[Illustration: The Old State House Bell]

THE YOUNG AMERICAN'S LIBRARY. 

THE OLD BELL OF INDEPENDENCE;

OR, PHILADELPHIA IN 1776. 

BY HENRY C. WATSON, AUTHOR OF "THE CAMP-FIRES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, " "THE YANKEETEA-PARTY, OR BOSTON IN 1773, " ETC. ETC. 

With Illustrations. 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by LINDSAY ANDBLAKISTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the UnitedStates for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

PREFACE. 

To awaken in the minds of all Americans that veneration of the patriotsand heroes of the War of Independence, and that emulation of their nobleexample which is so necessary to the maintenance of our liberties, arethe objects of this little work. Every day's developments illustratethe importance of these objects. In the enjoyment of the freedom andprosperity of our country, we are apt to under-rate the means by whichthat enjoyment was secured to us, and to forget the men who worked forthat end. A knowledge of the toils and sufferings of the noble-heartedfathers of the Revolution is the best preventative, or curative, forthis "falling off. " War, clothed as it is, with horrors, is to becondemned, and the spirit which leads to it should be driven from thebreasts of men. But generous devotion, strength of resolution, andfar-reaching skill, are things to be commended and imitated whereverdisplayed. In these pages, will be found stories of the chief men of theRevolution, so connected, by the manner in which they are narrated, asto give a general interest to them--"The Old Bell of Independence" beingthe rallying point of the veteran story-tellers. 

CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTION

STORY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON

THE SPY'S FATE

STORY OF THE SERMON

STORY OF THE PRAYER

STORY OF LYDIA DARRAGH

THE DEAD MAN'S LAKE

THE HALF-BREED

DEATH OF COLONEL LOVELACE

MURDER OF MISS McCREA

DEFENCE OF SHELL'S BLOCK-HOUSE

BATES'S REVENGE

STORY OF GENERAL WAYNE

THE OUTLAW OF THE PINES

THE TORY'S CONVERSION

THE TIMELY RESCUE

THE BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN

THE BATTLE OF THE KEGS

ARNOLD'S TREASON

CAPTURE OF GENERAL PRESCOTT

JONATHAN RILEY AND FRANK LILLY

MASSACRE OF WYOMING

STORY OF THE DAUPHIN'S BIRTHDAY

THE OLD BELL OF INDEPENDENCE. 

INTRODUCTION. 

It was a season of unparalleled enthusiasm and rejoicing, when GeneralLafayette, the friend and supporter of American Independence, respondedto the wishes of the people of the United States, and came to see theirprosperity, and to hear their expressions of gratitude. The nationalheart beat joyfully in anticipation; and one long, loud, and free shoutof welcome was heard throughout the land. 

Arriving at New York in August, 1824, General Lafayette journeyedthrough the Eastern States, receiving such tokens of affection as thepeople had extended to no other man except Washington, and then returnedsouthward. On the 28th of September, he entered Philadelphia, thebirth-place of the Declaration of Independence, the greater part of thepopulation coming out to receive and welcome him. A large procession wasformed, and thirteen triumphal arches erected in the principal streetsthrough which the procession passed. 

After General Lafayette himself, the most remarkable objects in theprocession were four large open cars, resembling tents, each containingforty veterans of the struggle for independence. No one could, withoutemotion, behold these winter-locked patriots, whose eyes, dimmed by age, poured forth tears of joy at their unexpected happiness in once moremeeting an old commander, and joining in the expressions of gratitude tohim. 

After passing through the principal streets, General Lafayette wasconducted into the hall of the State-House, where the old ContinentalCongress had assembled, and where the immortal Declaration ofIndependence was signed. Here the nation's guest was received formallyon behalf of the citizens by the mayor, and then the people wereadmitted to take him by the hand. At night there was a splendidillumination; and crowds of people traversed the streets, singing andcelebrating the exploits of the champion of liberty and the friend ofAmerica. 

On one of the days succeeding Lafayette's grand entry into the city, he received, in the Hall of Independence, the veteran soldiers of theRevolution who had come to the city, and those who were residents. Oneby one these feeble old men came up and took the General by the hand, and to each he had some reminiscence to recall, or some congratulationto offer. Heroes of Brandy wine, Germantown, Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth, and other fields, were there; some with scars to show, and allmuch suffering to relate. The old patriotic fire was kindled in theirbreasts, and beamed from their furrowed countenances, as memory flewback to the time that proved their truth and love of liberty. One hadbeen under the command of the fiery Wayne, and shared his dangers witha spirit as dauntless; another had served with the cool and skilfulGreene, and loved to recall some exploit in which the Quaker generalhad displayed his genius; another had followed the lead of Lafayettehimself, when a mere youth, at Brandywine: everything conspired torender this interview of the General and the veteran soldiers astouching and as interesting as any recorded by history, or invented byfiction. 

After the reception of the veterans, one of them proposed to go up intothe belfry, and see the old bell which proclaimed liberty "to all theland, and to all the nations thereof. " Lafayette and a few othersaccompanied the proposal by expressing a wish to see that interestingrelic. With great difficulty, some of the old men were conducted up tothe belfry, and there they beheld the bell still swinging. Lafayette wasmuch gratified at the sight, as it awakened his old enthusiasm to thinkof the period when John Adams and his bold brother patriots dared toassert the principles of civil liberty, and to proclaim the independenceof their country. Old John Harmar, one of the veteran soldiers who hadbeen in Philadelphia when the Declaration was proclaimed, and who againshook hands with his old brothers in arms, gave vent to his thoughts andfeelings as he stood looking at the bell. 

"Ah! that's the trumpet that told the Britishers a tale of vengeance! Mymemory's not so bad but I can recollect the day that old bell was rungfor independence! This city presented a very different appearance inthose days. It was a small town. Every body was expectin' that theking's troops would be comin' here soon, and would sack and burn theplace: but the largest number of us were patriots, and knew the king wasa tyrant; and so we didn't care much whether they came or not. How thepeople did crowd around this State-House on the day the Declaration wasproclaimed! Bells were ringing all over town, and guns were fired; butabove 'em all could be heard the heavy, deep sound of this old bell, that rang as if it meant something! Ah! them was great times. "

As old Harmar concluded these remarks, the old men standing near thebell nodded approvingly, and some echoed, "Them _was_ great times!" ina tone which indicated that memory was endeavoring to conjure back thetime of which they spoke. They then slowly turned to descend. Lafayettehad preceded them with his few friends. "Stop!" said old Harmar;"Wilson, Morton, Smith, and you, Higgins, my son wants you to come homewith me, and take dinner at his house. Come; I want to have some chatwith you over old doings. I may never see you again after you leavePhiladelphia. "

The invitation, cordially given, was cordially accepted, and the partyof old friends descended the stairs, and, arriving at the door, wereassisted by the cheering crowd to get into their carriage, which thendrove towards the residence of old Harmar's son. At that place we shallconsider them as having arrived, and, after much welcoming, introducing, and other preparatory ceremonies, as seated at a long, well-suppliedtable, set in a large and pleasant dining-hall. Young Harmar, his wife, and the four children, were also accommodated at the same table, and ascene of conviviality and pleasure was presented such as is not oftenwitnessed. The old men were very communicative and good-humored; andyoung Harmar and his family were free of questions concerning the greatscenes through which they had passed. But we will let the company speakfor themselves. 

STORY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 

"GRANDFATHER, " said Thomas Jefferson Harmar, "won't you tell ussomething about General Washington?"

"I could tell you many a thing about that man, my child, " replied oldHarmar, "but I suppose people know everything concerning him by thistime. You see, these history writers go about hunting up every incidentrelating to the war, now, and after a while they'll know more aboutit--or say they do--than the men who were actors in it. "

"That's not improbable, " said young Harmar. "These historians may notknow as much of the real spirit of the people at that period, but thatthey should be better acquainted with the mass of facts relating tobattles and to political affairs is perfectly natural. " The old mandemurred, however, and mumbled over, that nobody could know the realstate of things who was not living among them at the time. 

"But the little boy wants to hear a story about Washington, " saidWilson. "Can't you tell him something about _the_ man? I think I could. Any one who wants to appreciate the character of Washington, and theextent of his services during the Revolution, should know the history ofthe campaign of 1776, when every body was desponding, and thinkingof giving up the good cause. I tell you, if Washington had not beensuperior to all other men, that cause must have sunk into darkness. "

"You say well, " said Smith. "We, who were at Valley Forge, knowsomething of his character. "

"I remember an incident, " said Wilson, "that will give you some idea, Mrs. Harmar, of the heart George Washington had in his bosom. I supposeMr. Harmar has told you something of the sufferings of our men duringthe winter we lay at Valley Forge. It was a terrible season. It's hardto give a faint idea of it in words; but you may imagine a party ofmen, with ragged clothes and no shoes, huddled around a fire in a loghut--the snow about two feet deep on the ground, and the wind drivingfierce and bitter through the chinks of the rude hovel. Many of the menhad their feet frost-bitten, and there were no remedies to be had, likethere is now-a-days. The sentinels suffered terribly, and looked morelike ghosts than men, as they paced up and down before the lines ofhuts. "

"I wonder the men didn't all desert, " remarked Mrs. Harmar. "They musthave been uncommon men. "

"They were uncommon men, or, at least, they suffered in an uncommoncause, " replied Wilson. "But about General Washington. He saw how themen were situated, and, I really believe, his heart bled for them. Hewould write to Congress of the state of affairs, and entreat that bodyto procure supplies; but, you see, Congress hadn't the power to comply. All it could do was to call on the States, and await the action of theirAssemblies. 

"Washington's head-quarters was near the camp, and he often came over tosee the poor fellows, and to try to soothe and comfort them; and, I tellyou, the men loved that man as if he had been their father, and wouldrather have died with him than have lived in luxury with the red-coatgeneral. 

"I recollect a scene I beheld in the next hut to the one in which Imessed. An old friend, named Josiah Jones, was dying. He was lying on ascant straw bed, with nothing but rags to cover him. He had been sickfor several days, but wouldn't go under the doctor's hands, as he alwayssaid it was like going into battle, certain of being killed. One day, when we had no notion of anything of the kind, Josiah called out to us, as we sat talking near his bed, that he was dying, and wanted us to prayfor him. We were all anxious to do anything for the man, for we lovedhim as a brother; but as for praying, we didn't exactly know how to goabout it. To get clear of the service, I ran to obtain the poor fellow adrink of water to moisten his parched lips. 

