge any more, and as I saw I could not escape from them,
I determined to surrender myself a prisoner. I begged for quar
ter, and that they would spare my life. They drew near to me,
I think two only in number, one on my right hand, the other on
my left, the fury of infernals glaring in their faces. They called me
a damned old rebel, and swore they would kill me instantly.
They demanded, what did you fire upon us for ? I replied, be
cause it is the exercise of war. Then one made a pass at me with
his bayonet, as if he designed to thrust it through my body.
With my hand I tossed it up from its direction, and sprang in so
near to him that he could not hurt me with his bayonet. I still
continued pleading and begging for my life, with the utmost im
portunity, using every argument in my power to mollify them,
and induce them to desist from their murderous purposes. One
of them gave me four gashes on my head with the edge of his
bayonet, to the skull bone, which caused, a plentiful effusion of
blood. The other gave me three slight pricks with the point of
his bayonet, on the trunk of my body, but they were no more than
skin deep. But what is a thousand times worse than all that has
beeq related, .is the blows and bruises they gave me with the heavy
barrels of their guns on my bowels, by which I was knocked down
once, or more, and almost deprived of life ; by which bruises, I
have been almost confined to my bed ever since. These scenes
might take up about two minutes of time. They seemed to desist
a little from their design of murder, after which they stript me of
my shoes and knee buckles, and also my stock buckle. Their

254 CAPTURK OF PRESIDENT DAGGETT.
avarice further led them to .rob me of my pocket-handkerchief,
and a little old tobacco box. They then bade me march towards
the main body, which was about twelve rods distant ; when some
officers inquired of me who I was, I gave them my name, station,.
and character, and begged their protection, that I might not be
any more abused or hurt by the soldiers. They promised me
their protection. But I was robbed of my shoes, and was com
mitted to one of the most unfeeling savages that ever breathed.
They then drove me with the main body, a hasty march of five
miles or more. I was insulted in the most shocking manner, by
the ruffian soldiers, many of which came at me with fixed bay
onets, and swore that they would kill me on the spot. They
damned me, those that took me, because they spared my life.
Thus, amidst a thousand insults, my infernal driver hastened me
along faster than my strength would admit, in the extreme heat
of the day, weakened as I was by my wounds, and the loss of
blood, which- at a moderate computation could not be less than
one quart. And when I failed in some degree, through faintness,
he would strike me on the back with, a heavy walking staff, and
kick me behind with his foot. At length, by the supporting-
power of God, I arrived • at the green, in New Haven. But my
life was almost spent, the world around me several times appear
ing as dark as midnight. I obtained leave of an officer to be car
ried into the widow Lyman's, and laid upon a bed, where I lay
the rest of the day and succeeding night, in such acute and excru
dating pain as I never felt before."

THE MURDER OF MR. AND MRS. CALDWELL. 255

THE MURDER OF MR. AND MRS. CALDWELL.
The Rev. James Caldwell, pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church in Elizabethtown, N. J., acted as Chaplain of the Ameri
can army while in New Jersey, and by his zealous patriotism, and
patriotic appeals, often contributed to arouse the spirits of the
soldiers, and to inspire them with a greater energy in the per
formance of their trying, duties. He was very popular in the
community, and received the unlimited confidence of Washington.
But his lofty patriotism, and unflinching zeal in the American
cause, made him hated by the enemy, who sought every means
to get him into their power, and a price was set upon his head.
When preaching, he frequently was compelled to lay his loaded
pistols by his side in the pulpit. At one time he resided in
Springfield, but afterwards removed to " Connecticut Farms,"
about four miles from Elizabethtown. Here was enacted the first
part of the tragedy we are about to relate.
A company of British troop from New York, under command
of the Hessian General, Knyphausen, landed in Elizabethtown in
June of 1780, and marching directly into the interior, proceeded
to wreak their cruelty upon every living thing that fell in their
way. Houses were fired, cattle destroyed, helpless people mur
dered, or left without shelter, clothing, or food. Mr. Caldwell
heard of then- approach, and immediately prepared to escape-
He put his elder children in a wagon, and sent them on to some
of his friends for protection. He then desired his wife, with the
younger children, to take means of flight, but she announced her
determination of remaining, as none would have cause to offer
injury to her. Finding she would not yield to his persuasion, and

256 THE MURDER OF
believing it impossible that then- resentment could extend to an
unprotected mother, with her babe clasped to her heart, Mr. Cald
well resolved to leave them, and seek his own safety alone. He
was mounted, and receiving the- last assurance of her resolve to
stay, when the gleam of arms announced the approach of the
enemy, and he rode rapidly off.
Mrs. Caldwell having concealed what things were of value, took
her infant in her arms, and retired to her chamber, the window
of which commanded the road. Here, with her three little ones
around, she awaited the approach of the enemy, feeling conscious
that her unprotected state would secure respect and safety. One
little girl was standing by the window watching the approach of
the troops, when one of the soldiers left the road, and came to the
window, which he had no sooner reached, than he placed the
muzzle of his gun against it, and deliberately fired, when Mrs.
Caldwell fell suddenly back, and almost instantly expired.
Not content with depriving her of life, the inhuman monsters
wreaked then- cruelty on her senseless body. Her clothes were
nearly torn off, and her body removed to the road side, where it
was subjected to every indignity, while the torch was applied to
the dwelling, and then the work of destruction was done.
The effect of this terrible blow upon the husband can only be
imagined. He was that morning standing upon the heights of
Springfield, and by the aid of a spy-glass could see the smoke
from the burning houses. " Thank God," he exclaimed, " the fire
is not in the direction of my house." He was too soon to learn
the sad mistake.
The royalists attempted to throw off the responsibility of this
act, by asserting that Mrs. Caldwell was killed by a chance-' shot.
But all the evidence goes to show that it was deliberately planned,

MR. AND MRS. CALDWELL. 257
and that the soldier by whose hand the bloody deed was com
mitted, only acted in accordance with his orders. The fact that
her body was allowed to be so rudely treated, while many of the
officers felt their abhorrence for the deed, proves that although
they felt respect for her remains, they knew the will of their su
periors, and therefore dared not show it.
The following anecdote, connected with this invasion, shows
pretty clearly who were the murderers of Mrs. Caldwell. The
flames from the burning dwelling could be seen from " Liberty
Hall," the residence of Gov. Livingston, who was at that time
absent from home. Parties of soldiers were continually passing
the house, but for some reason it was spared. But about mid
night a party of soldiers, partially intoxicated, rushed into the
house. The maid-servant — all the males in the establishment
having taken refuge in the woods early in the day, to avoid being
made prisoners — fastened herself in the kitchen ; and the ladies,
(Mrs. Livingston and her daughters) crowded together like fright
ened deer, locked themselves in another apartment. Their place
of retreat was soon discovered by the ruffians ; and afraid to
exasperate them by refusing to come out, one of Governor Liv
ingston's daughters opened the door. A drunken soldier seized
her by the arm ; she grasped the villain's collar, and, at the very
moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the hall, and falling
upon her white dress — he staggered back, exclaiming, with an
oath, 'It's Mrs. Caldwell, that we killed to-day.' One of the
party was at length recognized, and by his intervention, the
house was finally cleared of the assailants."*
But the vengeance of Mr. Caldwell's enemies was not yet sa-
* Life of Livingston.

258 THE MURDER OF MR. AND MRS. CALDWELL.
tiated ; the tragedy so far was incomplete. It was on the 24th
of November, 1781, that he himself fell beneath the ruthless
murderer's hand, and the blow this time came from a source where
he thought himself secure. On the day above mentioned, he
went to Elizabethtown Point, for a Miss Murray, who had come
from New York, under a flag of truce. After conducting her to
his gig, he returned to the boat, to obtain a bundle which had
been left behind. As he came on shore, the American sentinel
challenged him, and demanded what " contraband goods " he
had there. Mr. Caldwell stepped forward to tender the bundle
to the proper officer, not wishing to enter into a dispute about it
then, when the report of a musket was heard, and he fell dead,
pierced by two balls. He had been shot by a man named Mor
gan, who had just been relieved from duty as a sentinel. He
was arrested, tried, condemned, and was executed. There can be
no doubt but that he was bribed to the deed by British gold, as
there was no shadow of a cause to suppose that enmity existed
between Mr. Caldwell and him.
Viewed from any point, these two murders were among the
most atrocious acts perpetrated by the invaders of our country,
and in a history full of atrocities, they will always rank as bloody,
fiendish and treacherous.

CAPTAIN CUNNINGHAM. 259

CAPTAIN CUNNINGHAM.
" At the beginning of the war of the revolution, Captain Cun
ningham enlisted in one of the minute companies, and continued in
that service until Virginia armed a few fast sailing pilot boat
schooners. Thus was the navy of that state commenced. It, how
ever, varied materially ; sometimes amounting to as many as fifty
vessels, and occassionally to only one. Among them was the
schooner Liberty, which was never captured, although several
times sunk in the rivers to conceal her from the enemy. "Captain
Cunningham embarked and remained in the Liberty, as her first
lieutenant, until the war assumed a more regular form. Captain
Cunningham purchased a small schooner, and engaged in traffic to
the West Indies. Sea officers were encouraged to engage in com
merce as the only means of procuring the munitions of war.
" On these occasions he encountered great risk from the enemy's
fleets. Once, in the month of June, he suddenly came upon an
English frigate, off Cape Henry, in a dense fog. The English com
mander ordered him to strike his colors, and haul down his light
sails, or he would sink him. By a judicious and skilful stratagem,
he made the enemy .believe he intended to surrender. He, there
fore suspended his threatened firing. At the moment they dis
covered that Cunningham intended to escape, the jib-boom of the
frigate caught in the topping-lift of the schooner's main-boom.
Captain Cunningham sprang up to the stern, with a knife, to free
his vessel. While in the act of cutting the rope, a British marine
shot him through the arm. Nothing daunted, he deliberately ef
fected his object, and amid a shower of grape, his vessel shot away
from the frigate, and in a few moments was out of sight.

260 CAPTAIN CUNNINGHAM.
" Some time after, Captain Cunningham joined the army, on
the south side of James river, and had the misfortune, while on a
foraging expedition, to be taken by the enemy, and can-ied into
Portsmouth. He had then been recently married.
" One day he said to an uncle of his, (also a prisoner) that he
would see his wife the next evening, or perish in the attempt.
' My dear Will, are you mad ?' was the reply.
" The prison in which he was confined, was a large sugar-house,
at the extreme end of the town, enclosed by a strong stockade
fence. At sunset every evening, the guard, composed of forty or
fifty men, were relieved by fresh troops, and on their arrival, the
two guards, with their officers, were paraded in front of the prison,
on each side of the pathway to the gate. At this hour, the cere
mony observed on the occasion was in progress ; the relieved
guard had stacked their arms, and were looking at their baggage ;
the fresh guard were relieving sentinels, and, in a degree, at their
ease. This was the time selected by Captain Cunningham. The
sentinel had just begun to pace his ground, and awful, indeed, was
the moment. Captain Cunningham was justly a great favorite
with the prisoners, who all, in silent terror, expected to see their
beloved companion pinned to the earth by many bayonets, for ex
postulation had been exhausted. ' My wife, err death /' was his
watchword. " The sentinel's motions had been sagaciously calculated upon,
and as he turned from the prison, Captain Cunningham darted
out, and butted him over at his full length, and ran past him
through the gate. It was now nearly dark. All was uproar and
confusion. Cunningham soon reached a marsh near the house,
and was nowhere to be found. Volley after volley was fired after
nim, and some of the balls whistled over his head. Ere long, he

ADVENTURE OF A SOLDIER. 261
arrived at the southern branch of Elizabeth River, which he swam
over a little below the navy yard at Gosport, and finally reached
the place whither his wife had fled.
Lieut. Church, who had served as Captain Cunningham's first
lieutenant, was determined that his master should not alone en
counter the danger of an escape. He, therefore, followed him ;
and strange as it may appear, he was never heard of, or accounted
for."

ADVENTURE OF A SOLDIER.
"Peter Francisco, of Virginia, early enlisted in the continen
tal service, and was a man of wonderful personal prowess. He
was over six feet in height, and his weight was two hundred and
sixty pounds. He usually carried a sword, having a blade five
feet in length and of great weight, and this he wielded with so
much skill and force, that every swordsman who came in contact
with him paid the forfeit of his life. Such was his personal
strength, that he could easily shoulder a cannon weighing 1100
pounds. This wonderful strength induced in him so much confi
dence, that he was utterly fearless, and never was daunted at any
danger, no matter how formidable. The following anecdote is
related of him : —
" While the British army was spreading havoc and desolation
all around them, by their plunderings and burnings in Virginia,
in 1781, Francisco had been reconnoitering, and while stopping at
a house of Mr. Wand, nine of Tarleton's cavalry came up, with
three negroes, and told him he was their prisoner. Seeing he

262 ADVENTURE OF A SOLDIER.
was overpowered by numbers, he made no resistance. Believing
bim to be very peacable, they all went into the house, leaving him
and the paymaster together.
" ' Give up instantly all that you possess of value,' said the latter,
' or prepare to die.'
" ' I have nothing to give up,' said Francisco,.' so use your plea
sure.' ' Deliver instantly,' rejoined the solder, ' those massy silver
buckles which you wear in your shoes.'
" ' They were a present from a valued friend,' replied Francisco,
' and it would grieve me to part with them. Give them into your
hands I never will. You have the power ; take them, if you think
fit.' The soldier put his sabre under his arm, and bent down to
take them. Francisco, finding so favorable an opportunity to re
cover his liberty, stepped one pace in his rear, drew the sword
from under the arm of his enemy, and instantly gave him a blow
across the scull.
" ' My enemy,' observed Francisco, ' was brave, and though se
verely wounded, drew a pistol, and in the same moment that he
pulled the trigger, I cut his hand nearly off. The bullet grazed
my side. Ben Wand, (the man of the house) very ungenerously
brought out a musket, and gave it to one of the British soldiers,
and told him to make use of that. He mounted the only horse
he could get, and presented it at my breast. It missed fire.
I rushed on the muzzle of the gun. A desperate struggle en
sued. I disarmed and wounded him. Tarleton's troop of four
hundred men were in sight. All was hurry and confusion, which
I increased by repeatedly hallooing, as loud as I could, ' come on,
my brave boys ; now's your time ; we will soon despatch these
few, and then attack the main body !' The wounded man flew to
the troop ; the others were panic-struck and fled. I seized Wand,

ADVENTURES OF GENERAL PUTNAM. 263
and would have despatched him, but the poor wretch begged for
his life, he was not only an object of my contempt, but pity.
The eight horses that were left behind, I gave him to conceal for
me. Discovering Tarleton had despatched ten more in pursuit of
me, I made off. I eluded their vigilance. They stopped to re
fresh themselves, I, like an old fox, doubled and fell on their
rear." He succeeded in escaping from his pursuers. He was engaged
in numerous encounters with the enemy, in all of which he dis
played the same fearlessness and great strength.

ADVENTURES OF GENERAL PUTNAM.
At one time, when General Putnam had command of the army
in New York, he was visiting his out posts at West Greenwich,
when Gov. Tryon, with a corps of fifteen hundred men, was on a
march against it. Putnam had with him only one hundred and
fifty men, with two pieces of artillery ; with them he took his sta
tion on the brow of a steep declivity, near' the meeting house.
The road turned to the north, just before it reached the edge of
the steep ; after proceeding in this direction for a considerable
distance, it inclined to the south, rendering the descent gradually
and tolerably safe. As the British advanced, they were received
with a sharp fire from the artillery ; but perceiving the dragoons
about to charge, Putnam ordered his men to retire to a swamp,
inaccessible to cavalry while he himself dashed directly down the
precipice, in a spot where one hundred stone steps had been cut
out in the solid rock, for the accommodation of foot passengers.

264

ADVENTURES OF

His pursuers who were close upon him, paused with astonishment
as they reached the edge, and saw him accomplish his perilous
descent, and not one of them daring to follow, they discharged
their pistols after him, one bullet of which passed through his hat,
This wonderful feat has done more for the name of Putnam, than
almost any other one act. The declivity, from this circumstance,
has since borne the name of " Putnam's Hill."
Somewhere, near the time the above exploit took place, the fol
lowing adventure was performed by General Putnam : The strong
hold of Horse Neck, was in the possession of the British, and
Putnam with a few followers, were lurking in its vicinity, bent on
driving them from the place. Tired of lying in ambush, the men
became impatient, and importuned the general with questions, as
to when they were going to have a 'bout with the foe. One
morning he made a speech, something to the following effect,
which convinced them that something was in the wind : —
" Fellows ! you've been idle too long, and so have I. I'm going
to Bush's at Horse Neck, in an hour, with an ox-team, and a load
of corn. If I come back, I will lefcyou know the particulars ; if
I should not, let them have it !"
" Within an hour he Was mounted in his ox-cart, dressed as one
of the commonest Yankee farmers, and was soon at the Bush's
tavern, which was in possession of the British troops. No sooner
did the officers espy him, than they began to question him as to
his whereabouts, and finding him a complete simpleton, (as they
thought) they began to quiz him, and threatened to seize his corn
and fodder.
" How much do you ask for your whole concern ?" asked they.
'¦ 111 marcy sake, gentlemen," replied the mock clod-hopper,
with the most deplorable look of entreaty, " only let me off, and

GENERAL PUTNAM. 265
you shall have my hull team and load for nothing ; and if that
wont dew, I'll give you my word, I'll return to morrow, and pay
you heartily for your kindness and condescension."
" Well," said they, " we'll take you at your word, leave the team
and provender with us, and we wont require any bail for your ap
pearance. '
Putnam gave up the team, and sauntered about an hour or so
gaining all the information that he wished ; he then returned to
his men, and told them of the foe, and his plan of attack.
The morning came, and with it sallied out the gallant band.
The British were handled with rough hands, and when they sur
rendered to General Putnam, the clod-hopper sarcastically re
marked, " Gentlemen, I have only kept my word. I told you I
would call, and pay you for your kindness and condescension."

J
INCIDENTS AT THE BATTLE OF ORISKANY.
In the midst of the battle, while it raged hottest, and when the
combatants were engaged hand to hand, in a conflict more fero
cious and bloody, perhaps, than any other of the .revolutionary
struggle, a welcome sound burst upon the provincials, which was
greeted by hearty cheers of welcome from them, while it dismayed
the enemy. The sound that broke upon those engaged in their
bloody work, was that of firing in the direction of Fort Stanwix
which was hailed as a reinforcement of American troops. But
this circumstance had well nigh proved fatal. Col. Butler of the
English troops, availing himself of a suggestion, despatched a
company of his troop in the disguise of American soldiers, with

266 INCIDENTS AT THE
directions to approach the battle-field, from the direction of the
fort, in such a manner so as to deceive the Americans into the be
lief that they were the earnestly wished for reinforcement. But
as they approached, the quick eye of Captain Gardinier, detected
the cheat, and to the exclamations of those around him, that they
were friends, he replied, " Not so ; they are enemies ! don't you
see' their green coats." The disguised troops continued to advance
until they were hailed by Gardinier, " at which moment one of
his own soldiers, observing an acquaintance, and supposing him
a friend, ran to meet him, and presented his hand. It was grasped
but with no friendly grip, as the credulous fellow was dragged
into the opposing line, and told that he was a prisoner, He did
not yield without a struggle ; during which Gardinier, watching
the action and the result, sprang forward, and with a blow from
his spear, levelled the captor to the dust,, and liberated his man.
Others of the foe instantly set upon him, of whom he slew the
second, and wounded a third. Three of the disguised enemy now
sprang upon him, and one of his spurs becoming entangled in
their' clothes, he was thrown to the ground. Still contending,
however, with almost super-human strength, both of his thighs
were transfixed to the earth by the bayonets of two of his as
sailants, while the third presented a bayonet to his breast, as if
to thrust him through. Seizing this bayonet with his left- hand,
by a sudden wrench he brought its owner down upon himself,
where-he held him as a shield against the arms of the others,
until one of his own men, observing the struggle, flew to his
rescue. As the assailants turned upon their new adversary, Gar
dinier rose upon his seat ; and although his hand was severely
lacerated by grasping the bayonet which had been drawn through
it, he seized his spear, lying by his side, and quick as lightning

BATTLE OF ORISKANY. 267
planted it to the barb in the side of the assailant, with whom he
had been clenched. The man fell and expired. While engaged
in the struggle, some of his own men called out to Gardinier —
' for God's sake, Captain, you are killing your own men !' He
replied — ' they are not our men — they are the enemy — fire away !'
A deadly fire from the provincials answered, and then the par
ties once more rushed with bayonet and spear, grappling and
fighting with terrible fury ; while the shattering of shafts and
the clashing of steel, mingled with every dread sound of war
and death, and the savage yells, more hideous than all, presented
a scene which can be more easily imagined than described. The
unparalleled fortitude and bravery of Captain Gardinier, inspired
fresh spirit into his men, some of whom enacted wonders of
valor likewise.
" It happened during the melee, in which the contending par
ties were mingled in great confusion, that three of Johnson's
Greens' rushed wifhin the circle of the provincials, and attempted
to make prisoner of a Captain Dilenback. This officer had de
clared he would never be taken alive, and he was not. One
of his three assailants seized his gun, but he suddenly wrenched
it from him, and felled him with the butt. He shot the second
dead, and thrust the third through with his bayonet. But in
the moment of his triumph, at an exploit of which the mighty
Hector, or either of the sons of Zerniah might have been proud,
a ball laid this brave man low in the dust."
General Herkimer, who commanded the American forces, in the
early part of the contest, had been struck by a ball, which shat
tered his leg, at the same moment killing his horse. Undaunted
by this accident, and indifferent to the severity of the pain, the
brave old general continued in the battle, seated on his saddle

268 ADVENTURE OF COL. COCHRAN.
which was placed on a little hillock by a tree, against which he
leaned for support, and gave his orders with undisturbed coolness,
while his men fell in scores around him, and the exposure of his
situation made him a mark for the enemy. Amid the clashing of
weapons, the report of artillery, and the yells of the combatants,
all mingled ' in one wild, fearful outburst, as if man had been
turned into a fiend, and a love of blood had assumed the mastery
of every other passion, General Herkimer, deliberately took his
pipe from his pocket, lit it, and cooly continued to smoke, amid
all the horrors that surrounded him. It is said, that old Blucher,
in the battle of Leipsic, in a similar manner, sitting upon a hillock,
smoked and gave his orders ; but Blucher was not wounded.
General Herkimer's leg was amputated, but it was done so unskill-
fully, that the flow of blood could not be stopped, and the conse
quence was fatal. During the operation, he smoked, and chatted
in excellent spirits ; and when his departure grew nigh, he called
for a bible, and read aloud until his fading strength compelled
him to desist.

ADVENTURE OF COL. COCHRAN.
" Colonel Cochran having been sent to Canada as a spy, his
mission was suspected, and a large bounty offered for his head.
While there he was taken sick, and hearing that he was suspect
ed, concealed himself for a few days in a brush heap, unable to
make his escape, or even walk. Having suffered much from his
sickness and want of nourishment, and having discovered a log
cabin at a considerable distance from the spot wheie he was con-

ADVENTURE OF COL. COCHRAN. 269
cealed, the only one in sight, he crept to it on his hands and
knees, for the .purpose of soliciting assistance. On his approach
to the rear of the cabin, he heard three men in earnest conversa
tion, and it happened that he was the subject of their discourse.
Having heard of the heavy bounty offered for the Colonel, and
having seen a man in the vicinity a few days before, answering
the description of him, they were forming their plans, and ex
pressing their determination to find his whereabouts, and take
him for the sake of the bounty. One of the men was the owner
of the cabin. His wife was also present ; and the others were
his brother and brother-in-law. Soon after this conversation, the
three men started in pursuit. He crept into the cabin, and
frankly told the woman, who seemed favorably impressed towards
him on account of his almost helpless condition, that he had
overheard the conversation ; that he was the man of whom they
were in search ; and that he should throw himself entirely -upon
her mercy, trusting to her fidelity for protection. This she very
kindly promised him, to the utmost of her ability. Having re
ceived some restoratives, which seemed to give relief, and taken
suitable nourishment, he lay down on a bed in the room, for the
purpose of taking some repose. After the men had been absent
about three hours, they returned ; when she concealed him in a
closet by the side of the fire-place, taking good care, while the
men were in the house, to keep near it, that if anything should
be wanted from within, she might be ready to get it herself.
During the time the men were in the house, they expressed much
confidence in the belief that the Colonel was concealed somewhere
in the vicinity, and named many places in which they intended
to look for him. Having taken some food, and otherwise pre
pared themselves, the men departed to renew their search.

270 ANECDOTES OF SERGEANT MC DONAL&.
" Soon after they retired, the woman, not considering the Colo
nel's present situation safe, proposed that he should conceal
himself at some distance from the cabin, where she might secretly
bring him food, and render such other assistance as he needed.
She accordingly directed him to take post on a certain hill, about
half a mile distant, where he might be able to discover any per
son's approach, and to flee, if he was able, should it become
necessary. He manifested an inclination to resume his former
position in the brush heap, which was in the midst of a patch of
ground that had been cut over for a fallow ; but she told him her
husband intended to burn it the next day, and in that case he
would be certainly discovered, or perish in the conflagration. He
then submitted entirely to her directions, and crept along to the
hill in the best way he could. He remained some time in this
place of concealment, undiscovered by any one except this faithful
Rahab of the forest, who, like the good Samaritan, poured in the
oil and wine; until his strength was in a measure restored, and he
was enabled to return to his country and his home.
" Some years after the close of the war, and while the Colonel
lived at Ticonderoga, he accidentally met with this kind-hearted
woman, and rewarded her handsomely for her fidelity."

ANECDOTES OF SERGEANT McDONALD.
Sergeant McDonalo was another of those daring spirits whose
exploits have been so intimately connected with the name of
Marion. He was distinguished for his wonderful coolness and
daring, for a keen sagacity, and for great strength and agility.

ANECDOTES OF SERGEANT MC DONALD. 271
In one of Marion's numerous encounters with the enemy, when
commanded by Major Gainey, he was victorious, and his enemies
put to flight. " Great expectations," says Simms, " were formed
of Gainey's ability to cope with Marion. On this occasion, though
he made his escape, his mode of doing so was characterized by a
peculiar circumstance, which rendered it particularly amusing to
one side, and annoying to the other. He was singled out in the
chase by McDonald, who was admirably mounted. Gainey was
fortunate in being well mounted, also. McDonald, regarding but
the one enemy, passed all others. He himself said that he could
have slain several in the chase. But he wished for no meaner
object than their leader. One man alone, who threw himself in
the way of pursuit, became its victim. Him he shot down, and,
as they went at full speed down the Black river road, at the
corner of Richmond fence, the sergeant had gained so far upon
his enemy, as to be able to plunge his bayonet into his back. The
steel separated from his gun, and, with no time to extricate it,
Gainey rushed into Georgetown, with the weapon still conspicu
ously showing how close and eager had been the chase, and
how narrow the escape. The wound was not fatal."
In Col. Watson's expedition against Marion, while pressing
hard upon the partisan chief, among the captures of the British
commander, was the entire wardrobe of McDonald. The ser
geant felt that it was a point of honor that he should recover his
clothes. He despatched a messenger, with a flag, to Watson,
demanding his property, and at the same time gravely assuring
him that if his clothes were not returned, he would kill eight of
his men. Watson, irritated by a late defeat, was furious at the
absurd and audacious message. He contemptuously ordered the
messenger to return ; but some of his officers, aware of the

272 A ROMANTIC INCIDENT.
character of McDonald, urged that the clothes might be returned
to the partisan, as he would be sure to keep his word if they
were not. Watson yielded, and when the messenger returned to
McDonald, he said, " You may now tell Col. Watson that I will
kill but four of his men."

A ROMANTIC INCIDENT.
In the British station at Georgetown, South Carolina, was an
English adjutant, by the name of Crookshanks — not a poetical
name certainly, but, as the reader will see, his name did not pre
vent him from being placed in a veiy romantie situation, and
which only ought to have happened a few centuries ago, to have
secured for all the parties concerned, a lasting fame in poetry, and
made them the envied of all romance worshippers.
There lived in Georgetown, a fair daughter of a rebel publican,
whose bright eye proved a strong attraction to the English offi
cers, who crowded her father's inn, and rivalled each other in
their efforts to win the smiles of the rebel maid. But to one alone
did she incline, and it soon became noted how the happy adjutant
frequented the presence of his mistress, and with what delight he
sought out her society. Love sprang up between them, and after
a time they became solemnly affianced. But their future was
unpromising ; the war gave no promise of a rapid end, and their
opposition in principles, which the piejudices of their education
could not remove, threatened them continually with a painful se
paration. In the peaceful enjoyment, however, of the present,
they drowned all dread of evil in the future.

HEROISM OF A YOUNG GIRL. 273
One night the adjutant, and several of his comrades, slept under
the rebel inn keeper's roof. It chanced to be the very occasion
when Georgetown was surprised by the whigs. At early morn,
the young lady was suddenly awakened by the reports of muskets,
the clashing of swords, and the shouts of combatants, among
which she recognized her lover's voice. In the greatest alarm,
she sprang from her bed, and rushed, half dressed, out upon the
piazza, where, to her terror, she saw her lover surrounded by a
body of her countrymen, whose swords already hung suspended
above his head, and threatening him with instant destruction.
With a quick cry she sprang forward, rushed before the swords
of his assailants, and threw herself upon his neck, exclaiming, " O
save ! save Major Crookshanks !" The sudden appearance of
such a protector, coupled with admiration for her heroism, com
pletely disarmed his opponents. , He was taken prisoner, but re
leased on his parole, and suffered to remain with his betrothed.
The possession of so brave and true-hearted a woman, and the
remembrance of this signal deliverance, no doubt, contributed in
after years to the worthy adjutant's happiness.

HEROISM OF A YOUNG GIRL.
Mr. Robert Gibbes, a gentleman earnestly devoted to the pa
triotic cause, was the owner of a plantation on the Stono, a few
miles from Charleston, on which, on a certain occasion, a Hessian
battalion encamped, compelling the family to surrender to their
use the lower part of the mansion, and to confine themselves in
the upper story. While here on one dark and stormy evening,

274 HEROISM OF A YOUNG GIRL.
two gallies appeared, ascending the river, which forthwith began
a most destructive fire upon the Hessian encampment. The house
appeared particularly exposed, although the vessels had been com
manded to avoid firing upon it, and to confine their attack to the
enemy's encampment. Of this Mr. Gibbes was not aware, and
with the permission of the English commander, he set out, al
though suffering acutely from an infirmity, and with his nume
rous family, hastened to the protection of a neighboring planta
tion. The balls were falling thick and fast, sometimes scattering
dirt and sand over the party, while their loud whizzing, mingled
with the fury of the distant affray, rendered the scene one of dan
ger and terror. But scarcely had they proceeded so far as to be
out of danger from the balls, when to their unutterable agony
they discovered, that in the confusion and hurry of departure, an
infant had been left behind. To leave the child alone in his dan
ger was impossible, and to return for him was an attempt of im
minent peril. Mr. Gibbes was suffering under an infirmity that
made his movements exceedingly slow ancl painful, and there
fore it was impracticable for him to return. The frightened and
chattering servants, stood trembling around, looking from one to
the other in bewildering despair. Of all the rest of the party,
saving Mrs. Gibbes, who was severely indisposed, none were above
the age of childhood. While thus undecided, Miss Mary Ann
Gibbes, but thirteen years of age, sprang forward and heroically
offered to go for the lad, who was a son of Mrs. Fenwick, Mrs
Gibbes' sister-in-law. The night was dark and stormy, the dis
tance considerable, and the whole space swept by the cannon of
the assailant. But without fear she retraced the way, and reach
ed the house without injury, where the scene was one of unmin-
gled terror. Undismayed by the thundering of the cannon, the

A SPY IN BURGOYNE'S CAMP. 275
crashing of the balls, the shrieks, shouts and imprecations of the
combatants, she sprang to the door with the intention of entering
when she was brutally refused by the sentinel. But tears, en
treaties, and the natural eloquence prompted by her heroism, and
the high purpose on which she was bent, overcome his opposi
tion, and she was permitted to enter. With rapid steps she as
cended to the third story, and finding the child there in safety,
she clasped it to her bosom, and hastened to overtake her retreat
ing family, her course, as before, full of danger, and often the
ploughing balls would scatter clouds of dust over her person.
Uninjured, her perilous journey was performed, and when she
reached her friends, she was welcomed by shouts of enthusiasm
and admiration. This intrepid action, worthy of an adult, and all
glorious in a child, borrows a fair share of romance by the reflec
tion that the child thus saved, afterwards became Lieutenant Co
lonel Fenwick, so highly distinguished by his services in the last
war with Great Britain.