"While the rest were standing about, not knowing what to do, some oneheard the voice of General Washington in the next hut, where he wascomforting some poor wretches who had their feet almost frozen off. Directly, he came to our door, and one of the men went and told him thestate of things. Now, you see, a commander-in-chief might have beenjustified in being angry that the regulations for the sick had beendisobeyed, and have turned away; but he was a nobler sort of man thancould do that. He entered the hut, and went up to poor Josiah, and askedhim how he was. Josiah told him that he felt as if he was dying, andwanted some one to pray for him. Washington saw that a doctor could dothe man no good, and he knelt on the ground by him and prayed. We allknelt down too; we couldn't help it. An old comrade was dying, away fromhis home and friends, and there was our general kneeling by him, withhis face turned towards heaven, looking, I thought, like an angel's. Well, he prayed for Heaven to have mercy on the dying man's soul; topardon his sins; and to take him to Himself: and then he prayed for usall. Before the prayer was concluded, Josiah's spirit had fled, and hisbody was cold and stiff. Washington felt the brow of the poor fellow, and, seeing that his life was out, gave the men directions how todispose of the corpse, and then left us to visit the other parts of thecamp. "

"That was, indeed, noble conduct, " said young Harmar. "Did he ever speakto you afterwards about violating the regulations of the army?"

"No, " replied Wilson. "He knew that strict discipline could not be, andshould not have been maintained in that camp. He was satisfied if wewere true to the cause amid all our sufferings. "

[ Illustration: WASHINGTON'S PRAYERFOR THE DYING SOLDIER. ]

"Praying at the death-bed of a private, " mused Smith aloud. "Well, Imight have conjectured what he would do in such a case, from what I sawof him. I wonder if history ever spoke of a greater and better man?"

Young Mr. Harmar here felt inclined to launch out into an elaboratepanegyric on the character of Washington, but reflected that it might beout of place, and therefore contented himself with remarking, "We shallne'er look upon his like again. "

"He was a dear, good man, " remarked Mrs. Harmar. 

"Yes, " said old Harmar, "General Washington was the main pillar of theRevolution. As a general, he was vigilant and skilful; but if he hadnot been anything more, we might have been defeated and crushed by theenemy. He had the love and confidence of the men, on account of hischaracter as a man, and that enabled him to remain firm and full of hopewhen his countrymen saw nothing but a gloomy prospect. "

THE SPY'S FATE

"Now I'll tell you a story that I have just called to mind, " said oldHarmar. "It's of a very different character, though, from the story ofWashington. It's about a spy's fate. "

"Where was the scene of it?" inquired Mrs. Harmar. 

"Out here on the Schuylkill's banks, just after the British tookpossession of this city, " replied old Harmar. "There was a man namedJames Sykes, who had a lime-kiln on the east bank of the river, and wasmanufacturing lime pretty extensively when the enemy came to this city. While Congress was sitting here, Sykes always professed to be a warmfriend to the colonial cause; but there was always something suspiciousabout his movements, and his friends and neighbours did not put muchfaith in his professions. He would occasionally be out very late atnight, and sometimes be gone from home for a week, and give very vagueaccounts of the business which had occupied him during his absence. Someof his neighbours suspected that he was acting as one of Sir WilliamHowe's spies, but they could never get any positive proof of theirsuspicions. 

"At length the enemy took possession of this city, and then Sykes beganto show that he was not such a very warm friend of the right side. Hewent to the head-quarters of the British general frequently, and seemedto be on the best terms with the enemy. Well, it happened that one ofhis old neighbors, named Jones, was the captain of one of the companiesof our line; and he, somehow or other, obtained proof that Sykes wasacting as a spy for the enemy. He informed General Wayne of the fact, and immediately proposed that he should be allowed to attempt hiscapture. Wayne consented, and Captain Jones set about preparing for theenterprise. Sykes was usually out at his lime-kiln, with some of hismen, during the morning, and, as the guilty are ever suspicious, heincreased the number of his assistants, to ensure himself againstattack. Captain Jones took only twenty men from his company, and leftour camp just before dark. The business was full of danger. The placewhere Jones expected to capture the spy was within a mile of a Britishout-post; and the greatest secrecy and rapidity of movement wasnecessary to prevent surprise by the enemy's scouting parties. 

"About daylight, Jones and his party reached the wood near Sykes'lime-kiln, and halted to reconnoitre. Sykes and four of his men were atwork at that early hour. The lime was burning, and some of the men wereengaged in loading and unloading two carts which stood near the kiln. Captain Jones' plan was quickly formed. He sent one half his partyaround to cut off the escape of Sykes towards the city, and when hethought they had reached a favorable position sallied out towards thekiln. When he was about half-way to it, Sykes discovered the party, and, shouting to his men to follow, ran along the bank of the riverto escape; but the other party cut off retreat, and Jones coming uprapidly, Sykes and his men were taken. Jones did not intend to detainthe workmen any longer than till he got out of the reach of the British, when he would not have cared for their giving the alarm. Sykes seemed tobe very anxious to know why he was arrested in that manner; but Jonessimply told him he would know when they got him to the American camp;and that, if Sykes had not thought of a reason for his arrest, hewould not have attempted to run away. Well, the Americans hurried theprisoners towards the wood, but Jones soon descried a large party ofBritish coming over a neighboring hill, and knew that his chance wasa desperate one. Sykes also discovered the party of red-coats, andstruggled hard to make his escape from the Americans. Jones wanted tobring him alive to the American camp, or he would have shot him down atonce. Suddenly, Sykes broke away from his captors, and ran towards thelime-kiln. Several muskets were discharged, but all missed him. Thenone of the privates, named Janvers, a daring fellow, rushed after theprisoner, and caught him just as he reached the kiln. There a fiercestruggle ensued; but Sykes was cut in the shoulder, and, in attemptingto throw his antagonist into the hot lime and fire, was hurled into ithimself. Then Janvers hurried to the woods after his brave comrades. TheBritish party was near enough to see the struggle at the limekiln, andcame on rapidly in pursuit of our men. A few of the red-coats wereordered to examine the lime-kiln, to see if Sykes was alive andconcealed; and they found his body burned almost to a crisp. "

"Horrible!" exclaimed Mrs. Harmar. 

"Well, " continued Old Harmar, "there was a long and doubtful racebetween the two parties; but Jones succeeded in getting within the linesof the Americans without losing a man, and with his four prisoners insafe custody. These fellows were examined, but no evidence of theirbeing spies and confidants of Sykes could be produced, and they weredischarged with the promise of a terrible punishment if they weredetected tampering with the enemy. "

"Captain Jones was a daring fellow to venture so near the British lines, and with such a small party, " observed Morton. 

"In such an attempt, a small party was preferable. Its success dependedupon secrecy and quickness of movements, " said Wilson. 

"It was a horrible death, " remarked young Harmar. "Sykes, however, courted it by treachery to his countrymen. "

STORY OF THE SERMON. 

"I believe this is the first time I've seen you since the disbanding ofthe army, Morton, " said Wilson. "Time has been rather severe on us bothsince that time. "

"Oh, we can't complain, " replied Morton. "We can't complain. I nevergrumble at my age. "

"Some men would have considered themselves fortunate to have seen whatyou have seen, " said young Harmar. "I think I could bear your years, tohave your experience. "

"So do I, " added Mrs. Harmar. She always agreed with her husband inwhatever he asserted. 

"Let me see, " said old Harmar; "where did I first meet you, Higgins?Oh! wasn't it just before the battle of Brandywine you joined thePennsylvania line?"

"No, " answered Smith for Higgins, who, just then, was endeavoring tomake up for his want of teeth by the vigorous exertions of his jaws. "Hejoined at the same time I did, before the battle of Germantown. "

"Yes, just before the battle of Germantown, " added Higgins. "I was notat Brandywine. "

"You wasn't? Then you missed seeing us retreat, " said old Harraar. "Butwe did considerable fightin', howsomever. Mad Anthony was there, and heused to fight, you know--at least the enemy thought so. I shall neverforget the night before that battle. "

"Why?" asked Higgins. "Was you on the watch?"

"No, not on that account; something very different. There was a sermonpreached on the evenin' before that battle, such as can only be heardonce. "

"A sermon?" enquired Wilson. 

"Yes; a sermon preached for our side by the Rev. Joab Prout. I told myson there about it, and he wrote it into a beautiful sketch for one ofthe papers. He's got a knack of words, and can tell about it much betterthan I can. Tell them about it, Jackson, just as you wrote it, " said oldHarmar. 

"Certainly, " replied young Harmar. "If I can recall it. "

"Do, " said Mrs. Harmer; and "Oh! do, " added the children; and Mr. Jackson Harmar did--as follows:--"All day long, on the tenth ofSeptember, 1777, both armies were in the vicinity of each other, andfrequent and desperate skirmishes took place between advanced parties, without bringing on a general action. At length, as the day closed, both armies encamped within sight of each other, anxiously awaiting themorrow, to decide the fate of the devoted city. 

"The Americans lay behind Chadd's Ford, with the shallow waters of theBrandywine between them and their opponents; the line extending twomiles along that stream. 

"The sun was just sinking behind the dark hills of the west, gilding thefading heavens with an autumnal brightness, and shedding a lurid glareupon the already drooping and discolored foliage of the surroundingforests. It was an hour of solemn calm. The cool evening breezes stolesoftly through the air, as if unwilling to disturb the repose of allaround. The crystal waters of the creek murmured gently in their narrowbed, and the national standard flapped lazily from the tall flag-staffon its banks. 

"In the American camp, interspersed between groups of tents and stacksof arms, might be seen little knots of weary soldiers seated on theground, resting from the fatigues of the day, and talking in a low butanimated tone of the coming contest. 

"Suddenly the tattoo sounded, --not loud and shrill, as on ordinaryoccasions, but in a subdued and cautious manner, as if fearful of beingheard by the British, whose white tents might be seen in the distance. Obedient to the signal, the greater part of the soldiers assembledin front of the marquee of the commander, near the centre of theencampment. 