A SPY IN BURGOYNE'S CAMP.
Christopher Fisher, was selected by General Gates, to go into
Burgoyne's army as a spy, whose mission was to circulate letters
among the Hessian soldiers, to induce them to desert, and to bring
on an engagement in such a manner as Gates desired. Fisher's
mode of proceeding was related by himself, to an American offi
cer, by whom it was communicated to the author of the " History
of Schoharie County." Fisher stated, that on the day appointed,
he approached the enemy's picket, with a sheep upon his back

276 A SPY IN BURGOYNE S CAMP.
which had been killed for the occasion. Upon being hailed by
the guard, and demanded his business, Fisher replied, " that the
Yankees had destroyed all his property but one sheep, which he
had killed, and was then taking to his freinds." Upon this re
port, he was delivered over by the sentinel into the keeping of
an officer. When asked what proof he could give, that he was
not deceiving, Fisher replied that, " the rebel's are preparing to
give you battle, and if you will go with me, I will convince you
of it's truth." The officer accompanied Fisher to a certain place
in view, of which was a wood. Here had been stationed, agree
able to the order of Gates, a company of Morgan's riflemen, who
were to exhibit themselves in a stealthy manner. The riflemen
wore frocks, and were easily- distinguished. "There — there,"
says Fisher, " don't you see them devils of Morgan's dodging
about among the trees ?" The movements of the American rifle
men, were indeed visible enough to the English officer. When
urged to enlist in the British service, Fisher pleaded an aversion
to a war, and declared it necessary to return home to protect his
family against the rebels. He was allowed to depart for the army
on his pleasure, and soon embraced an opportunity. A company
of British troops was sent to dislodge the riflemen, which brought
on a general engagement, and thus the spy succeeded to the
wishes of Gates. Another object of Fisher's mission was also ef
fected. The letters circulated among the Hessians, had a good
effect, and many of them deserted from the British army, either
entering the American service, or settling down as good citizens.

CAPTURE OF A TORY. 277

CAPTURE OF A TORY.

George Cuck, a notorious tory, who was engaged with the
enemy at Oriskany, and in their attack upon Cherry Valley, en
tered the valley of the Mohawk, in the spring of 1779, to secure
the scalps of Captain James Gardinier, and Lieut. Quackenboss,
two efficient whigs, for which the enemy had offered a large
bounty. He was concealed in the house of one Van Zuyler, a
tory friend, who lived in the town of Glen. This Van Zuyler had
three daughters, of whom certain whigs became enamoured. One
of these, James Cromwell, on one occasion, went over to pay his
devotion to the charms of his Dulcinea, and accompanied her to
the sugar bush, to assist her in the annual labor of boiling the
sap of the maple for sugar. While here a mutual interchange of
confidence took place, and among other things, the young lady
confided to her lover, the secret, that the tory Cuck, was concealed
in her father's house, and was always secreted nnder the floor
when there were any visitors. Cromwell received this informa
tion with astonishment, and in a very little while made an excuse
for departing. He hurried to Captain Gardinier and communi
cated this intelligence. That very night a dozen of whigs were
assembled, and the charge of capturing the tory entrusted to
Lieut. Quackenboss. As Cuck was a desperado, and a terror to
the whole neighborhood, Quackenboss was instructed to capture
or kill him at all hazards.
The party set forward with alacrity. When they were within
a quarter of a mile of the house, they halted, and Quackenboss
in a brief and spirited speech, informed them of the object of
the expedition, and he concluded by stating, that as Cuck was a

278 CAPTURE OF A TORY.
bold and desperate fellow, and doubtless well armed, some of
them would probably fall beneath his hand. He, therefore, only,
wanted volunteers to accompany him, and all who did not wish
to engage in so desperate and enterprise were at liberty to re
turn. The whole party without exception, declared their readi
ness to accompany their leader. The plan for proceeding was
now determined on. It was agreed the party should separate
and approach the house in different directions, so as not to excite
suspicion. Quackenboss and three others approached the house
from the front, and as they did so, they were greeted with the
yelping of the watch-dog, which caused the opening of a little
slide for observation, by a member of the family; but seeing only
four persons, the inmates supposed they were sugar makers. On
reaching the door, and finding it fastened, the soldiers burst it
open, and rushed into the house, much to the surprise and confu
sion of the family. " What do you want here ?" demanded Van
Zuyler. " Tne tory George Cuck," was the reply. Van Zuyler
said he was not in the house, but the assailants proceeded to the
search. The other parties had now entered. There was a dark
stairway leading to an upper room in which it was thought the
object of their search might be concealed. As one of the party
was about ascending the stairs, Quackenboss drew a large chest
from the wall, when suddenly out sprang Cuck, from a hole in
the floor, discharging a pistol at the party, but at the same mo
ment a bullet from the wary lieutenant entered his head, and he
pitched forward upon the floor. The suddenness of his appear
ance had completely paralised most of the party, and the one who
was ascending the stairs, was so startled by the sudden and rapid
firing, that he came near tumbling back to the ground. Cuck was
not yet dead, and one of the party placed the muzzle of his gun

CAPTAIN HUDDY. 279
to his head, and blew his brains out. Thus fell the man who had
imbrued his hands in the blood of his neighbors and countrymen.
Had not the party divided into separate squads and obtained en
trance into the house before their object was known, his capture
would doubtless have been only obtained at a great loss, for he
was thoroughly prepared for a desperate resistance. As it was
the rapidity only with which the work was done saved many valu
able lives.*

CAPTAIN HUDDY.
Among those whose active zeal, and daring deeds made them
objects of terror to the enemy, was Captain Joshua Huddy, who
figured conspicuously in various encounters in Monmouth county,
and otner parts of New Jersey. His dwelling was situated at
Colt's Neck, about five miles from Freehold. Here in the sum
mer of 1780, he was attacked by a party of about sixty refugees
commanded by one Tye, or Col. Tye as he was commonly called,
who was a mulatto, and a daring fellow. He usually commanded
a mongrel crew of negroes and tories, and was much feared
through that section of the country. He is represented to have
been a brave and an honorable man, and was far more respected
as an enemy, than many of his brethren of a fairer complexion.
On the occasion of this attack, Huddy had no other assistance but
a young servant girl, but with his weak aid, he managed to de-
fond the house for some length of time against the assailants.
* " History of Schoharie Coiiuty,

280 CAPTAIN HUDDY.
Several muskets had fortunately been left in the house by the
guard, generally stationed there, but at this time absent. These
the girl loaded, while Huddy, by appearing at different windows,
and discharging them, gave the impression that there were many
defenders. He wounded several, and while Tye, their leader, was
setting fire to the house, he shot him in the neck. Tye afterwards
died of lockjaw occasioned by this wound. The flames now be
gan to increase so rapidly, that all hopes of maintaining the build
ing against the foes were at an end, and Huddy agreed to sur
render, provided they would extinguish the fire.
When the enemy entered the building, they were much exas
perated at the feebleness of its defenders, and were only restrained
by their leader from butchering them on the spot. The militia
now collecting, they were obliged to retreat, carrying Huddy with
them. Their boats were stationed near Black Point, between
Shrewsbury and Nivisink rivers, which they reached with all pos
sible speed. As they pushed off from the shore, Huddy jumped
overboard, and was shot in the thigh, as was supposed by the mi
litia, then in close pursuit. He held up one of his hands toward
them, exclaiming, " I am Huddy ! I am Huddy /" swam to the
shore, and escaped.
In March, 1782, about two years after the above incident,
Huddy commanded a block house at Tom's river, which was at
tacked by a party of refugees from New York, and taken, after
the ammunition was expended, and no alternative but surrender
left. After the little brave garrison was in the power of the
enemy, they deliberately murdered five men, even while they
were asking for quarters. The prisoners were carried to New'
York, from which place Hftddy was taken on board of a guard
ship, heavily ironed, and thrown into the hold of the vessel. ,

COLONEL .FISHER. 281
While confined, he was informed by one of the refugees that
he was to be hanged, " for he had taken a certain Phillip White,
a refugee in Monmouth Co., cut off both his arms, broke his legs,
pulled out one of his eyes, damned him, and then bid him run."
He answered, " it is impossible I could have taken Phillip White
I being a prisoner in New York at the. time, closely confined, and
for many days before he was made prisoner." Some of his com
rades confirmed this statement. Notwithstanding this, four days
after (April 12th) he was dragged from his prison, and conveyed
by Captain Lippencott, commanding a company of sixteen refu
gees, to Gravelly Point, on the sea shore, at the foot of Neversink
hills, when he was deliberately and barbarously executed. He
made his will beneath the gallows with quiet composure, then
mounted the barrel, and met his fate with an admirable and
undisturbed firmness.
For this deliberate murder, Washington resolved upon retalia
tion, and a correspondence to this effect was opened with Sir
Henry Clinton. Capt. Lippencott was court-martialed, but was
acquitted, as it appeared that he acted under orders. The speedy
termination of the war, prevented Washington's plan of retalia
tion from being carried out.

COLONEL FISHER.
A party of Indians, some twenty in number, attacked, on one
of their incursions into the Mohawk Valley, the homestead of
Col. Fisher. They attempted to gain admittance into the house
by cutting in the door, but being fired upon from a window, they

282 COLONEL FISHER.
retreated around the corner of the house, where they were less
exposed, and were soon after joined by the main body of the
enemy, some three hundred in number. An entrance was soon
effected, but Col. Fisher and his brothers still defended the house,
and a melee followed on the stairway. On their attempting to
ascend, several balls were fired up through the floor, but without
effect. At this period the sisters escaped from the cellar kitchen,
and fled to the woods. Mrs. Fisher in attempting to follow them,
was struck down by a blow from the butt of a musket. The
ammunition of the brothers was now exhausted, and their castle
no longer tenable. Harman Fisher jumped from a back window,
with the hope of escaping by flight, but just as he was about
leaping a garden fence, the fatal bullet overtook him, and in a
moment more the tomahawk had finished the work, and his scalp
was seized upon as a trophy. As the enemy ascended the stairs,
Col. -Fisher discharged a pistol he held in his hand, and calling
for quarters, threw it behind him, in token of submission. An
Indian ran up, and struck him down with a tomahawk. He fell
upon his face, and the Indian after scalping him, inflicted with
his knife a gash in the back of the neck, and then turned him
over with the intention of cutting his throat, but his cravat pre
vented it, the knife only entering just through the skin. His
brother, Capt. Fisher, as the enemy ascended the stairs retreated
to one corner of the room, but an Indian hurled a tomahawk at
him, which brought him down, and he was then killed and
scalped. The house was then plundered and fired, and the
savages departed. In a short time the consciousness of Col.
Fisher returned. He soon discovered the dead body of his brother,
and also that the house was on fire. With great difficulty he
succeeded in dragging his brother's body from the building. At

COLONEL FISHER. 283
the door he found his mother, faint from the blow dealt on her
head, and too weak to render him any assistance. With almost
incredible exertions, weak as he was from his numerous wounds.
he succeeded in getting the body and his mother from the build
ing, and securing a bed, he dragged it from the flames to a little
distance from the house, and threw himself upon it in an utter
state of exhaustion. A negro slave belonging to one of the
neighbors, soon after arrived at the spot. He inquired of the
Colonel what he should do for him. Fisher, too weak to speak,
signified by signs his desire for water. Tom, for that was the
negro's name, hastened to procure water for the wounded man,
and while engaged in this act of kindness, a tory neighbor ap
proaching, was applied to for assistance, but who only replied,
"let the cursed rebel die." As soon as the Colonel could speak,
he directed Tom to harness a span of colts then in pasture, which,
from the fogginess of the morning, had escaped the notice of
the enemy. Tom harnessed them to a wagon, in which tho
bodies of the murdered brothers, and the Colonel and his mother
were placed, and they were driven to a place of safety. Singular
to state, the severe wounds of Col. Fisher all healed, and he lived
until 1809, when he died of a complaint in the head, caused, no
doubt, by the loss of his scalp.

284 AN ESCAPE FROM

AN ESCAPE FROM THE PRISON SHIP.
" I was one of eight hundred and fifty souls confined in the
Jersey, in the' summer of '81, and witnessed several daring at
tempts to escape. They generally ended tragically. They were
always undertaken in the night, after wrenching or filing the bars
off the port-holes. Having been on board several weeks, and
goaded to death in various ways, four of us concluded to run the
hazard. We set to work and got the bars off, and waited impia-
tiently for a dark night ; we lay in front of Mr. Remsen's door
inside of the pier head, and not more than twenty yards distant.
There were two guard sloops, one on our bow and the other off
our quarter, a short distance from us. The dark night came — the
first two were lowered quietly into the water — the third made
some rumbling. I was the fourth that descended, but had not
struck off from the vessel before the guards were alarmed, and
fired upon us. The alarm became general, and I was immedi
ately hauled on board. They manned their boats, and with their
lights and implements of death, were quick in pursuit of the
unfortunates, cursing and swearing, and bellowing and firing.
It was awful to witness this scene of blood. It lasted about one
hour — all on board trembling for our shipmates. These despe
radoes returned to their different vessels rejoicing that they killed
three d— — d rebels.
" About three years after this I saw a gentleman in John street,
near Nassau, who accosted me thus : — ' Manley, how do you do ?'
I could not recollect him. ' Is it possible you do not know me ?
recollect the old Jersey,' and he opened his vest and bared his
breastt, 1 immediately said to him, ' You are James M'Clean.'

THE PRISON SHIP. 285
' I am,' he replied. We both stepped into Marrener's public house,
at the corner, and he related his marvelous escape to me.
" ' They pursued me — I frequently dived to evade them, and
when I came up, they fired on me. I caught my breath, and im
mediately dove again, and held my breath, till I crawled along
the mud. They no doubt thought they killed me. I, however,
with much exertion, though weak and wounded, made out to
reach the shore, and got into a barn, not far from the ship, a
little north from Mr. Remsen's house. The farmer, the next
morning, came into his barn — saw me lying on the floor, and ran
out in a fright. I begged him to come to me, and he did. I
gave an account of myself—where I was from — how I was pur
sued, with several others. He saw my wounds ; took pity on
me ; sent for his wife, and bound up my wounds, and kept me
in the barn till nightfall — took me into his house — nursed me
secretly, and then furnished me with clothing, &c. ; and when I
was restored, he took me with him, into his market boat, to this
city, and went with me to the west part of the city — procured me
a passage over to Bergen, and I landed somewhere in Commum-
paw. Some friends helped me across Newark bay, and then I
worked my way, until I reached Baltimore, to the great joy of
all my friends.' "*
* Revolutionary Incidents of Long Island.

286

A DARING YOUTH.

A DARING YOUTH.
The annexed incident which occured in Freehold, N. J., evinces
an act of bravery in a mere youth, that renders it worthy of
record. " On a fine morning in May, 1780, as the family of Mr. David
Firman, sheriff of the county, were at breakfast, a soldier almost
out of breath suddenly burst into the room, and stated, that as he
and another soldier were conducting to the court-house two men,
taken up on suspicion at Colt's Neck, they had knocked down
his comrade, seized his musket, and escaped. The sheriff, on
hearing this relation, immediately mounted his horse, and gal
loped to the court-house to alarm the guard. His son Tunis, a
lad of about seventeen, and small of his age, seized a muskst,
loaded only with small shot to kill blackbirds in the cornfields,
and putting on a cartridge-box, despatched his brother Samuel
up stairs for the bayonet, and then, without waiting for it, hurried
off alone in the pursuit.
" After running in a westerly direction about a mile, he dis
covered the men sitting on a fence, who, on perceiving him, ran
into a swamp. As the morning was warm, he hastily pulled off
his coat and shoes, and darted in after them, keeping close_ upon
them for over a mile, when they got out of the swamp, and each
climbed into separate trees. As he came up, they discharged at
him the musket taken from the guard. The ball whistled over
his head. He felt for his bayonet, and, at that moment, perceived
that, in his haste, it was left behind. He then pointed his gun
at the man with the musket, but deemed it impnident to fire, re
flecting, even if he killed him, his comrade could easily master

A DARING YOUTH. 287
such a stripling as himself. He compelled the man to throw
down the musket, by threatening him with death if he did not
instantly comply. Then, loading the fuzee from his cartridge-box,
he forced his prisoners down from the trees, and, armed with his
two loaded muskets, he drove them toward the court-house, care
ful, however, to keep them far apart, to prevent conversation.
Passing by a spring, they requested permission to drink.
" ' No !' replied the untenified boy, understanding their design.
' You can do as well without it as myself ; you shall have some
by-and-by.' " Soon after, his father, at the head of a party of soldiers in
the pursuit, galloped past in the road within a short distance.
Tunis hallooed, but the clattering of their horse's hoofs drowned
his voice. At length he reached the village, and lodged his pris
oners in the county prison.
" It was subsequently discovered that these men were brothers,
from near Philadelphia, that they had robbed and murdered a
Mr. Boyd, a collector of taxes in Chester county, and, when taken,
were on their way to join the British. As they had been appre
hended on suspicions merely of beng refugees, no definite charge
could be brought against them. A few days , after, sheriff Fir
man saw an advertisement in a Philadelphia paper, describing
them, with the facts above mentioned, and a reward of $20,000
(Continental money) offered for their, apprehension. He, accom
panied by his son, took them on there, where they were tried and
executed. On entering Philadelphia, young Tunis was carried
through the streets in triumph upon the shoulders of the military.
In the latter part of the war, this young man became very active,
and was the particular favorite of Gen. David Forman "

288 CRUELTY OF THE TORIES.

CRUELTY OF THE TORIES.
Many stories are told of the comparative kindness and cruelty
of the Indians and Tories in the Border Wars of the Revolution.
The following incidents, from " Stone's Border Warfare of New
York," will show that the white man often excelled in cruelty, his
Indian ally. The Captain Brant spoken of, was the renowned
Joseph Brant, or Thayendanega, the great leader of the Six Na
tions, and an object of terror to the western frontier of the. State
of New York. He frequently was called " a monster."
"A lad in Schoharie county, named William M'Kown, while
engaged in raking hay alone in a meadow, happening to turn
round, perceived an Indian very near him. Startled at hia peril
ous situation, he raised his rake for defence, but his fears were
instantly dissipated by the savage, who said, ' Do not be afraid,
young man ; I shall not hurt you.' He then inquired of the
youth for the residence of a loyalist named Foster. The lad gave
him the" proper direction, and inquired of the Indian whether he
knew Mr. Foster ? ' I am partially acquainted with him,' was the
reply, ' having once seen him at the Half-way Creek.' The In
dian then inquired the lad's name, and having been informed,
he added — ' You are a son of Captain M'Kown, who lives in the
northeast part of the town, I suppose : I know your father verj
well : he lives neighbor to Captain M'Kean : I know M'Kean
very well, and a very fine fellow he is, too.' Emboldened by the
familiar discourse of the Indian, the lad ventured to ask his name
in turn. Hesitating for a moment, his rather unwelcome visitor
replied : — ' My name is Brant !' ' What ! Captain Brant ?' eager-

CRUELTY OF THE TORIES. 289
ly demanded the youth. ' No : I am a cousin of his,' was the
rejoinder ; but accompanied by a smile and a look that plainly
disclosed the transparent deception. It was none other than the
terrible Thayendanegea himself."
On the other hand, the following tragic circumstance sustains
the assertion that the Tories were oftentimes more cruel than their
savage associates. While parties of Indians and Tories were
prowling about the borders of Schoharie, the Indians killed and
scalped a mother, and a large family of children.
" They had just completed the work of death, when some loy
alists of the party came up, and discovered an infant breathing
sweetly in its cradle. An Indian warrior, noted for his barbarity,
approached the cradle with his uplifted hatchet. The babe looked
up in his face, and smiled ; the feelings of nature triumphed
over the ferocity of the savage ; the hatchet fell with his arm,
and he was about stooping down to take the innocent in his
arms, when one of the loyalists, cursing him for his humanity,
thrust it through with his bayonet, and, thus transfixed, held it
up, struggling in the agonies of death, as he exclaimed — ' this,
too, is a rebel !' "
Here is another instance which proves that the Indian was
often superior to his white companion in warfare, in magnanimity
and generosity. Just after the invasion of Schoharie county by
Brant, when the enemy had departed, a crowd of inhabitants were
gathered about Fort Hunter, each with a tale of sorrow and grief.
Among them was a young woman whose grief was of the most
poignant kind. She had lost her husband, an infant, and several
other members of the family were dead, or prisoners. Presently
a young Indian came upon the scene, with a letter in his hand,
addressed " to the commanding officer of the rebel army," and

290 AFFECTING SCENES.
bearing an infant in his arms. The letter was opened and read
as follows : —
" Sir — I send you by one of my runners, the child which he
will deliver, that you may know that whatever others may dg, /
do not make war upon innocent children, I am sorry to say I have
those engaged with me in the service, who are more savage than
the savages themselves."
This was signed by Brant. The infant was found to belong to
the disconsolate mother, and to her overwhelmning joy was re
stored to her bosom.

AFFECTING SCENES.
In the massacre of Cherry Valley, a Mr. Mitchell, while at work
in a field, beheld a party of Indians approaching his house. He
sprang forward in order to reach it, and protect his family, but the
Indians reached it before him, and he was obliged to flee to the
wood. Although pursued, he evaded his enemies and escaped.
Upon returning, a terrible spectacle presented itself — it was the
charred and burnt timbers of his house, and in the midst of the
ruin, the bodies of his wife and four children. He flew to their
sides, and upon examination, found life remaining in one of his
children, a little girl of twelve years of age. He raised her up
with the hope of restoring her, when he beheld another party of
the enemy approaching. He scarcely had time to hide himself
behind a log fence, before they were at the house. From his
hiding place he had the inexpressible anguish to witness an infa-

AFFECTING SCENES. 291
mous Tory, by the name of Newbury, extinguish the little spark
of life remaining in his child, by a brutal "blow from his hatchet.
The next day unaided, he carried their bodies on a sled to the
fort, and there the soldiers assisted him in the melancholy task
of their burial. All that was left of those but a clay before gath
ered around him in happiness and peace, were consigned to one
common grave, and he stood alone, bereft of every joy for which
he had lived and hoped. But retributive justice is not always si
lent. Newbury, who had so fiendishly robbed him of his only
living child, was afterwards arrested as a spy, and by the evidence
of Mr. Mitchell, was condemned and executed.
About the same time of the murder of Mr. Mitchell's family,
Mrs. Clyde, wife of Col. Clyde, on the approach of the Indians,
collected together her children, and fled to the woods. That en
tire day, and all the succeeding night, she lay concealed under a
log, with her children, and one of them an infant, gathered around
her, with a pitiless storm of snow and rain chilling them to the
bones, and the frightful yells of the savages, and the shrieks of
the murdered inhabitants, falling fearfully upon their ears. Par
ties of the savages passed by where she lay, and one so near that
the butt of his gun trailed upon the log as he passed. At last a
party from the fort, at the intercession of her husband, sallied out
to her rescue, and brought them into the fort drenched with rain.
and stiffened with cold. Mrs. Clyde had been unaccompanied by
her eldest daughter, about ten years of age, and she supposed her
to be safe in the fort, but when she arrived there, she learned that
the little girl had not been seen. She was afterwards discovered.
When fleeing from the house, she had escaped to the woods alone,
and had remained concealed all this while, thinly clad, and thus

292 A -STORY OF A DOG.
greatly exposed to the severity of the weather, and racked with
momentary apprehensions of death.*

A STORY OF A DOG.
In 1778. just after the raising of the siege of Fort Stanwix, in
the Mohawk Valley, the following occurrence took place. Cap
tain Gregg, and a corporal were out shooting during the day,
when as evening drew near, they prepared to return to the fort,
as parties of Indians were sometimes prowling about. But a flock
of pigeons alighting near them, they were about to fire upon
them, when two shots were heard, and Gregg saw his companion
fall dead, while he felt a wound in his side, which so weakened
him that he speedily fell. Two Indians immediately appeared
from a thicket and approached them. Gregg at once saw that
his only hope was to feign death. One of the savages struck him
in the head with his hatchet, and then with his knife cut a circle
around his crown, and with his teeth drew off his scalp. The In
dians now withdrew, and soon as they were fairly gone, Gregg,
although suffering terribly from his wounds in his side and head
resolved to endeavor to reach his companion, from a belief that
if he could place his head on the corporal's body, his anguish from
the wound in his head would be essayed. He, therefore, made
an effort to rise, but he had no sooner got to his feet, than he fell
heavily. Not despairing, he essayed again, but with the same
result. The third time he so far succeeded, as to be enabled to

Campbell's Annals of Tyron County.

A STORY OF A DOG. 293
stagger slowly to the spot where the corporal lay. He found his
companion lifeless and scalped. He placed his head upon his
bloody body, and as he had hoped, this position afforded him some
relief. But the comfort of this position was destroyed by the annoy
ances of a small dog, which had accompanied him in his expedi
tion, who now came up to him in great agony, leaping, yelping,
and whining around his master, whom he annoyed by his great
distress. Wearied with his efforts to force the dog from him,
he exclaimed involuntarily, " if you wish so rnuch to help me, go
and call some one to my relief." To his surprise, the dog imme
diately bounded off through the forest at his utmost speed.
The dog made his way to where three men were fishing, about
a mile from the scene where the tragedy was enacted, and as he
came up to them, began to cry and whine, and endeavoring to
attract their attention by bounding off into the woods, returning,
and urging them to follow him. These extraordinary actions of
the dog convinced the men that there was some unusual cause,
and they resolved to follow him. They proceeded for some dis
tance, and finding nothing, while darkness was already settled
around, making the forest exceedingly dangerous, they deter
mined to return. But no sooner did they attempt to retrace their
steps, than the dog began to cry out with his utmost violence,
caught hold of their coats with his teeth, and endeavored to force
them to follow. As they continued to return, the violence of the
dog increased, until the men astonished at the pertinacity of his
manner, concluaed to go with him. Presently, they came to
where Gregg was lying, whom they found still living. They bur
ied tho corporal, and carried the captain into the fort. Astonishing

294 DICEY LANGSTON.
as it may seem, the wounds of Gregg, severe as they were, healed
up, and he recovered his perfect health.

DICEY LANGSTON.
" Dicey Langston, was the daughter of Solomon Langston, of
Laurens district, South Carolina. She possessed an intrepid spirit,
which is highly serviceable in times of emergency, and which, as
she lived in the days of the Revolution, she had more than one
opportunity to display. Situated in the midst of tories, and being
patriotically inquisitive, she often learned by accident, or discov
ered by strategy, the plottings so common in those days, against
the whigs. Such intelligence she was accustomed to communi
cate to the friends of freedom on the opposite side of the Ennoree
river. " Learning one time that a band of loyalists — known in those
parts as the ' Bloody scout' — were about to fall upon the ' Elder
settlement,' a place where a brother of hers and other friends
were residing, she resolved to warn them of their danger. To do
this, she must hazard her own life. But off she started, alone, in
the darkness of the night ; travelled several miles through the
woods, and over marshes and across creeks, through a country
where foot-logs and bridges were then unknown ; came to the
Tyger, a rapid and deep stream, into which she plunged and
waded till the water was up to her neck ; she then became be
wildered, and zigzagged the channel for some time ; reached the
opposite shore at length — for a helping Hand was beneath, a
kind Providence guiding her : — hastened on ; reached the settle
ment, and her brother and the whole community were safe !

DICEY LANGSTON. 295
" She was returning one day from another settlement of whigs
— in the Spartanburg district, when a company of tories met her
and questioned her in regard to the neighborhood she had just
left; but she refused to communicate the desired information.
The leader of the band then held a pistol to her breast, and threat
ened to shoot her if she did not make the wished for disclosure.
" ' Shoot me if you dare ! I will not tell you !' was her daunt
less reply, as she opened a long handkerchief that covered her
neck and bosom, thus manifesting a willingness to receive the
contents of the pistol, if the officer insisted on disclosures or life.
The dastard, enraged at her defying movement, was in the act
of firing, at which moment one of the soldiers threw up the hand
holding the weapon, and the cowerless heart of the girl was per
mitted to beat on.
" The brothers of Dicey were no less patriotic than she ; and
they having, by their active services on the side of freedom, greatly
displeased the loyalists, these latter were determined to be re
venged. A desperate band accordingly went to the house of their
father, and finding the sons absent, they were about to wreak
their vengeance on the old man, whom they hated for the sons'
sake. With this intent one of the party drew a pistol ; but just
as it was aimed at the breast of her aged and infirm father, Dicey
rushed between the two, and though the ruffian bade her get
out of his way or receive in her own breast the contents of the
pistol, she regarded not his threats, but flung her arms around
her father's neck and declared she would receive the ball first, if
the weapon must be discharged. Such fearlessness and willing
ness to offer her own life for the sake of her parent, softened the
heart of the ' bloody scout,' and Mr. Langston lived to see his
noble daughter perform other heroic deeds.'

296 WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS.
" One time her brother James, in his absence, sent to the house
for a gun which he had left in her care, with orders for her to de
liver it to no one except by his direction. On reaching the house
one of the company who were directed to call for it, made known
their errand, whereupon she brought and was about to deliver the
weapon. At this moment it occurred to her that she had not de
manded the countersign agreed on between herself and brother.
With the gun still in her hand, she looked the company sternly
in the face, and remarking that they wore a • suspicious look,
called for the countersign. Hereupon one of them, in jest, told
her she was too tardy in her requirements ; that both the gun
and its holder were in their possession.
" ' Do you think so,' she boldly asked, as she cocked the dis
puted weapon and aimed it at the speaker. ' If the gun is in
your possession,' she added, ' take charge of it !' Her appearance
indicated that she was in earnest, and the countersign was given
without further delay. A hearty laugh on the part of the ' liberty
men,' ended the ceremony."

WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM- INDIANS.
James Morgan, a native of Maryland, married at an early age,
and soon after settled himself near Bryant's station, in the wilds
of Kentucky. Like most pioneers of the west, he had cut down
the cane, built a cabin, deadened the timber, enclosed a field with
a worm fence, and planted some corn.
It was on the fifteenth day of August, 1782 ; — the sun had
descended ; a pleasant breeze was playing through the sun-ound-

WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS. 297
ing wood ; the tall cane bowed under its influence, and the broad
green leaves of the corn waved in the air ; Morgan had seated
himself in the door of his cabin, with his infant on his knee ; his
young and happy wife had laid aside her spinning-wheel, and was
busily engaged in preparing the frugal meal. That afternoon
Morgan had accidentally found a bundle of letters, which he had
finished reading to his wife before he had taken his seat in the
door. It was a correspondence in which they had acknowledged
an early and ardent attachment for each other, and the perusal
left evident traces of joy on the countenance of both ; the little
infant, too, seemed to partake of its parents' feelings by its cherub
smiles, its playful humor, and infantile caresses. While thus
agreeably employed, the report of a rifle was heard, another, and
another, followed in quick succession. Morgan sprang to his feet,
his wife ran to the door, and they simultaneously exclaimed " In •
uians !"
The door was immediately barred, and the next moment all
their fears were realized, by a bold and spirited attack of a small
party of Indians. The cabin could not be successfully defended,
and time was precious. Morgan, cool, brave, and prompt, soon
decided. While he was in the act of concealing his wife under
the floor, a mother's feelings overcame her — she arose — seized her
infant, but was afraid that its cries would betray her place of con
cealment. She hesitated — gazed silently upon it — a momentary
struggle between affection and duty took place. She once more
pressed her child to her agitated bosom ; again and again kissed
it with impassioned tenderness. The infant, alarmed at the pro
fusion of tears that fell upon its cheek, looked up in its mother's
face, threw its little arms around her neck, and wept aloud. " In
the name of Heaven, Eliza, release the child, or we shall be lost,"

298 WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS.
said the distracted husband, in a soft imploring tone of voice, as
he forced the infant from his wife ; hastily took up his gun, knife
and hatchet ; ran up the ladder that led to the garret, and drew
it after him. In a moment the door was burst open, and the sa
vages entered.
By this time, Morgan had secured his child in a bag, and lash
ed it to his back ; then throwing off some clapboards from the
roof of his cabin, resolutely leaped to the ground. He was in
stantly assailed by two Indians. As the first approached, he
knocked him down with the butt end of his gun. The other ad
vanced with uplifted tomahawk ; Morgan let fall his gun and
" closed in." The savage made a blow — missed aim, but severed
the cord that bound the infant on his back, and it fell. The con
test over the child now became warm and fierce, and was carried
on with knives only. The robust and athletic Morgan, at length
got the ascendancy. Both were badly cut, and bled freely, but
the stabs of the white man were better aimed, and deeper, and
the savage soon sunk to the earth in death. Morgan hastily took
up his child and gun, and hurried off.
The Indians in the house, busily engaged in drinking and plun
dering, were not apprized of the contest in the yard, until the one
that had been knocked down gave signs of returning life, and call
ed them to the scene of action. Morgan was discovered, imme
diately pursued, and a dog put on his trail. Operated upon by
all the feelings of a husband and a father, he moved on with the
speed of a hunted stag, and soon outstnpped the Indians, but the
dog kept in close pursuit. Finding it impossible to outrun or
elude the cunning animal, trained to hunts of this kind, he halted
and waited until it came within a few yards of him, fired and
brought him down — reloaded his gun, and again pushed forward.

WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS. 299
In a short time he reached the house of his brother, who resided
between Bryant's station and Lexington, where he left the child,
and the two brothers immediately set out for his dwelling. As
they approached the clearing, a light broke upon his view — his
speed quickened, his fears increased, and the most agonizing ap
prehensions crowded upon his mind. He emerged from the cane-
brake — beheld his house in flames, and almost burnt to the
ground. " My Wife !" he exclaimed, as he pressed one hand to
his forehead, and grasped the fence with the other, to support his
tottering frame. He gazed for some time on the ruin and deso
lation before him, advanced a few steps, and sunk exhausted to
the earth.
Morning came — the bright luminary of Heaven arose — and
still found him seated near the almost expiring embers. In his
right hand he held a small stick, with which he was tracing the
name of " Eliza," on the ground — his left was thrown over his
favorite dog, that lay by his side, looking first on the ruin, and
then on his master, with evident signs of grief. Morgan arose.
The two brothers now made a search, and found some bones al
most burned to ashes, which they carefully gathered, and silently
consigned to their mother earth, beneath the wide-spread branches
of a venerable oak, consecrated by the purest and holiest recollec
tions. Several days after this, Morgan was engaged in a desperate
battle at the lower Blue Licks. The Indians came off victors, and
the surviving whites retreated across the Licking, but were pur
sued by the enemy for a distance of six-and-thirty miles.
James Morgan was among the last that crossed the river, and
was in the rear until the hill was descended. As soon as he be
held the Indians re-appear on the ridge, he felt anew his wrongs,

300 WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS.
and recollected the lovely object of his early affections. He
urged on his horse and pressed to the front. While in the aet of
leaping from his saddle, he received a rifle ball in his thigh, and
fell ; an Indian sprang upon him, seized him by the hair, and
applied the scalping-knife. At this moment Morgan cast his eyes
upward and recognized the handkerchief that bound the head of
the savage, and which he knew to be his, wife's. This added re
newed strength to his body, and increased activity to his fury.
He quickly threw his left arm around the Indian, and with a
death-like grasp, hugged him to his bosom, plunged his knife into
his side, and he expired in his arms. Releasing himself from the
savage, Morgan crawled under a small oak, on an elevated piece
of ground, a short distance from him. The scene of action shift
ed, and he remained undiscovered and unscalped, an anxious
spectator of the battle.
It was now midnight. The savage band after taking all the
scalps they could find, left the battle-ground. Morgan was seated
at the foot of the oak, its trunk supported his head. The rugged
and uneven ground that surrounded him was covered with the
slain ; the once white and projecting rocks, bleached with the
rain and sun of centuries, were crimsoned with the blood that had
warmed the heart and animated the bosom of the patriot and the
soldier. The pale glimmering of the moon, occasionally threw a
faint light upon the mangled bodies of the dead, then a passing
cloud enveloped all in darkness, and gave additional horror to the
feeble cries of a few still lingering in the last agonies of protracted
death, rendered doubly appalling the coarse growl of the bear, the
loud howl of the wolf, the shrill and varied notes of the wild cat,
and the panther, feeding on the dead and dying. Morgan beheld

WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM INDIANS. 301
the scene with heart-rending sensations, and looked forward with
the apathy of despair, to his own end.
A large and ferocious looking bear, covered with blood, now
approached him ; he threw himself on the ground — silently com
mended his soul to Heaven and in breathless anxiety awaited his
fate. The satiated animal slowly passed on without noticing him.
Morgan raised his head — was about offering thanks for his unex
pected preservation, when the cry of a pack of wolves opened
uppn him, and again awakened him to a sense of his danger. He
placed his hands over his eyes — fell on his face, and in silent
agony awaited his fate. He now heard a rustling in the bushes
— steps approached — a cold chill ran over him. — Imagination —
creative, busy imagination, was actively employed ; death — the
most horrible death, awaited him — his limbs would, in all proba
bility, be torn from his body, and he be devoured alive. He felt
a touch — the vital spark was almost extinguished — another touch
more violent than the first, and he was turned over — the cold
sweat ran down in torrents — his hands were violently forced from
his face — the moon passed from under a cloud — a faint ray beam
ed upon him — his eyes involuntarily opened and he beheld his
wife, who, in scarce audible voice, exclaimed, " My husband ! —
my husband /" and fell upon his bosom.
Morgan now learned from his wife, that after the Indians had
entered the house, they found some spirits and drank freely ; an
altercation soon took place — one of them received a mortal stab
and fell ; his blood ran through the floor on her. Believing it
to be the blood of her husband, she shrieked aloud, and betrayed
her place of concealment. She was immediately taken and bound.
The party, after setting fire to the. house, proceeded to Bryant's
station. On the day of the battle of the Blue Licks, a horse, with

302 A PATRIOTIC GIRL.
saddle and bridle, rushed by her, which she knew to be her hus
band's. During the action, the prisoners were left unguarded —
made their escape, and lay concealed beneath some bushes under
the bank of the river. After the Indians had returned from the
pursuit, and left the battle-ground, she, with some other persons
that had escaped with her, determined to make a search for their
friends, and if on the field, and living, to save them if possible
from the beasts of prey. After searching for some time, and
almost despairing of success, she fortunately discovered him.
The party of Colonel Logan found Morgan and his wife, and
restored them to their FRiENns, their infant, and their home.

A PATRIOTIC GIRL.
We find the following incident in the first volume of American
Anecdotes, " original and select." The young heroine of the ad
venture, afterwards married a rich planter, named Therwits, who
lived on the Congaree.
" At the time General Greene retreated before Lord Rawdon
from Ninety-Six, when he had passed Broad river, he was very de
sirous to send an order to General Sumter, who was on the Wa-
teree, to join him, that they might attack Rawdon, who had
divided his force. But the General could find no man in that
part of the state who was bold enough to undertake so dangerous
a mission. The country to be passed through for many miles
was full of blood-thirsty tories, who on every occasion that offered,
imbrued their hands in the blood of the whigs. At length Emily
Geiger presented herself to General Greene, and proposed to act

A PATRIOTIC GIRL. 303
as his messenger : and the General, both surprised and delighted,
closed with her proposal. He accordingly wrote a letter and de
livered it, and at the same time communicated the contents of it
verbally, to be told to Sumter in case of accidents.
" Emily was young, but as to her person or adventures on the
way, we have no further information, except thft she was mounted
on horseback, upon a side-saddle, and on the second day of her
journey she was intercepted by Lord Rawdon's scouts. Coming
from the direction of Greene's army, and not being able to tell an
untruth without blushing, Emily was suspected and confined to
a room ; and as the officer in command had the modesty not to
search her at the time, he sent for an old tory matron as more fit
ting for that purpose. Emily was not wanting in expedient, and
as soon as the door was closed and the bustle a little subsided,
she ate up the letter, piece by piece. After a while the matron
arrived, and upon searching carefully, nothing was to be found of
a suspicious nature about the prisoner, and she would disclose
nothing. Suspicion being thus allayed, the officer commanding
the scouts, suffered Emily to depart wither she said she was
bound ; but she took a route somewhat circuitous to avoid further
detention, and soon after struck into the road, to Sumter's camp,
where she arrived in safety. Emily told her adventure, and de.
livered Greene's verbal message to Sumter, who, in consequence,
soon after joined the main army at Orangeburg."

304 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
Thomas McCalla, lived in Chester district, South Carolina;
during the latter part of the revolution. He was frequently in
engagements, and in 1780, he fell into the hands of the enemy,
was thrown into the jail at Camden, and threatened daily with
hanging. The efforts of his wife to obtain his release, are de
tailed in the following manner, by Mrs. Ellett.
While this brave man was languishing in prison, expecting
death from day to day, his wife remained in the most unhappy
state of suspense. For about a month she was unable to obtain
any tidings of him. The rumor of Sumter's surprise, and that of
Steel, came to her ears ; she visited the places where those disas
ters had occurred, and sought for some trace of him, but without
success. She inquired, in an agony of anxiety, of the women who
had been to Charlotte, for the purpose of carrying clothes or pro
visions to their husbands, brothers, or fathers, not knowing but
that he had gone thither with the soldiers ; but none could give
her the least information. Imagination may depict the harrowing
scenes that must have passed, when females returning to their
homes and children after can-ying aid to the soldiers, were met
by such inquiries from those who were uncertain as to the fate of
their kindred. To these hapless sufferers no consolation availed,
and too often was their suspense terminated by more afflicting
certainty. In the midst of Mrs. McCalla's distress, and before she had
gained any information, she was called to another claim on her
anxiety ; her children took the small-pox. John was very ill for
nine days with the disease, and his mother thought every day

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT - c505
would be his last. During this terrible season of alarm, while her
mind was distracted by cares, she had to depend altogether /ipon
herself, for she saw but one among her neighbors. All the fami
lies in the vicinity were visited with tho disease, and to many it
proved fatal. As soon as her child was so far recovered as to be
considered out of danger, Mrs. McCalla made preparations to go
to Camden. She felt convinced that it was her duty to do so, for
she clung to the hope that she might there learn something of
her husband, or even find him among the prisoners.
With her to resolve was to act, and having set her house in or
der, she was in the saddle long before day, taking the old Charles
ton road leading down on the west side of the Catawba river.
The mountain gap on Wateree creek was passed ere the sun rose,
and by two o'clock she had crossed the river, passing the guard
there stationed, and entered Camden. Pressing on with fearless
determination, she passed the guard, and desiring to be conducted
to the presence of Lord Rawdon, was escorted by Major Doyle to
the head-quarters of that commander. His Lordship then occu- •
pied a large, ancient looking house on the east side of the main
street. The old site of the town is now in part deserted, and that
building left standing alone some four hundred yards from any
other, as if the memories associated with it had rendered , the
neighborhood undesirable. It was here that haughty and luxu
rious nobleman fixed his temporary residence, " sitting as a mon
arch," while so "many true unfortunates, whose fate hung on his
will, were languishing out their lives in prison, or atoning for
their patriotism on the scaffold.
Into the presence of this august -personage, Mrs. McCalla was
conducted by the British major. Her impression at first sight
was favorable ; he was a fine looking young man, with a counte-

306 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
nance not uupreposessing, which we may suppose was eagerly
searched for the traces of human sympathy by one who felt that
all her hopes depended on him. His aspect gave her some en
couragement, and being desired to explain the object of her visit,
she pleaded her cause with the eloquence of nature and feeling ;
making known the distressed situation of her family at home, the
fearful anxiety of mind she had suffered on account of the pro
longed absence of her husband and the ignorance of his fate, and
her children's urgent need of his care and protection. From Ma
jor Doyle she had at length learned that he was held a prisoner
by his lordship's orders. She had come, therefore, to entreat
mercy for him ; to pray that he might be released and permitted
to go home with her. This appeal to compassion she made with
all the address in her power, nor was the untaught language of
distress wanting in power to excite pity in any feeling heart.
Lord Rawdon heard her to the end. His reply was character
istic. " I would rather hang such  rebels than eat my break
fast." This insulting speech was addressed to his suppliant while
her eyes were fixed on him in the agony of her entreaty, and the
tears were streaming down her cheeks. His words dried up the
fountain at once, and the spirit of the American .matron was
roused. "Would you?" was her answer, while she turned on him a
look of the deepest scorn. A moment after, with a struggle to
control her feelings, for she well knew how much depended on
that — she said, " I crave of your lordship permission to see my
husband." The haughty chief felt the look of scorn his cruel language had
called up in her face, for his own conscience bore testimony against
him, but pride forbade his yielding to the dictates of better feel-

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 307
ing. " You should consider madam," he answered, " in whose
presence you now stand. Your husband is a rebel  "
Mrs. McCalla was about to reply — but her companion, the Ma
jor, gave her a look warning her to be silent, and in truth the
words that sprang to her lips would have ill pleased the Briton.
Doyle now interposed, and requested his lordship' to step aside
with him for a moment. They left the apartment, and shortly af
terwards returned. Rawdon then said to his visitor, with a stately
coldness that precluded all hope of softening his determination :
" Major Doyle, madam, has my permission to let you go into the
prison. You may continue in the prison ten minutes only, Ma
jor, you have my orders." So saying, he. bowed politely both to
her and the officer, as intimating that the business was ended, and
they were dismissed. They accordingly quitted the room.
The sight of the prison-pen almost overcame the fortitude of
the resolute wife. An enclosure like that constructed for animals,
guarded by soldiers, was the habitation of the unfortunate pris
oners, who sate within on the bare earth, many of them suffering
with the prevalent distemper, and stretched helpless on the ground,
with no shelter from the burning sun of September. " Is it pos
sible," cried the matron, turning to Doyle, " that you shut up men
in this manner, as you would^a parcel of hogs !" She was then
admitted into the jail, and welcome indeed was the sight of her
familiar face to McCalla. The time allotted for the interview was
too short to be wasted in condolement or complaint ; she told
him she must depart in a few minutes, informed him of the state
of his family — inquired carefully what were his wants, and prom
ised speedy relief. Wheji the ten minutes had expired, she again
shook hands with him, assuring him she would shortly return
with clothes for his use, and what provisions she could bring,

308 . TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
then turning walked away with a firm step, stopping to shake
hands with young John Adair and the other captives with whom
she was acquainted. The word of encouragement was not want
ing, and as she bade the prisoners adieu, she said : " Have no
fear ; the women are doing their part of the service." " I admire
your spirit, madam," Doyle observed to her, " but must request
you to be a little more cautious."
Mrs. McCalla was furnished by the Major with a pass, which
she showed to the officer on duty as she passed the guard on her
return, and to the officer at the ferry. She rode with all speed
and was at home before midnight ; having had less than twenty-
four hours for the accomplishment of her whole enterprise ; in
that time riding one hundred miles, crossing the river twice, and
passing the guard four times — visiting her husband, and having
the interview with Lord Rawdon, in which probably for the first
time in his life he felt uneasiness from a woman's rebuke. It
convinced him that even in the breast of woman a spirit of inde
pendence might dwell, which no oppression could subdue, and
before which brute force must quail, as something of superior
nature. How must the unexpected outbreaking of this spirit,
from time to time, have dismayed those who imagined it was
crushed forever throughout the conquered province !
It is proper to say that Mrs. McCalla met with kinder treat
ment from the other British offieers to whom she had occasion to
apply at this time, for they were favorably impressed by the
courage and strength of affection evinced by her. Even the sol
diers, as she passed them, paid her marks of respect. The tories
alone showed no sympathy nor pity for her trials ; it being con
stantly observed that there was deeper hostility towards the whigs

¦»jj

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 309
on the part of their countrymen of different politics, than those
of English birth.
Mrs. McCalla began her work immediately after her arrival at
home ; making new clothes, altering and mending others, and
preparing provisions. Her preparations being completed, she
again set out for Camden. This time she had the company of
one of her neighbors, Mrs. Mary Nixon. Each of the women
drove before her a pack-horse, laden with the articles provided
for the use of their suffering friends. They were again admitted
to the presence of Lord Rawdon to petition for leave to visit the
prisoners, but nothing particular occurred at the interview. His
lordship treated the matron who had offended him with much
haughtiness, and she on her part felt for him a contempt not the
less strong that it was not openly expressed. From this time she
made her journeys about once a month to Camden, carrying
clean clothes and provisions ; being often accompanied by other
women bound on similar errands, and conveying articles of food
and clothing to. their captive fathers, husbands, or brothers. They
rode without escort, fearless of peril by the way, and regardless of
fatigue, though the journey was usually performed in haste, and
under the pressure of anxiety for those at home as well .as those
to whose relief they were going. On one occasion, when" Mrs.
McCalla was just about setting off alone upon her journey, news
of a glorious event was brought to her ; the news of the battle of
King's Mountain, which took place on the seventh of October.
She did not stop to rejoice in the victory of her countrymen, but
went on with a lightened heart, longing, no doubt, to share the
joy with him who might hope, from the changed aspect of affairs,
some mitigation of his imprisonment.
. About the first of December, Mrs. McCalla went

310 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
again to Camden. On the preceding trip she had met with Lord
Cornwallis, by whom she was treated with kindness. Whatever
hopes she had grounded on this, however, were doomed to disap
pointment ; he was this time reserved and silent. She was after
wards informed by the Major that a considerable reverse had be
fallen his majesty's troops at Clermont, and the annoyance felt
on this account — Doyle said — was the cause of his not showing
as much courtesy as he usually did to ladies. " You must excuse
him," observed the good-natured officer, who seems to have al
ways acted the part of a peace-maker on these occasions ; and he
added that Cornwallis had never approved of the cruelties here
tofore practised.
Towards the last of December the indefatigable wife again
performed the weary journey to Camden. McCalla's health had
been impaired for some months, and was now declining ; it was
therefore necessary to make a strenuous effort to move the com
passion of his enemies, and procure his release. Rawdon was in
command, and she once more applied to him to obtain permission
for her husband to go home with her. As might have been an
ticipated, her petition was refused : his lordship informed her that
he could do -nothing in the premises ; but that if she would go to
Winnsboro' and present her request to Lord Cornwallis, he might
possibly be induced to give her an order for the liberation of the
prisoner. To Winnsboro', accordingly, she made her way, determined to
lose no time in presenting her application. It was on New Year's
morning that she entered the village. The troops were under
parade, and his lordship was engaged in reviewing them ; there
could be no admission, therefore, to his presence for some time,
and she had nothing to do but remain a silent spectator of the

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 311
imposing scene. A woman less energetic, and less desirous of
improving every opportunity for the good of others, might have
sought rest after the fatigues of her journey, during the hours her
business fyad to wait ; Sarah McCalla was one of heroic stamp,
whose private troubles never caused her to forget what she might
do for her country. She passed the time in noticing particularly
everything she saw, not knowing but that her report might do
service. After the lapse of several hours, the interview she craved
with Cornwallis was granted. He received her with courtesy and
kindness, listened attentively to all she had to say, and appeared
to feel pity for her distresses. But his polished expression of
sympathy, to which her hopes clung with desperation, was accom
panied with regret that he could not, consistently with the duties
of his Majesty's service, comply unconditionally with her request.
He expressed, nevertheless, entire willingness to enter into an ex
change with General Sumter, releasing McCalla for any prisoner
he had in his possession. Or he woidd accept the pledge of Gene
ral Sumter that McCalla should not again serve until exchanged,
and would liberate him on that security. " But, madam," he
added, " it is Sumter himself whoj must stand pledged for the
keeping of the parole. We have been too lenient heretofore, and
have let men go who immediately made use of their liberty to .
take up arms against us."
With this the long-tried wife was forced to be content, and she
now saw the way clear to the accomplishment of her enterprise.
She lost no time in returning home, and immediately set out for
Charlotte to seek aid from the American general. She found
Sumter at this place, nearly recovered of the wounds he had re
ceived in the action at Blackstock's, in November. Her appeal
to him was at once favorably received. He gave her a few lines,

312 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
stating that he would stand pledged for McCalla's continuance at
home peaceably until he should be regularly exchanged. This
paper was more precious than gold to the matron whose per
severance had obtained it ; but it was destined to do her little
good. She now made the best of her way homeward. After
crossing the Catawba, she encountered the army of General Mor
gan, was stopped, being suspected to be a tory, and taken into his
presence for examination. The idea that she could be thus sus
pected afforded her no little amusement, and she permitted the
mistake to continue for some time, before she produced the paper
in Sumter's hand-writing which she well knew would remove
every difficulty. She then informed the general of her visit to
Winnsboro' on the first of January, and her sight of -the review
of the troops. Morgan thanked her for the information and dis
missed her, and without further adventure she arrived at her
own house.
A few days after her return, the British army, being on its
march from Winnsboro', encamped on the plantation of John
Service, in Chester district, and afterwards at Turkey creek. Mrs.
McCalla went to one of those camps in the hope of seeing Lord
Cornwallis. She succeeded in obtaining this privilege ; his lord-
" ship recognised her as soon as she entered the camp, and greeted
her courteously, questioning her as to her movements, and mak
ing many inquiries about Sumter and Morgan. On this last
point she was on her guard, communicating no more information
than she felt certain could give the enemy no manner of advan
tage, nor subject her friends to inconvenience. At length she
presented to the noble Briton the paper which she imagined
would secure her husband's freedom. What was her disappoint
ment when he referred her to Lord Rawdon, as the proper person

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 313
to take cognizance of the affair ! The very name was a death
blow to her hopes, for she well knew she could expect nothing
from his clemency. Remonstrance and entreaty were alike in
vain ; Cornwallis was a courteous man, but he knew how, with a
bland smile and well-turned phrase of compliment, to refuse com
pliance even with a request that appealed so strongly to every
feeling of humanity, as that of an anxious wife pleading for the
suffering and imprisoned father of her children. She must sub
mit, however, to the will of those in power ; there was no re
source but another journey to Camden, in worse than doubt of
the success she had fancied just within her reach.
It was a day or two after the battle of the Cowpens, that she
crossed the ferry on her way to Camden. She had not yet heard
of that bloody action, but, observing that the guard was doubled
at the ferry, concluded that something unusual had occurred. As
she entered the village, she met her old friend Major Doyle, who
stopped to speak to her. His first inquiry was if she had heard
the news ; and when she answered in the negative, he told her
of the " melancholy affair" that had occurred at Cowpens. The
time, he .observed, was most inauspicious for the business on
which he knew she had eome. " I fear, madam," he said, " that
his lordship will not treat you well."
" I have no hope," was her answer, " that he will let Thomas
go home ; but, sir, it is my duty to make efforts to save my hus
band. . I wilL thank you to go with me to Lord Rawdon's
quarters." Her reception was such as she had expected. As soon as
Rawdon saw her, he cried angrily, " You here again,- madam ?
Well — you want your husband — I dare say I Do you not know
what the  ¦ rebels have been doing !"

314 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
" I do not, sir," replied the dejected matron, for she saw that
his mood was one of fury.
" If we had hung them," he continued, " we should have been
saved this. Madam ! I order you most positively never to come
into my presence again !"
It was useless, Mrs. McCalla knew, to attempt to stem the tide ;
she did not therefore produce, nor even mention the paper giveE.
her by Sumter, nor apologise for the intrusion by saying that
Lord Cornwallis had directed her to apply to him ; but merely
answered in a subdued and respectful tone by asking what she
had done.
" Enough !" exclaimed the irritated noble. " You go from
one army to another, and Heaven only knows what mischief you
do ! Begone."
She waited for no second dismissal, but could not refrain from
saying, as she went out, in an audible voice, " My countrymen
must right me." Lord Rawdon called her back and demanded
what she was saying. She had learned by this time some lessons
in policy, and answered, with a smile, " We are but simple coun
try folk." His lordship probably saw through the deceit, for
turning to his officer, he said, " Upon my life, Doyle, she is a
wretch of a woman !" And thus she left him.
That great event — the battle of the Cowpens — revived the
spirits of the patriots throughout the country. Everywhere, as
the news spread, men who had before been discouraged flew to
arms. The action took place on the seventeenth of January,
1781 ; on the twenty-second of the same month, six wagons were
loaded with corn at Wade's island, sixty miles down the Catawba
for the use of General Davison's division. The whole whig coun
try of Chester, York and Lancaster may be said to have risen in

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 315
mass, and was rallying to arms. Mecklenburg, North Carolina,
was again the scene of warlike preparations ; for the whigs hoped
to give the enemy another defeat at Cowans or Batisford on the
Catawba. On the twenty-fourth of January, General Sumter
crossed this river at Landsford, and received a supply of corn from
Wade's island. His object was to cross the districts to the west,
in the rear of the advancing British army, to arouse the country
and gather forces as he went, threaten the English posts at Ninety-
Six and Granby, and go on to recover the State. While Corn
wallis marched from his encampment on Service's plantation, the
whigs of Chester, under the gallant Captain John Mills and James
Johnston, were hovering near, watching the movements of the hos
tile army as keenly as the eagle watches his intended prey.
Choosing a fit opportunity, as they followed in the rear, they
pounced upon a couple of British officers, one of whom was Ma
jor McCarter, at a moment when they had not the least suspicion
of danger, took them prisoners in sight of the enemy, and made
good their retreat. By means of this bold exploit the liberation
of McCalla was brought about, at a time when his wife was
wholly disheartened by her repeated and grievous disappointments.
When General Sumter passed through the country, a cartel
of exchange was effected, giving the two British officers in
exchange for the prisoners of Chester district in Camden and
Charleston. The person sent with the flag to accomplish this exchange in
Camden, was Samuel Neely of Fishing creek. As he passed
through the town to the quarters of Lord Rawdon, he was seen
and recognized by the prisoners, and it may be supposed their
hearts beat with joy at the prospect of speedy release. But in
consequence of some mismanagement of the business, the unfor-
14

316 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
tunate men were detained in jail several weeks longer. Neely
was in haste to proceed to Charleston, being anxious, in the ac
complishment of his mission in that city, to get his son Thomas
out of the prison-ship, and in his hurry probably neglected some
necessary formalities. His countrymen in Camden were kept in
confinement after his return from Charleston with his son. Cap
tain Mills was informed of this, and indignant at the supposed
disrespect shown by Lord Rawdon to the cartel of General Sum
ter, wrote a letter of remonstrance to Rawdon, which he en
trusted to Mrs. McCalla to be conveyed to him.
Our heroine was accompanied on this journey by Mrs. Mary
Dixon, for she judged it impolitic that the letter should be deliv
ered by one so obnoxious to his lordship as herself. Still she
deemed it her duty to be on the spot to welcome her liberated
husband, supply ah his wants, and conduct him home. The dis
tance was traversed this time with lighter heart than before, for
now she had no reason to fear disappointment. When they ar
rived at Camden, they went to the jail. John Adair was standing
at a window ; they saw and greeted each other, the women stand
ing in the yard below. Perhaps in consequence of his advice, or
prudential considerations on their part, they determined not to
avail themselves of the good offices of Major Doyle on this occa
sion. Adair directed them to send the jailor up to him, and
wrote a note introducing his sister to the acquaintance of Lord
Rawdon. The two women then proceeded to the quarters of
that nobleman. When they arrived at the gate, Mrs. McCalla
stopped, saying she would wait there, and her companion pro
ceeded by herself. She was admitted into the presence of Lord
Rawdon, who read, the note of introduction she handed to him,
and observed, referring to the writer — that the small-pox had al-

TRIALS OF A PATRIOT. 317
most finished him ; still he had come very near escaping from the
jail ; that he was " a grand 'scape-gallows." On reading the let
ter of Captain Mills, his color changed, and when he had finished
it, turning to Mrs. Nixon, he said in an altered tone : " I am sorry
these men have not been dismissed, as of right they ought." He
immediately wrote a discharge for eleven of the prisoners, and
put it into her hands, saying : " You can get them out, madam.
I am very sorry they have been confined so many weeks longer
than they should have been." At the same time he gave Mrs.
Nixon a guinea. " This," he said, " will bear' your expenses."
His lordship accompanied her on her way out, and as she
passed through the gate his eye fell on Mrs. McCalla, whom he
instantly recognized. Walking to the spot where she stood near
the gate, he said fiercely : " Did I not order you, madam, to keep
out of my presence ?" The matron's independent spirit flashed
from her eyes, as she answered : "I had no wish, sir, to intrude
myself on your presence; I stopped at the gate on purpose
to avoid you." Unable to resist the temptation of speaking
her mind for once, now that she had a last opportunity, she
added : " I might turn the tables on you, sir, and ask, why did
you come out to the gate to insult a woman ? I have received
from you nothing but abuse. My distresses you have made sport
of, and I ceased long since to expect anything from you but ill-
treatment. I am now not your supplicant ; I came to demand,
as a right, the release of my husband !" So saying, she bowed
to him contemptuously, wheeled about, and deliberately walked
off, without stopping to see how her bold language was received.
Mrs. Nixon hastened after her pale as death, and at first too much
frightened to speak. As soon as she found voice, she exclaimed ;

318 TRIALS OF A PATRIOT.
" Sally ! you have ruined us, I am afraid ! Why, he may put us
both in jail !"
Mrs. McCalla laughed outright. " It is not the first time, Mary,"
she replied, " that I have given him to understand I thought him
a villain !" The two made their way back to the prison, but even
after they got there Mrs. Nixon had not recovered from her ter
ror. She was informed that it would be some time before the
prisoners could be released. The blacksmith was then sent for,
and came with his tools. The sound of the hammering in the
apartments of the jail, gave the first intimation to the women
who waited to greet their friends, that the helpless captives were
chained to the floor. This precaution had been adopted not
long before, in consequence of some of the prisoners having at
tempted an escape. They were then put in handcuff's or chained
by the ankle. These men left the place of then- long imprison
ment and suffering in company with the two women, and as they
marched through the streets of Camden, passing the British
guard, they sang at the top of their voices, the songs of the
" liberty-men."

MRS. SHUBRICK.
The following anecdotes of Mrs. Richard Shubrick may be
found in the First Series of Major Garden's Revolutionary Anec
dotes. " There was," he writes, " an appearance of personal de
bility about her that rendered her peculiarly interesting : it seem
ed to solicit the interest of every heart;, and the man would have

MRS. SHUBRICK. 319
felt himself degraded who would not have put his life at hazard
to serve her. Yet, when firmness of character was requisite, when
fortitude was called for to repel the encroachments of aggression,
Itiere was not a more intrepid being in existence.
'' An American soldier, flying from a party of the enemy,
sought her protection, and was promised it. The British, pressing
close upon him, insisted that he should be delivered up, threaten
ing immediate and universal destruction in case of refusal. The
ladies, her friends and companions, who were in the house with
her, shrunk from the contest, and were silent ; but, undaunted by
their threats, this intrepid lady placed herself before the chamber
into which the unfortunate fugitive had been conducted, and re
solutely said, ' To men of honor the chamber of a lady should
be as sacred as the sanctuary ! I will defend the passage to it
though I perish. You may succeed, and enter it, but it shall be
over my corpse.' ' By God,' said the officer, ' if muskets were
only placed in the hands of a few such women, our only safety
would be found in retreat. Your intrepidity, madam, gives you
security ; from me you shall meet,no further annoyance.'
" At Brabant, the seat of the respectable and patriotic Bishop
Smith, a sergeant of Tarleton's dragoons, eager for the acquisition
of plunder, followed the overseer, a man advanced in years, into
the apartment where the ladies of the family were assembled, and
on his refusing to discover the spot in which the plate was con
cealed, struck him with violence, inflicting a severe sabre wound
across the shoulders. Aroused by the infamy of the act, Mrs.
Shubrick, starting from her seat, and placing herself .betwixt the
ruffian and his victim, resolutely said, ' Place yourself behind me,
Murdoch ; the interposition of my body shall give you protection,
or I will die :' then, addressing herself to the sergeant, exclaimed,

320 THE PRIVATEER.
i 0 what a degradation of manhood — what departure fronx.that
gallantry which was once the characteristic of British soldiers.
Human nature is degraded by your barbarity ; — but should you
persist, then strike at me, for till I die, no further injury shall be
done to him! The sergeant, unable to resist such commanding
eloquence, retired."*

THE PRIVATEER.
Gustavus Conyngham, who commanded one of the American
Privateers, was an object of great terror to the British. His ves
sel was called the " Revenge," and the fear which that dreaded
name inspired, was augmented by the exaggerated statements
that were industriously circulated in reference to its commander.
He was represented as a man of gigantic frame and ferocious
countenance, and prints of him after this fashion were exhibited
in London shop windows, and labelled, " The Arch Rebel." He
was repeatedly captured by the enemy, treated with the most
barbarous severity, and only saved from execution by the reso
lutions of Congress, which declared that his death should be
avenged by that of certain royalist officers then in custody.

* " The hope, however, of attaining the object in view, very speedily
subjected the unfortunate Murdoch to new persecution. He was tied up
under the very tree where the plate was buried, and threatened with imme
diate execution unless he would make the discovery required. But although
well acquainted with the unrelenting severity of his enemy, and earnestly
solicited by his wife, to save his life by a speedy confession of the place of
deposit, he persisted resolutely, that a sacred trust was not to be betrayed,
and actually succeeded in preserving it."