"All was hushed in expectation: soon the tall form of Washington, wrapped in his military cloak, and attended by a large body of officers, was seen advancing in their midst. All present respectfully salutedthem, to which they bowed courteously, and then took their seats uponcamp-stools set for them by a servant. The venerable Joab Prout, chaplain of the Pennsylvania line, then stood upon the stump of a tree, and commanded silence--for it was the hour of prayer. 

"Here was a scene of moral grandeur unsurpassed by anything in theannals of war. There, on that still, cool evening, when the sky wasdarkening into night, were assembled some eight thousand men; very manyof whom would never look upon the glorious sunset again. From the humblecottages in the quiet valley of the Connecticut--from the stateliermansions of the sunny South--at the call of liberty, they had rushed tothe tented field; and now, on the eve of battle, as brethren in heartand deed, had met together to implore the God of battles to smile upontheir noble cause. 

"Oh! it was a thrilling and an august sight! The mild and dignifiedWashington looked around him with proud emotion, and turned enquiringlyto the fair young stranger, Lafayette, beside him, as if to ask, 'Cansuch men as these be vanquished?'

"The bold and fearless Wayne was there; the undaunted Pulaski, and thewhole-hearted Kosciusko; and they bowed their heads in reverence to Himin whose presence they were worshipping. 

"Never beneath the vaulted dome of the stately temple--never from thelips of the eloquent divine--was seen such a congregation, or was heardsuch a discourse, as on that September evening, from that humble oldman, with his grey locks streaming in the wind. 

"With a firm, clear voice, that re-echoed to the distant hills, heannounced his text:--

_'They that take the sword shall perish by the sword. '_

Then, straightening himself to his full height, and his eye beaming witha holy feeling inspired by the time and place, he commenced:--

 "'_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 sharedthe toil of the march, the peril of the fight, the dismay of theretreat--alike we have endured cold and hunger, the contumely of theinternal foe, and outrage of the foreign oppressor. We have sat, nightafter, night, beside the same camp-fire, shared the same rough soldiers'fare; we have together heard the roll of the reveille, which called usto duty, or the beat of the tattoo, which gave the signal for the hardysleep of the soldier, with the earth for his bed, the knapsack for hispillow. 

'And now, soldiers and brethren, we have met in a peaceful valley, on the eve of battle, while the sunlight is dying away behind yonderheights--the sunlight that, to-morrow morn, will glimmer on scenes ofblood. We have met, amid the whitening tents of our encampment, --intimes of terror and of gloom have we gathered together--God grant it maynot be for the last time!

'It is a solemn moment. Brethren, does not the solemn voice of natureseem to echo the sympathies of the hour? The flag of our country droopsheavily from yonder staff; the breeze has died away along the greenplain of Chadd's Ford--the plain that spreads before us, glisteningin the sunlight; the heights of the Brandywine arise gloomy and grandbeyond the waters of yonder stream, and all nature holds a pause ofsolemn silence, on the eve of the uproar and bloodshed and strife ofto-morrow. '

"The propriety of this language was manifest. Breathless attention waspictured upon every countenance, and the smallest whisper could bedistinctly heard. Pausing a moment, as if running back, in his mind'seye, over the eventful past, he again repeated his text:--

"'They that take the sword shall perish by the sword. '

'And have they not taken the sword?

'Let the desolated plain, the blood-soddened valley, the burntfarm-house, blackening in the sun, the sacked village, and the ravagedtown, answer; let the whitening bones of the butchered farmer, strewnalong the fields of his homestead, answer; let the starving mother, withthe babe clinging to the withered breast, that can afford no sustenance, let her answer; with the death-rattle mingling with the murmuring tonesthat mark the last struggle for life--let the dying mother and her babeanswer!

'It was but a day past and our land slept in peace. War was nothere--wrong was not here. Fraud, and woe, and misery, and want, dwelt notamong us. From the eternal solitude of the green woods arose the bluesmoke of the settler's cabin, and golden fields of corn looked forthfrom amid the waste of the wilderness, and the glad music of humanvoices awoke the silence of the forest. 

'Now! God of mercy, behold the change! Under the shadow of apretext--under the sanctity of the name of God--invoking the Redeemer totheir aid, do these foreign hirelings slay our people! They throng ourtowns; they darken our plains; and now they encompass our posts on thelonely plain of Chadd's Ford. 

"The effect was electric. The keen eye of the in-trepid Wayne flashedfire. The neighboring sentinels, who had paused to listen, quickenedtheir pace, with a proud tread and a nervous feeling, impatient forvengeance on the vandal foe. 

"Gathering strength once more, he checked the choking sensations his ownrecital had caused, and continued:

"'They that take the sword shall perish by the sword. '

"Brethren, think me not unworthy of belief, when I tell you that thedoom of the Britisher is near! Think me not vain, when I tell you thatbeyond the cloud that now enshrouds us, I see gathering, thick and fast, the darker cloud and the blacker storm of a Divine retribution!

'They may conquer us on the morrow! Might and wrong may prevail, and wemay be driven from this field--but the hour of God's own vengeance willsurely come!

'Ay, if in the vast solitudes of eternal space, if in the heart of theboundless universe, there throbs the being of an awful God, quickto avenge, and sure to punish guilt, then will the man, George ofBrunswick, called king, feel in his brain and in his heart the vengeanceof the Eternal Jehovah! A blight will be upon his life--a witheredbrain, an accurst intellect; a blight will be upon his children, and onhis people. Great God! how dread the punishment!

'A crowded populace, peopling the dense towns where the man of moneythrives, while the labourer starves; want striding among the peoplein all its forms of terror; an ignorant and God-defying priesthoodchuckling over the miseries of millions; a proud and merciless nobilityadding wrong to wrong, and heaping insult upon robbery and fraud;royalty corrupt to the very heart; aristocracy rotten to the core; crimeand want linked hand in hand, and tempting men to deeds of woe anddeath--these are a part of the doom and the retribution that shall comeupon the English throne and the English people!'

"This was pronounced with a voice of such power, that its tones mighthave reached almost to the Briton's camp, and struck upon the ear ofHowe as the prophetic inspiration of one whose keen eye had read fromthe dark tablets of futurity. 

"Looking around upon the officers, he perceived that Washington andLafayette had half risen from their seats, and were gazing spell-boundat him, as if to drink in every word he uttered. 

"Taking advantage of the pervading feeling, he went on:--

"'Soldiers--I look around upon your familiar faces with a strangeinterest! To-morrow morning we will all go forth to battle--for need Itell you that your unworthy minister will march with you, invoking God'said in the fight?--we will march forth to battle! Need I exhort you tofight the good fight, to fight for your homesteads, and for your wivesand children?

'My friends, I might urge you to fight, by the galling memories ofBritish wrong! Walton--I might tell you of your father butchered in thesilence of midnight on the plains of Trenton; I might picture his greyhairs dabbled in blood; I might ring his death-shriek in your ears. Shelmire--I might tell you of a mother butchered, and a sisteroutraged--the lonely farm-house, the night assault, the roof in flames, the shouts of the troopers, as they despatch their victim, the criesfor mercy, the pleadings of innocence for pity. I might paint this allagain, in the terrible colors of the vivid reality, if I thought yourcourage needed such wild excitement. 

'But I know you are strong in the might of the Lord. You will forth tobattle on the morrow with light hearts and determined spirits, thoughthe solemn duty--the duty of avenging the dead--may rest heavy on yoursouls. 

'And in the hour of battle, when all around is darkness, lit by thelurid cannon glare and the piercing musket flash--when the wounded strewthe ground, and the dead litter your path--then remember, soldiers, thatGod is with you. The eternal God fights for you--He rides on the battlecloud, He sweeps onward with the march of the hurricane charge--God, theAwful and the Infinite, fights for you, and you will triumph. '

"Roused by this manly and pathetic appeal, a low murmur ran from manto man, as a heartfelt response; and the chieftains who were near thespeaker, felt proud and happy in the command of such true hearts andtried blades. But darkness was enveloping all, and he hastened toconclude. 

"'They that take the sword shall perish by the sword. '

'You have taken the sword, but not in the spirit of wrong and ravage. You have taken the sword for your homes, for your wives, for your littleones. You have taken the sword for truth, for justice and right, and toyou the promise is, Be of good cheer, for your foes have taken the swordin defiance of all that man holds dear, in blasphemy of God--they shall_perish by the sword_. 

'And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid you all farewell. Many of us mayfall in the fight of to-morrow--God rest the souls of the fallen; manyof us may live to tell the story of the fight of to-morrow; and, inthe memory of all, will ever rest and linger the quiet scene of thisautumnal night. 

'Solemn twilight advances over the valley; the woods on the oppositeheights fling their long shadows over the green of the meadow; aroundus are the tents of the continental host, the suppressed bustle of thecamp, the hurried tramp of the soldiers to and fro among the tents, thestillness and silence that marks the eve of battle. 

'When we meet again, may the long shadows of twilight be flung over apeaceful land. 

'God in heaven grant it. '

"And now the last ray of lingering light had departed, and they wereleft in darkness. Presuming it proper to dismiss his auditors, heproposed a parting prayer, and immediately every head was uncovered andbowed in reverence, while, with outstretched hands, that sincere old manin the homespun garb thus addressed the throne of grace. 

"'Great Father, we bow before thee. We invoke thy blessing, we deprecatethy wrath, we return thee thanks for the past, we ask thy aid for thefuture. For we are in times of trouble, oh, Lord! and sore beset byfoes, merciless and unpitying; the sword gleams over our land, andthe dust of the soil is dampened with the blood of our neighbors andfriends. 

'Oh! God of mercy, we pray thy blessing on the American arms. Make theman of our hearts strong in thy wisdom; bless, we beseech, with renewedlife and strength, our hope and thy instrument, even GEORGE WASHINGTON. Shower thy counsels on the honorable, the Continental Congress. Visit the tents of our host; comfort the soldier in his wounds andafflictions; nerve him for the hour of fight; prepare him for the hourof death. 

'And in the hour of defeat, oh, God of Hosts, do thou be our stay; andin the hour of triumph be thou our guide. 