THE PRIVATEER. 321
During the early part of the war, when the terror of his name
was shared by every Englishman on the sea, a vessel was cruising
near the West India Islands, on board of which were three ladies,
who suffered many -apprehensions of meeting with the terrible
privateer, whom story and tradition represented as a monster in
human form. Suddenly one day, when the ladies were upon the
deck, a cry came from aloft — " A sail ! a sail !" In an instant all
was confusion. The captain hastened up the shrouds to examine
the appearance of the stranger. A few moments sufficed to make
its character known. It was no other than the terrible privateer.
The captain returned to the deck, and communicated the un
pleasant news, which at once threw the ladies into an agony of
fear. They retired to the cabin, in tears, and half fainting.
The strange sail gradually drew near. There was no chance
of escape ; and a gun from the vessel at once denoted its object.
The pursued vessel lay-to, and a boat put off from the stranger,
containing two officers and several men. They soon stood upon
the Englishman's deck. The, commanding officer was a young
man of about twenty-five, of a light, elegant figure, and a face
pleasing in the extreme, marked by a slight shade of melancholy.
He made some inquiries concerning the vessel, and on being in
formed that there were ladies in the cabin, colored, and said to
his lieutenant — that he would have to go and say to them, the
passengers were not prisoners, but guests. The lieutenant ex
cused himself by saying that he had not " confidence enough to
speak to them," when the first speaker went into the cabin.
The tei-rified ladies, momentarily expecting the appearance of a
gigantic monster, were surprised by the entrance into the cabin
of a slightly formed and elegant figure, who greeted them with
marked respect. The fears of the ladies were at once dispelled.

322 THE PRIVATEER.
The youngest with much naivete, asked if he was really a pi
rate. " I am captain of an American privateer," he answered, " and
he, I trust, cannot be a pirate."
" Are you the captain of the ' Revenge 2' "
" I am."-
" Is it possible you are the man represented to be a bloody and
ferocious pirate, whose chief delight is in scenes of carnage ?" in
quired the ladies.
" I am that person of whom these nursery tales have been told ;
whose picture is hung up to frighten children. I have suffered
much from British prisons and from British calumny ; but my
sufferings will never make me forget the courtesy due to la
dies." The ladies could not realize that these were the sentiments of
a man common report had branded as ferocious and blood
thirsty. The vessels lay together for several days. During this time
Conyngham showed the most marked respect to the passengers,
and succeeded in winning their esteem. The lieutenant's relation
of his many gallant achievments awakened even a deeper interest
with the ladies. It soon became evident that Conyngham was
smitten with the charms "»f the younger ctf the,party, who evinced
great pleasure in the society of the captain. The gallant Ameri
can had achieved a conquest not anticipated by his fair captive.
After a few days, the ladies were placed on board a vessel bound
to one of the islands. They parted with the captain with regret.
But with one the separation was not of long duration. They
met again, and not many months elapsed ere the American led
a lovely and beautiful bride to the altar. The romantic manner

THE MAIDEN WARRIOR. 323
of their meeting, and the marvellous stories told of the fiendish
American pirate, served, no doubt, in after times to make them
merry.

THE MAIDEN WARRIOR.
We have recorded in an earlier part of this yolume, the ex
ploits of Sergeant Jasper, of Marion's brigade, but we did not give
an account of an incident, connected with him, of a most romantic
and touching nature.
Sometime just before, or about the beginning of the war, he
had the good fortune to save the life of a young, beautiful, and
dark-eyed Creole girl, called Sally St. Clair. Her susceptible na
ture was overcome with gratitude to her preserver, and this soon
ripened into a passion of love, of the most deep and fervent kind.
She lavished upon him the whole wealth of her affections, and the
whole depths of a passion nurtured by a southern sun. When he
was called upon to join the ranks of his country's defenders, the
prospect of their separation almost maddened her. Their parting
came, but scarcely was she left alone, than her romantic nature
prompted the means of a re-union. Once resolved, no considera
tion of danger could dampen her spirit, and no thought of conse
quences could move her purpose. She severed her long and jetty
ringlets, and provided herself with male attire. In these she
robed herself, and set forth to follow the fortunes of her lover.
A smooth faced, beautiful, and delicate stripling appeared among
the hardy, rough, and giant frames, who composed the corps to
which Jasper belonged. The contrast between the stripling and

324 THE MAIDEN WARRIOR.
these men, in their uncouth garbs, their massive faces, embrowned
and discolored by sun and rain, was indeed striking. But none
were more eager for the battle, or so indifferent to fatigue, as the
fair faced boy. It was found that his energy of character, reso
lution and courage, amply supplied his lack of physique. None
ever suspected him to be a woman. Not even Jasper himself, al
though she was often by his side, penetrated her disguise.
The romance of her situation increased the fervor of her pas
sion. It was her delight to reflect that, unknown to him, she was
by his side, watching over him in the hour of danger. She fed
her passion by gazing upon him in the hour of slumber, hovering
near him, when stealing through the swamp and thicket, and be
ing always ready to avert danger from his head.
But gradually there stole a melancholy presentment over the
poor girl's mind. She had been tortured with hopes deferred ;
the war was prolonged, and the prospect of being restored to him
grew more and more uncertain. Bui now she felt that her dream
of happiness could never be realized. She became convinced that
death was about to snatch her away from his side, but she prayed
that she might die, and he never knew to what length the vio
lence of her passion led her.
It was an eve before a battle. The camp had sunk into repose.
The watchfires were burning low, and only the slow tread of sen
tinels fell upon the profound silence of the night air, as they
moved through the dark shadows of the forest. Stretched upon
the ground, with no other couch than a blanket, reposed the war
like form of Jasper. Climbing vines trailed themselves into a
canopy above his head, through which the stars shone down soft
ly. The faint flicker from the expiring embers of a fire fell ath
wart his countenance, and tinged the cheek of one who bent above

THE MAIDEN WARRIOR. 325
his couch. It was the smooth faced stripling. She bent low
down as if to listen to his dreams, or to breathe into his soul plea
sant visions of love and happiness. But tears trace themselves
down the fair one's cheek, and fall silently, but rapidly upon the
brow of her lover. A mysterious voice has told her that the hour
of parting has come ; that to-morrow her destiny is consummated.
There is one last, long, lingering look, and then the unhappy maid
is seen to tear herself away from the spot, to weep out her sorrows
in privacy.
Fierce and terrible is the conflict that on the morrow rages on
that spot. Foremost in the battle is the intrepid Jasper, and
ever by his side fights the stripling warrior. Often during the
heat and the smoke, gleams suddenly upon the eyes of Jasper
the melancholy face of the maiden. In the thickest of the fight, sur
rounded by enemies, the lovers fight side by side. Suddenly a
lance is levelled at the breast of Jasper ; but swifter than the
lance is Sally St. Clair. There is a wild cry, and at the feet of
Jasper sinks the maiden, with the life blood gushing from the
white bosom, which had been thrown, as a shield, before his breast.
He heeds not now the din, nor the danger of the conflict ; but
down by the side of the dying boy "he kneels. Then for the first
time does he leanrthat the stripling is his love ; that often by the
camp fire, and in the swamp, she had been by his side ; that the
dim visions, in his slumber, of an angel face hovering above him,
had indeed been true. In the midst of the battle, with her lover
by her side, and the barb still in her bosom, the heroic maiden
dies !
Her name, her sex, and her noble devotion, soon became known
through the corps. There was a tearful group gathered around
her grave ; there was not one of those hardy warriors, who did

326 MAJOR ISRAEL FEARING.
not bedew her grave with tears. They buried her near the river
Santee, " in a green shady nook that looked as if it had been
stolen out of Paradise."

MAJOR ISRAEL FEARING.
On the 7th of September, 1778, the British troops made an at
tempt to destroy the village of Fairhaven, in Massachusetts, but
were thwarted in their plans, by the bravery of Major Israel Fear
ing. Fairhaven is situated opposite New Bedford, on the Acusha-
net river, and is connected with the latter city by a long bridge.
The following account of the enemy's attack, and their repulse, is
from " Dwight's Travels :"
" They proceeded up the river with the intention of burning
Fairhaven, but a critical attention to their movements, had con
vinced the inhabitants of their design, and induced them to pre
pare for their reception. The militia of the neighboring country
were summoned to the defence. Their commander was a man
far advanced in years. Under the influence of that languor which
at this period enfeebles both the body and the mind, he deter
mined that the place must be given up to the enemy, and that no
opposition to their ravages, could be made with any hope of suc
cess. This decision of their officer necessarily spread its benumb
ing influence over the militia, and threatened an absolute preven
tion of all enterprise, and the destruction of this handsome village.
" Among the officers, belonging to the brigade, was Israel Fear
ing, a major of one of the regiments. This gallant young man,
observing the torpor which was spreading among the troops, invi-

MAJOR ISRAEL FEARING. 327
ted as many as had sufficient spirit to follow him, and station
themselves at the post of danger. Among those who accepted
the invitation, was one of the colonels, who of course became the
commandant; but after they had arrived at Fairhaven, and the
night had come on, he proposed to march his troops back into the
country. He was warmly opposed by Major Fearing, and find
ing that he could- not prevail, prudently retired to a house three
miles distant, where he passed the night in safety.
" After the colonel had withdrawn, Major Fearing now com
mander-in-chief, arranged his men with activity and skill ; and
Boon perceived the British approaching. The militia, in the
strictest sense, raw, already alarmed by the reluctance of their
superior officers to meet the enemy, and naturally judging that
men of years must understand the real state of the danger better
than Major Fearing, a mere youth, were panic-struck at the ap
proach of the enemy, and instantly withdrew from their post.
At this critical moment, the major, with the decision which awes
men into a strong sense of duty, rallied them ; and placing him
self in the rear, declared, in a tone which removed all doubt, that
he would kill the first man whom he found retreating. The reso
lution of their chief recalled theirs. With the utmost expedition
he led them to the scene of danger. The British had already
set fire to several stores. Between these buildings and the rest of
the village, he stationed his troops, and ordered them to lie close
in profound silence, until the enemy, who were advancing, should
have come so near, that no marksman could easily mistake his ob
ject. The orders were punctually obeyed. When the enemy
had arrived within this distance, the Americans rose, and with a
well directed fire gave them a warm and unexpected reception.
The British fled instantly to their boats, and fell down the river

328 CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN.
with the utmost expedition. From the quantity of blood found
the next day in their line- of march, it was supposed that their
loss was considerable. Thus did this heroic youth, in opposition
to his superior officers, preserve Fairhaven, and merit a statue
from its inhabitants.

CAPTIVITY OP ETHAN ALLEN.
Shortly after Ethan Allen's celebrated conquest of Ticonde-
roga, he joined the expedition into Canada, under Generals
Schuyler and Montgomery. He had no. commission from con
gress, but was induced by the commanding officers to follow the
army, under a promise that he should, when occasion required,
command certain detachments in the army. He was despatched
into Canada with letters to the Canadians, explaining the object
of the expedition, which was not aimed against the inhabitants of
the country, their liberties or religion, but against the British pos
sessors. The Canadians were invited to make common cause
with the continentals, and expel the invader. His message was
partly successful, and numbers of Canadians joined the congressi
onal banner.
On a second expedition of a similiar nature, he was in
duced to undertake an enterprise against Montreal. Matters
promised him success, but at a critical moment many of his Cana
dian allies abandoned him: The result was a total defeat, which
ended in the surrender of himself and party.
When he was brought before General Prescott, the command
ing English officer, he was asked his name and title. The reply

CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN 329
cast the Briton into a towering passion. He could not torget the
loss of Ticonderoga, and time had not softened the bitterness of
hatred he felt against the hero of that glorious adventure. The
Englishman so far forgot his position, as to threaten the person
of Allen with his cane, and applied to him every offensive ephithet
he could command. Finding that Allen confronted him with an
undaunted gaze, he looked around for something else on which to
wreak his hatred. He ordered the Canadians who had been
taken with Allen, to be brought forward, and executed. As they
were brought forward, wringing their hands in consternation at
the prospect of death, the heart of Allen was touched, as he could
but feel their present position was brought about by his instru
mentality. He, therefore flung himself between the executioners
and the intended victims, opened his coat, and told General Pres
cott to let his vengeance fall on him alone, as he was the sole
cause of the Canadians taking up arms.'
The guard paused, and looked towards their General, and in
deed it was a moment of suspense and interest to all present.
The General stood quiet a moment or two in hesitation, and then
said — " I will not execute you now ; but you shall grace a hal
ter at Tyburn," accompanying his speech with a series of em
phatic oaths.
Allen was now removed on board the Gaspee schooner of
war, loaded with irons of immense weight, and cast into the hold
of the, vessel. Here his sufferings were of the most acute nature.
His only accommodations were a chest, on which he sat during
the day, and which served him as a couch at night. The irons
upon his ankles were so tight, that he conld scarcely lie down,
and then only in one position. Here he was visited by many

330 CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN.
officers of the English army, some of whom treated him civilly,
but others were abusive and insulting.
At the expiration of six weeks, he was removed to a vessel off
Quebec, where he received kind and courteous treatment. Here
he remained until his removal on board of the vessel which was
to carry him to England. Here all of the prisoners, thirty-four,
were thrust into a small apartment, each heavily ironed. They
were compelled during the whole voyage to remain in their con
finement, and were subjected to every indignity that cruelty
could invent.
When first ordered to enter into then- filthy apartment, Allen
refused, and endeavored to argue their brutal keeper out of his
inhuman purpose, but all in vain. The reply to his appeal was
insults of the grossest kind, and an officer of the vessel insulting
him by spitting in his face, hand-cuffed as he was, the intrepid
American sprang upon the dastard, and knocked him at length
upon the floor. The fellow hastily scrambled out of the reach of
Allen, and placed himself under the protection of the guard. Al
len challenged him to fight, offering to meet him even with irons
upon his wrists, but the Briton, trembling with fear, contented
himself with the protection afforded him by British bayonets, and
did not venture to oppose the intrepid American. The prisoners
were now forced into their den at the point of the bayonet.
The sufferings of the captives during the voyage were intense.
Their privations soon brought on diarrhoea and fevers. But not
withstanding their sickness, they received no attention from their
gaolers, and even those who were crazed with raging thirst, were
denied the simple boon of fresh water.
On arriving at Falmouth, the prisoners were all marched
through the town, to Pendennis Castle, about a mile distant. The

CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN. 331
lame of Allen had preceeded him, and multitudes of people were
gathered along the route to gaze upon him, and the other pris
oners. The throng was so great, that the guard were compelled
to force a passage through the crowd. Allen appeared conspi
cuous among his fellow prisoners, by his eccentric dress. When
captured, he was taken in a Canadian dress, consisting of a red
shirt, a red worsted cap, a short fawn-skin jacket, and breeches
of sagathy ; and in this dress he was escorted through the won
dering crowd at Falmouth. Ticonderoga was a place of notoriety
in England, and the hero who had so signally conquered it, was
an object of interest and wonder to the people.
Allen was now visited by a great number of people, some of
whom were attracted from great distances, in order to see and
converse with the American celebrity. Discussion ran high as to
his eventual disposal. Some declared that he would be hung
and argued the justice of the act. But others defended and
supported the Americans. Even in parliament the merits of the
question were discussed.
From their prison in Pendennis Castle they were removed to
the Solebay frigate, to be removed to America, stopping at Cork
for provisions and water. The commanding officer was harsh
and cruel, and on the first day, ordered the prisoners from the
deck, declaring that it was a place for gentlemen only to walk.
A few days after Allen shaved and dressed, and proceeded to the
deck. The captain addressed him in- great rage, and said, " Did I
not order you not to come on deck ?" Allen replied that he had
said that it was the place for gentlemen to walk, and that he
was Col. Allen, a gentleman and soldier, who had not been pro
perly introduced to him. His reply was characteristic of his bru-

332

CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN.

tal disposition. " G — d d  n you, don't walk on the same
side of the deck that I do."
The sufferings of the prisoners continued, but when at Cork,
their situation received the attention of several benevolent gen
tlemen, who exerted themselves to allieve them. Ample stores
and clothing were sent on board, but the captain refused privilege
to the prisoners to enjoy them.
The vessel proceeded to America, first casting anchor in the
harbor of Cape Fear, North Carolina. From this place Allen was
removed to Halifax. Here his treatment continued of the same
kind, that, from the first had characterized his captivity. He re
ceived here some kind attentions from Captain Smith, which he
afterwards had occasion to return in a signal manner. After a
confinement of two months he was removed to a man-of-war, to
be conveyed to New York, for the purpose of effecting an ex
change. When arrived on board of the vessel he was delighted
to find that he was under the command of Captain Smith, who
had before served him.
When Col. Allen met Captain Smith on board the vessel, he
greeted him with thanks for his kindness. The noble captain
disclaimed all merit, and said : " This is a mutable world, and
one gentleman never knows but that it may be in his power to
help another." This sentiment was strikingly verified in the
course of the voyage.
One night, as they were sailing along the coast of Rhode Is
land, Captain Burk and a few other prisoners, came to Allen with
a plan for destroying the British officers, seizing the vessel, and
carrying her into some friendly port. A large quantity of cash
on board was held up as an inducement for the enterprise. But
Captain Smith had generously distinguished the prisoners, and

CAPTIVITY OF ETHAN ALLEN. 333
for this reason Allen strongly condemned the plan. He declared
that if the attempt was made, he would assist in the defence of
the Briton with all his skill and strength. Finding the conspiracy
so strenuously opposed by the most influential of the prisoners, it
was abandoned, upon the assurance that they should not be be
trayed. Upon arriving in New York Col. Allen was released on parole,
but restricted to the limits of New York. An attempt was made
soon after to induce him to join the British ranks. He was offer
ed a heavy sum of money, and large tracts of land, either in
New Hampshire or Connecticut, when1 the country Was conquered.
The integrity of the man, however, was unassailable. His reply
to the proposition was characteristic. He said that the offer re
minded him of a certain incident in Scripture. The devil, he said,
took Christ to a high hill, and showing him the kingdoms of
earth, offered him their possession, if he would fall down and
worship him, " when all the while the damned soul had not one
foot of land upon earth !" It may be believed that those sent
to negotiate with him did not fail to understand the illustration.
Col. Allen, in a narrative of his captivity, written by himself,
gives a fearful account of the condition of the American prisoners
in New York. Before his exchange he was arrested on the ab
surd charge of breaking his parole,' and thrown into the provost
jail. Here he remained from August to May, during which time
he witnessed instances of suffering of the most agonizing kind,
and was himself compelled again to feel the barbarous treatment
of British officials. At the expiration of the above period he was
exchanged, and once more tasted of the sweets of freedom.

334

A FAIR EXCHANGE.

A FAIR EXCHANGE.
"In 1779, Major General Silliman was appointed Superinten
dant of the Coast of Fairfield, Connecticut. In the month of
May, Sir Henry Clinton directed a small company to cross the
sound from Lloyd's Neck, and, if possible, make him prisoner.
One of them was an inhabitant of Newtown, and he was well ac
quainted witn the general's residence, and the best modes of access
to it. The party consisted of eight, who reached the house about
midnight. The family were awakened by a violent assault upon
the door. The general sprang from bed, seized a musket, and
approached the door. As he passed the window; he saw the men,
and at once comprehended their design. He attempted to fire,
but his musket only flashed. At that instant the assailants broke
through the window, and seized him, exclaiming, that he was their
prisoner, and that he must go with them. They permitted him
to dress, but plundered him of pistols, gun and sword, and then
hurried him away to the shore. As they approached the shore
of Lloyd's Neck, Col. Simcoe, the commanding officer, who was
waiting for them, exclaimed, ' Have you got him ?' They an
swered, Yes. ' Have you lost any men ?' No. ' That is well,
replied Simcoe, ' your Sillimans are not worth a man, nor your
Washingtons.' Gen. Silliman's eldest son was taken with him.
They were ordered to the guard house.
" At that time there was no prisoner in the hands of the Ame
ricans whom the British would accept for the general, and conse
quently it was determined to procure one. The person selected
was . the Hon. Thomas Jones, of Fort Neck, Long Island, and
Captain Daniel Hawley undertook to secure his person. On the

a patriot's sufferings. 335
4th of November, aided by twenty-five volunteers, he proceeded
to Mr. Jones' residence at about nine in the evening. There was
a ball in the house, and the noise of music and dancing prevented
the approach of the adventurers being heard. Captain Hawley
knocked at the door, and perceiving that nobody heard him,
forced it, and found Judge Jones standing in the. entry. He in
stantly told him he was his prisoner, and immediately conducted
him off noiselessly, together with a young gentleman whose name
was Hewlett. A guard of soldiers was posted at a small distance
from the road. When they came near the spot, Judge Jones
hemmed very loud, and was forbidden by Capt. Hawley to repeat
the sound. He, however, did repeat it ; but being told by his
conductor that another repetition would be followed by fatal con
sequences, he desisted. They reached their destination safely with
their prisoner. Mr. Jones was hospitably entertained at the house
of Mrs. Silliman, and when the exchange was effected, the vessels
that contained them met mid way' on the sound. The two gen
tlemen having dined together, parted, and proceeded immediately
to their respective places of destination."

A PATRIOT'S SUFFERINGS.
" Soon after the battle of Long Island, an event occurred which
exhibited in bold relief the intrepidity and patriotism of Captain
Birdsall, a whig officer. An American vessel, laden with flour
for the army, had been captured by the British, in the Sound ; and
Col. Birdsall believing she might be retaken, offered, if the under
taking was approved of by his superior officer, to superintend the

336 COLONEL. JOHN SMALL.
enterprize himself. The proposal was accepted, when the captain,
with a few select men, made the experiment, and succeeded in
sending the vessel to her original destination. But it so happen
ed that himself and one of his men were taken prisoners by the
enemy. It was his fate to be imprisoned in the jail, then called
the Provost, under the surveillance of that monster in human
shape, the infamous Cunningham. He requested the use of pen,
ink, and paper, for the purpose of acquainting his family of his
situation. On being refused, he made a reply, which drew from
the keeper some opprobious epithets, accompanied by a thrust of
his sword, which penetrated the shoulder of his victim, and caused
the blood to flow freely. Being locked up alone in a filthy apart
ment, and denied any assistance whatever, he was obliged to dress
the wound with his own linen ; and then to endure, in solitude
and misery, every indignity which the malice of the Provost-mar
shal urged him to inflict upon a damned rebel, who, he declared,
' ought to be hung! After several miserable months of confinement
and starvation, he was exchanged."

COLONEL JOHN SMALL.
Colonel John Small was an officer in the British army, who
had served in the French wars, and was the dearly valued friend
of Israel Putnam. When the war broke out with the mother
country, he obeyed the dictates of his prejudices, and supported
the cause of the king, as he was undoubtedly bound to do by his
birth and allegiance. The following incidents, which occurred at
Bunker Hill, he has given to the worid himself, They redound

COLONEL JOHN SMALL. 337
to the credit of Putnam, as well as confirm his own reputation for
honor and courage. They were related to Mr. Turnbull, in Lon
don, in 1786, who at that time was engaged on a painting of the
battle, and we give them in his own words. " When the British
troops advanced the second time to the attack of the redoubt, I,
with other officers, was in front of the line to encourage the men ;
we had advanced very near the works undisturbed, when an irre
gular fire, like a feu de joie was poured in upon us ; it was cruelly
fatal. The troops fell back, and when I looked to the right and
the left, I saw not one officer standing ; I glanced my eye to the
enemy, and saw several young men levelling their pieces at me ;
I knew their excellence as marksmen, and considered myself gone.
At this moment my old friend Putnam rushed forward, and stri
king up the muzzles of their pieces with his sword, cried out, ' For
God's sake, my lads, don't fire at that man — I love him as I do
my brother ? We were so near each other that I heard his words
distinctly. He was obeyed ; I bowed, thanked him, and walked
away unmolested.
" The other anecdotes relate to the death of General Warren.
At the moment when the troops succeeded in carrying the redoubt
and the Americans were in full retreat, Gen. Howe, who had been
hurt by a spent ball, which bruised his ancle, was leaning on my
arm. He called suddenly to me : ' Do you see that elegant young
man who has just fallen ? do you know him V I looked to the
spot to which he pointed — ' Good God, sir, I believe it is my
friend Warren.' ' Leave me then instantly — run — keep off the
troops, save him if possible.' I fled to the spot, ' My dear friend,'
said I to him, 'I hope you are not badly hurt:' — he looked up,
seemed to recollect me, smiled, and died ! A musket ball had
passed through the upper part of his head "

338 ADVENTURE BY TWO LADIES.

4DVENTURE BY TWO LADIES.
During the seige of Augusta, two ladies, Grace and Rachael
Martin, residing in the Ninety-Six district, South Carolina, learn
ing upon one occasion, that a courier, under the protection of two
British soldiers, was to pass their residence, bearing important
dispatches, resolved by a well planned stratagem to surprise the"
party, and deprive the courier of the papers. Disguising them
selves in male attire, and provided with arms, they concealed
themselves in a thicket on the road side, and patiently awaited
the approach of the enemy. It was night, and the darkness fa
vored their plan. They had not remained long in their conceal
ment, before the courier and his escort made their appearance.
They were riding carelessly along, without apprehension of danger,
when suddenly two figures sprang from a bushy covert, and loudly
demanded the dispatches, at the same time presenting their pis
tols in a threatening manner. Bewildered and alarmed, they
yielded at once without any resistance. The ladies then placed
them on parole, and hastened home by a near route through the
woods, and had scarcely arrived and divested themselves of their
.male attire, when the same party came riding up to the door, re
questing accommodations. The mother of the heroines admitted
them, and asked why they had returned, after passing her house
but a short time before. They replied by exhibiting their paroles,
and stating that they had been taken prisoners by " two rebels/'
The young ladies, unsuspected by their guests, rallied them of
their unfortunate adventure, and inquired " why they did not use
their arms", to which they replied, " that they were fallen upon so
sudden, they- had not time." During their stay, they were as

CAPTURE OF GENERAL W0ODH OLL. 339
severely overcome by the malicious wit and ralliery of the ladies,
as they had been before, by their superior bravery and cunning.
The next day they rode away, little dreaming that their hosts had
been their conquerors. The dispatches obtained in the heroic
manner described, were sent to General Greene, and proved of
importance.

CAPTURE OF GENERAL WOODHULL.
On August 28th, 1776, a party of British light horse, entered
Jamaica, Long Island, in pursuit of General Woodhull, who had
left that town but a short time before. He was pursued and over
taken at Carpenter's inn, two miles east of Jamaica, where he had
sought shelter from the rain. He had dispatched his men, some
ninety in number, on in advance, while he remained, expecting
messengers from Congress. The general was just coming out of
the house, and proceeding to the shed where his horse was tied,
when the enemy appeared, dashing up to him, and shouting,
" surrender, you d  d rebel !" The general delivered his sword,
on the assurance from his captors, that he should be treated like
an honorable prisoner, and a gentleman. But no sooner was the
venerable soldier completely in their power, than they brutally
commanded him to say " God save the King !" " God save us
all !" was his sublime reply. " God save the king," they again
shouted, and- struck at him ferociously. His head, and uplifted
arm received the sabre cuts aimed at him, and seven gashes let out
the patriot's blood. All wounded and bleeding as he was, he was
mounted behind one of the troopers, and hurried off to Jamaica,
15

340 BRITISH BARBARITY.
where the sui-geon of the village was refused permission to dress
his wounds. A British surgeon was called in, who bungingly did
the work. The next day he was removed to the Prison ship,
where, notwithstanding his mangled condition, he was obliged to
sleep on the bare floor of the transport, until a lieutenant privately
provided him with a mattrass. His arm mortified, and death
ensued.

BRITISH BARBARITY.
On Arnold's expedition into Connecticut, it became necessary,
in order to secure possession of New London, to capture Fort Gris-
wold, situated on the opposite side of the river. Col. Eyre, with
a large body of men, was dispatched against it ; and although
the Americans resisted spiritedly, the works were carried by the
enemy. During the contest, one of the guns in the fort was
becoming useless for the want of wadding, when a patriotic lady,
who was in the fort, instantly loosed a flannel petticoat from her
person, and threw it to the gunners, with the exclamation, " this
will enable you to fire a few shots more."
The scene that ensued upon the surrender of the fort, is one of
the blackest stains on the English flag. But few of the Americans
were killed during the contest, but after the surrender, seventy of
them were massacred in cold blood. When Major Montgomery
entered the fort, (his superior, Col. Eyre, being'wounded) he asked
who commanded it. The brave Col. Ledyard, responded very
civilly, " I once had that honor, the command is your's now ;"
at the same time offering his sword. The brutal Major instantly

ADVENTURE OF CHARLES MORGAN. 341
seized it, and plunged it into the breast of his unarmed foe. -An
American officer standing by, instantly revenged this treachery by
cutting down Montgomery, but was in turn slaughtered. This
example of the officer was instantly followed by a general slaugh
ter of the prisoners. The British afterward loaded an ox-cart with .
wounded Americans, and started it down a hill with the intention
of running it into the river, but just as it obtained considerable
velocity, it struck a large tree, and the concussion was so great,
that several were killed by it, and all put to the keenest torture.
What are we to think of sucn. wanton barbarity ! But even this
did not satisfy them. After removing their own dead and
wounded, they laid a train of powder to the magazine, and left
the fort, although there were several wounded Americans within
it. But the explosion was prevented by a wounded soldier, who
crawled «pon the train, and saturated it with his life blood, so that
the fire could not communicate with the magazine.

ADVENTURE OF CHARLES MORGAN.
Charles Morgan, was a shrewd private of the Jersey brigade,
a good soldier, and had attracted the notice of the Marquis de la
Fayette. In the course of the movements on James river, the
marquis was anxious to procure exact information of the force un
der Cornwallis, and if possible, to penetrate his lordship's designs ;
he considered Charles as a proper agent for the accomplishment
of his purposes, and proposed to him to enter the British camp in
the character of a deserter, but in reality as a spy. Charles un
dertook the perilous enterprise, merely stipulating that, if he were

342 ADVENTURE OF CHARLES MORGAN.
detected, the marquis should cause it to be inserted in the Jersey
newspapers, that he was acting under the orders of his command
ing officer.
The pretended deserter entered the British lines and was conduct
ed into the presence of Cornwallis. On being questioned by that
nobleman, concerning his motives for desertion, he replied, " that
he had been with the American army from the beginning of the
war, and that while under General Washington, he was satisfied ;
but now that they had put them under a Frenchman, he did not
like it, and therefore had deserted." Charles was received with
out suspicion, was punctual in dischargiug his duty as a soldier,
and carefully observed everything that passed. One day while on
duty with his comrades, Cornwallis, who was in close conversation
with some of his Officers, called him and asked, "How long will
it take the marquis to cross James river ?"
" Three hours, my lord," was the answer.
" Three hours !" exclaimed his lordship, " will it not take three
days ?"
" No, my lord," said Charles ; " the marquis has so many boats,
each boat will carry so many men ; and if your lordship will take
the trouble of calculating, you will find he can cross in three
hours." Turning to his officers, the earl said, in the hearing of
the American, " the scheme will not do."
Charles was now resolved to abandon his new friends : and for
that purpose plied his comrades with grog, till they were all in
high spirits with the liquor. He then began to complain of the
wants in the British camp, extolled the plentiful provision en
joyed by the Americans, and concluded by proposing to them to
desert : they agreed to accompany him, and left it to him to
manage the sentinels. To the first he offered, in a very friendly

ADVENTURE OF CHARLES MORGAN. 343
manner, a draught of rum from his canteen ; but, while the sol
dier was drinking, Charles seized his arms, and then proposed to
him to desert with them, which he did through necessity. The
second sentinel was served in the same way ; and Charles has
tened to the American camp at the head of seven British deserters.
On presenting himself before his employer, the marquis exclaimed,
" Ah, Charles ! have you got back ?"
" Yes sir," was the answer, " and have brought seven more with
me." The marquis offered him money, but he declined accepting
it, and only desired to have his gun again : the marquis then pro
posed to raise him to the rank of a corporal or sergeant, but
Charles' reply was, " I will not have any promotion ; I have abili
ties for a common soldier, and have a good character : should I
be promoted, my abilities may not answer, and I may lose my
character." He, however, generously requested for his fellow-sol
diers, who were not so well supplied with stockings, shoes, and
clothing, as himself, the marquis' interference to procure a supply
of their wants.

344 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.