'Teach us to be merciful. Though the memory of galling wrongs be at ourhearts, knocking for admittance, that they may fill us with desires forrevenge, yet let us, oh, Lord, spare the vanquished, though they neverspared us in their hour of butchery and bloodshed. And, in the hour ofdeath, do thou guide us into the abode prepared for the blest; so shallwe return thanks unto thee, through Christ, our Redeemer. --GOD PROSPERTHE CAUSE. --_Amen_"

During the recital of this interesting and thrilling incident of theRevolution, the veterans--even Higgins, too--laid down their knivesand forks, and listened as if carried back to the memorable eve of thebattle of Brandywine, and filled with the hopes and fears of the period. At its conclusion, they expressed their approbation of the manner of therecital, and the beauty of the sermon. 

"That minister was one of the kind that I like, " said Wilson. "He couldpreach peace as long as peace was wise, and buckle on his armor andfight when it became his duty. "

"Mr. Harmer handles his pen well, " remarked Morton, "but such anincident would make any pen write well of itself. There's fire in it. "

"Yes, a whole heap of fire, " put in Mrs. Harmar, who thought she mustmake a remark, as she had been quieting the children while the latterpart of the sermon and the remarks upon it were listened to by theothers. 

"But the Lord didn't assist us much in that next day's battle, " said oldHarmar. "We had hard fighting, and then were compelled to retreat. "

"It was all for the best, " said Wilson. "We shouldn't have known ourenemies nor ourselves without losing that battle. The harder thestruggle for liberty, the more we enjoy it when won. "

"That's true, " said young Harmar, "The freedom dearest bought is highestprized, and Americans have learned the value of that inestimable gem. "

The dinner was, by this time, pretty well disposed of, and the partyadjourned to the large parlor, where they were soon comfortable seated. Mrs. Harmar would make one of the company, and the children would forcetheir way in to see and hear the "sogers. " The windows were up, and thegentle breeze of summer blew softly through the parlor, thus relievingthe otherwise oppressive atmosphere. 

But we must introduce the company to the reader. Old Hannar was seatedon one end of the sofa, with one of the small children on his knee. Hewas a stout, hearty-looking man of about seventy, with silvery hair, and a face much embrowned by exposure and furrowed by time. The generalexpression of his features was a hearty good humor, as if perfectlysatisfied with things around. On the other end of the sofa sat Mr. Higgins, a thin, small-featured, bald-headed man, looking much olderthan old Mr. Harmar. On the opposite sofa sat Mr. Morton and Mr. Wilson. The first was a large-bodied, full-faced man, slightly bald, with a scaracross his forehead, from the right eye to the left side of his head. His appearance bespoke an active life, and a strong constitution; andhis eye yet beamed with intelligence. Mr. Wilson was evidently aboutseventy-five, with a long, lank face, tall figure, and head scantilycovered with grey hair. Mr. Smith sat in an easy arm-chair. Hisappearance was much the same as that of Mr. Higgins, though his faceexpressed more intelligence. He had a troublesome cough, and wasevidently very weak. Mr. Jackson Harmar sat on a chair next to hisfather. He was about thirty-five, rather short and thin, with long brownhair, wild, blue eyes, in a "fine frenzy rolling, " and a very literaryappearance generally. Mrs. Harraar sat near her husband, with two verymischievous little boys, apparently about six and eight years of age, byher side. She had a childish face, but might have been thought pretty bya loving and indulgent husband. 

STORY OF THE PRAYER. 

"There is only one other scene during the struggle for our country'sright, " said young Harmar, "which I would compare with the one I havejust narrated; and that is the scene in Congress--the old ContinentalCongress--during the first prayer by the Rev. Mr. Duche. "

"I've heard something of that prayer, " said Morton, "since theRevolution, but nothing that I could depend on. "

"An account of the scene is given by John Adams, who was a chief actorin it, " said young Harmar. 

"Old John Adams?" enquired Higgins. "He was the man! He was theWashington of our politics during the war. He was the man!" and Higginsrubbed his hands together. 

"Thomas Jefferson, take your foot off your brother's, and quit pinchinghim, " interrupted Mrs. Harmar. 

"I have Mr. Adams' account of that first prayer and its effects, " saidyoung Harmar, "and here it is. " So saying, he pulled from his pocket apaper into which the account had been copied, and read:--

"'When the Congress met, Mr. Gushing made a motion that it should beopened with prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay, of New York, and Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, because we were so divided in our religioussentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, somePresbyterians, and some Congregationalists, that we could not join inthe same act of worship. Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said, 'that he wasno bigot, and could hear a prayer from any gentleman of piety, and whowas, at the same time, a friend of his country. He was a stranger inPhiladelphia, but had heard that Mr. Duche (Dushay they pronounced it)deserved that character, and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche, anEpiscopal clergyman, might be desired to read prayers to the Congressto-morrow morning. ' The motion was seconded, and passed in theaffirmative. --Mr. Randolph, our President, waited on Mr. Duche, andreceived for answer, that if his health would permit he certainly would. Accordingly, next morning he appeared with his clerk, and, in hispontificals, read several prayers in the established form, and then readthe collect for the seventh day of September, which was the thirty-fifthpsalm. You must remember, this was the next morning after we had heardthe rumor of the horrible cannonade of Boston. _It seemed as if Heavenhad ordained that psalm to be read on that morning_. 

"'After this, Mr. Duche, unexpectedly to every body, struck out into anextemporary prayer which filled the bosom of every man present. I mustconfess I never heard a better prayer, or one so well pronounced. Episcopalian as he is, Dr. Cooper himself never prayed with such fervor, such correctness and pathos, and in language so elegant and sublime, forAmerica, for Congress, for the province of Massachusetts Bay, especiallythe town of Boston. It has had an excellent effect upon every body here. I must beg you to read that psalm. If there is any faith in the sortesVirgilianæ, or sortes Homericæ, or especially the sortes Biblicæ, itwould be thought providential. '

"The thirty-fifth psalm was indeed appropriate to the news received, andthe exigencies of the times. It commences:--

"'Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that fight against me. 

'Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. 

'Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecuteme: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. '

"What a subject for contemplation does this picture present. Theforty-four members of the first Congress, in their Hall, all bent beforethe mercy-seat, and asking Him that their enemies 'might be as chaffbefore the wind. ' WASHINGTON was kneeling there; and Henry and Randolph, and Rutledge, and Lee, and Jay; and by their side there stood, bowed inreverence, the Puritan patriots of New England, who, at that moment, had reason to believe that an armed soldiery was wasting their humblehouseholds. It was believed that Boston had been bombarded anddestroyed. They prayed fervently 'for America, for the Congress, for theprovince of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston;'and who can realize the emotion with which they turned imploringly toHeaven for divine interposition and aid? 'It was enough to melt a heartof stone. I saw the tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave Quakersof Philadelphia. '"

"Yes, " said Wilson, when young Harmar had concluded, "that was a sceneequal, at least, to the one on the eve of Brandywine: how finely oldJohn Adams speaks about it!"

"That Dr. Duche forgot his connexion with the Church of England, andonly thought of his country, " remarked Morton. "He was a good man. "

"Yes; and he prayed in the presence of as good a set of men as was everassembled together, " added Smith. "Them was men--those Congressmen. Theydidn't get eight dollars a day for making speeches. "

"No, " put in Higgins, "but they earned a great deal more. Some of 'emlost all the property they had, during the war. "

"The spirit which animated our countrymen at that period was the noblestwhich could prompt the deeds of men, " said young Harmar, growing quiteeloquent. "From the men who emptied the tea into Boston harbor, to thestatesman of the Continental Congress, all were filled with patriotism, and that's the most unselfish of human motives. "

STORY OF LYDIA DARRAGH. 

"Mrs. Harmar, your sex nobly maintained their reputation for devotionand patriotism during the Revolution, " said Wilson. "Did you ever hearhow a Quaker lady, named Lydia Darragh, saved the army under Washingtonfrom being surprised?"

"No, never, " replied Mrs. Harmar. 

"No! Then, as a Philadelphia lady, you should know about it, " saidWilson. 

"The superior officers of the British army were accustomed to hold theirconsultations on all subjects of importance at the house of William andLydia Darragh, members of the Society of Friends, immediately oppositeto the quarters of the commander-in-chief, in Second street. It wasin December, in the year that they occupied the city, that theadjutant-general of the army desired Lydia to have an apartment preparedfor himself and friends, and to order her family early to bed; adding, when ready to depart, 'Notice shall be given to you to let us out, andto extinguish the fire and candles. ' The manner of delivering thisorder, especially that part of it which commanded the early retirementof her family, strongly excited Lydia's curiosity, and determined her, if possible, to discover the mystery of their meeting. Approachingwithout shoes the room in which the conference was held, and placing herear to the keyhole, she heard the order read for the troops to quit thecity on the night of the 4th, to attack the American army encamped atWhite Marsh. Returning immediately to her room, she laid herself down, but, in a little while, a loud knocking at the door, which for some timeshe pretended not to hear, proclaimed the intention of the party toretire. Having let them out, she again sought her bed, but not to sleep;the agitation of her mind prevented it. She thought only of the dangersthat threatened the lives of thousands of her countrymen, and believingit to be in her power to avert the evil, determined, at all hazards, toapprize General Washington of his danger. Telling her husband, at earlydawn, that flour was wanting for domestic purposes, and that she shouldgo to Frankford to obtain it, she repaired to headquarters, got accessto General Howe, and obtained permission to pass the British lines. Leaving her bag at the mill, Lydia now pressed forward towards theAmerican army, and meeting Captain Allen M'Lean, an officer, from hissuperior intelligence and activity, selected by General Washington togain intelligence, discovered to him the important secret, obtaininghis promise not to jeopardize her safety by telling from whom hehad obtained it. Captain M'Lean, with all speed, informed thecommander-in-chief of his danger, who, of course, took every necessarystep to baffle the contemplated enterprize, and to show the enemy thathe was prepared to receive them. Lydia returned home with her flour, secretly watched the movements of the British, and saw them depart. Heranxiety during their absence was excessive, nor was it lessened when, ontheir return, the adjutant-general, summoning her to his apartment andlocking the door with an air of mystery, demanded 'Whether any of thefamily were up on the night that he had received company at her house?'She told him, that, without an exception, they had all retired at eighto'clock. 'You, I know, Lydia, were asleep, for I knocked at your doorthree times before you heard me, yet, although I am at a loss toconceive who gave the information of our intended attack to GeneralWashington, it is certain we were betrayed; for, on arriving near hisencampment, we found his cannon mounted, his troops under arms, and atevery point so perfectly prepared to receive us, that we were compelled, like fools, to make a retrograde movement, without inflicting on ourenemy any manner of injury whatever. '"

"Ha! ha! a neat stratagem, and a patriotic woman, " exclaimed youngHarmar. 

"Talking of the services of the women during the war, " said Higgins, "reminds me of Molly Macauly, or Sergeant Macauly, as we knew her whilein the army. She was a Pennsylvanian, and was so enthusiastic in herpatriotism, that she donned a man's dress, and joined the army, when shebecame a sergeant, and fought bravely in several battles and skirmishes. Nobody suspected that she was not what she seemed to be; for she wastall, stout, and rough-looking, and associated with men very freely. Molly had a custom of swinging her sabre over her head, and hurraing forMad Anthony, as she called General Wayne. She was wounded at Brandywine, and, her sex being discovered, returned home. "

"She was not the only woman in disguise in the army, " said old Harmar. "There was Elizabeth Canning, who was at Fort Washington, and, when herhusband was killed, took his place at the gun, loading, priming, andfiring with good effect, till she was wounded in the breast by agrape-shot. While our army lay at Valley Forge, several Pennsylvaniawomen were detected in disguise, enduring all kinds of want, and withless murmuring than the men themselves. Oh, yes! the women were allright in those days, however they may have degenerated since. "

"Come, no slander on the women of the present day, " said Mrs. Harmar. "I've no doubt, take them all in all; they will not suffer in comparisonwith those of any age. "

"Bravo! Mrs. Harmar, " exclaimed Wilson. 

"Women, now, are ready enough with disguises, " remarked young Harmar. 

"To be sure!" replied his wife, "and always were. "

THE DEAD MAN'S LAKE. 

"Mr. Smith, can't we have a leaf from your experience in those tryingtimes?" said old Harmar. 

"Ah! sir, I would have much to tell if I had time to collect mymemory--much to tell, sir. But though I saw a great deal in theRevolution, I heard much more. "

"Tell us anything to pass time, " said young Harmar. "I've heard myfather speak of some bold exploits up in the vicinity of New York. Thehistory of the Cowboys and Skinners always interested me. "

"Ah! I've heard many a story of them, " replied Smith. "I'll tell you ofone old Jack Hanson told me--you recollect old Jack, don't you, Harmar?He was with us at Valley Forge. "

"That I do, " replied old Harmer. "He gave me a piece of his blanket, andan old shoe, when I believe I was freezing to death. "

"Yes, he was ever a good-hearted fellow--Jack Hanson was. He's been deadnow about ten years. Well, as I was saying, he told me a story aboutthose Cowboys and Skinners which will bear telling again. "

"It happened when the British were in possession of the city of NewYork. Many brave men did all that could be done to destroy the power andcomfort of the king's representatives, and alarm them for their personalsafety; and, to the greater part of them, the neighboring county of WestChester furnished both the home, and a theatre of action. Their systemof warfare partook of the semi-savage and partisan predatory character, and many fierce and desperate encounters took place between them and theoutlawed hordes of desperadoes in the pay of the British. 

"The refugees, banded together for the purpose of preying uponthe patriots, and then retreating behind the shelter of the royalfortifications, were composed of the vilest miscreants that could begathered from the dregs of any community, and were generally known bythe slang name of 'Skinners. '

"To oppose these desperadoes, and protect their lives and property frominsult, many of the whigs had united in small parties, and were styledby the Skinners, in derision, the 'Cow-boys. ' One of the most active andenergetic of these bands, ever ready for any species of patriotic duty, was led by Nicholas Odell. Nick, as he was familiarly termed, thoughentirely uneducated, was one of the shrewdest men to be found; forNature had gifted him where cultivation was wanting, and he became, inconsequence, a most formidable and dangerous enemy in the service he hadchosen. But fifty men composed his entire force, and with these he didhis country much service, and the enemy no little mischief. 

"The line of the Bronx River was the route always kept in view by Nickand his men; and, at six several points, places of rendezvous wereestablished, at which they were generally to be found when off duty, which was, indeed, seldom the case. 

"One of these places was on the banks of that stream, where the waterwas so wide and deep as to render it perilous for any but an expert andexperienced swimmer to attempt its passage, and always placid, with asort of oily surface looking like the backed waters of a mill-pond. Thebanks were covered with a thick undergrowth of vines, saplings, andtrees in abundance, so that autumn did not, by taking away the leaves, expose the spot to the observation of the passer-by. Here a rude boardshanty had been knocked up in a hurry, and was used to shelter the menfrom the intense cold of the winter nights. This episode in the streamNick had named 'Dead Man's Lake, ' in consequence of finding on itsbanks the body of a man who had been murdered and mutilated by his oldenemies, the Skinners. 

"One evening, in the depth of winter, Nick, who had been a long distanceabove White Plains, hastened back to the lake in order to intercepta body of Skinners, on their way from Connecticut to the city, withconsiderable booty taken from the inhabitants in the vicinity of theSound. They numbered about eighty, under the control of a petty Scotchofficer named McPherson. Nick had contrived to gain intelligence oftheir movements and access to their party, by means of John Valentine, one of his own scouts, who, by his direction, had met and joined thetories with a specious tale, and promised to lead them through thecountry so securely that none of the prowling rebels should encounterthem. 

"Previous to John's starting on his perilous adventure, it was agreedthat Nick, with all his men, should remain the whole night in questionconcealed at the lake, without entering the hut. John was then to bringthe refugees to the spot, shelter them in the hut, and, at a favorablemoment, he would sing out, 'Hurrah for Gin'ral Washington, and down withthe red-coats!' when the Cow-boys were to rush in, and take them bysurprise. 

"Having reached the lake about nine o'clock in the evening, Nickproceeded to devise a plan for concealment, for he expected to waitseveral hours. The cold was intense, and, like all the servantsof Congress, Nick and his men were but ill prepared to resist theinclemency of the weather. 

"Nick was in perplexity; no plan could be devised with satisfaction tothe majority, and they stood in absolute danger of perishing with cold. The debate on the subject was still in progress, when heavy flakesof snow began to fall briskly, with promising appearances of a longcontinuance. 'Good!' said Nick, half in soliloquy, as he viewed thefeathery element, and a new idea seemed to strike him, 'I have hit it atlast. Boys, no grumblin' or skulkin' now, for I won't have it. You mustdo as I am goin' to order, or we part company. '

"So saying, he directed the whole of his men to enter a swamp meadowwhich was behind the shanty, and had been rendered hard and porous bythe weather. Here he directed them to spread their blankets, and liedown with the locks of their muskets between their knees, and the muzzleprotected by a wooden stopper kept for the purpose. Nick enforced thiscommand with an explanation of its advantages: the snow being dry, andnot subject to drift, would soon cover them, keeping them quite warm, and would also conceal them at their ease. The porous quality of theground would enable them to distinguish the distant approach of theenemy, and therefore they could snatch a few moments sleep in the snow. To prevent its being fatal or injurious, he made each man, previous tolying down, drink freely of rye whiskey. Four long hours elapsed, bywhich time the hardy patriots were completely under the snow, beingcovered with nearly eight inches of it. 

"The keenest eye, or acutest cunning, could not have detected in thoseundulating hillocks aught but the natural irregularities of swampyground. 

"At length, about two o'clock in the morning, John arrived with his_devoted_ followers. They were right thankful for the shelter of theshanty, and McPherson swore he would report John's generous conduct athead-quarters, and procure him a deserved reward. 

"'Wait, ' said John; '_I have not done the half that I intend to do foryou_. '

"Nick, whose _bed_ was nearest the hovel, now arose, and placed himselfagainst it, that he might be ready to act when John's signal was given. He first, however, awoke his men, without permitting them to rise, bythe summary process of slightly pricking each one with the sharp pointof a bayonet. 

"The tories, stowed like sheep in the little hut, soon began to drink, and, as they did so, became very valorous and boastful. McPherson, singularly communicative to John, detailed his atrocities on the routewith savage exultation. He feared no assault--not he! He was strongenough to repel any handful of half-starved, skulking outlaws. If hecaught any of the Cow-boys he would hang them to their own trees, andmanure the soil with the blood of their women. 

"John had crept to the door by degrees, and now stood with his hand uponthe raised latchet. He applauded the officer's remarks, and was willing, he said, to aid him in the deed he contemplated. He then proposeda toast, and, filling a tin-cup with liquor, said in a loud voice, '_Hurrah for Ginral Washington, and down with the red-coats_!' Theliquor was dashed in McPherson's face, and John vanished from the hut. Nick immediately summoned his men by a repetition of the toast, and thefifty hillocks of snow were suddenly changed, as if by magic, into asmany armed and furious 'rebels. ' Before the Skinners could recover fromthe momentary surprise into which this curious incident had thrown them, a volley of powder and shot had been fired into their midst. Dashinglike a frightened hare through the open door, McPherson beheld hisassailants. His fears magnified their numbers, and, conceiving there wasno hope in _fight_, he summoned his men to follow him in _flight_. 

"They madly rushed after him, and forcing their way through the drylimbs of brush that stuck up on the banks of the lake, gained the frozensurface. More than one half their number had taken this course, whilethe rest had either fallen victims to the first fire, or taken to theirheels towards the main road. Suddenly a terrible crash was heard, accompanied by a splash, and a hubbub of unearthly screams. The icehad broken, and 'Dead Man's Lake' was accomplishing a victory for thehandful of American patriots who stood upon its banks. 

"The result was, that over twenty of the Skinners were taken prisoners. Only half-a-dozen were killed by fire-arms. The lake was examined atsunrise, and fifteen bodies were drawn from its remorseless bosom. Theremainder, McPherson among them, escaped. "

"That Nick Odell was nearly equal to old Nick himself in stratagems, "said Wilson, when Smith had concluded. 