The following daring exploits, which we draw from various
sources, admirably illustrate the sagacity and coolness of our
backwoodsmen. Had they been performed by mailed and gaunt-
letted knights of old, and sung by minstrel chroniclers, they
would to this day, be the favored themes of poets, and have be
come immortalized. Assuredly they are as well worthy a place
in history, when enacted by those, whose unconquerable spirits
helped to form and rear the independence of our country, as if '
performed by the half-robber hero of the middle ages. Heroism
is heroism, and no more, whether it glows beneath a leather-jerkin
or a steeled breast-plate. DAVID ELERSON.
David Elerson was one of those bold spirits, who took an
active part in the Border Wars of the Revolution, along the Mo
hawk Valley, and on the western frontiers of the State of New
York. He followed Sullivan in his celebrated invasion of the
Indian Territory in 1779, and while Morgan's rifle corps, to which
he belonged, was stationed at the head of Otsego Lake, occurred
the following adventure :
" He had rambled off to an old clearing, at the distance of a
mile or more from the camp, to gather pulse for dinner. Having

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 345
filled his knapsack, while adjusting it in order to return to camp,
he was startled at the rustling of the tall and coarse herbage
around him, and in the same instant beheld ten or a dozen In
dians, who had crept upon him so cautiously as to be just on the
point of springing to grasp him. Their object clearly was rather
to make him a prisoner than to kill him, since he might easily
have been shot down unperceived. Seizing his rifle, which was
standing by his side, Elerson sprang forward to escape. A shower
of tomahawks hurtled through the air after him ; but as he
plunged into a thicket of tall weeds and bushes, he was only
struck on one of his hands, his middle finger being nearly severed.
a brisk chase was immediately commenced. Scaling an old
brush-wood fence, Elerson darted into the woods, and the Indians
after him. He was as fleet as a stag, and perceiving that they
were not likely soon to overtake, the pursuers discharged their
rifles after him, but luckily without effect. The chase was then
continued from eleven till three o'clock — Elerson using every de
vice and stratagem to elude, or deceive the Indians, but they hold
ing him close. At length, having gained a moment to breathe,
an Indian started up in his front. Drawing up his rifle to clear
the passage in that direction, the whizz of a bullet fleshing his
side, and the crack of a rifle, from another point, taught him that
delays were particularly dangerous at that spot. The Indian in
front, however, had disappeared on his presenting his rifle, and
Elerson again darted forward. His wounded side bled a little,
though not enough to weaken him. Having crossed a ridge, he
paused a moment in the valley beyond, to slake his thirst — his
mouth being parched, and himself almost fainting. On rising
from the brook, the head of one of his pursuers peeped over the
crest of the hill. He raised his rifle, but such was his exhaustion

346 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
he could not hold it steady. A minute more, and he would have
been in the power of the savages. Raising his rifle again, and
steadying it by the side of a tree, he brought the savage tumbling
headlong down the hill. In the next moment his trusty rifle was
re-loaded and primed, and in the next the whole group of his
pursuers came rushing over the ridge. He again supposed his
moments were numbered ; but being partly sheltered by the trunk
of a large hemlock, they saw not him, but only the body of their
fallen comrade yet quivering in the agonies of death. Drawing
in a circle about the body of their companion, they raised the
death wail ; and as they paused, Elerson made another effort to
fly. Before they resumed the pursuit, he had succeeded in bury
ing himself in a dark thicket of hemlocks, where he found the
hollow trunk of a tree, into which he crept. Here he lay en
sconced two full days, without food or dressings for his wound.
On the third day he backed out of ' the loop-hole of his retreat,'
but knew not which way to proceed — not discerning the points
of the compass. In the course of two or three miles, however, he
came to a clearing, and found himself at Cobleskill — having,
during his recent chase, run over hill and dale, bog, brook, and
fence, upward of twenty-five miles !"
ATTACK ON MR. SHANKLAND's HOUSE.
" About the same time, and probably by the same party of In
dians, the premises of a Mr. Shankland, lying in their tract, situ
ated in the outskirts of Cherry Valley, were assaulted. Residing
two or three miles from the village, his house had escaped the
common destruction which had fallen upon his neighbors in the
preceding autumn. But he had nevertheless removed his family
to the valley of the Mohawk for safety, and had returned to his

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 347
domicil accompanied only by his son. They were awakened just
before dawn by the assailants, who were endeavoring to cut away
the door with their hatchets. Taking down his two guns, Mr.
Shankland directed his son to load them, while he successively
fired to the best advantage. But not being able to see the ene
my, he determined upon a sortie. Having a spear, or espontoon,
in the house, he armed himself therewith, and carefully unbarring
the door, rushed forth upon the besiegers, who fled back at his
sudden apparition: One of the Indians whom he was specially
pursuing, tumbled over a log, and as Mr. Shankland struck at
him, his spear entered the wood, and par-ted from the shaft.
Wrenching the blade from the log, he darted back into the house,
barred the door, and again commenced firing upon the assailants.
They had been so much surprised by this rushing out upon them,
that they neither fired a shot, nor hurled a tomahawk, until he
had returned to his castle, and barred the sally port. During this
part of the affray, his son, becoming frightened, escaped from the
house, and ran for the woods. He Was pursued, overtaken, and
made captive. The father, however; continued the fight — the In
dians firing through the casements at random, and he returning
the shots as well as he cOuld. At one time he thought of sallying
forth again, and selling his life to the best advantage ; but by
thus doing, he very rightly judged that he should at once involve
the life of his son. The Indians, growing wearied of fighting at
such disadvantage, at last attempted to make sure of their victim
by applying the torch, and the house wa3 speedily in flames. But
it so happened that between the rear of the house and the forest,
a field of hemp interposed — into which Mr. Shankland contrived
to throw himself, unpereeived by the Indians. Concealed from
observation by the hemp, he succeeded in reaching the woods,

348 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
and making good his retreat to the Mohawk. Meantime the In
dians remained by the house until it was consumed, together, as
they supposed, with the garrison. They then raised a shout of
victory, and departed."
DARING ADVENTURE OF A CAPTIVE.
"Among the captives taken by the Indians on the Ohio in
1780 was a man named Alexander McConnell, of the Kentucky
settlers. He found his captors, five in number, to be pleasant
tempered and social, and he succeeded in winning their confi
dence, by degrees, until they essentially relaxed the rigors of his
confinement at night. His determination was of course to escape.
At length his fastenings were so slight, that while they were
asleep he succeeded in the entire extrication of his limbs. Still
he dared not to fly, lest escape from so many pursuers should
be impracticable, and his life, should he be re-taken, would surely
be required in payment for the rash attempt. To strike them
successively with one of their own tomahawks would be impossi
ble. His next plan was cautiously to remove three of their load
ed rifles to a place of concealment, which should, nevertheless, be
convenient for his own purpose. Then placing the other two at
rest upon a log, the muzzle of one aimed at the head of one In
dian, and the other at the heart of a second, with both hands he
discharged the rifles together, by which process two of his ene
mies were killed outright. As the three others sprang up in
amazement, McConnell ran to the rifles which he had concealed.
The work was all but of a moment. Seizing another rifle, and
bringing it in range of two of the three remaining savages, both
fell with the discharge, one dead and the other wounded. The

exploits on the frontiers. 349
fifth took to his heels, with a yell of horror which made the forest
ring." A GALLANT DEFENCE.
In a German settlement in the upper section of the Mohawk
Valley resided one John Christian Shell, who had built a block
house of his own, which was large, substantial, and well calcula
ted for defence. On one occasion when this district was threat
ened with an invasion by the Indians and Tories, the inhabitants
had all taken refuge in Fort Dayton, except Shell, who resolved
to remain and defend his own domicil. He and his sons were at
work in a field, when a party of the enemy appeared, headed by
one McDonald. Himself and four of his sons succeeded in reach
ing their castle, but the two younger, twins of but eight years old,
fell prisoners into the hands of the assailants. Once within the
house, and its ponderous door barricaded, Shell commenced the
battle, his wife loading the pieces, while himself and sons dis
charged them. The besiegers, however, were determined and
brave. An effort was made by them to set fire to the building,
but the galling fire from the garrison drove them back. McDon
ald procured a crow-bar, and endeavored to break open the door,
but a well-directed shot from Shell, struck him in the leg, and
put him hors du combat. With the rapidity of lightning Shell
sprang to the door, unbolted it, seized the wounded man, and
dragged him into the fort, ere his followers could arrive to rescue
him. This was a most fortunate circumstance. The ammunition
of the besieged was running low, and the consequences of such
an event were seriously apprehended. But their prisoner was
amply provided with cartridges, and he was compelled to deliver
them up under the threat of instant death should he refuse-

350 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
Thus the leader of the enemy supplied the means for the defeat
of his own party. They had been severely galled, and now drew
off for a respite. The battle had commenced at two o'clock, and
it was now nearly dark. The garrison also needed breathing
time, and feeling assured that the building would not be fired
while the enemy's leader was in his possession, Shell ceased filing.
But the enemy soon rallied to the fight, and while Shell was en
gaged in a hymn of thanksgiving, they marched up to the fort,
and thrust their rifles through the loop-holes, but Mrs. Shell seiz
ing an axe, by rapid and sure blows, completely ruined every
musket thrust through the walls, by bending the barrels. A few
more shots from Shell, and the assailants were driven back. Shell
then ran up to the second story, just at twilight, and called out
in a loud voice, that Capt. Small was approaching, and added —
" Capt. Small, march your company around upon this side of the
house. Capt. Getman, you had better wheel your men off to the
left, and come up on that side." The directions of Shell were
given with so much apparent earnestness, that the enemy really
believed troops were approaching, and they retreated, taking with
them the two boy prisoners. They were restored after the war.
HEROISM OF A WOMAN.
During an attack by Tories and Indians on Fort Hunter, the
females within the fortress displayed a heroism worthy of lasting
praise and commendation. They were provided with arms, and
were prepared to use them should occasion offer. The well of the
fort was without the works, and a soldier was detached to bring
water into the fort for the use of the garrison. The office was
one of great danger, and the soldier showed signs of fear and
trepidation in performing the duty required of him. This was

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 351
observed by an interesting young lady, and she snatched the
bucket and ran forth herself for the water. She was within the
enemy's fire, but without change of color, or any evidence of fear,
she drew and brought bucket after bucket to the thirsty soldiers,
and escaped entirely without injury.
STIRRING INCIDENTS.
In the spring of 1779, two men named Cowley and Sawyer,
were captured near Harpersfield, by a party of Indians, and carried
off prisoners towards Canada. One of the captives was an L-ish-
man, the other Scotch. They were captives eleven days before a
favorable opportunity was afforded them to escape. They had
arrived at a deserted hut near Tioga Point, when they were set
to work to cut wood a few rods distant. Cowley took this op
portunity to take a newspaper from his pocket, and pretended to
read its contents, while he recounted to him a plan for escape, and
explained the part they were to take in the attempt. That night
they lay down to rest in the hut, as usual, a prisoner between two
Indians. When the captives were satisfied their foes were all
sound in sleep, they cautiously arose and secured the savage's
weapons, and shook the priming from them. They then armed
themselves, one with a tomahawk, the other with an axe, and
stationed themselves by two of the Indians who were considered
the most formidable of the party. At the given signal the blows
fell suddenly and surely upon their victims ; but unfortunately
Sawyer, in attempting to force his weapon from the skull of the
Indian, drew the handle from it, and thus the rest of the work
remained to be performed by Cowley. The noise in dispatching
the first two Indians, awoke their companions, one of whom in
attempting to rise received a blow from Cowley's axe upon his

352 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
shoulder which caused him to fall back stunned. The fourth also
received a heavy blow from, the axe, but he escaped to a neigh
boring swamp, and when found by his pursuers was already dead.
Upon the return of Cowley and Sawyer to the hut, while they
were engaged in discussing their next course, the Indian who had
been stunned by the blow of the axe, suddenly sprang to his feet,
rushed to the rifles at hand, snapped one at his foes, but finding
the priming gone, he dashed into the woods and disappeared.
The next morning the two friends started on their return, but
they soon discovered that they were pursued by a party of In
dians, who, no doubt, were hot for their blood. Their vigilance
and skill were now roused to the utmost. During one night and
two days they remained concealed beneath a shelving rock, and
one time a dog belonging to the enemy, scented out their retreat,
but to the astonishment and great joy of the fugitives, he content
ed himself with smelling around them, and left without barking
or otherwise alarming the pursuers. Although surrounded by
the enemy, and on one night seeing the fires lit by the savages,
literally enclosing them in on all sides, they had the good fortune
to elude the vigilance of their foes, and to arrive at a frontier set
tlement, safe, but exhausted from fatigue and hunger.
A DARING FELLOW.
Samuel Brady was a powerful, bold and vigorous backwoods
man, who from his many successful attacks on the Indians, was
particularly obnoxious to them. He was also a very successful
beaver hunter, and on one of his excursions to Beaver river, Mo-
honing, in pursuit of these animals, it so happened that he was
surprised in his camp and taken prisoner by a party of Indians.
To have slain him at once would have been small satisfaction, he

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 353
was, therefore, taken alive to the encampment of the savages, for
the purpose of being burned alive in the presence of all the In
dians of the village, and by the exquisite sufferings of such a death,
obtain that revenge they so dearly prized.
" After the usual exultations and rejoicings at the capture of a
noted enemy, and causing him to run the gauntlet, a fire was pre
pared, near which Brady was placed, after being stripped naked,
and with his arms unbound. Previously to tying him on the
stake, a large circle was formed around him, consisting of Indian
men, women, and children, dancing and yelling, and uttering all
manner of threats and abuse that their small knowledge of the
English language could afford. The prisoner looked on these
preparations of death, and on his savage foes, with a firm counte
nance and a steady eye, meeting all their threats with a truly
savage fortitude. In the midst of their dancing and rejoicing, a
squaw of one of their chief's came near him with .a child in her
arms. Quick as thought, and with instinctive presence of mind,
he snatched it from her and threw it into the midst of the flames.
Horror-struck at the sudden outrage, the Indians simultaneously
rushed to rescue the infant from the' fire. In the midst of this
confusion, Brady darted from the circle, overturning all that came
in his way, and rushed into the adjacent thicket, with the Indians
at his heels. He ascended the steep side of a hill, amidst a show
er of bullets, and dashing down the opposite declivity, secreted
himself in the deep ravine and laurel thicket that abounded for
several miles beyond the hill. His knowledge of the country, and
wonderful activity, enabled him to elude his enemies, and reach
the settlement on the south of the Ohio river, which he crossed
by swimming. The hill near whose base, this adventure is said
to have happened, still goes by his name."

354 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
On one occasion, when pursued by a large body of savages, he
approached the Cuyahoga, at a place where the river cut a deep
chasm through the rocks, leaving a steep declivity on each bank.
As they drew near this spot, the Indians fancied his capture cer
tain, but they did not yet appreciate the powers and resources of
their enemy. Knowing that life or death were in the effort, Brady,
as he approached the chasm, prepared for a mighty effort, and
with one bound cleared the wide space, to the utter and bewilder
ing astonishment of his pursuers, who stopped short in admiration
at the daring and wonderful feat. It so happened that in landing
on the opposite cliff, he dropped into a low place, and seizing the
bushes, he helped himself to ascend to the top of the cliff. Before
the Indians could recover their astonishment, he was half way up
the opposite hill, but still within reach of their rifles. They had
forbore to use the rifle before, in the hope of taking his life,
and glutting, by torture, their long-delayed revenge, but now see
ing he was likely to escape, they sent a volley of bullets after him,
one of which wounded him in the hip. The Indians having to
make a circuit before they could cross the stream, Brady now
gained* considerably on them. But his limb began to grow stiff
from his wound, which retarded his progress, and his pursuers in
turn advanced rapidly upon him. He, therefore, made for a pond,
swam under water some distance, and came up where the trunk
of a large oak which had fallen into the water, concealed him from
observation. The Indians traced him to the pond, and there his
tracks of blood ceasing, and being unable to see any signs of him,
they came to the conclusion that in attempting to escape by
swimming, he had drowned. They, therefore, departed, and then
Brady, fatigued and lame, crawled out from the pond, and hurried
towards his house. The chasm across which he performed his

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 355
wonderful feat, to this day, is known by the name of " Brady's
Leap." A FEARFUL ENCOUNTER.
" In the summer of 1782, a party of seven Wyandots made an
incursion into a settlement some distance below Fort Pitt, in Vir
ginia. Here finding an old man alone in a cabin, they killed him,
packed what plunder they could find, and commenced their re
treat. Amongst their party was a celebrated Wyandot chief, who,
in addition to his fame as a warrior and counsellor, was, as to his
size and strength, a real giant.
" The news of the visit of the Indians soon spread through the
neighborhood, and a party of eight good riflemen was selected in
a few hours for the purpose of pursuing the Indians. In this
party were two brothers, of the names of Adam and Andrew Poe.
They were both famous for courage, skill, and activity. This little
party commenced the pursuit of the Indians with a determination,
if possible, not to suffer them to escape, as they usually did on
such occasions, by making a speedy flight to the Ohio river, cross
ing it, and then dividing into small parties, to meet at a distant
point in a given time. The pursuit was continued the greater
part of the night, after the Indians had done the mischief. In
the morning the party found themselves on the trail of the In
dians, which led to the river. When arrived within a little dis
tance of the river, Adam Poe, fearing an ambuscade, left the party,
who followed directly on the trail, to creep along the brink of the
river bank, under cover of the woods and bushes, to fall on the
rear of the Indians, should he find them in ambuscade. He had
not gone far before he saw the Indian rafts at the water's edge.
Not seeing any Indians, he stepped softly down the bank, with

356 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
his rifle cocked. When about half way down, he discovered the
large Wyandot chief, and a small Indian, within a few steps of
him. They were standing with their guns cocked, and looking
in the direction of our party, who, by this time, bad gone some
distance lower down the bottom. Poe took aim at the large
chief, but his rifle missed fire. The Indians hearing the snap of
the gun lock, instantly turned round and discovered Poe, who
being too near them to retreat, dropped his gun, and sprang from
the bank upon them, and seizing the large Indian by his clothes
on his breast, and at the same time embracing the neck of the
small one, threw them both down on the ground, himself being
uppermost. The small Indian soon extricated himself, ran to the
raft, got his tomahawk, and attempted to dispatch Poe, the large
Indian holding him fast in his arms with all his might, the better
to enable his fellow to effect his purpose. Poe, however, so well
watched the motions of his assailant, that, when in the act of aim
ing his blow at his head, by a vigorous and well directed kick
with one of his feet, he staggered the savage, and knocked the
tomahawk out of his hand. This failure, on the part of the small
Indian, was reproved by an exclamation of contempt from the
large one.
" In a moment the Indian caught up his tomahawk again, ap
proached more cautiously, brandishing his tomahawk, and making
a number of feigned blows in derision and defiance. Poe, how
ever, still on his guard, averted the real blow from his head, by
throwing up his arm, and receiving it on his wrist, in which he
was severely wounded ; but not so as to entirely lose the power
of his arm. In this perilous moment, Poe, by a violent effort,
broke loose from the Indian, snatched up one of the Indian's guns,
and shot the small Indian through the breast, as he ran up the

EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS. 357
third time to tomahawk him. The large Indian was now on his
feet, and grasping Poe by a shoulder and leg, threw him down on
the bank. Poe instantly disengaged himself, and got on his feet.
The Indian then seized him again, and a new struggle ensued.
which, owing to the slippery state of the bank, ended in the fall
of both combatants into the water. In this situation, it was the
object of each to drown the other. Their efforts to effect their
purpose, were continued for some time with alternate success, some
times one being under the water, and sometimes the other. Poe
at length seized the tuft of hair on the scalp of the Indian,
with which he held his head under water until he supposed him
drowned. Relaxing his hold too soon, Poe instantly found his
gigantic antagonist on his feet again, and ready for another com
bat. In this they Were earned into the water beyond their depth.
In this situation they were compelled to loose their hold on each
other, and swim for mutual safety. Both sought the shore, to
seize a gun, and end the contest with bullets. The Indian being
the- best swimmer, reached the land first. Poe seeing this, im
mediately turned back into the water, to escape, if possible, being
shot, by diving. Fortunately the Indian caught up the rifle with
which Poe had killed the other warrior. At this juncture, An
drew Poe arrived upon the spot. Missing his brother from the
party, and supposing from the report of the gun which he shot,
that he was either killed, or engaged in a conflict with the Indians,
hastened in the direction whence the firing came. On seeing him,
Adam called out to him to ' kill the big Indian on shore.' But
Andrew's gun, like that of the Indian's, was empty. The contest
was now between the white and the Indian, who should load and.
fire first. Very fortunately for Poe, the Indian in loading drew
the ramrod from the thimbles of the stock of the gun with so

358 EXPLOITS ON THE FRONTIERS.
much violence, that it slipped out of his hand, and fell a little dis
tance from him. He quickly caught it up, and rammed down his
bullet. This little delay gave Poe the advantage. He shot the
Indian as he was raising his gun to take aim at him."
During the contest between Poe and the Indians, the rest of
the party had overtaken the remaining five of them. A desperate
conflict ensued, in which all of the Indians were killed, save one,
who alone escaped to tell the melancholy tale of the fate of his
fellows. There was great grief in the Wyandot nation. The big
Indian, and four of his brothers, who were all killed in this con
flict, were distinguished chiefs, and their fall caused universal
mourning.

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 359

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.

In one of the numerous partisan encounters in the South, Capt.
Falls, a gallant and heroic officer, while leading a body of militia
against a detachment of tories, was shot through the heart, and
fell dead. He had been accompanied to the battle by his son, a
youth of fourteen. " When the captain fell, this high-minded
stripling, moved by an instinctive impulse of affection, sprang
from his horse, to embrace the body, and protect it from insult.
One of the enemy, believed to be the same that had shot the cap
tain, advancing with a view to plunder the corpse, the son, sud
denly snatching the sword of the deceased, plunged it into the
bosom of the marauder, and thus, at once, punished audacity, and
nobly revenged his father's death."
At the battle of Eutaw Springs, the following ludicrous inci
dent occurred. The Americans had pursued the English so closely
that they had taken refuge in a brick dwelling, while in their
haste to close the door upon the rapidily advancing Americans,
they shut out some of their own officers, who were immediately
surrounded by their captors. The Americans were now exposed
to a galling fire, from those within the building, and they only

360 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
found safety by interposing the persons of their captives between
themselves and the marksmen at the windows. Among the
British officers taken, was one Major Barry, who without the
slightest resistance, began only with a profound solemnity to enu
merate his many titles. " Sir, I am Henry Barry, Deputy Adju
tant General of the British army, Secretary to the commandant of
Charleston, captain of the 5 2d regiment, &c." " Enough, enough,"
replied Col. Manning, in whose hands he had fallen. " You are
just the man I was looking of. Fear nothing : you shall screen
me from danger, and I shall take especial care of you," and with
the pompous major held before his person, the American officer
secured a safe retreat.
When the "British obtained possession of Charleston, General
Gadsden was lieutenant-governor of South Carolina, and he was
among those paroled by the English commanders. But irritated
by the popular outbreaks under Marion and Sumter, the English
so far lost their sense of justice, as to arrest a large number of the
citizens, among whom was Gadsden. He was arrested in his
house, and conveyed on board a prison-ship, and thence to
St. Augustine. Here he was offered his parole on' condition, that
he should do nothing " prejudicial to the British interests." Gads
den received the proposition with scorn. " With men," said he,
" who have once deceived me, I can enter into no new contract.
I gave one parole, and although I strictly observed its conditions,
I have been seized, hurried from my family and home, and in the
most unlawful manner. And now I am asked for more pledges
by those who will be bound by none. No, sir ; I will give no
new parole." " Think better of it," was the reply of the British
officer. " Your rejection of this officer, consigns you to a dun-

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 361
geon." " I am ready for it — prepare it," was the answer ; " I
will give no parole, so help me Go'd /" He was thrown into the
dungeon of the castle of St. Augustine, where he lay for ten
months, kept from all intelligence, without society, and even pre
vented from seeing his fellow captives.
The sobriquet of " Game Cock," was applied to Sumter, the
renowned partisan chief of South Carolina, which he received, it
is said, under the following circumstance. While he was seeking
"ecruits, he applied one day to several brothers, by name Gilles
pie, who were remarkably fond of cock-fighting. They had in
their possession a blue hen, of the fighting species, whose progeny
were celebrated for their courage. Among them was one named
Puck, which had never been defeated in a conflict. Sumter sud
denly appeared among the brothers, while they were engaged in
their sport, and with ill-disguised contempt, he pronounced their
employment child-like and cruel, and abruptly told them, that if
they would go with him, he would give them worthier game, " and
teach them how to fight with men." Struck with his courageous
and fiery bearing, they took him at his word, and cried out, " Pucfc
for ever ! He is one of the ' Blue Hen's chickens !' " The sobri
quet stuck to him always and afterwards, and he was known
among his enemies, as well as among his men, by the nom de
guerre of the " Game Cock."
One morning, during the seige of Charleston, Gen. Moultrie
was awakened by a more than ordinary furious cannonading from
the enemy, and just as he leapt from his bed, a cannon ball came
crashing through the house, traversing the entire length of the

362 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
bed, tearing it to pieces, and scattering the fragments in every
direction, after which mischief it continued on its career.
In the celebrated battle of Fort Moultrie a most remarkable
coolness was manifested by the Americans. Moultrie, as well
as several of his officers, smoked their pipes during the action,
and only removed them when they had occasion to issue orders.
Moultrie, in his Memoirs, gives us the following little incident,
which speaks well for the coolness of his men. " When the ac
tion begun (it being a warm day,) some of the men took off their
coats and threw them upon the top of the merlons. I saw a shot
take one of them and throw it into a small tree behind the plat
form. R was noticed by our men, and they cried out, ' Look at
the coat !' "
When General Greene was retreating from the Catawba, an
incident occurred which admirably illustrates the sacrificing spirit
of the American women. On the line of his retreat he stopped
at a house for repose and refreshment. He had ridden all the
day in a severe rain storm, and he was wet, fatigued, and his
heart was sad and burdened with gloomy forebodings. His land
lady observed his despondency, and upon asking him about his
condition, he replied that he was " tired, hungry, and penniless."
Refreshments were provided for him, and after he had partaken
of them, the good woman drew him into a private apartment, and
placing in his hands two bags of specie — all her wealth, made
up of the little savings of years, she said, " Take these ; I can do
without them, and they are necessary to you."

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 363
In- one district of the South during the war the young women
at harvest time, formed themselves into a company of reapers,
and went to all the farms of the neighborhood, and if the reply
to the question — " Is the owner out with the fighting men ?" was
in the affirmative, they would set to, cut and garner all the grain.
It was generally no small undertaking, and five or six weeks of
unceasing toil were necessary to complete their rounds. Similar
companies were formed in New York and Long Island. A whig
paper of July 25th, 1776; says: "The most respectable ladies
set the example, and say they will take the farming business on
themselves so long as the rights and liberties of their country
require the presence of their sons, husbands, and lovers in the
field." On one occasion a person by the name of Mills, belonging to
Sumter's troops, was despatched to Charleston to draw money for
the troops. He soon observed that he was dogged by an indi
vidual of a suspicious appearance, and just as he was preparing
to leave the city, he managed to enter into a friendly conversation
with the man, and invited him to his room. The stranger com
plied, but no sooner had he entered than Mills closed and' locked
the door, then produced a decanter of brandy, and told the man
he must drink up the brandy on penalty of being shot. There
was no alternative, and the fellow was obliged to comply. When
he became hopelessly drunk, Mills left him, mounted his horse,
and left the city.
" Mart Knight was one of those devoted women who contri
buted to the relief of Washington's army at Valley Forge — cook-
ng and carrying provisions to them alone, through the depth of
16

364

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.

winter, even passing through the outposts of the British army in
the disguise of a market-woman. And when Washington was
compelled to retreat before a superior force, she concealed her
brother, Gen. Worrell (when the British set a price on his head,)
in a cider hogshead in the cellar for three days, and fed him
through the bung-hole ; the house being ransacked four different
times by the troops in search of him, without success."

In the battle of Monmouth a gunner was killed, and a call was
made for another to supply his place, when the wife of the fallen
soldier, who had followed him through the wars, advanced and
took his station, expressing a wish to do her duty, and impelled
by a desire to revenge his death. The gun was well managed,
and Washington was so much pleased at the report of her con
duct, that after the battle he summoned her before him, and gave
her a lieutenant's commission. She was afterwards called in the
army, Captain Molly.
The British troops in their expedition into Connecticut passed
through the village of Danbury, when the following incident oc
curred. As the enemy were advancing along the old Reading
road, one of the inhabitants of the town rode his horse up to the
summit of an eminence, directly in their front. Waving his hat
with his sword, and turning his face as though he was addressing
an army behind him, he thundered out, " Halt the whole Uni
verse ! break off by kingdoms /" The Britishers, astounded by
such an incident, came to a halt. Their cannon were brought
forward, and flanking parties sent out to make discoveries. Mr.
Halcom-t, which was the name of this eccentric individual, finding

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 365
himself on the point of being surrounded, made a rapid retreat
and escaped from his pursuers.

At the battle of Bennington an old farmer had five sons in the
field. When it was over a friend came to him, and said, " I have
sad news for you." " What is it," replied the father ; " have my
sons run away from the fight ?" " No," replied the friend, " but
one is dead." " Bring him to me," replied the old man with an
unchanged countenance. The lifeless form of his dead boy was
laid before him. There was not a tear in the old man's eye, and
not a groan escaped from his lips. He stooped to wipe the blood
from the wounds, and to gaze into the pallid face before him.
" It is the happiest day of my life," said he, " to know that my
five sons have fought nobly for freedom, even though one has
fallen on the altar of his country." A similar incident has im
mortalized the Roman Cato, but how few are acquainted with this
instance of sublime patriotism, manifested by an obscure country
farmer I
" Some time in the year '76, the British sloop-of-war, Unicorn,
put into Holme's Hole, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, and
having landed a detachment of marines, pressed into service a
number of pilots. Upon this island, a liberty-tree had been
erected, around which the citizens were wont to assemble, and
pledge their fortunes and their sacred honors in the cause of lib
erty. Now his Majesty's ship was in want of a spar, and as the
only stick of timber on the island that would answer for the pur
pose, was the liberty-tree, down it must come. The panic
stricken citizens consented to sell it to them, and on the morrow

366 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
it was to be delivered on board. But there was a numerous party
who did not agree to this contract, and resolved to prevent its
execution. Three young girls, named Parnel Manter, Horiah
Allen, and Mary Milman, whose young eyes had not yet beheld
the frosts of sixteen winters, met together on that evening around
the sacred tree, and by means of augurs, pierced it with numerous
holes, which they filled with gunpowder ; they then cautiously
applied the match, and their emblem of liberty was shattered in
many pieces." A few years since, the only living member of the
heroic trio, who ought to be immortalized in song, Mary Milman
was in age and distress, and was obliged to apply to congress for
relief. At the battle of Monmouth, among the Americans wounded,
was Lieut. Tallman. He was shot through the throat, and
crawled behind the barn to die. Two soldiers came to his relief,
and raising him from- the ground, were retreating with him across
an orchard, when a musket ball passing through the hat of one of
them, he hastily abandoned his charge and ran away. The other
supported him to the dwelling of a Mr. Cook, in the vicinity,
where also was carried another wounded officer, Mr. Nealey.
Here they both received the kindest treatment1 and both officers
recovered. But Captain Neally in receiving balm for the injury
in his flesh, became wounded in a more tender point. There
arose between him and a daughter of Mr. Cook, who had hovered
over his couch in the shape of a " 'ministering angel," a romantic
.attachment, which finally resulted in marriage.
On one occasion, when Baron Steuben was reviewing a regi
ment, he heard the name of Benedict Arnold called in the muster

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES 367
roll. He commanded the person bearing the offensive name, to
immediately advance from the line. The baron after surveying
him for a few moments, said, " change your name, brother soldier ;
you are too respectaDle to bear the name of a traitor." " What
name shall I take, general ?" inquired the young man. " Take
any other ; mine is at your service." He accepted it, and imme
diately had his name entered as Frederick William Steuben.
The ladies of the revolution in Middlesex county, Massachu
setts, obtained considerable celebrity, by an adventure of a daring
and interesting nature. Rumors having come, that a party of the
British were advancing, burning and destroying as they progressed,
several of the leading ladies in the county, met together and re
solved to organize an opposition to their approach. The male
ftiembers of the community had most of them departed to join
the continential army ; these ladies therefore clothed themselves
in their husband's apparel, and armed with muskets, pitchforks,
and such other weapons as they could find, including no doubt,
the household instruments, which legend has always associated
with the prowess of women, and proceeded to Jewett's bridge,
over the Nashua, between Peperell and Groton. Here they took
their stand, and declared that no foe, foreign or domestic, should
pass that bridge. They selected Mrs. Wright of Peperell, as
their commander.
They were not long stationed here, before one Captain Whi
ting, a notorious tory, who was supposed to be engaged in con
veying treasonable intelligence to the enemy, was observed ad
vancing on horseback' to wards the interdicted passage. His sur
prise in finding himself confronted by su6h specimens of soldiery
must no doubt, have been great, but the imperative commands of

368

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES,

Sergeant Wright, left no question as to their determination of
purpose. He was unhorsed without ceremony, searched, and the
treasonable correspondence discovered concealed in his boots. Re
was then sent to the proper authorities, and the ladies returned to
their voluntary duties.
The Hon. James Schureman, who after the war, served four
years in congress, was then sent to the United States Senate, and
still later became Mayor of New Brunswick, was a prominent and
influential man in New Jersey, during the revolution. On one
occasion, the militia of New Brunswick were called out, to go
against the enemy. Their captain made a speech, urged them to
volunteer ; but not one complied. Schureman, then in the ranks
stepped out, and after volunteering himself, addressed them so
eloquently, that a company was immediately formed, which went
to Long Island, and was engaged in the battle there. In the
course of the war, Schureman and George Thomson, were taken
prisoners by a party of British horse. They were confined for a
short time in the guard-house in New Brunswick. From this
place, they were conveyed to New York, and confined in the
sugar-house While here, they succeeded in enlisting the sympa
thy of Philip kissick, a tory, who furnished them with money,
with which they procured food. They bribed the guard, to give
them the privilege of the yard ; and one night having supplied
them with some liquor, into which they had put a quantity of
laudanum, they dug through the wall and escaped to the upper
part of the city, near where the old prison stood. There they got
on board a small fishing-boat, and with a single oar, paddled
across the Hudson to Powles' Hook, and thence proceeded to
Morristown, where they joined the American army.