"It's a wonder the men didn't freeze to death under the snow, " saidMorton. "I think I should have been opposed to trying such a way ofdisposing of myself. "

"Oh! there 's no doubt about its keeping you warm, " said old Harmar. 

"How can cold snow keep men warm?" enquired Thomas Jefferson Harmar. 

"I suppose, " answered Higgins, "that it's much like blowing your warmbreath on anything hot to cool it. "

As nobody seemed disposed to contradict this explanation, old Higginstook it for granted that he was correct; and Thomas Jefferson wassatisfied. 

[Illustration: DEFEAT OF THE SKINNERS AT DEADMAN'S LAKE. ]

[Illustration: THE STORY OF THE HALF-BREED. ]

STORY OF THE HALF-BREED. 

"Now, " said young Harmar, who, as a literary gentleman, was anxious tocollect as many incidents of the Revolution as he could from these oldmen; "now, Mr. Higgins, you must oblige us by recalling something ofyour experience. "

"Ah!" replied Higgins, "if I could tell in words a small part of what Iknow of the war, I'm sure I could interest you. "

"We are not critical, " said old Harmar. "Jackson may think of hisbookish notions sometimes; but he knows what kind of old men we are. Narrate anything that comes uppermost. "

"Well, " commenced Higgins, "I'll tell you about an adventure of afriend of mine, named Humphries, with a half-breed--that's horriblyinteresting--if I can only recollect it. " And, after a short pause, tolet his old memory bring up the incidents from the far past, Higginstold the following story of revenge. 

"In the country around Saratoga, when General Gates lay encamped there, lived a half-breed Indian, called Blonay. He was well known in theneighborhood as a fierce and outlawed character, who wandered andskulked from place to place, sometimes pretending to be for theAmericans, and, at others, for the tories. He went anywhere, and dideverything to serve his own ends; but his whole life, and all hisactions, seemed centred in one darling object, and that was revenge. He had deeply and fearfully sworn never to rest until he had drawn theheart's blood of Humphries, a member of Morgan's corps, and his greatestenemy. They had been mortal foes from boyhood, and a blow Humphries hadgiven Blonay had fixed their hatred for life. He had pursued him fromplace to place with untiring vigilance, and had watched, day after day, and month after month, for an opportunity to glut his revenge, but noneoffered. 

"One morning, Humphries and a comrade named Davis, with a negro servantbelonging to Marion's band, were standing on a small hill near theencampment, when a strange dog suddenly appeared through the bushes, atthe sight of which Humphries seized his rifle, and raised it to his eye, as if about to fire. The black was about to express his surprise at thissudden ferocity of manner, when, noticing that the dog was quiet, helowered the weapon, and, pointing to the animal, asked Davis if he knewit. 'I do; but can't say where I've seen him, ' replied the other. 'Andwhat do you say, Tom?' he asked of the black, in tones that startledhim. 'Don't _you_ know that dog?' 'He face berry familiar, massa, but Iloss to recollect. ' 'That's the cur of Blonay, and the bear-eyed rascalmust be in the neighborhood. ' 'Do you think so?' inquired Davis. 'Thinkso! I know so; and why should he be here if his master was not?' 'Tom, 'he continued, 'hit the critter a smart blow with your stick--hard enoughto scare him off, but not to hurt him; and do you move to the edge ofthe creek, Davis, as soon as the dog runs off, for his master must be inthat direction, and I want to see him. '

"Thus ordering, he called two of the riflemen that were near, and sentthem on the path directly opposite to that taken by Davis. He himselfprepared to strike the creek at a point between these two. He then madea signal, and Tom gave the dog a heavy blow, which sent him howling intothe swamp, taking, as they had expected, the very path he came. Blonay, however, was not to be caught napping. He left the point from whichhe was watching the camp, and running in a line for some fifty yards, turned suddenly about for the point at which he had entered the swamp. But he could not but have some doubts as to the adequacy of hisconcealment. He cursed the keen scent of the dog, which he feared wouldtoo quickly discover him to his pursuers. He hurried on, therefore, taking the water at every chance, to leave as small a trail as possible;but, from place to place, the cur kept after him, giving forth anoccasional yelp. 'Aroint the pup! there's no losin' him. If I had myhand on him, I should knife him as my best caution, ' exclaimed thehalf-breed, as the bark of the dog, in making a new trail, showed thesuccess with which he pursued him. Exasperated, he rose upon a stump, and saw the head of Humphries, who was still pressing on, led by thecries of the dog. 

"'I can hit him now, ' muttered Blonay. 'It's not two hundred yards, andI've hit a smaller mark than that at a greater distance, before now. '

"He raised the rifle and brought the sight to his eye, and would havefired, but the next minute Humphries was covered by a tree. The dog cameon, and Blonay heard the voices of his pursuers behind; and just thenthe dog reached him. 

"The faithful animal, little knowing the danger into which he hadbrought his master, leaped fondly upon him, testifying his joy byyelping with his greatest vocal powers. 

"With a hearty curse, Blonay grasped the dog by the back of the neck, and, drawing the skin tightly across the throat, quickly passed the keenedge of his knife but once over it, and then thrust the body from him. Sheathing the knife and seizing his rifle, he again set forward, and didnot stop till he gained a small but thick under-brush. His pursuersnow came up to the dead body of the dog; seeing which, they consideredfurther pursuit hopeless. 

"At this moment, sounds of a trumpet came from the camp, as the signalto return. Humphries told the others to obey its summons, but avowed hisdetermination of pursuing Blonay until he or the other had fallen. Afterthey had left him, he again set forward, and walked very fast in thedirection he supposed his enemy had taken, and had not proceeded far erehe saw his track in the mud, which he followed until it was lost amongthe leaves. Darkness coming on, he gave up the chase until the nextmorning. That night both slept in the swamp, not more than two hundredyards apart, but unconscious of each other's locality. In the morning, Humphries was the first to awake. Descending from the tree where he hadslept, he carefully looked around, thinking what he should do next. While he thus stood, a slight noise reached his ears, sounding likethe friction of bark; a repetition of it showed where it came from. Heglanced at an old cypress which stood in the water near him, and sawthat its trunk was hollow, but did not look as if it would hold a man. On a sudden, something prompted him to look upward, and, in the quickglance he gave, the glare of a wild and well-known eye, peeping out uponhim from its woody retreat, met his gaze. With a howl of delight, heraised his rifle, and the drop of the deadly instrument fell upon theaperture; but before he could draw the trigger the object was gone. Itwas Blonay, who, the moment he perceived the aim of Humphries' piece, sank into the body of the tree. 

"'Come out and meet your enemy like a man!' exclaimed Humphries, 'anddon't crawl, like a snake, into a hollow tree, and wait for his heel. Come out, you skunk! You shall have fair fight, and your own distance. It shall be the quickest fire that shall make the difference of chancesbetween us. Come out, if you're a man!' Thus he raved at him; but afiendish laugh was the only answer he got. He next tried to cut his legswith his knife, by piercing the bark; but a bend of the tree, on whichBlonay rested, prevented him. He then selected from some fallen limbsone of the largest, which he carried to the tree and thrust into thehollow, trying to wedge it between the inner knobs on which the feet ofthe half-breed evidently were placed. But Blonay soon became aware ofhis design, and opposed it with a desperate effort. Baffled for a longtime by his enemy, Humphries became enraged, and, seizing upon a jaggedknot of light wood, he thrust it against one of the legs of Blonay. Using another heavy knot as a mallet, he drove the wedge forward againstthe yielding flesh, which became awfully torn and lacerated by the sharpedges of the wood. Under the severe pain, the feet were drawn up, andHumphries was suffered to proceed with his original design. The poorwretch, thus doomed to be buried alive, was now willing to come to anyterms, and agreed to accept the offer to fight; but Humphries refusedhim, exclaiming, 'No, you don't, you cowardly skunk! you shall die inyour hole, like a varmint as you are; and the tree which has been yourhouse shall be your coffin. There you shall stay, if hard chunks andsolid wood can keep you, until your yellow flesh rots away from yourbones. You shall stay there until the lightning rips open your coffin, or the autumn winds tumble you into the swamp. ' So saying, he left him, and went back to the camp--left him to die in the old woods, whereno help could ever come; and in this wild and awful manner--buriedalive--perished the savage half-breed. "

"That was an awful death, indeed, " exclaimed Mrs. Harmar. "ThatHumphries must have been a very disagreeable fellow. "

"And why so?" enquired Higgins. "The men in those parts of the countrywere forced to be as fierce as their foes. Humphries was one of thecleverest fellows I ever knew. "

"A man after your own heart, " remarked Smith. "A warm friend and a warmfoe. I know you, Higgins. "

"You should know me, Smith, or no man should, " replied Higgins, evidently profoundly satisfied with himself. 

"Many a time have we messed together, " added Smith; "ay, and many a timehave we hunted in company for the food we made a mess of. "

"Those times are gone, " said old Harmar mournfully. "Those times aregone. "

"I wonder where?" put in Mrs. Harmar's youngest, looking up in her facefor an answer. She smoothed his hair, and shook her head. 

STORY OF THE DEATH OF COLONEL LOVELACE. 

"Speaking of awful deaths, " said Morton, "reminds me of a scene Iwitnessed at Saratoga, which I may as well tell you about, as youngMr. Harmar seems anxious to hear anything relating to the war ofindependence. You know there was an unconscionable number of tories upthere in New York State about the time of Burgoyne's invasion. Some ofthem were honest, good sort of men, who didn't happen to think just aswe did: they kept at home, and did not lift their arms against us duringthe war, though some of them were pretty hardly used by their whigneighbors. Another set of the tories, however, acted upon the maxim that'might makes right. ' They were whigs when the royal power was weak, andtories when they found it strong. Though raised in the same neighborhoodwith the staunch whigs, these men turned robbers and murderers, and lostall virtuous and manly feelings. Colonel Tom Lovelace was one of thisclass: He was born and raised in the Saratoga district, and yet his oldneighbors dreaded him almost as much as if he had been one of the fierceSenecas. When the war commenced, Lovelace went to Canada, and thereconfederated with five men from his own district, to come down toSaratoga, and kill, rob, or betray his old neighbors and friends. There's no denying Lovelace was a bold, wary, and cunning fellow, andhe made the worst use of his qualities. He fixed his quarters in alarge swamp, about five miles from the residence of Colonel Van Vechten, at Dovegat, and very cunningly concealed them. 

"Soon after, the robberies and captures around that neighborhood becamefrequent. General Schuyler's house was robbed, and an attempt was made, by Lovelace and his companions, to carry off Colonel Van Vechten. ButGeneral Stark, who was in command of the barracks north of Fish Creek, was too wide awake for him. He got wind of the scheme, and gave theColonel a strong guard, and so Lovelace was balked, and compelled togive up his design. Captain Dunham, who commanded a company of militiain the neighborhood, found out the tory colonel's place of concealment, and he determined to attempt his capture. Accordingly, he summoned hislieutenant, ensign, orderly, and one private, to his house; and, aboutdusk, they started for the swamp, which was two miles distant. Havingseparated to reconnoitre, two of them, named Green and Guiles, got lost;but the other three kept together, and, about dawn, discovered Lovelaceand his party, in a hut covered over with boughs, just drawing on theirstockings. The three men crawled cautiously forward till near the hut, when they sprang up with a shout, levelled their muskets, and CaptainDunham sang out, 'Surrender, or you are all dead men!' There was no timefor parley; and the tory rascals, believing that our men were down onthem in force, came out one by one, without arms, and Dunham and his menmarched them off to General Stark's quarters. The rascals were all triedby court-martial, as spies, traitors, and robbers; and Lovelace wassentenced to be hung, as he was considered too dangerous to be allowedto get loose again. He made complaint of injustice, and said he ought tobe treated as a prisoner of war; but our general could not consent tolook upon such a villain as an honorable soldier, and his sentence wasordered to be carried into effect three days afterwards. I was then witha company of New York volunteers, sent to reinforce General Stark, andI was enabled to gratify my desire to witness the execution of a man Idetested. The gallows was put up on the high bluff a few miles south ofFish Creek, near our barracks. When the day arrived, I found that ourcompany was on the guard to be posted near the gallows. It was a gloomymorning, and about the time the tory colonel was marched out to thegallows, and we were placed in position at the foot of the bluff, atremendous storm of wind and rain came on. It was an awful scene. The sky seemed as black as midnight, except when the vivid sheets oflightning glared and shot across it; and the peals of thunder were loudand long. Lovelace knelt upon the scaffold, and the chaplain prayed withhim. I think if there was anything could change a man's heart, it musthave been the thought of dying at such a time, when God himself seemedwrathful at the deeds of men. 

"I expected to be delighted with seeing such a man hung; but I tell you, my friends, I felt very differently when the time came, and I saw thecruel tory kneeling on the scaffold, while the lightning seemed to bequivering over the gallows. I turned away my head a moment, and when Ilooked again, the body of Lovelace was suspended in the air, and hisspirit had gone to give its account to its God. "

The account of this terrible scene had deeply interested the company;and the animated manner of Morton impressed even the children with afeeling of awe. 

"Why didn't they postpone the hanging of the man until there was a clearday?" enquired Mrs. Harmar. 

"Executions are never postponed on account of the weather, my dear, "replied her husband. "It would be rather cruel than otherwise thus todelay them. "

"I've heard of that Lovelace before, " remarked old Harmar. "I judgedthat he was a bold villain from some of his outrages, and I think hedeserved his death. "

"For my part, " said Higgins, "I hated the very name of a tory so much, during the war, that I believe I could have killed any man who dared tospeak in their defence. All that I knew or heard of were blood-thirstyscoundrels. "

STORY OF THE MURDER OF MISS M'CREA. 

"If you were at Saratoga, Mr. Morton, perhaps you know something aboutthe murder of Miss M'Crea, " said Mrs. Harmar. 

"Oh, yes! I know the real facts of the case, " replied Morton. "I gotthem from one who was acquainted with her family. The real story isquite different from the one we find in the histories of the war, andwhich General Gates received as true. "

"Then set us right upon the matter, " remarked young Harmar. 

"Do, " added Wilson. "I've heard the story through two or threetwistings, and I'm only satisfied that the lady was killed. "

"Well, " commenced Morton, "what I now tell you may depend on as thetruest account you can receive. No one but Heaven and the Indiansthemselves witnessed the death of the young girl; and our only evidenceof a positive nature is the declaration of those who were supposed to beher murderers. But to the story. 

"Jane M'Crea, or Jenny M'Crea, as she is more generally known, was thedaughter of a Scotch clergyman, who resided in Jersey City, oppositeNew York. While living with her father, an intimacy grew up between thedaughter of a Mrs. M'Niel and Jenny. Mrs. M'Niel's husband dying, shewent to live on an estate near Fort Edward. Soon after, Mr. M'Crea died, and Jenny went to live with her brother near the same place. There theintimacy of former years was renewed, and Jenny spent much of her timeat the house of Mrs. M'Niel and her daughter. Near the M'Niel's lived afamily named Jones, consisting of a widow and six sons. David Jones, oneof the sons, became acquainted with Jenny, and at length this friendshipdeepened into love. When the war broke out, the Jones's took the royalside of the question; and, in the fall of 1776, David and Jonathan Joneswent to Canada, raised a company, and joined the British garrison atCrown Point. They both afterwards attached themselves to Burgoyne'sarmy; David being made a lieutenant in Frazer's division. The brotherof Jenny M'Crea was a whig, and, as the British army advanced, theyprepared to set out for Albany. Mrs. M'Niel was a loyalist, and, as sheremained, Jenny remained with her, perhaps with the hope of seeing DavidJones. 

"At length Jenny's brother sent her a peremptory order to join him, andshe promised to comply the next day after receiving it. On the morningof that day, (I believe it was the 27th of July, ) a black servant boybelonging to Mrs. M'Niel discovered some Indians approaching the house, and, giving the alarm, he ran to the fort, which was but a shortdistance off. Mrs. M'Niel, Jenny, a black woman, and two children, werein the house when the alarm was given. Mrs. M'Niel's eldest daughter wasat Argyle. The black woman seized the two children, fled through theback door into the kitchen, and down into the cellar. Jenny and Mrs. M'Niel followed; but the old woman was corpulent, and before they coulddescend, a powerful Indian seized Mrs. M'Niel by the hair and draggedher up. Another brought Jenny out of the cellar. But the black woman andthe children remained undiscovered. The Indians started off with the twowomen on the road towards Burgoyne's camp. Having caught two horses thatwere grazing, they attempted to place their prisoners upon them. Mrs. M'Niel being too heavy to ride, two stout Indians took her by the arms, and hurried her along, while the others, with Jenny on horseback, proceeded by another path through the woods. The negro boy havingalarmed the garrison at the fort, a detachment was sent out to effecta rescue. They fired several volleys at the party of Indians; and theIndians said that a bullet intended for them mortally wounded Jenny, andshe fell from her horse; and that they then stripped her of her clothingand scalped her, that they might obtain the reward offered for thosethings by Burgoyne. 

"Mrs. M'Niel said that the Indians who were hurrying her along seemed towatch the flash of the guns, and fell down upon their faces, draggingher down with them. When they got beyond the reach of the firing, theIndians stript the old lady of everything except her chemise, andin that plight carried her into the British camp. There she met herkinsman, General Frazer, who endeavored to make her due reparationfor what she had endured. Soon after, the Indians who had been leftto bring Jenny arrived with some scalps, and Mrs. M'Niel immediatelyrecognised the long bright hair of the poor girl who had been murdered. She charged the savages with the crime, but they denied it, andexplained the manner of her death. Mrs. M'Niel was compelled to believetheir story, as she knew it was more to the interest of the Indians tobring in a prisoner than a scalp. 

"It being known in camp that Lieutenant Jones was betrothed to Jenny, some lively imagination invented the story that he had sent the Indiansto bring her to camp, and that they quarrelled, and one of them scalpedher. This story seemed to be confirmed by General Gates' letter toBurgoyne, and soon spread all over the country, making the peoplemore exasperated against the British than ever. Young Jones washorror-stricken by the death of his betrothed, and immediately offeredto resign his commission, but they would not allow him. He boughtJenny's scalp, and then, with his brother, deserted, and fled toCanada. "

"Did you ever hear what became of him?" enquired Mrs. Harmar. 

"Yes; he was living in Canada the last time I heard of him, " repliedMorton. "He never married; and, from being a lively, talkative fellow, he became silent and melancholy. "

"Poor fellow! It was enough to make a man silent and melancholy, "remarked young Harmar. "I can imagine how I would have felt if deprivedof her I loved, in as tragical a manner. " "Don't--don't mention it, mydear!" exclaimed his wife, sensibly affected at the thought of her beingscalped. 

"It was a horrible transaction, " remarked Wilson; "and it had a stirringeffect upon our people. I can recollect when I first heard the storywith all its embellishments; I felt as if I could have eaten up all thered varmints I should chance to meet. "

"General Gates's version of the affair answered a good purpose, " saidHiggins. "It roused our people to great exertions to defeat the designsof a government which employed those savages. "

"King George's government thought it had a right to make use of everybody--rascals and honest men--to effect its design of enslaving us; butwe taught 'em a thing or two, " added Morton, with a gratified smile. 

STORY OF THE DEFENCE OF SHELL'S BLOCK-HOUSE. 

"I suppose, " said young Harmar, "that, while you were up in New York, you heard of many bloody affairs with the Indians and tories. "

"Many a one, " replied Morton. "Many a one, sir. I could interest you fordays in recounting all I saw and heard. The poor whigs suffered a greatdeal from the rascals--they did. Those in Tryon county, especially, werealways exposed to the attacks of the savages. I recollect an affair thatoccurred at a settlement called Shell's Bush, about five miles fromHerkimer village. 