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 369
" At the battle of Monmouth, the Marquis de Lafayette, having
approached, with a small escort, within reach of the enemy's
guns, for the purpose of reconnoitering their position, his aid-de
camp and friend was struck by a ball, and fell at his side. The
officers and soldiers fled precipitately from the spot ; but the gene
ral would not abandon his friend, while a chance remained of
saving his life. He hastened to his side, and, leaning over him,
addressed him in tones of kindness and affection, But it was
too late ; the work of death was already done. Turning away
with deep emotion, he left the place with slow and mournful steps,
and presently rejoined his escort, who awaited his coming at a
safe distance from the fatal battery. It is said that Sir Henry
Clinton was present in person at this scene ; and recognising the
young marquis, by the snow-white charger which he always rode,
was so touched by his heroic magnanimity and manly grief, that
he commanded the gunners to cease firing, and suffered him to
retire unmolested."
About the time of the invasion of General Burgoyne, when the
people were flying in terror before his army, an attempt was made
to assasinate General Schuyler, by introducing a savage into his
house for that purpose. " It was at the hour of bed time, in the
evening, and while the general was preparing to retire for the
night, that a female servant, in coming in from the hall, saw a
gleam of light reflected from the blade of a knife, in the hand of
some person, whose dark outline she discovered behind the door.
The servant was a black slave, who had sufficient presence of
mind, not to appear to have made the discovery. Passing directly
through the door into the apartment, where the general was yet

370 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
standing near the fire-place, with an air of unconcern, she pre
tended to arrange such articles as were disposed upon the mantel
piece, while in an undertone she informed her master of her dis
covery, and said aloud, ' I will call the guard.' The general in
stantly seized his arms, while the faithful servant hurried out by
another door into a long hall, upon the floor of which lay a loose
board which creaked beneath the tread. By the noise she made
in trampling rapidly upon the board, the Indian, for such he
proved — was led to suppose that the Philistines were upon him in
numbers, sprang from his concealment, and fled. He was pur
sued, however, by the guard, and a few friendly Indians attached
to the person of the general, overtaken, and made prisoner."
On one occasion during the war of the Revolution, a stranger
applied to the residence of Governor Clinton, for hospitality, and
was received, and while refreshments were preparing for him, the
Governor entered into conversation with him, in the course of
which, in reply to some questions proposed by the host, he mani
fested so much uneasiness, that the suspicions of the family were
aroused. These suspicions became confirmed in their minds by
observing. him take something very cautiously from his pocket and
swallow it. Mrs. Clinton immediately conceived of a plan to
make him disgorge his secret. She proceeded to the kitchen,
and put a dose of tartar emetic in the cup of coffee preparing for
him. The man partook of the beverage, and ere long he began
to show signs of indisposition ; he soon grew violently sick, and
the result was, a small silver ball was discharged from his stomach.
The ball was unscrewed, and found to contain an important com
munication from Sir Henry Clinton to Gen. Burgoyne. The man

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 371
was arrested as a spy, and " out of his own mouth", as it was
wittily said, he was convicted. He suffered death.

Captain Richardson, of South Carolina, was so vindictively
pursued and hunted by the British, that he was obliged to keep
himself concealed in Santee Swamp. Large rewards were offered
for his apprehension, and straggling parties were out continually
in search of him. Notwithstanding all these dangers, he, on one
occasion, ventured out of his retreat, in order to pay a visit to his
family. Scarcely had he been admitted into his residence, when
a party of the enemy were discovered approaching the spot. The
moment was one of peril. But the presence of mind of Mrs. Rich
ardson saved him. She hastened to the door, and so managed
to detain them, and engage their attention, that he was enabled
to rush out of the back door, and reach his place of retreat, before
they were admitted.
" In the battle of I.ong Island, part of the British army marched
down a road, leading from Brooklyn to Gowanus, pursuing the
Americans. Several of the American riflemen, in order to be more
secure, and at the same time more effectually to succeed in their
designs, had posted themselves in the high trees near the road.
One of them, whose name is not now known, shot the English
Major, Grant ; in this he passed undiscovered. Again he loaded
his deadly rifle, and fired ; another English officer fell. He was
then discovered, and a platoon ordered to advance and fire into
the tree ; which order was immediately carried into execution,
and the rifleman fell to the ground, dead. After the battle was
over, the two British officers were buried in a field near the place,

872 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
and their graves fenced in with some posts and rails, where their
remains still rest. But, for ' an example to the rebels,' they re
fused to the American rifleman the rites of sepultm-e, and the body
lay exposed on the ground, until the flesh was rotten, and torn
off the bones by the fowls of the air. After a considerable length
of time, in a heavy gale of wind, a large tree was uprooted ; in
the cavity formed by which, some friends to the Americans, not
withstanding the prohibition of the English, deposited the sol
dier's skeleton, to mingle in peace with its kindred earth."
At one time during the war, Colonel Washington compelled
the surrender of Colonel Rugely, who was posted in a very strong
redoubt, by a very ingenious method. He ordered a pine log to
be cut and mounted on wheels, so as to resemble a cannon. With
this he approached the British commander, and summoned him
to surrender. Rugely perceiving, as he thought, artillery in the
ranks of the enemy, and knowing it impossible to maintain his
post against cannon, yielded to the summons. This circumstance
afforded the Americans in South Carolina, a great deal of merri-
ment, and the Englishmen suffered a corresponding degree of
mortification. Cornwallis, speaking of it in a letter to Tarleton,
very significantly remarks, " Hugely will not be made a Briga
dier!' " While Enoch Crosby, the Westchester spy, was on duty in
the vicinity of Teller's Point, a British sloop-of-war came up the
river, and anchored in the stream opposite the Point. With an
unconquerable predilection for stratagem, our hero immediately
concocted a plot for the sole purpose, as he says, of affording ' a

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 373
little sport for the soldiers.' He accordingly proceeded down the
Point, accompanied by six men, all of whom, save one, concealed
themselves in the woods which grew a short distance from the
shore, while the other paraded the beach so as to display his uni
form in so conspicuous a manner, as to attract the notice of the
officers on board the vessel. The enemy swallowed the bait ; and
a boat was soon put off from the sloop-of-war, manned with eleven
men, under the command of a lieutenant, to make a prisoner of
this one Yankee, who precipitately fled into the woods as the
barge approached the shore. The Englishmen followed, threa
tening to shoot the fugitive unless he stopped and surrendered.
As soon as the pursuers had passed his little party, which were
scattered in various directions, Crosby exclaimed,
" ' Come on my boys ! now we have them !'
" At this signal every man sprang up in his place, with a shout
that made the welkin ring ; making at the same time such a
rustling in the bushes, that the British, thinking themselves sur
rounded by a superior force, surrendered without resistance."
" At one period in the revolution, Captain Roger Lyon, of North
Castle, New York, had the honor of entertaining Gen. Washing
ton and suite, on their route to White Plains. It is related by
his grand-son, that during the entertainment, Captain Lyon being
blind, handed the General a draught of good cheer, with these
words, ' General ! the ladies say you are a very handsome man,
but I cannot see.' ' Tell the ladies,' rejoined Washington, ' I am
afraid they are as blind as yourself.' "
- " Near Peekskill, on the road to Albany, is situated the ' Sol-

374 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
diers Spring,' which derived its name from the following tragical
incident. The British had landed on Verplanck's Point, and com
menced so vigorously to cannonade the village of Peekskill, that
the Americans had to retire hastily. Their enemies kept up a
constant firing upon them as they sought various avenues of re
treat. A soldier stopped in his flight to refresh himself at the
spring. While on his hands and knees, in the act of drinking, a
ball which struck on the eminence above him, glanced obliquely,
and descending the road with rapid bounds, finished its course by
shattering the thigh of the soldier. Unable to move, he remained
bleeding, and in agony, in the same position, until a wagon pass
ing by rescued him. The wound proved fatal.

In one of the incursions of Indians upon our frontier settle
ments during the revolution, a very romantic incident occurred.
The celebrated chief Cornplanter made an attack upon the neigh
borhood of Fort Plain, burning and destroying, and among the
prisoners he captured was one John Abeil, an old inhabitant.
The party had not travelled but a few miles on their return when
was discovered that this Abeil was almost as well acquainted with
their language as the Indians themselves. This fact interested
the chief, and on inquiring of his captive his name, Cornplanter
knew at once that he stood before his own father. Abeil, twenty-
five years before, had been a trader among the Indians of Wes
tern New York, and in one of his visits became enamored of a
pretty squaw, and the result of this affection was the graceful and
celebrated warrior, whom the father now for the first time saw
standing before him. The chief had learned from his mother
the history of his parentage, and his father's name. The meeting

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 375
was certainly extraordinary to a degree. The young chief held
out strong inducements to his white father to accompany him to
his tribe, but paternal affection did not seem so strong in the
heart of Abeil as his love for the comforts and luxuries of a
white man's home, and so he chose rather to be restored to liberty,
and be returned to his friends. This was yielded, and he was
conducted in honor back to the settlements. Thus singularly met
and parted the father and son.
Gen. Sullivan in his expedition into the Genessee Valley, fired
daily, while in the Indian country, a morning and evening gun,
to notify the scouting parties which were constantly kept out of
his position. In one instance a pleasing incident was the result
of these signal guns. The filing of a gun alarmed a party of
Indians who were near, and they scampered off in great haste,
leaving a female, who was in their company, who finding herself
thus abandoned, went towards- the American camp. On being
brought before Col. Butler she stated that she was a native of
Danbury, Connecticut ; had been married several years before,
and was living at Wyoming on the occasion of the massacre,
when her husband was killed, an infant at her breast snatched
from her arms and brained, and two other children carried away
by one party of Indians as prisoners, while she herself was retain
ed as captive by another party. When she arrived with her cap
tors at their place of destination, she was compelled to live with
an Indian as his wife, in which position she had remained until
She signal gun in frightening away her companions gave her lib
erty. When she came into the American camp she had an infant
child which was the fruit of her late unhappy connection. The
child died not long after, and it was suspected that an American

376 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
soldier, from sympathy to the woman, had given it poison. On
the return of the army, she went back to her friends in Connec
ticut.

On one occasion when a party of Indians attacked the house
of Lieut. Vrooman, on the New York frontier, he caught up his
infant child and fled to a corn-field, followed by his wife leading
her little daughter. He seated himself against the trunk of a
tree, and his wife was concealed a few rods from him in the corn.
All would probably have been well had not Mrs. Vrooman, not
knowing where her husband was, called to him, which informed
the enemy of their place of concealment. Her call was scarcely
uttered ere a bullet pierced her side, and she fell writhing in
death. An Indian now approached and scalped her little daugh
ter, while another savage approached the husband and thrust a
spear at him, which he parried, and the infant in his arms smiled.
Another pass was parried and the infant again smiled. At the
third blow of the spear, which Vrooman succeeded in warding off,
the child, but five months old, laughed outright at the supposed
sport, and this so awakened the sympathy of the savage that he
forebore in his attack, and made Vrooman a prisoner.
" At the commencement of the revolutionary struggle, General
Heath's division of the American army was stationed at Morris-
ania, on Harlem River, N. Y. From his Memoirs we gather the
following particulars. A picket from our general's division, of
four hundred and fifty men, constantly mounted, by relief, at Mor-
risania, from which a chain of sentinels, within half gun shot of
each other, were planted, from one side of the store to the other,

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 377
and near the water passage, between Morrisania and Montressor's
island, which in some places is .very narrow. The sentinels on
the American side were ordered not to presume to fire at that of
the British, unless the latter began ; but the British were so fond
of beginning, that there was frequently a firing between them.
This having been the case one day, and a British officer walking
along the bank, on the Montressor's side, an American sentinel,
who had been exchanging some shots with a British sentinel, see
ing the officer, and concluding him to be better game, gave him
a shot, and wounded him. He was carried up to the house on
the island. An officer with a flag soon came down to the creek
and called for the American officer of the picket, and informed
him that if the American sentinels fired any more, the command
ing officer of the island would cannonade Col. Monis's house, in
which the officers of the picket were quartered. The American
officer was directed to inform the British officer that the American
sentinels had always been instructed not to fire upon sentinels un
less they were first fired upon, and then to return the fire ; that
such would be their conduct ; as to the cannonading of Col. Mor
ris's house, they might act their pleasure. The firing ceased for
some time ; but a raw Scotch sentinel having been planted one
day, he very soon after discharged his piece at an American sen
tinel nearest to him, which was immediately returned ; upon
which a British officer came down, and called to the American
officers, observing that he thought there was to be no firing be
tween the sentinels. He was answered, that their own began ;
upon which he replied, ' he shall answer for it then.' There was
no firing between the sentinels at that place, any more, and they
were so civil to each other on the posts, that one day, at a part of
the creek where it was practicable, the British sentinel asked the

378 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
American if he could give him a chew of tobacco; the latter'
having a thick, twisted roll, sent it across the creek to the British
sentinel, who after taking off his bite, sent the remainder back."
In December, 1777, while Washington was at Valley Forge,
and the enemy was in Philadelphia, Major Talmadge was sta
tioned between the two places with a detachment of cavalry, to
make observations and to limit the range of British foragers. On
one occasion, while performing this duty, he was informed that a
country girl had gone into Philadelphia — perhaps by Washing
ton's instigations, ostensibly to sell eggs, but really and especi
ally to obtain information respecting the enemy ; and curiosity
led him to move his detachment to Germantown. There the
main body halted while he advanced with a small party towards
the British lines. Dismounting at a tavern in plain sight of their
outposts, he soon saw a young girl coming out of the city. He
watched her till she came up to the tavern ; made himself known
to her, and was about to receive some valuable intelligence, when
he was informed the British light horse were advancing. Step
ping to the door he saw them in full pursuit of his patroles. He
hastily mounted, but before he had started his charger, the girl
was at his side begging for protection. Quick as thought, he or
dered her to mount behind him. She obeyed, and in that way
rode to Germantown, a distance of three miles. During the whole
ride, writes the Major in his Journal, where we find these details,
" although there was considerable firing of pistols, and not a little
wheeling and charging, she remained unmoved, and never once
complained of fear."
Of all the heroines whose names are imperishably connected

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 379
with our history, that of Elizabeth Zane stands foremost. In 1777,
Fort Henry in Ohio county, Virginia, was attacked by the Indi
ans. The defence was made with vigor, but suddenly the ammu
nition became exhausted, and surrender seemed the only alterna
tive. There was a keg of powder in a house about twelve rods
distant, which to obtain would prolong the defence, and perhaps
preserve the lives of the whole garrison. It was resolved that one
person should venture out, and, if possible, secure and bear into
the fort the valued prize. The Indians having retired a little dis
tance, a favorable opportunity was afforded, but it became difficult
to decide who should undertake the service, as every soldier was
emulous for the honor of performing the perilous, but honorable
enterprise. -Their contention, however, was cut short by Miss
Zane, who claimed to be chosen for performing the duty, giving
as reasons, that the life of a soldier was more valuable in the de
fence of the fort, than was her own, and that her sex might pre
serve her errand from suspicion, and secure the success of the plan.
Her resolute manner and urgent arguments overcame the scruples
of the officer, and she was permitted to make the attempt. The
Indians observed her depart from the fort, but from some un
known cause, offered her no molestation. She reached the house,
seized the powder, and hastened to return. But by this time the
savages comprehended the object of her visit without the fort.
They fired a volley after her, as she with speed ran rapidly along
to the gate of the fort. Fortunately not a bullet injured her.
They only gave activity to her movements, and reaching the fort,
she was admitted, to the unbounded joy of the garrison. Animated
by so noble an instance of heroism, the besieged fought with a
bravery and vigor which the enemy could not overcome, and they
raised the seige.

380 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
During the revolutionary war, while Fort Motte, situated
on Congaree river, in South Carolina, was in the hands of the
British, in order to effect its surrender, it became necessary to
burn a large mansion standing near the centre of the trench. Tha
house was the property of Mrs. Motte. Lieut. Colonel Lee
communicated to her the contemplated work of destruction with
painful reluctance, but her smiles, half anticipating his proposal,
showed, at once, that she was willing to sacrifice her property if
she could thereby aid in the least degree towards the expulsion of
the enemy and the salvation of the land. The reply she made to
the proposal was that she was " gratified with the opportunity of
of contributing to the good of her country, and should view the
approaching scene with delight !"
" Governor Griswold was once indebted to a happy thought
of his wife for his escape from the British, to whom he was ex
tremely obnoxious. He was at home, but expected to set out im
mediately for Hartford, to meet the legislature, which had com
menced its session a day or two previous. The family residence
was at Blackhill, opposite Saybrook Point, and situated on the
point of land formed by Connecticut river on the east, and Long
Island Sound on the south. British ships were lying in the sound ;
and as the governor was known to be at this time in his own man
sion, a boat was secretly sent ashore for the purpose of securing
his person. Without previous warning, the family were alarmed
by seeing a file of marines coming up from the beach to the house.
There was no time for flight. Mrs. Griswold bethought herself
of a large meat barrel, or tierce, which had been brought in a
day or two before, and was not yet filled. Quick as thought, she
decided that the governor's proportions — which were by no means

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 381
slight — must be compressed into this, the only available hiding-
place. He was obliged to submit to be stowed in the cask and
covered. The process occupied but a few moments, and the sol
diers presently entered. Mrs. Griswold was of course innocent of
all knowledge of her husband's whereabouts, though she told
them she well knew the legislature was in session, and that busi
ness required his presence at the capital. The house and cellar
having been searched without success, the soldiers departed. By
the time their boat reached the ship, the governor was galloping
up the road on his way to Hartford.'
" A British officer, distinguished by his inhumanity and con
stant oppression of the unfortunate, meeting Mrs. Charles Elliot in
a garden, adorned with a great variety of flowers, asked the name
of the Camomile, which . appeared to flourish with peculiar luxu
riance. 'The Rebel Flower,' she replied. ' Why was that name
given to it ?' inquired the officer. ' Because,' rejoined the lady,
' it thrives most when most trampled upon.' "
" Mrs. Daniel Hall having obtained permission to pay a visit
to her mother on John's Island, was on the point of embarking,
when an officer stepping forward in the most authoritative man
ner, demanded the key of her trunk. ' What do you expect to
find there V asked the lady. ' I seek for treason,' was the reply.
' You may then save yourself the trouble of search,' said Mrs.
Hall. ' You may find plenty of it at my tongue's end.' "
" Mrs. Thomas Heywaro, in two instances, with the utmost
firmness, refused to illuminate for British victories. An officer

382 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
forced his way into her presence, and sternly demanded of Mrs
Heyward, ' How dare you disobey the order which has been is
sued ; why, madam, is not your house illuminated ?' — ' Is it pos
sible for me, sir,' replied the lady, with perfect calmness, ' to feel
a spark of joy ? Can I celebrate the victory of your army, while
my husband remains a prisoner at St. Augustine ?' — ' That,' re
joined the officer, ' is of but little consequence ; the last hopes of
rebellion are crushed by the defeat of Green at Guildford. You
shall illuminate.' — ' Not a single light,' replied the lady, ' shall be
placed with my consent, on such an occasion, in any window of
my house.' — ' Then, madam, I will return with a party, and, be
fore midnight, level it with the ground.' — ' You have power to
destroy, sir, and seem well disposed to use it ; but over my opin
ions you possess no control : I disregard your menaces, and reso
lutely declare — I will not illuminate !' "
" A remarkable scene is related by Dr. Ramsay, to have oc
curred on the occasion of Fort Augusta, commanded by Colonel
Browne, being taken, which well deserves to be recorded. Pass
ing through the settlement where the most wanton waste had re
cently been made by the British, both of lives and property, a
Mrs. M'Koy having obtained permission to speak to Colonel
Browne, addressed him in words to the following effect : ' Colonel
Browne — in the late day of your prosperity, I visited your Camp,
and on my knees supplicated for the life of niy son ; but you were
deaf to my entreaties. You hanged him, though a beardless
youth, before my face ! These eyes have seen him scalped by the
savages under your immediate command, and for no better reason
than that his name was M'Koy. As you are a prisoner to the
leaders of my country, for the present I lay aside all thoughts of

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 383
revenge ; but when you resume your sword, I will go five hun
dred miles to demand satisfaction at the point of it, for the murder
of my son.' "

Shortly after the commencement of the war, the family of Dr.
Channing, then residing in England, removed to France, and sail
ed in a stout and well-armed vessel for America. They had pro
ceeded but a little way when, they were attacked by a privateer.
A fierce engagement ensued, during which Mrs. Channing kept
the deck, handing cartridges, aiding the wounded, and exhorting
the crew to resist until death. Their fortitude, however, did not
correspond with the ardor of her wishes, and the colors were struck.
Seizing the pistols and side-arms of her husband, she threw them
into the sea, declaring that she would rather die than see him
surrender them to an enemy."
¦ " The haughty Tarleton, vaunting his feats of gallantry, to the
great disparagement of the officers of the continental cavalry, said
to a lady at Wilmington — ' I have a very earnest desire to see
your far-famed hero, Colonel Washington.' — ' Your wish, colonel,
might have been fully gratified,' she promptly replied, ' had you
ventured to look behind you, after the battle of the Cowpens.'
" It was in that battle that Washington had wounded Tarleton,
which gave rise to a still more pointed retort. Conversing with
Mrs. Wiley Jones, Colonel Tarleton observed : ' You appear to
think very highly of Colonel Washington ; and yet I have been
told that he is so ignorant a fellow, that he can hardly write his
own name.' — ' It may be the case,' she readily replied, ' but no

384 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
man better than yourself, colonel, can testify, that he knows how
to make his mark.' "

" Pre-eminent in malignity stood the Engineer Moncrief. The
mstances of oppression issuing from his implacable resentment,
would fill a volume. I shall confine myself to one anecdote.
" Mrs. Pinkney, mother of C. C. Pinkney, solicited as a favor
that he would not suffer certain oak trees of remarkable beauty
on a farm which he occupied, to be destroyed, as they were highly
valued by her son, having been planted by his father's hand.
' And where is your son, madam ?' — ' At Haddrels, sir, a prisoner.'
— ' And he wishes me, madam, to have these trees preserved ?'—
' Yes, sir, if possible.' — ' Then tell him, madam, that they will
make excellent firewood, and he may depend upon it they shall
be burnt.' Colonel Moncrief was no jester. The promptitude of
his actions left no room for suspense. An opportunity was offer
ed to injure and to insult, and he embraced it. The trees were
burnt." " Margaret Whetten, the wife of Capt. William Whetten,
of New York, was one of the true mothers of the Revolution.
During a part of the war, she resided on Cliff street, near the rear
of St. George's chapel. There, if we mistake not, she became a
widow ; and though not left in affluent circumstances, she made
-her house an asylum, especially for the wounded and suffering
whigs. For a long time she prepared food daily for the impri
soned soldiers, and often visited them and cheered their drooping
hearts by her lively and hope-giving conversation. She was also
accustomed to visit the hospitals ; and even the Provost was not

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 385
shunned, though the marshal was surly and abusive. Nor did
she forget the prison-ships ; their hapless inmates were often the
recipients of favors which she caused to be sent.
" At one time a party of soldiers was sent to her house in pur
suit of a suspected enemy of the crown. Being notified of their
approach, she hastily slipped a dressing gown and night-cap on
him ; and placing him in a large easy chair, and handing him a
bowl of gruel, she pointed the soldiers to the seeming invalid,
whose fears doubtless contributed to his paleness. Thinking he
must be too feeble, just then, to travel, they went away. The
leader of this duped band was reprimanded for leaving him to
his gruel, and ordered back : meanwhile the invalid had become
rapidly convalescent, changed his suit, and gone out to try the
air." " When Col. Washington of the dragoons was engaged with
Tarleton's cavalry, at the battle of  in South Carolina, his
impetuosity separated him from his troops, and he was furiously
beset by an officer and a dozen of British dragoons. In defend
ing himself, he broke his sword, and was in a most perilous situa
tion. While defending himself with his broken sword, the ene
my pressing upon him with the fullest confidence of destroying
him, Sergeant Everhart, of Frederick Co., Maryland, gallantly
rushed up to him and handed him his well-tried sword, with
which Washington soon extricated himself, cutting down his an
tagonists, until he was joined by his troops. Col. Washington
ever afterwards, attributed the preservation of his life to the timely
relief afforded by Everhart, gratefully acknowledging it, and en
rolled him on the list of his dearest friends ; and he never passed

386 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
through Frederickstown without spending a day or two with his
faithful sergeant."
"At the commencement of the Revolution, Mrs. Wright, a
native of Pennsylvania, a distinguished modeler of likenesses and
figures of wax, was exhibiting specimens of her skill in London.
The king of Great Britain, pleased with her talents, gave her
liberal encouragement, and, finding her a great politician, and an
enthusiastic republican, would often enter into discussion relative
to passing occurrences, and endeavored to refute her opinion
with regard to the probable issue of the war. The frankness with
which she delivered her sentiments, seemed rather to please than
to offend him ; which was a fortunate circumstance, for, when he
asked an opinion, she gave it without constraint, or the least re
gard to consequences. I remember to have heard her say, that
on one occasion, the monarch, irritated by some disaster to his
troops, where he had prognosticated a triumph, exclaimed with
warmth : ' I wish, Mrs. Wright, you would tell me how it will be
possible to check the silly infatuation of your countrymen, restore
them to reason, and render them good and obedient subjects.'
' I consider their submission to your majesty's government is now
altogether out of the question,' replied Mrs. Wright : ' friends
you may make them, but never subjects ; for America, before a
king can reign there, must become a wilderness, without any
other inhabitants than the beasts of the forest. The opponents
of the decrees of your parliament, rather than submit, would
perish to a man ; but if the restoration of peace be seriously the
object of your wishes, I am confident that it needs but the stri
king off of three heads to produce it.' — '0, Lord. North's and
Lord George Germaine's, beyond all question ; and where is the

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 387
third head ?' O, sir, politeness forbids me to name him. Your
majesty could never wish me to forget myself, and be guilty of
an incivility.'
" In her exhibition room, one group of figures particularly at
tracted attention; and by all who knew her sentiments, was be
lieved to be a pointed hint at the results which might follow the
wild ambition of the monarch. The busts of the king and queen
of Great Britain, were placed on a table, apparently, intently
gazing on a head, which a figure, an excellent representation of
herself, was modeling in its lap. It was the head of the unfor
tunate Charles the First."
" On one occasion, two young subalterns, who had been
wounded, were taken prisoners, and on parole, took up their resi
dence at a place called Dobb's Farm. One day, as they were sit
ting down to dinner, a swarthy man, of bold and full countenance,
entered the room where they sat, and without announcing him
self, asked how they liked their situation, and how they were
treated ? They answered in such a manner, as gave pleasure to
their good host and hostess. The stranger expressed his satisfac
tion also ; and begging leave to dine With them, placed himself
at table, without waiting for an answer. When dinner was over,
a couple of yagers made their appearance, and desired to know
the stranger's commands. " You will bring the wine hither," said
he ; " get some refreshment yourselves, and saddle at five o'clock."
The yagers withdrew, and their commander seeing the surprise
of the officers, said, " Gentlemen, my name is Morgan, a major-
general in the service of America." They interrupted him by
apologies for the unceremonious reception he had met with ;
which he begged not to hear, saying, that he had come on pur-
17

388 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
pose to see them, and to render them any. assistance they might
require ; adding, that he was very glad to see them so well ac
commodated. Then filling a glass of wine, to which the officers
had been sometime strangers, he gave, "A speedy peace," in which
he was pledged most cordially. The bottle was quickly circulated,
and the healths of the principal commanders in both armies drank
in succession. A song was proposed ; and after one of the offi
cers had complied, the general won the hearts of his auditors, by
singing, in allusion to his former profession, " When I was driving
my wagon one day."
It was now five o'clock ; the yagers presented themselves for
orders, and General Morgan took his leave in a most friendly
manner, assuring them he would use the best efforts for their
speedy exchange, but adding, very gallantly, " though I have no
desire to meet such men in arms against me." He left two
hampers of wine which had been brought for the prisoners by the
yagers, and which proved of infinite service to them, in aiding
the recovery of their health."
The following anecdote, says a correspondent in the American
" Village Record," comes from a source entitled to perfect credit.
During the revolutionary war, two British soldiers, of the army
of Lord Cornwallis, went into a house, and abused the inmates
in a most cruel ancl shameful manner. A third soldier, in going
into the house, met them coming out, and knew them. The peo
ple acquitted him of all blame, but he was imprisoned because he
refused to disclose the names of the offenders. Every art was
tried, but in vain ; at length he was condemned by a court-mar- '
tial to die. When on the gallows, Lord Cornwallis, surprised at
his pertinacity, rode near him.

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 389
" Campbell," said he, " what a fool are you to die thus. Dis
close the names of the guilty men, and you shall be immediately
- released ; otherwise you have not. fifteen minutes to live."
" You are in an enemy's country, my lord," replied Campbell,
" you can better spare one man than two."
Firmly adhering to his purpose, he died.
Does history furnish a 'similar instance of such strange devo
tion for a mistaken point of honor ?
One day in the middle of winter, General Greene, when passing
a sentinel who was barefooted, said, " I fear my good fellow, you
suffer much from the severe cold." " Very much," was the reply,
" but I do not complain. I know I should fare better, had our
general the means of getting supplies. They say, however, that
in a few days, we shall have a fight, and then I shall take care to
secure a pair of shoes."
" During the traitor Arnold's predatory operations in Virginia,
in 1781, he took an American captain prisoner. After some gen
eral conversation, he asked the captain " what he thought the
Americans would do with him if they caught him." The captain
declined at first giving him an answer ; but upon being repeatedly
urged, he said, "Why, sir, u i must answer the question, you will
excuse my telling you the truth ; if my countrymen should catch
you, I believe they would first cut off your lame leg, which was
wounded in the cause of freedom and virtue at Quebec, and bury
it with the honors of war, and afterwards hang the remainder of
your body on a gibbet."

390 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
" At the disastrous battle of Camden, while acting as Aid-de-
Camp to General Gates, General Thomas Pinckney, was despe
rately wounded and made a prisoner. His patience and fortitude
remained unshaken. Conveyed into the town, it was night when
he reached Mrs. Clay's house (then by the fiat of power, con
verted into a Hospital). The family had retired, and Major
Pinckney was placed on a table in the piazza, where he lay till
morning, suffering under a compound fracture of both bones of
his leg, as he would not permit the rest of an oppressed and pat
riotic female to be disturbed. This calm and happy temper of
mind, contributed in no small degree to the preservation of his
life, for an exfoliation of the broken bones following soon after his
removal to quarters, and no surgical aid at hand, he was obliged
to direct the dressing of his wound, and to point out to his anxious
and intrepid wife, the splinters that occasioned the greatest agony,
while, with tenderness she removed them. The trial was, indeed,
a severe one, to a lady of uncommon sensibility ; but there is no
exertion to which the female heart, under the influence of its af
fections, is not equal. The duty performed, the fortitude of Mrs.
Pinckney was no more ; her emotion, on seeing her husband's
sufferings, so totally overpowered her, that she fainted and fell.
The recollection of such tender and heroic conduct cannot be lost :
it must ever command the admiration of the world, and to her
sex, afford a fascinating example for imitation."
" An American officer, during the war of independence, was
ordered to a station of extreme peril, when several around him
suggested various expedients, by which he might evade the dan
gerous post assigned him. He made them the following heroic
reply : " I thank you, my friends, for your solicitude — I know I

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 391
oan easily save my life, but, who will save my honor, should I
adopt your advice 2"

" Colonel Hendrick Frey, (a colonel of colonial troops under
Sir William Johnson, in the French war), a wealthy royalist, who
resided in Schoharie County, N. Y., and who feigned neutrality,
the day after the battle of Oriskany, was visited by a party of
hostile Indians. As they assembled around the table to eat, a
sister of Frey who was awaiting upon them, discovered upon the
person of one, the shirt of Major John Frey, a brother on the pat
riotic side — one sleeve of which had been perforated by a bullet
and left very bloody. Her worst fears were aroused, and nearly
letting fall something she held, she ran to her brother Hendrick,
placed her hands on his shoulders, and exclaimed in a tone of real
sorrow : " Brother John is dead !" assigning as her reason for
such belief, the sight of the bloody trophy before them. The
colonel who could speak the Indian dialect well, desired his sis
ter not to show any emotion before the Indians ; and endeavored
to quiet her fears, by remarking, that probably the shirt had be
longed to some one else. The agitated maiden could not be per
suaded into this belief, as the garment had been the workman
ship of her own hand*; and her mental agony seemed almost
insufferable. •
" In a short time the Indians left the house, followed by Col.
Frey, who overtaking them, inquired of the possessor where he
got the shirt, which covered his brawny frame. He replied, that
he had wounded an officer the day before, in the Oriskany con
test in an arm which he had exposed from behind a tree, had
made him his prisoner, and after taking from him such portion of
his clothing as he desired, had sold him to a British officer, who

392

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.

would possibly take him to Canada. This statement tended
somewhat to calm the apprehensions of the brother and sister. It
was found to be true. Major Frey was taken to Canada, and
after two years confinement, was restored to hberty."
" The following anecdote, which is too well authenticated to be
disputed, furnishes one instance, among thousands, of that heroic
spirit and love of liberty, which characterized the American
females during the struggle for independence.
" A good lady, — we knew her when she had grown old, — in
1775, lived on the sea-board, about a day's march from Boston,
where the British army then was. By some unaccountable acci
dent, a rumor was spread, in town and country, in and about
there, that the regulars were on a full march for that place, and
would probably arrive in three hours.
"This was after the battle of Lexington, and all, as might be
well supposed, was in sad confusion : some were boiling with
rage, and full of fight ; some, in fear and confusion, were hiding
their treasures ; and others flying for life. In this wild moment,
when most people, in some way or other, were frightened from
their property, our heroine, who had two sons, one about nineteen
years of age, the other about sixteen, wa» seen by our informant
preparing them to discharge their duty. The eldest she was able
to equip in fine style : she took her husband's fowling-piece,
' made for duck or plover,' (the good man being absent on a
coasting voyage to Virginia,) and with, it the powder-horn and
shot-bag. But the lad thinking the duck and goose shot, not
quite the size to kill regulars, his mother took a chisel, cut up her
pewter spoons, hammered them into slugs, and put them into his
bag, and he set off in great earnest, but thought he would call one

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 393
moment and see the parson, who said, ' Well done, my brave
boy ! God preserve you !' and on he went in the way of his duty.
The youngest was importunate for his equipments, but his mother
could find nothing to arm him with, but an old rusty sword. The
boy seemed rather unwilling to risk himself with this alone, but
lingered in the street, in a state of hesitation, when his mother
thus upbraided him : ' You John H*****, what will your father
say, if he hears that a child of his is afraid to meet the British ?
— go along : beg or borrow a gun, or you will find one, child :
some coward, I dare say, will be running away : then take his
gun, and march forward ; and if you come back, and I hear you
have not behaved like a man, I shall carry the blush of shame on
my face to the grave.' She then shut the door, wiped the tear
from her eye, and waited the issue. The boy joined the march.
Such a woman could not have cowards for her sons. Instances
of refined and delicate pride and affection occurred, at that period,
every day, in different places ; and, in fact, this disposition and
feeling was then so common, that it now operates as one great
cause of our riot having more facts of this kind recorded. What
few there are remembered, should not. be lost. Nothing great or
glorious was ever achieved, which women did not act in, advise,
or consent to."
" At the massacre of Wyoming, a tory found a brother se
creted, and on recognizing him, said, " so it is you, is it ?" The un
armed man approached his brother, fell upon his knees and
besought him to spare his life ; promising, if he would, to live
with him and become his servant. " All this is mighty fine," re
plied the human fiend, " but you are a d  d rebel I" at the

394 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
same moment he raised his gun, heedless of the frantic prayers of
his brother, and discharged its contents into his victim's body."
"During the siege of Yorktown, Baron Steuben, giving a
breakfast to several of the field officere of the army, in the course
of the entertainment, while festivity was at its height, and in an
ticipation of the honors which awaited them, mirth and good hu
mor abounded, a shell from the enemy fell into the centre of the
circle formed by his guests. There was no time for retreat ; to
fall prostrate on the earth afforded the only chance of escape ;
every individual stretched himself at his length ; the shell burst
with tremendous explosion, covering the whole party with mud
and dirt, which rather proved a source of merriment, than serious
concern, since none of the party sustained any further incon
venience." " About the period of the final departure of the British from
New York, an excellent repartee, made by Major Upham, aid-de
camp to Lord Dorchester, to Miss Susan Livingston, has been
much celebrated. "In mercy, Major," said Miss Livingston,
" use your influence with the commander-in-chief, to accelerate
the evacuation of the city ; for among your incarcerated belles,
your Mischianza Princesses, the scarlet fever must continue to
rage till your departure." "I should studiously second your
wishes," replied the Major, " were I not apprehensive, that freed
from the prevailing malady, a worse would follow, and that they
would be immediately tormented with the Blue Devils."
" The wife of Colonel William Fitzhugh, of Maryland, while he
was absent at one time, during the Revolution, was surprised by

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 395
the news that a party of British soldiers was approaching her
house. She instantly collected her slaves ; furnished them with
such weapons of defence as were at hand ; took a quantity of
cartridges in her apron, and, herself forming the van, urged her
sable subalterns on to meet the foe. . Not looking for resistance,
the advancing party, on beholding the amazon with her sooty in-
vincibles, hastily turned on their heels and fled."
"On a subsequent occasion, a detachment of soldiers marched
at midnight to Colonel Fitzhugh's house, which was half a mile
from the shore, and near the mouth of the Patuxent river, and
knocked at the door. The Colonel demanding who was there,
and receiving for reply that the visitants were " friends to King
George," told the unwelcome intruders that he was blind and un
able to wait upon them, but that his wife would admit them
forthwith. Lighting a candle and merely putting on her slippers,
she descended, awoke her sons, put pistols in their hands, and
pointing to the back door, told them to flee. She then let the
soldiers in at the front door. They inquired for Colonel Fitzhugh,
and said he must come down stairs at once, and go as a prisoner
to New York. ' She accordingly dressed her husband — forgetting
meanwhile, to do as much for herself — and when he had de
scended, he assured the soldiers that his blindness, and the infirmi
ties of age unfitted him to take care of himself, and that it could
hardly be desirable for them to take in charge so decrepit and
inoffensive a person. They thought otherwise ; and his wife,
seeing he must go, took his arm and said she would go too. The
officer told her she would be exposed and must suffer, but she
persisted in accompanying him, saying that he could not take
care of himself,' nor, if he could, would she permit a separation."
" It was a cold and rainy night, arid with the mere protection

396 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
of a cloak, which the officer took down and threw over her
shoulders before leaving the house, she sallied forth with the
party. While on the way to their boat, the report of a gun was
heard, which the soldiers supposed was the signal of a rebel
gathering. They hastened to the boat, where a parole was writ
ten out . with trembling hand, and placed in the old gentleman's
possession. Without even a benediction, he was left on shore
with his faithful and fearless companion, who thought but little
of her wet feet, as she stood and saw the cowardly detachment of
British soldiers push off, and row away with all their might for
safety." " On the occasion of an anticipated attack on the Middle Fort,
Schoharie Co., orders were given that the women and children
should retire into a long cellar, within the fort. Upon hearing
of this order, Mary Haggidorn, a lass of goodly proportions,
stepped up to the commandant, and thus addressed him : " Cap
tain, I shall not go into that cellar ! should the enemy come, I
will take a spear, which I can use as well as any man, and help
defend the fort." Captain Hager, gratified in finding a soldier
where he least expected one, and in admiration .of her- dauntless
spirit, replied, " Then take a spear, Mary, and be ready at the
pickets to repel an attack." She armed herself with this weapon,
took her post, and did not abandon it until the danger was past."
" In the battle of Guilford, in the South, occurred one of those
sanguinary personal conflicts, that frequently arose from the bitter
hatred existing between the whigs and tories. The combatants
were Colonel Stuart, of the enemy, and Captain John Smith, of
the continental army. Both were men distinguished by nerve

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 397
and muscle. They had met before, and a personal provocation
had resulted in the mutual declaration, that their next meeting
should end in blood. The present contest was seized upon as a
fitting occasion, and they singled out each other, with a fierce pas
sion for revenge, which made them totally regardless of the hor
rors of the eontest. Their weapons were at once crossed, with a
desperate fury, which promised but one result. A moment de
cided the conflict. The adroit pass of Stuart's small-sword, was
admirably parried by the left hand of the American, while with
his right, he drove the edge of the heavy sabre through the head
of his enemy, cleaving him to the very spine. The next moment,
he himself was brought to the ground, stunned, not slain, by the
graze of a pistol-shot, sent by a devoted follower of the fallen
Briton, who was stricken to the heart, almost in the same mo
ment, by tho bayonet of an American, who was equally watchful
of the safety of his superior."
" An unfortunate whig, flying before a party of the enemy,
intent upon his destruction, rushed into the dwelling house of
Mr. Trapier, and entering the apartment of Miss Newman, an in
mate ' of the family, exclaimed—' Protect me, Madam, or I am
lost.' * Quickly conceal yourself,' replied the lady, ' be silent,
and rest assured, that I will do all that I can to save you.' She
had scarcely time to compose herself, before admission was de
manded from without, and an officer presenting himself, insisted
that the place of concealment to which the fugitive had retired,
should be immediately pointed out. 'It is little probable,' said
Miss Newman, ' that a soldier, to whom I am probably alto
gether unknown, would, even under the terrors of death; seek
security by intruding himself into my chamber; but, as I am

398 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
confident tnat no credit will be given to my assertions, and that
the power of search rests with you, its indulgence must neces
sarily follow ; yet, I trust, from your character as a soldier, and
appearance as a gentleman, with the delicacy due to a lady's
feelings.' The composure so happily assumed, calmed the vio
lence of the party, and the officer, beheving that it could alone
be exhibited from an entire ignorance of the hiding place of the
object of his pursuit, bowed and retired."
" In. one of the revolutionary battles, Colonel Jessup, suspecting
that his troops had expended nearly, all their cartridges, passed
along the rear of the line, to make inquiry as to the fact. Sev
eral soldiers who lay mortally wounded, some of them actually in
the agonies of death, hearing the inquiry, forgot for a moment,
in their devotion to their country, both the pain they endured
and the approach of death, and called out, each one for himself,
' Here are cartridges in my box, take and distribute them among
my companions."
" A soldier in the line exclaimed to his commander, ' My mus
ket is shot to pieces.' His comrade, who lay expiring with his
wounds at the distance of a few feet, replied, in a voice scarcely
audible, 'My musket is in excellent order — take and. use her."
" It is no extravagance to assert, that an army of such men,
commanded by officers of corresponding merit, is literally invin
cible." An officer calling out to General Huger, " General, I plainly
see one of the enemy's riflemen taking deliberate aim to destroy
you." " That is no concern of mine," said the General. " If
you think proper, order one of your men to take the fellow off."

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 399
" Dodge, or change your position," rejoined the officer, " or you
are a dead man." " I will neither dodge nor quit my post," re
plied the General, " be the consequence what it may."
" The Baron Steuben after the defeat of Gates in Carolina,
was engaged in raising a regiment in Virginia ; men sufficient
to form a regiment had with difficulty been collected ; the corps
was paraded, and on the point of marching to Carolina. A good
looking man on horseback, with his servant as it appeared, also
well mounted, rode up, and introducing himself to the baron,
informed him he had brought a recruit. ' I thank yon, sir,' said
the baron, ' with all my heart, he has arrived in a happy moment.
Where is he, eolonel V for the man was a colonel in the militia.
' Here, sir,' ordering his boy to dismount. The baron's counte
nance altered ; a sergeant was ordered to measure the lad, whose
shoes when off, discovered something by which his height had
been increased. The baron patted the child's head, with a hand
trembling with rage, and asked him how old he was 3 He was
very young, quite a child ; ' Sir,' said the baron, turning to him
who brought him, ' you think me a rascal !' ' Oh, no baron, I
don't.' ' Then, sir, I think you are one, an infamous scoundrel,
thus to attempt to cheat your country ! Take off this fellow's
spurs, place him in the ranks, and tell General Greene from me,
Colonel Gaskins, that I have sent him a man able to serve, in
stead of an infant, whom he would have basely made his substi
tute. Go, my boy, carry the colonel's horses and spurs to his
wife ; make my respects to her, and tell her that her husband
has gone to fight, as an honest citizen should, for the hberty
of his country. By platoons! to the right wheel! forward
march !' "

400 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
" In the battle of Princeton, Capt. M'Pherson, of the 17th
British regiment, a very worthy Scotchman, was desperately
wounded in the lungs and left with the dead. Upon General
Putnam's arrival there, he found him languishing in extreme dis
tress, without a- surgeon, without a single accommodation, and
without a friend to solace the sinking spirit in the gloomy hour
of death. He visited and immediately caused every possible
comfort to be administered to him. Capt. M'Pherson, who con
trary to all appearances recovered, after having demonstrated to
Gen. Putnam the dignified sense of obligations which a generous
mind wishes not to conceal, one day in familiar conversation, de
manded — ' Pray, sir, what countryman are you ?' ' An American,'
answered the latter. ' Not a Yankee !' said the other. ' A full-
blooded one,' replied the general. 'Indeed, I am sony for
that,' rejoined M'Pherson, ' I did not think there could be so
much goodness and generosity in an American, or, 'indeed, in
anybody but a Scotchman.' "
In the terrible massacre of Wyoming the most unheard of
barbarities were practiced, and, what history scarcely affords a
parallel of, the acts that exceeded all others in fiendishness were
those committed by men upo^ their own kindred. One man
named Partial Terry had sent repeated messages to his father,
saying that " he hoped one day to wash his hands in the old
man's heart's blood," and his wishes were but too well answered,
for on this occasion, after having murdered and scalped his own
mother, brothers, and sisters, he cut off his father's head!
Another man, named Thomas Hill, killed his mother, his
father in-law, and his sisters. It is difficult for us to realise that
these atrocities could have been performed, and were they not

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 401
accredited by unimpeachable testimony, would be considered as
monstrous fictions.
" General Nash, in the battle of Germantown, October 4th,
1777, was severely wounded in the thigh, the bone of which was
shattered by a grape-shot. While they were carrying him off
the field, a friend coming up, began to condole with him on his
situation, and asked him how he felt ; — ' It is unmanly,' said the
dying hero, ' to complain ; but it is more than human nature can
bear.' "
" In the commencement of the American revolution, when
one of the British king's thundering proclamations made its ap
pearance, the subject was mentioned in a company in Philadel
phia ; a member of Congress who was present, turning to Miss
Livingston, said, ' Well, Miss, are you greatly terrified at the
roaring of the British lion V ' Not at all, sir, for I have learned
from natural history, that that beast roars loudest when he is most
frightened! "
In August, 1775, Gen. Gage sent two armed schooners from
Boston to Machias, with cash, to buy live stock, and gave or
ders to take the stock by force, if the inhabitants would not sell
it. They did refuse, — the crews of the schooners then attempted
to take off the stock by force, upon which the inhabitants rose,
made all the men prisoners, seized on the schooners and cash,
and shared about 5l. sterling a man.
When Marion's brigade was once engaged in battle, captain
Gee was supposed to be mortally wounded. A ball passed

402 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
through the cock of his hat, very much tearing, not only the
crown, but also his head. He lay, for many hours, insensible ;
but, suddenly reviving, his first inquiry was after his hat : which
being brought to him, a friend at the same time lamenting the
mangled state of his head, he exclaimed : ' Oh, I eare nothing
about* my head : time and the doctors will mend that ; but it
grieves me to think that the rascals have ruined my new hat
forever.' "
An affair in which Major Postell was concerned, may serve to
show the spirit of the times, and, especially, the indifference for
property which then prevailed. A captain of the royal army,
with twenty-five grenadiers, having taken post in the house of
Postell's father, the major placed his small army of twenty-one
militia, so as to command its doors, and then called on them to
surrender. This being refused, he set fire to an out-house ; was
proceeding to bum the dwelhng in which they were posted ; and
nothing but their immediate submission restrained him from
sacrificing his father's valuable establishment for the interest of
his country.
" It happened in 1776, that the garden of a widow, which lay
between the American and British camps in the neighborhood of
New York, was frequently robbed at night. Her son, a mere
boy, and small for his age, having obtained his mother's permis
sion to find out and secure the thief, in case he should return,
concealed himself with a gun among the weeds. A strapping
highlander, belonging to the British grenadiers came, and having
filled a large bag, threw it over his shoulder ; the boy then left
his covert, went softly behind him, cocked his gun, and called

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 403
out to the fellow, ' You are my prisoner : if you attempt to put
your bag down, I will shoot you dead ; go forward in that road.'
The boy kept close behind him, threatened, and was constantly
prepared to execute his threats. Thus the boy drove him into
the American camp, when he was secured. When the grenadier
was at liberty to throw down his bag, and saw who had made him
prisoner, he was extremely mortified, and exclaimed, ' a British
grenadier made prisoner by such a brat !' The American officers
were highly entertained with the adventure, made a collection
for the boy, and gave him several pounds. He returned, fully
satisfied for the losses his mother sustained. The soldier had side
arms, but they were of no use, as he could not get. rid of his

"Lady Harriet Ackland accompanied her husband to Canada
in the beginning of the year 1776. In the course of that cam
paign, she traversed a vast space of country, in different extremi
ties of the seasons, and with difficulties that an European travel
ler will not easily conceive, in order to attend her husband in a
poor hut at the Chamblee, upon his sick-bed. In the opening
of the campaign of 1777, she was restrained from offering her
self to a share of the hazard expected before Ticonderoga, by the
positive injunction of her husband. The day after the conquest
of that place he was badly wounded, and she crossed Lake
Champlain to join him."
" As soon as he recovered, Lady Harriet proceeded to follow
his fortunes through the campaign. Major Ackland, her hus
band, commanded the British grenadiers, who formed the most
advanced post of the army, which required them to be so much
on the alert, that frequently, no person slept out of their clothes.

404 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
In one of these situations a tent, in which the Major and Lady
Harriet slept, suddenly took fire. An orderly sergeant of grena
diers, with great hazard of suffocation, dragged out the first per
son he .caught hold of; it proved to be the major. Fortunately,
his lady at the same moment escaped under the canvass of the
back part of the tent."
" This accident neither altered the resolution nor the cheerful
ness of Lady Harriet, who was in a hut during the whole of the
action which followed, and close to the field of battle. In a sub
sequent engagement, Major Ackland was desperately wounded
and taken prisoner. Lady Haniet sustained the shock with
great fortitude, and determined to pass to the enemy's camp, and
request General Gates' permission to attend her husband."
" Having obtained permission of General Burgoyne, Lady
Harriet, accompanied by the chaplain of the regiment, one female
servant, and the major's valet-de-chambre, rowed down the river
to meet the enemy. The night was far advanced before the boat
reached the enemy's outpots, and the sentinel would not let it
pass, nor even come on shore. In vain was the flag of truce
offered, and the state of this extraordinary passenger strongly
represented. The guard, apprehensive of treachery, and punc
tilious in obedience to his orders, threatened to fire into the boat
if they offered to stir before daylight. Her anxiety and sufferings
were thus protracted through seven or eight dark and cold
hours ; and her reflections on that first reception, could not give
her very encouraging ideas of the treatment she was afterwards
to expect. But in the morning, as soon as her case was made
known to General Gates, he received her with all the humanity
and respect due to her rank and exemplary conjugal virtue, and
immediately restored her to her husband."

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 405
" When, a British fleet menaced a part of the American coast
during the revolution, a man promulgated that he had discover
ed a combustible matter which could be easily conveyed uninjured
to the ships, and then taking fire, produce a dreadful conflagra
tion. With a knowledge of the inventions of Franklin and
others, it was no wonder that this intimation, which was soon
purposely conveyed to the English naval commander, should in
duce him to act with caution.
At an appointed day, a number of barrels were set on float,
, which made their way towards the ships, while the artist was
embarked with a complicated apparatus, in a little boat. Shortly
after, one of the barrels exploding with considerable blaze and
report, the fleet, whose cables were already slipped, departed with
precipitate haste, leaving the inventor, whose dangerous scheme
was now entirely exhausted, in full possession of the coast for
many miles."
"Gen. Putnam is known to have been decidedly opposed to
duelling, on principle. It once happened that he grossly affronted
a brother officer. The dispute arose at a wine table, and the offi
cer demanded instant reparation. Putnam, being a little eleva
ted, expressed his willingness to accommodate the gentleman with
a fight ; and it was stipulated that the duel should take place on
the following morning, and that they should fight without sec
onds. At the appointed time, the general went on to the ground,
armed with sword and pistols. On entering the field, Putnam,
who had taken a stand at the opposite extremity, and at a dis
tance of about thirty rods, levelled his musket, and fired at him.
The gentleman now ran towards his antagonist, who deliberately
proceeded to reload his gun."

406 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
" ' What are you about to do V exclaimed he ; — ' is this the
conduct of an American officer, and a man of honor V
" ' What are you about to do V exclaimed the general, attend
ing only to the first question ; ' a pretty question to put to a man
whom you intended to murder. I'm about to kill you ; and if
you don't beat a retreat in less time than 'twould take old Heath
to hang a tory, you are a gone dog ;' at the same time returning
his ramrod to its place, and throwing the breech of his gun into
the hollow of his shoulder,
" This intimation was too unequivocal to be misunderstood :
and our valorous duellist turned and fled for dear life."
When our gallant countryman, Major Pinckney, received the
wound at Gates' defeat, which placed him in the hands of the
enemy, the generous feelings of an old school-fellow, Captain
Charles Barringtcin M'Kenzie, of the 7lst British regiment, under
the blessing of Heaven, preserved his valuable life. Applying to
Tarleton for his interposition in behalf of his suffering friend, he
immediately received an order to call from the field his surgeon,
whose early attention, in all probability, prevented the catastrophe
which befel General Porterfield and other officers, whose wounds
not being dressed for thirty-six hours, from exhaustion and loss
of blood, expired. The character of the wounded prisoner had
excited a deep interest in his bosom. The ferocity of his temper
was laid aside. He ordered, that every attention should be paid
him that could mitigate the severity of his wound — supplied him
amply with port wine, considered essential to prevent the spasms
that threatened his life — tendered the restoration of the horses
recently impressed from his family at Fort Motte — and urged
with the generous spirit of a soldier, the free and unlimited use

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 40*
of his purse. I could pardon him a thousand errors for this ema
nation of generous sympathy. Such attentions were received
with the gratitude they were well calculated to excite. The sin-
cerest acknowledgments were expressed for all — though neither
the horses nor purse were accepted. This gave an opportunity
to M'Kenzie to display a trait of chivalric gallantry that cannot
be too much admired. " Give me his charger, then ;" he feeling
ly exclaimed, " it shall never be said, that the horse that carried
Tom Pinckney, was ever employed against the friends and the
pause that were dear to him."
" General Washinoton had two favoriteliorses ; one, a large
elegant parade horse of a chestnut-color, high-spirited, and of a
gallant carriage ; this horse had belonged to the British army :
Che other was smaller, and his color sorrel. This he used always
to ride in time of action ; so that whenever the general mounted
him, the word. ran through the ranks, 'We have business on
hand.' " At the battle of Germantown, General Wayne rode his gal
lant roan, and in charging the enemy, his horse received a wound
in his head, and fell, as was supposed, dead. Two days after, the
roan returned to the American camp, not materially injured, and
was again fit for service "
"At a review at Morristown, a Lieutenant Gibbohs, a brave
and good officer, was arrested by Baron Steuben, and ordered in
the rear, for a fault which it appeared another had committed. At
a propel moment, the commander of the regiment came forward,

408 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
and informed the baron of Mr. GibbonsJ innocence and worth,
and of his acute feelings under this unmerited disgrace. ' Desire
Lieutenant Gibbons,' said the baron, 'to come in front of the
troops.' ' Sir,' said he to him, ' the fault which was committed
by throwing the line into confusion, might in the presence of an
enemy, have been fatal ; and I arrested you. Your colonel has
informed me, that you are in this instance blameless. I ask
your pardon ; return to your command, I would not do injustice
to any one, much less to one whose character is so respectable.'
All this was said with bis hat off, and the rain pouring on his
reverend head ! Was there an officer who saw this, unmoved
with feelings of respect and affection ? Not one, who had the
feelings of a soldier."
" When the news of a skirmish at Lexington reached Barn
stable, a company of militia immediately assembled and marched
off to Cambridge. In the front rank, there was a young man,
the son of a respectable farmer, and his only child. In marching
from the village as they passed his house, he came out to meet
them. There was a momentary halt. The drum and fife paused
for an instant. The father suppressing a strong and evident
emotion, said, ' God be with you all, my friends ! and John, if
you, my son, are called into battle, take care that you behave
manfully, or else let me never see your face again.' A tear start
ed into every eye, and the march was resumed."

It is certainly a very singular circumstance, that Andre should,
in a very satirical poem, have foretold his own fate. It was called
the "Cow Chace" and was published by Rivington, at New York,

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 409
in consequence of the failure of an expedition undertaken by
Wayne for the purpose of collecting cattle. Great liberties are
taken with the American officers employed on the occasion
„With " Harry Lee and his Dragoons, and Proctor w/th his Cannon."
But the point of his irony seemed particularly aimed at Wayne,
whose entire baggage, he asserts, was taken, containing
" His Congress dollars, and his prog,
His military speeches :
His cornstalk whiskey for his grog,
Black stockings and blue breeches."
And concludes by observing, that it is necessary to check the
current of satire, " Lest the same warrio-drover Wayne, .
Should catch — and hang the Poet."
He was actually taken by a party from the division of the army
immediately under the command of Wayne.
The house of Captain Charles Sims, who resided on Tyger
river, South Carolina, w,as often plundered by tories ; and on one
of these occasions, when his wife was alone and all the robbers
had departed but one, she ordered him away, and he disobeying)
she broke his arm with a stick, and drove him from the house.
While the husband of Mrs. Dissosway, of Staten Island, was in
the hands of the British, her brother Nathaniel Randolph, a cap
tain in the American army, repeatedly and greatly annoyed the
tories ; and they were anxious to be freed from his incursions.
Accordingly; one of their colonels promised Mrs. Dissosway to
procure her husband's release, if she would prevail upon her

410 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
brother to leave the army. She scornfully replied : " And if I
could act so dastardly a part, think you that General Washington
has but one Captain Randolph in his army V
Rev. Thomas Allen was the first minister of Pittsfield. When
the American Revolution commenced, he, like'the great body of
the clergy, ardently espoused the cause of the oppressed colonies,
and bore his testimony against the oppression of the mother coun
try. When, in anticipation of the conflict which finally took
place at Bennington, the neighboring country was roused to arms,
he used his influence to increase the band of patriots, by exciting
his townsmen to proceed to the battle ground. A company was
raised in his parish and proceeded. Some causes, however, were
found to retard their progress on the way. Hearing of the delay,
he proceeded immediately to join them, and by his influence quick
ened their march, and soon presented them to Gen. Stark. Learn
ing from him that he meditated an attack on the enemy, he said
he would fight, but could not willingly bear arms against them
until he had invited them to submit. He was insensible to fear,
and accordingly proceeded so near as to make himself distinctly
heard in their camp, where, after taking a stand on a convenient
eminence, he commenced his pious exhortations, urging them to
lay down their arms. He was answered by a volley of musketry,
which lodged their contents in the log on which he stood. Turn
ing calmly to a friend, who had followed him under cover of tha
breast-work which formed his footstool, he said — " Now give me
a gun ;" and that is said to be the first gun which spoke on that
memorable occasion. He continued to bear his part till the bat
tle was decided in favor of the American armies, and contributed
honorably to that result.

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 411
The circumstances of the murder of Miss Jane M'Crea have
been variously given, but the following version is supposed to be
correct : " Miss M'Crea belonged to a family of royalists, and had
engaged her hand in marriage to a young refugee, named David
Jones, a subordinate officer in the British service, who was advan
cing with Burgoyne. Anxious to possess himself of his bride, he
despatched a small party of Indians to bring her to the British
camp. Her family and friends were strongly opposed to her
going with such an escort ; but her affection overcame her pru
dence and she determined upon the hazardous adventure. She
set forward with her dusky attendants on horseback. The family
resided at the village of Fort Edward, whence they had not pro
ceeded half a mile before her conductors stopped to drink at a
spring. Meantime, the impatient lover, who deserved not her
embrace for confiding her protection to such hands, instead of
going himself, had despatched a second party Of Indians upon
the same en-and. The Indians met at the spring ; and before
the march was resumed, they were attacked by a party of the
Provincials. At the close of the skirmish, the body of Miss
M?Crea was found among the slain, tomahawked, scalped, and
tied to a pine-tree, yet standing by the side of the spring, as a
monument of the bloody transaction. The ascertained cause of
the murder was this : The promised reward for bringing her in
safety to her betrothed was a barrel of rum. The chiefs of the
two parties sent for her by Mr. Jones quarreled respecting the
anticipated compensation. Each claimed it ; and, in a moment
of passion, to end the controversy, one of them struck her down
with his hatchet."

412 MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES.
An act similar to that recorded of the gunner's wife at the
battle of Monmouth, was performed by Mrs. Corbcu, at the attack
on Fort Washington. Her husband belonged to the artillery,
and in the early part of the conflict was shot down. Standing
by his side and seeing him fall, without pausing to heed her
private grief, or give way to the agony of her heart, she hastened
to fill his place and perform his duties. Although severely wound
ed, she heroically maintained her post to the last. Her services
were rewarded by the honorable notice of Congress.
At the darkest period of the Revolution, New Jersey was, for a
short time, full of British soldiers, and Lord Cornwallis was
stationed at Bordentown. He visited Mrs. Borden one day, at
her elegant mansion, and made an effort to intimidate her. He
told her that if she would persuade her husband and son, who
were then in the American army, to join his forces, none of her
property should be destroyed ; but if she refused to make such
exertions, he would burn her house, and lay waste her whole
estate. Unintimidated and patriotic, she made the following
bold reply, which caused the execution of the threat : " The
sight of my house in flames would be a treat to me, for I have
seen enough to know that you never injure what you have power
to keep and enjoy. The application of a torch to my dwelling I
should regard as the signal for your departure." And such it

"An intrepid action of Sergeant Mitchell, merits particular
notice. There were no ensigns attached to the command, and
when it was ascertained that a contest must ensue with Tarleton,
the adjutant selected Mitchell to bear the colors, as he had

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. 413
always been distinguished for conectness of conduct, and was
connected with a family of high respectability. In the progress
of the battle, Tarleton led an attack on the centre of the line
where Mitchell was posted with his standard. The intrepid
sergeant was cut down, and the staff of his colors broken.
Grasping the part to which the colors were attached, he retained
it firmly in his hands, while dragged to a distance of fifteen
yards. The British dragoons now gathered round him, and
would immediately have mangled him to death, but Captain
Kinloch dismounted and protected him from their rage, declaring
that so gallant a soldier, though an enemy, should not perish.
Mitchell survived his wounds, though severe, removed, at the
close of the war to Georgia, became, from his acknowledged
merits, a brigadier-general, and was, but a few years back, a hale
and heartv man."

414 INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.

INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.

" At one time during the war, a detachment of seventy men,
while ascending the Ohio river, were surprised by a party of In
dians, and nearly exterminated. Among those who escaped both
death and captivity, were Captain Robert Benham and another
man, whose cases, together, form a novel and romantic adventure.
Benham was shot through both hips, and the bones being shat
tered, he instantly fell. Still, aided by the darkness, he succeed
ed in crawling among the thick branches of a fallen tree, where
he lay without molestation through the night and during the
following day, while the Indians, who had returned for that pur
pose, were stripping the slain. He continued to lie close in the
place of his retreat until the second day, when, becoming hungry,
and observing a raccoon descending a tree, he managed to shoot
it, hoping to be able to strike a fire and cook the animal. The
crack of the rifle was followed by a human cry, which at first
startled the captain ; but the cry being repeated several times,
the voice of a Kentuckian was at length recognised ; the call was
returned, and the parties were soon united. The man proved to

INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER. 415
do one of his comrades, who had lost the use of both his arms in
the battle. Never did mercy find more welcome company. One
of the party could use his feet, and the other his hands. Ben
ham, by tearing up his own and his companion's shirts, dressed
the wounds of both. He coidd load his rifle and fire with readi
ness, and was . thus enabled to kill such game as approached,
while his companion could roll the game along the ground with
his feet, and in the same manner collect wood enough to cook
their meals. "When thirsty, Benham could place his hat in the
teeth of his companion, who went to the Licking, and wading in
until he could stoop down and fill it, returned with a hatful of
water. When the stock of squirrels and other game in their ,
immediate neighborhood was -exhausted, the man of legs would
roam away, and drive up a flock of wild turkeys, then abundant
in those parts, until they came within range of Benham's rifle.
Here they lived for six weeks, when they discovered a boat upon
the Ohio, which took them off. Both recovered thoroughly from
their wounds."
General Benjamin Logan, a Virginian by birth, resided du
ring the war in a small settlement called Logan's Fort, in Ken
tucky. Here, on one occasion, he distinguished himself by an
act of courage and generosity unexcelled in the history of roman
tic and chivalrous daring.
" In the month of May, 1777, as the women of his family were
engaged in milking the cows at the gate of the little fort, and
some of the garrison attending them, a party of Indians appeared
and fired upon them. One man was shot dead, and two more
wounded, one of them mortally. The whole party, including one
of the wounded men, instantly ran into the fort, and closed the

416 INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.
gate. The enemy quickly showed themselves upon the edge of
a canebreak, within close rifle-shot of the gate, and seemed nu
merous and determined. Having a moment's leisure to look
around, Logan beheld a spectacle, which awakened his most
lively interest and compassion.
" A man named Harrison had been severely wounded, and still
lay near the spot where he had fallen, within view both of the
garrison and the Indians. The poor fellow was, at intervals, en
deavoring to crawl in the direction of the fort, and had succeeded
in reaching a cluster of bushes, which, however, were too thin, to
shelter his person from the enemy. His wife and family were
in the fort, and in deep distress at his situation. The Indians
undoubtedly forbore to fire upon him, from the supposition that
some of the garrison would attempt to save him, in which case,
they held themselves in readiness to fire upon them from the
canebrake. The case was a trying one. It seemed impossible
to save him without sacrificing the lives of several of the garri
son ; and their numbers were already far too few for an effectual
defence, having originally amounted only to fifteen men, of
whom three had already been put hors de combat.
" Yet the spectacle was so moving, and the lamentations of
the wounded man's family so distressing, that it was difficult to
resist making an effort to rescue him. Logan tried to persuade
some of his men to accompany him in a sally, but so evident and
appalling was the danger, that all at first refused ; one herculean
fellow observing that he was a ' weakly man,' and another de
claring that he was sorry for Harrison, but that ' the skin was
closer than the shirt' At length, John Martin collected his
courage, and declared his willingness to accompany Logan, saying,
that ' he could only die once, and that he was as ready now as

INCIDUJNTS OlN THE BORDER. 417
he ever could be.' The two men opened the gate, and started
upon their expedition, Logan leading the way.
" They had not advanced five steps, when Harrison perceiving
them, made a vigorous effort to rise, upon which Martin, suppo
sing him able to help himself, immediately sprang back within
the gate.
" Harrison's strength almost instantly failed, and he fell at full
length upon the grass. Logan paused a moment after the de
sertion of Martin, then suddenly sprang forward to the spot where
Harrison lay, rushing through a tremendous shower of rifle-balls
which was poured upon him from every quarter around the fort,
capable of covering an Indian. Seizing the wounded man in his
arms, he ran with him to the fort, through another heavy fire,
and entered it unhurt, although the gate and picketing near him
were riddled with balls, and his hat and clothes pierced in several
places." " In the year 1782, the war-chief of the Wyandot tribe of In
dians of lower Sandusky sent a young white man, whom he had
taken prisoner, as a present to another chief, who was called the
Half-king of Upper Sandusky, for the purpose of being adopted
into his family, in the place of one of his sons, who had been
killed the preceding year. The prisoner arrived, and was pre
sented to the Half-king's wife, but she refused to receive him ; -
which, according to the Indian rule, was in fact a sentence of
death. The young man was therefore taken away, for the pur
pose of being tortured and burnt on the pile. While the dread
ful preparations were making, and the unhappy victim was al
ready tied to the stake, two English traders, Messrs. Arundel and
Robbins, moved by feelings of pitv and humanity, resolved to

418 INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.
unite their exertions to endeavor to save the prisoner's life, by
offering a ransom to the war-chief; which, however, he refused,
saying it was an established rule among them to sacrifice a pris
oner when refused adoption, and besides, the numerous war cap
tains were on the spot to see the sentence carried into execution.
The two generous Englishmen were however not discouraged,
and determined to try another effort. They appealed to the well-
known high-minded pride of an Indian. — ' But,' said they,
' among all these chiefs whom you have mentioned, there is none
who equals you in greatness ; you are considered not only as the
greatest and bravest, but as the best man in the nation.' ' Do
you really believe what you say V said the Indian, looking them
full in the face. 'Indeed we do.' Then, without speaking
another word, he blackened himself, and taking his knife, and
tomahawk in his hand, made his way through the crowd to the
unhappy victim, crying out with a loud voice, ' What have you
to do with my prisoner V and at once cutting the cords with
which he was tied, took him to his house, which was near that
of Mr. Arundel, whence he was conveyed in safety."
" A soldier in Western N. Y., one day was out on a scouting
party. Being a man of courage, enterprize, and sagacity, he was
determined, if possible, to obtain an accurate knowledge of the
position of the enemy. For this purpose he ventured to separate
from his companions. In the course of his reconnoitering alone,
in the open field, he approached a wood, the under brush of
which was very thick. His watchful eye discovered what he
supposed to be some animal among the bushes. He immediately
saw his mistake — it was an Indian crawling on his hands and
feet, with his rifle in his hand, and watching the soldier, evidently

INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER. 419
with the intention of advancing sufficiently near to mako him a
sure mark. For the soldier to retreat was now impossible ; he
thought he could not escape, and he remembered too, that his
father had told him never to return with a backside wound. He
pretended not to see the Indian, and walked slowly towards him,
with his gun cocked by his side, carefully observing all his
movements. They approached nearer and nearer ; at length he
saw the Indian bringing the gun to his shoulder^-at that instant
the soldier fell to the ground — the ball whistled its deadly music
over his head. The soldier lay motionless. The Indian uttered
the dreadful yell which signifies the death of an enemy, and
drawing the bloody scalping-knife, (but forgetting to reload his
¦ piece), advanced with hasty strides, thirsting for murder, and
anticipating tho reward for the scalp. The soldier, motionless,
permitted him to approach within ten paces, he then with the ut
most composure sprung upon his feet. The savage stood aghast !
The soldier with deliberate aim, put two balls directly through
his heart. A hoarse groan was the only sound that issued from
the fallen savage. This son of the forest was at least six feet
five inches in height."
" When the war of extermination between the Indians and
Kentuckians was at its height, those who inhabited the back parts
of the state of Kentucky, were obliged to have their houses built
very strong, with loop-holes all around ; and doors always fas
tened, so as to repel any attack from the Indians. While the
owner of one of these domestic fortresses was with his slaves, at
work on the plantation, a negro who was posted near the house,
saw approaching a party of Indians. He immediately ran to the
house, and the foremost Indian after him. The Indian was the

420 INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.
fleetest, and as the door opened to admit the negro, they both
jumpsd in together. The other Indians being some distance be
hind, the door was instantly closed by the planter's wife within,
when the Indian and negro grappled. Long and hard was the
struggle, for as in the case of Fitz James and Roderick Dhu, the
one was the strongest and the other more expert, but strength
this time was the victor, for they fell, the Indian below ; when
the negro, placing his knees on his breast, and holding his hands,
kept him in that position, until the woman, seizing a broad axe,
and taking the Indian by his long hair, at one blow severed his
head from his body. The negro, then seizing the guns, fired
them at the other Indians, which as fast as discharged, were
loaded again by the planter's wife, until the party from the field,
hearing the firing, arrived, and the Indians took to flight."
" Captain Henry Eckler, was out with a friend in the vicinity
of Fort Herkimer; and unexpectedly fell in with Brant and a
party of his warriors. The chief, who was well acquainted with
Captain Eckler, addressed him by name, and asked him if he
would surrender himself his prisoner. " Not by a d  d sight,
as long as I have legs to run !" and suiting the action to the
word, he turned and fled at the top of his speed, and his com
panion with him. The surprise took place near a piece of woods,
into which the fugitives ran, pursued by a band of yelling sav
ages. Eckler had proceeded but a little distance in the woods,
when he found it would be impossible for him to run far with the
speed requisite for his escape by flight ; and passing over a knoll
which hid him from the observation of his pursuers, he entered
head first, a cavity at the root of a wind-fallen tree. He found
its depth insufficient, however, to conceal his whole person, and

INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER. 421
like a young ostrich or partridge, that, with its head concealed,
feels secure, if it remains still, he resolved to keep silence and
trust to Providence for tho issue. The party pursuing him, soon
arrived upon the knoll, and halted almost over him, to catch
another glimpse of his retiring form. But they looked in vain ;
and while they stood there, ancl he heard their conversation, he
expected every moment would be his last, as he was sure if his
foes looked down, they could not fail to see at least, one half his
person. He felt that if they did but listen, they could hear the
heart in his breast beat like the thumping of a hammer. Suppo
sing Eckler had fled in an opposite direction, his pursuers over
looked his place of concealment, and expressing to each other
their surprise at his sudden exit, ancl declaring that a spirit had
helped him eseape, they withdrew, when he backed out of his
hiding place, and regained his home in safety."
" In the massacre of Cherry Valley, a Miss Jane Wells, a young
lady of superior character ancl exalted piety, having escaped by
the door, sought safety in the wood-pile ; but an Indian discov
ered her, and, after deliberately wiping his scalping-knife on his
legging, sheathed it, and seized her by the arm, at the same time,
brandishing his tomahawk. The captive remonstrated with him
in the Indian language, with which she had some acquaintance ;
and one of the tories among the invading party, named Peter
Smith, who had once lived with the family of Mr. Wells as a
servant, interposed and begged the savage to spare her life, pre
tending that "she was his sister. But this availed only to procure
a short delay. The next moment the interesting young lady fell
dead from the blow of a tomahawk.

422 INCIDENTS ON THE BORDER.
The house of the venerable pastor was entered by the enemy,
and his aged wife immediately put to death ; but one of the Mo
hawk chiefs, named Little Aaron, led him out of the house, and
kept him under his protection. An Indian, running by, pulled
off the old gentleman's hat; and the chief pursued him ancl
brought it back. The old man was thus rescued from massacre ;
but the shock he received was so great, that, although he was set
at liberty soon after, he died a few months subsequently. The
fort was not taken by the enemy : but, on the first alarm, a gun
was fired from it, which gave intimation of the attack."

APPENDIX.

HISTORY OF THE SONS OF LIBERTY.

In the year 1765, Isaac Sears, afterward, better known by the
name of King Sears, a man of great personal intrepidity, forward
in dangerous enterprises, and ready at all times to carry out the
boldest measures, became the originator and leader of a patriotic
band, who associated themselves together under the name of the
" Sons oe Liberty." Their organization soon pervaded every
part of the colonies, and was the germ of the Revolution. By
their intrepidity the spirit of the masses was aroused, and by their
persevering industry and zeal, the people were excited to oppose
all efforts to enslave them. These bold spirits formed the nucleus
of the future armies of the Revolution ; and it is to the moral
courage which they displayed, and the indomitable resolution
with which they braved all danger, that the world is indebted for
the illustrious example set by the infant colonies to Europe, and
the foundation of a great and glorious republic.
The intent of the first association of the " Sons of Liberty"
was to put down the stamp-act ; and when this was effected, the
objects of the society appeared to be accomplished. But the acts
of parliament, simultaneous with, and subsequent to the repeal,
gave to the more sagacious a cause for alarm greater than the
obnoxious bill which had been rescinded. The billeting act, or
mutiny bill, by establishing a standing army in the colonies at
their own charge, was intended to strengthen the arm of the royal
authority, to overawe the assembly, and to coerce the people to
acquiesce in the impositions of the parliament.

424

APPENDIX.

History is full of the resistance to the enormous assumptions
of the mother-country by New England, and at the south ; but
little is said of the attitude of New York in that dangerous crisis.
And yet in that colony, where the power of the sovereign was
almost omnipotent, notwithstanding the exertions of the most
wealthy inhabitants whose large estates were held by grants from
the crown, and whose subservience to the royal mandates influ
enced the assembly, and all those who subsisted by the royal
bounty, there was found a chosen few who remained constant to
the last ; and who, when all seemed lost, kept alive the spirit of
resistance, until from a feeble and hopeless minority, they were
enabled to triumph over the power of the colonial government
and prostrate the royal authority for ever.
Thei association of the " Sons of Liberty" was organized in
1765, soon after the passage of the stamp-act, and extended
throughout the colonies, from Massachusetts to South Carolina.
It appears that New York was the central post from which com
munications were despatched to and from the east, and to the
south, as far as Maryland ; which province was the channel of
communication to and from its neighbors of Virginia and the
Carolinas. As the post-offices were under the control of the government,
and the riders not at all times reliable, the committee of New
York (and probably the other provinces adopted the same course),
upon extraordinary occasions, despatched intelligence by special
messengers ; and if need were, a part of their members visited
in person the neighboring associations to insure the periect organ
ization of the patriotic league.
The New York association had a correspondent in London, to
whom an account was given of their proceedings, and from whom
intelligence was from time to time transmitted of their proceed
ings and the supposed designs of the ministry, which in its turn
was disseminated among the people by the association at home.
A record of the names of the most active of their leaders would be
a desirable document, but as this would be difficult to be obtained
without great labor, and, perhaps, by a single individual impos
sible, a list of the committees m the different provinces, so far aa
they can be ascertained, from the remaining papers of the com
mittee of New York, might be the means of initiating inquiry in
other quarters toward producing the desired result.
Those from Maryland will appear from the following extract
from the proceedings of the " Sons of Liberty," March 1, 1766.

AfFUNDIX.

425

" The Sons of Liberty of Baltimore county, and Anne Arundel
county, met at the court house of the city of Annapolis, the first
day of March, 1766.
" On motion of a Son of Liberty to appoint a moderator and
secretary, the Rev. Andrew Londrum was chosen moderator, and
William Paca, secretary.
" Joseph Nicholson, of Kent county, presented an address from
that county, signed, William Ringgold, William Stephenson,
Thomas Ringgold, jr., Joseph M'Hard, Gideon M'Cauley, Daniel
Fox, Benjamin Binning, William Bordley, Jarvis James, William
Stukely, Joseph Nicholson, jr.,- James Porter, Thomas Ringgold,
James Anderson, Thomas Smyth, William Murray, Joseph Nich
olson, George Garnet, S. Boardley, jr., Peroy, Frisby, Henry Van-
dike, and John Bolton."
William Paca, Samuel Chase, and Thomas B. Hands, were the
Anne Arundel county committee.
John Hall, Robert Alexander, Corbin Lee, James Heath, John
Moale, and William Lux, were the Baltimore, county committee.
Thomas Chase, D. Chamier, Robert Adair, Patrick Allison, and
W. Smith, were the Baltimore town committee.
Pennsylvania. — William Bradford and Isaac Howell, were the
correspondents at Philadelphia.
New Jersey. — Daniel Hendrickson, minister, Peter Imlay, jr.,
Jos. Holmes, jr., Peter Covenhoven, jr., and Elisha Lawrence, jr.,
were the committee of Upper Freehold — Richard Smith of Bur
lington, and Henry Bickers of New Brunswick.
Connecticut— Jo. Burrows ; Jonathan Sturgis, Fairfield ; John
Durker, Norwich ; Hugh Leollie, Windham.
New York. — Isaac Sears, John Lamb, William Wiley, Edward
Laight, Thos. Robinson, Flores Bancker, Chas. Nicoll, Joseph Alli-
coke, and Gersham Mott.
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Mynhard Roseboom, Robert Henry,
and Thomas Young, Albany.
John S. Hobart, Gilbert Potter. Thos. Brush, Cornelius Conk-
lin, and Nathaniel Williams, Huntington, Long Island.
George Townsend, Barack Sneething, Benjamin Townsend,
George Weeks, Michael Weeks, and Rowland Chambers, Oyster
Bay, Long Island.
'The first organization of the Sons of Liberty, was dissolved at
the repeal of the stamp-act ; and while the hope was strong that
similar associations would no longer be necessary, the committee
received a letter from their faithful correspondent- in London, of
the following import : —

426 APPENDIX. London, 28th July, 1766.
Gentlemen : I flattered myself to have heard from you by the
last ships, but am informed your society is dissolved, which I am
glad to hear, as the cause of your complaint is removed. But I
think it necessary to assure you that the continual account we
had of the Sons of Liberty, through all North America, had its
proper weight and effect.
As our gracious sovereign rules over none but free men, and in
which he glories, it therefore cannot offend him that his numer
ous and faithful subjects in America claim the appellation of
Sons of Liberty. Permit me, therefore, to recommend ten or
twenty of the principal of you, to form yourselves into a club, to
meet once a week, under the name of Liberty Club ; and forever,
on the 18th of March, or first day of May, give notice to the whole
body to commemorate your deliverance, spending such day in
festivity and joy. I beg pardon for taking the liberty to advise
you ; but I am firmly of opinion it will have such effect as you
wish. I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your most humble servant.
Nicholas Rat.
P. S. — The commercial acts and free ports which we lately sent
to all the colonies, I believe will give you pleasure.
To the Sons of Liberty, New York.
To this letter the committee returned the following reply : —
New York, October 10th, 1766.
Sir : Your esteemed favor of the 28th July last, we have duly
received ; and observe with the greatest regret your disappoint
ment at not hearing from us, agreeably to your expectations,
which, permit us to assure you, was not owing to any remissness
on our part, or want of respect ; but to the dissolution of our soci
ety, which happened immediately upon the repeal of the stamp-
act. Your proposal with regard to a .number of us forming our
selves into a club, we have already had under consideration. But
as it is imagined that some inconvenience would arise, should such
a club be established just at this time, we must postpone the same
till it may appear more eligible ; at the same time we take the
liberty „o assure you, and all our good friends on your side of the
water, who so nobly exerted themselves in behalf of us, and the
expiring liberties of their country, that we still do, and ever shall

APPENDIX. 427
retain the most grateful sense of the favors we have received ;
and that we shall use our utmost endeavors, consistent with loy
alty, to keep up that glorious spirit of liberty which was so rap
idly and so generally kindled throughout this extensive continent.
In order to which, we shall not fail hereafter to celebrate the an
niversary of the repeal, with every demonstration of gratitude and
joy, on the memorable eighteenth clay of March.
We have the honor to be, in behalf of the Sons of Liberty, sir,
your most obedient and obliged humble servants,
Isaac Sears, Edward Laight,
Flores Bancker, John Lamb,
Chas. Nicoll, Joseph Allicoke.
To Mr. Nicholas Ray, merchant, London.
It was not long before the necessity for reorganization became
apparent, and most of the committee, who had acted with so much
vigor and zeal, were found equally vigilant on every emergency.
Of the persons before named of the New York association, Mr.
^Allicoke alone is known to the writer to have espoused the cause
of the king. But with the exception of Messrs. Nicoll and
Bancker, whose names do not appear on any of the subsequent
committees ; the others were the most determined opposers of the
crown and steadfast adherents to the revolutionary party.

428 APPENDIX.
THE APPOINTMENT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
TO THE SUPREME COMMAND, JUNE 18lH, 1775.
" The army was assembled at Cambridge, Massachusetts, undei
General Ward, and Congress was sitting at Philadelphia. Every
day new applications in behalf of the army arrived. The country
were urgent that Congress should legalize the raising of the army ,
as they had what must be considered, and was in law considered,
only a mob — a band of armed rebels. The country was placed
in circumstances of peculiar difficulty and danger. The struggle
had begun, and yet everything was without order. The great
trial now seemed to be in this question, Who shall be the com
mander-in-chief? It was exceedingly important, and was felt to
be the hinge on which the contest might turn for or against us.
The southern and the middle states, warm and rapid in their zeal,
were for the most part jealous of New England, because they
felt that the real physical force was there. What then was to be
done ? All New England adored General Ward : he had been
in the French war, and went out laden with laurels. He was a
scholar and a statesman. Every qualification seemed to cluster
in him ; and it was confidently believed that the army could not
receive any appointment over him. What then was to be done ?
Difficulties thickened at every step. The struggle was to be long
and bloody. Without union, all was lost. The country, and Jhe
whole country, must come in. One pulsation must beat through"
all hearts. The cause was one, and the army must be one. The
members had talked, debated, considered, and guessed, and yet
the decisive step had not been taken. At length Mr. Adams
came to his conclusion. The means of resolving it were some
what singular, and nearly as follows : he was walking one morn
ing before Congress hall, apparently in deep thought, when his
cousin, Samuel Adams, came up to him and said : —
" ' What is the topic with you this morning ?'
" ' Oh, the army, the army,' he replied. ' I'm determined to go
into the hall this morning, and enter on a full detail of the state
of the colonies, in order to show an absolute need of taking some
decisive steps. My whole aim will be, to induce Congress to ap
point a day for adopting the army as the legal army of these uni
ted colonies of North America, and then to hint at my election
of a commander-in-chief.'

APPENDIX. 429
" ' Well,' said Samuel Adams, ' I like that, cousin John ; but
on whom have you fixed as that commander V
" ' I will tell you — George Washington, of Virginia, a member
of this house.'
" ' Oh,' replied Samuel Adams, quickly, ' that will never do —
never.' " ' It must do — it shall do,' said John, ' and for these reasons :
the southern and middle states are both to enter heartily in the
cause, and their arguments are potent : they say that New Eng
land holds the physical power in her hands, and they fear the
result. A New England army" a New England commander, with
New England perseverance, all united, appal them. For this
cause they hang back. Now, the only course is to allay their
fears, and give them nothing to complain of; and this can be
done in no other way but by appointing a southern chief over
this force, and then all rush to the standard. The policy will
blend us in one mass, and that mass will be resistless.'
" At this, Samuel Adams seemed to be greatly moved. They
talked over the preliminary circumstances, and John asked his
cousin to second the motion. Mr. Adams went in, took the floor,
and put forth all his strength in the delineations he had prepared,
all aiming at the adoption of the army. He was ready to own
the army, appoint a commander, vote supplies, and proceed to
business. After his speech had been finished, some objected, and
some feared. His warmth increased with the occasion, and to all
these doubts and hesitations he replied thus : —
" ' Gentlemen, if this Congress will not adopt this army before
ten moons have set, New England will adopt it, and she will un
dertake the struggle alone — yes, with a strong arm and a clean
conscience, she will front the foe single-handed.'
" This had the desired effect. They saw New England was
neither playing nor to be played with, and they agreed to appoint
a day. A day was fixed : it came : Mr. Adams went in, took the
floor, urged the measure, and after some debate it passed.
" The next thing was to get a commander for this army, with
supplies, etc. All looked to Mr. Adams on the occasion, and he
was ready. He then took the floor, and went into a minute de
lineation of the character of General Ward, bestowing on him
the encomiums which then belonged to no one else. At the end
of the eulogy, he said : ' But this is not the man I have chosen.'
He then went into the delineation of the character of a com
mander-in-chief, such as was required by the peculiar situation
of the colonies at that juncture. And after he had presented the

430 APPENDIX.
qualifications in his strongest language, and given the reasons for
the nomination he was about to make, he said : —
" ' Gentlemen, I know these qualifications are high, but we all
know they are needful, at this crisis, in this chief. Does any one
say they are not to be obtained in this country ? In reply, I have
to say, they are ; they reside in one of our own body, and he is
the person whom I now nominate — George Washington, of
Virginia.' " Washington, who sat on Mr. Adams' right hand, was looking
him intently in the face, to watch the name he was about to an
nounce, and, not expecting it would be his, sprang from his seat
the minute he heard it, and rushed into an adjoining room. Mr.
Adams had asked his cousin Samuel to ask for an adjournment
as soon as the nomination was made, in order to give the mem
bers time to deliberate — and the result is before the world.
" I asked Mr. Adams, among other questions, the following :
" ' Did you ever doubt of the success of the conflict V
" ' No, no,' said he, ' not for a moment. I expected to be hung
and quartered, if I was caught ; but no matter for that — my
country would be free ; I knew George the Third could not forge
chains long enough and strong enough to reach around these
United States.' "

A REVOLUTIONARY RELIC.
The following interesting document was found among the
papers of Major John Jacob Schsefmyer, a deceased patriot of
the Revolution. It is a discourse delivered on the eve of the bat
tle of Brandywine, by Rev. Joab Trout, to a large portion of the
American soldiers, in presence of General Washington, General
Wayne, and other officers of the army.
REVOLUTIONARY SERMON.
" They that take the sword shall perish by the sword."
Soldiers and Countrymen :
We have met this evening perhaps for the last time. We have
shared the toil of the march, the peril of the fight, and the dis
may of the retreat alike ; we have endured the cold and hunger,

APPENDIX. 431
the contumely of the internal foe, and the courage of the foreign
oppressor. We have sat, night after night, beside the camp fire ;
we have together heard the roll of the revellie, which called us
to duty, or the beat of the tattoo, which gave the signal for the
hardy sleep of the soldier, with the earth for his bed and the
knapsack for his pillow.
And now, soldiers and brethren, we have met in the peaceful
valley on the eve of battle, while the sunlight is dying away be
yond yonder heights, the sunlight that to-morrow morn will glim
mer on scenes of blood. We have met, amid the whitening tents
of our encampment ; in the time of terror and gloom have we
gathered together — God grant that it may not be for the last
time. It is a solemn moment. Brethren, does not the solemn voice
of nature seem to echo the sympathies of the hour ? The flag
of our country droops heavily from yonder staff — the breeze has
died away along the green plain of Chadd's Ford — the plain that
spreads before us glittering in sunlight — the heights of the Bran
dywine arise gloomily and grand beyond the waters of yonder
stream — all nature holds a pause of solemn silence on the eve of
uproar and bloodshed and strife of to-morrow.
" They that take the sword, shall perish by the sword."
And have they not taken the sword ?
Let the desolated plain, the blood-sodden valley, the burned
farm-house blackening in the sun, the sacked village, and the
ravaged town, answer — let the whitening bones of the butchered
farmer strewn along the fields of his homestead, answer — let the
starving mother, with her babe clinging to the withered breast
that can afford no sustenance ; let her answer with the death rat
tle mingling with the murmuring tones that marked the last
struggle of her life ; let the dying mother and her babe answer.
It was but a day past, and our land slept in the quiet of peace.
War was not here ; wrong was hot here. Fraud and woe, and
misery and want dwelt not among us. From the eternal solitude
of the greenwoods, arose the blue smoke of the settler's cabin,
and golden fields of corn looked forth from amid the waste of the
wilderness, and the glad music of human voices awoke the silence
of the forest.
Now, God of mercy, behold the change. Under the shadow
of a pretext, under the sanctity of the name of God, invoking the
Redeemer to their aid, do these foreign hirelings slay our people !
They throng our towns — they darken our plains, and now they
encompass our posts on the lonely plain of Chadd's Ford.

432 AVPENDIX.
" They that take the sword, shall perish by the sword ?"
Brethren, think me not unworthy of belief when I tell you the
doom of the British is near. Think me not vain when I tell you
that beyond the cloud that now enshrouds us, I see gathering
thick and fast the darker cloud and blacker storm of Divine re
tribution !
They may conquer us to-morrow. Might and wrong prevail,
and we may be driven from this field : but the hour of God's own
vengeance will come !
Aye, if in the vast solitude of eternal space, if in the heart of
the boundless universe, there throbs the being of an awful God,
quick to avenge, and sure to punish ¦ guilt, then will the man
George Brunswick, called King, feel in his brain and his heart, the
vengeance of the eternal Jehovah ! A blight will be upon his
life — a withered brain, and an accursed intellect ; a blight will be
upon his children and on his people. Great God, how dread the
punishment. A crowded populace, peopling the dense towns where the man
of money thrives, while the laborer starves : want striding among
the people in all its forms of terror : and ignorant and God-defy
ing priesthood chuckling over the miseries of millions ; a proud
and merciless nobility adding wrong, and heaping insult upon
the robbery and fraud : royalty corrupt to the very heart, and
aristocracy rotten to the core ; crime and want linked hand in
hand, and tempting men to deeds of woe and death — these are a
part of the doom ariM retribution that come upon the English
throne and the English people.
Soldiers — I look around upon your familiar faces with a strange
interest. To-morrow morning we will go forth to the battle — for
need I tell you that your unworthy minister will march with you
invoking God's aid in the fight — we will march forth to battle !
Need I exhort you to fight the good fight, to fight for your home
steads, for your wives and children ?
My friends, I might urge you to fight by the galling memories
of British wrongs. Walton — I might tell you of your father
butchered in the silence of the night on the plains of Trenton ;
I might picture his grey hairs dabbled in blood ; I might ring
his death shriek in your ears. Shelmire — I might tell you of a
butchered mother, and a sister outraged ; the lonely farm-house,
the night assault, the roof in flames, the shouts of the troopers as
they dispatched their victims, the cries for mercy and the plead
ings of innocence for pity. I might paint this all again in the

APPENDIX. 433
vivid colors of the terrible reality, if I thought your courage
needed such wild excitement.
But I know you are strong in the might of the Lord. You will
march forth to battle on the morrow, with light hearts and deter
mined spirit, though the solemn duty — the duty of avenging the
dead — may rest heavy on your souls.
And in the hour of battle, when all around is darkness, lit by
the lurid cannon glare, and the piercing musket flash, when the
wounded strew the ground, and • the dead litter your path — then
remember, soldiers, that God is with you. The eternal God fights
for you — he rides on the battle cloud, he sweeps onward with the
march of the hurricane charge — God the awful and infinite, fights
for you, and you will triumph.
" They that take the sword, shall perish by the sword."
You have taken the sword, but not in the spirit of wrong or
ravage. You have taken the sword for your homes, for your
wives, for your little ones. You have taken the sword for truth,
and justice, and right, and to you, the promise is — be of good
cheer, for your foes have taken the sword in defiance of all that
men hold dear, in blasphemy of God — they shall perish by the
sword. And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid you all farewell. Many
of us may fall in the battle of to-morrow. God rest the souls of
the fallen ! Many of us may live to tell the story of the fight to
morrow, and in the memory of all will ever rest and linger the
quiet scenes of this Autumnal night.
Solemn twilight advances over the valley ; the woods on the
opposite heights fling their long shadows over the green of the
meadow ; around us are the tents of the continental host, the sup
pressed bustle of the camp, the hurried tramp of the soldiers to
and fro among the tents, the stillness and awe that marks the eve
of battle.
When we meet again, may the shadows of twilight be flung
over a peaceful land. God in heaven grant it. Let us pray.
PRATER OF THE REVOLUTION.
Great Father, we bow before thee ; we invoke thy blessings, we
deprecate thy wrath ; we return thee thanks for the past, we ask
thy aid for the future. For we are in times of trouble, oh, Lord,
and sore beset by foes, merciless and unpitying. The sword
gleams over our land, and the dust of the soil is dampened with
the blood of our neighbors and friends.
Oh ! God of mercy, we pray thee to bless the American arms.

434 APPENDIX.
Make the man of our hearts strong in thy wisdom ; bless, we be
seech thee, with renewed life and strength, our hope, and thy in
strument, even George Washington; shower thy counsels on the
honorable the Continental Congress; visit our host, comfort the
soldier in his wounds and afflictions, nerve him for the fight, pre
pare him for the hour of death.
And in the hour of need, oh, God of Hosts, do thou be our
stay ; and in the hour of triumph, be' thou our guide. .
Teach us to be merciful. Though the memory of galling
wrongs be at our hearts, knocking for admittance, that they may
fill us with the desire of revenge ; yet let us, oh, Lord, spare the
vanquished, though they never spared us, in the hour of butchery
and bloodshed.
And in the hour of death, do thou guide us to the abode pre
pared for the blest ; so shall we return thanks unto thee, through
Christ our Redeemer. God prosper the cause. Amen.