"A wealthy German, named John Shell, had built a block-house of hisown. It was two stories high, and built so as to let those inside firestraight down on the assailants. One afternoon in August, while thepeople of the settlement were generally in the fields at work, aScotchman named M'Donald, with about sixty Indians and tories, made anattack on Shell's Bush. Most of the people fled to Fort Dayton, butShell and his family took refuge in the block-house. The father and twosons were at work in the field when the alarm was given. The sons werecaptured, but the father succeeded in reaching the block-house, whichwas then besieged. Old Shell had six sons with him, and his wife loadedthe muskets, which were discharged with sure aim. This little garrisonkept their foes at a distance. M'Donald tried to burn the block-house, but did not succeed. Furious at the prospect of being disappointedof his expected prey, he seized a crowbar, ran up to the door, andattempted to force it; but old Shell fired and shot him in the leg, andthen instantly opened the door and made him a prisoner. M'Donald waswell supplied with cartridges, and these he was compelled to surrenderto the garrison. The battle was now hushed for a time; and Shell, knowing that the enemy would not attempt to burn the house while theircaptain was in it, went into the second story, and began to sing thefavorite hymn of Martin Luther, when surrounded with the perils heencountered in his controversy with the Pope. "

"That was cool, " remarked Higgins. 

"Bravely cool, " added old Harmar. 

"Oh, it was necessary to be cool and brave in those times, " said Morton. "But to go on with my story; the respite was very short. The tories andIndians were exasperated at the successful resistance of the garrison, and rushed up to the block-house. Five of them thrust the muzzles oftheir pieces through the loop-holes; but Mrs. Shell seized an axe, and, with well-directed blows, ruined every musket by bending the barrels. Atthe same time, Shell and his sons kept up a brisk fire, and drove theenemy off. About twilight, the old man went up stairs, and called out ina loud voice to his wife, that Captain Small was approaching from FortDayton, with succor. In a few minutes, he exclaimed, 'Captain Small, march your company round on this side of the house. Captain Getman, youhad better wheel your men off to the left, and come up on that side. 'This, you see, was a stratagem. The enemy were deceived, took to theirheels, and fled through the woods, leaving eleven men killed and sixwounded. M'Donald was taken to Fort Dayton the next day, where his legwas amputated; but the blood flowed so freely that he died in a fewhours. On his person was found a silver-mounted tomahawk, which hadthirty-two scalp notches on the handle, to show how he had imitated thesavages. "

"But what became of the two sons who were captured by the tories andIndians?" inquired young Harmar. 

"They were carried to Canada, " replied Morton. "They afterwards assertedthat nine of the wounded tories died on the way. But some of the Indianswere resolved to have revenge for their defeat, and they lurked in thewoods near Shell's house. One day they found the wished-for opportunity, and fired upon Shell and his boys while they were at work in the field. One of the boys was killed, and Shell so badly wounded that he died soonafter, at Fort Dayton. "

"Revenge seems a part of an Indian's nature, " remarked young Harmar. 

"Yes, " said Higgins, "they will pursue one who has injured them in anyway until he has paid for it. "

"Our people suffered much from them during the Revolution, " addedHiggins, "and they want no instruction in regard to their character. "

STORY OF BATE'S BEVENGE. 

"I recollect, " said old Harmar, "after our line went south, underGeneral Wayne, just after the surrender of Cornwallis, I met some of themen who had passed through Green's campaign. They were the bitterestkind of whigs--men who had seen their houses burnt over their heads, andwho could have killed and eaten all the tories they should meet. Theytold me many wild stories of the black doings of those traitorousrascals. "

"Tell us one of them, won't you?" entreated Mrs. Harmar. 

"Come, father, spin us one of those yarns, as the sailors say, " addedher husband. The children also became clamorous for 'a story, ' and theold veteran was compelled to comply. 

"Well, you shall hear. A man named Joe Bates told me how he had beenused by the enemy, and how he had been revenged. He joined the southernarmy when Greene first took command of it, leaving his wife and twochildren at his farm on the banks of the Santee River. His brother, JohnBates, promised to take care of the family and the farm. You see, Johnused to help Marion's band whenever he could spare the time--he was soanxious to do something for the good of his country, and he didn't knowhow else he could do it than by going off on an occasional expeditionwith Marion. Well, some how or other, Major Wernyss, the commander ofthe royalists in the neighborhood, got wind of John's freaks, and alsoof those of some other whig farmers, and he said he would put a stopto them. So he sent a detachment of about twenty-five men to burn thehouses of the people who were suspected of being the friends of Marion. John Bates heard of their coming, and collected about ten or a dozenwhigs to defend his house. He hadn't time to send the wife of Joe andhis children away to a safer place, or else he thought there was nobetter place. However it was, they remained there. The house was barredup, and everything fixed to give the red-coats a warm reception, shouldthey attempt to carry out their intention. The time they chose for itwas a moonlight night. The neighbors could see their houses burningfrom the upper windows of the one where they were posted, and they keptmuttering curses and threats of vengeance all the time. "

"Why didn't each man stay at home, and take care of his own house?"enquired Mrs. Harmar. 

"Of what use would that have been?" returned old Harmar. "By so doing, they could not have saved any house, and would have lost the chanceof punishing the red-coats for their outrages. I forgot to tell you, though, that some of the farmers had brought their wives and childrento Bates', and these were all put up-stairs out of the way. The littlegarrison had made loop-holes on all sides of the house, and each man hadhis rifle and knife ready to guard the post at which he was stationed. John Bates was the captain, because he knew most about such fightin'matters; he learned it of Marion. Well, at last the garrison caughtsight of the Britishers coming up steadily, the leader a little inadvance. They didn't seem to suspect that any body was in the house, forthey had found all the rest deserted. Still they thought it wise to becareful. They surrounded the house at their leader's command, and weregetting their things ready to set fire to it, when the garrison, who hadkept still as death all the time, blazed away at them from all sides. This staggered the whole party; four or five of their number were shotdead, and as many more wounded. They rallied, however, and poured avolley into the house. The garrison, under John's command, returned thefire, and seemed to have decidedly the best of the matter. Joe's wifecouldn't content herself up-stairs with the women and children. Shewanted to be of some use in defending her own house. She would come downand load the guns for John, while he kept a look-out on the movements ofthe British party. Well, she had just loaded the gun, and was handing itto John, when a bullet whizzed past him, struck her in the breast, andshe fell dead. John Bates looked through the loop-hole, and caught sightof one of the red-coats running back from the house, and fired at himbut missed. He saw the man's face, though, and remembered it. John thenbore the corpse up-stairs. The women and children shrieked at the sight, and thus discovered to the cowardly foe where they were placed. A volleywas sent through the upper part of the house, which killed one of Joe'schildren and wounded the wife of a neighbor. But the enemy were losingmen too fast to continue the attack. I think Joe said they had lost halftheir party in killed and wounded, while in the house only one man waswounded. The red-coats that were left began to move off, dragging someof their wounded with them. Then the farmers threw open the doors andwindows, and, giving a shout of triumph, sent a volley after them thatmust have done some damage. "

"Didn't they start a pursuit?" inquired Higgins. 

"No: John thought his party was not strong enough, and that the glory ofdefeating such a party of regulars was enough for once. But several ofthe wounded red-coats were taken. Some of the farmers wanted to killthem right off, but John wouldn't let them. He said there had been bloodenough shed already, and set them at work to bury the dead. Soon after, John went to the army, and told Joe of the attack, and of the deathof his wife and child. Joe swore, by the most sacred oaths, to haverevenge; and made John describe the appearance of the man whom he hadseen running away from the house after firing the shot that had killedMrs. Bates. The man had peculiar features, and could not be mistaken. 

"At the great Battle of Eutaw Springs, Joe was among the troopswho charged with trailed arms. He came upon a man who answered thedescription given by John, and rushed upon him with such force that hepinned him to the ground with his bayonet, and he then drew a knifeacross his throat to make sure work of it. He told me that he stopped, amid a tremendous storm of grape and musketry, to take a look at theBritisher, and to be sure that he had no life in him. "

"What bloody creatures war can make men, " remarked young Harmar. "Thatman was not sure he had killed the murderer of his wife. "

"It made no difference to him, " replied old Harmar. "He hated thewhole set, and he had no mercy on any of them. Joe Bates was a cleverfellow--as warm a friend and as quiet a companion as you would wish tomeet in time of peace; but he hated like he loved--with all his heart, and would go through fire and death to get at a foe. "

"I believe Joe Bates' conduct was a fair specimen of that of the wholepeople of those parts, at that time, " said Wilson. "I've been told thatthe whigs and tories had no mercy on each other. "

"Not a bit, " added old Harmar. "It seems to me that the fighting up herein the North was child's play in comparison with that in the South. Every man on the American side that went into the battle of EutawSprings, was so full of courage and the desire of revenge that he wasequal to two common men. Greene had difficulty in restraining theirardor within the limits of prudence. I heard of Colonel Henry Lee andhis legion coming up with a body of tories who were assembled tomarch to the British camp, and his men would slaughter them withoutmercy, in spite of his efforts to restrain them. "

"It was a bloody time, " remarked Smith. 

"God grant that we may never see its like again, " added Morton. 

"Up this way, " said Wilson, "the tories were quite peaceable andrespectable; and some of them were badly treated without any reason forit. They were honest men, and differed in opinion with those who judgedthe Declaration of Independence and the assumption of arms, necessarymeasures. "

"Yes, " replied Higgins; "its all very well for men to differ inopinion--nobody finds fault with that; its taking up arms against theirown countrymen, and opposing their country's cause, that we grumble at. We should all adopt Commodore Decatur's motto; 'Our country--right orwrong. ' If she be right, our support cannot be refused; if wrong, weshould endeavor to set her right, and not, by refusing our support, orby taking up arms against her, see her fall. "

"Bravo!" cried Mr. Jackson Harmar. "There's the true patriotic sentimentfor you. Allow me, Mr. Higgins, to shake hands with you over thatsentiment. "

The veteran patriot extended his hand, and received the hearty shake ofthe patriot of another generation. 

STORY OF GENERAL WAYNE

"Grandfather, " said Thomas Jefferson Harmar, "wont you tell us somethingabout Mad Anthony Wayne?"

"Who learnt you to call him Mad Anthony Wayne?" inquired Higgins. 

"That's what grandfather calls him, " replied the boy. 

"Yes, " said old Harmar; "we always called him Mad Anthony--he was sucha dare-devil. I don't believe, if that man, when alone, had beensurrounded by foes, they could really have made him afraid. "

"He was a bold and skilful general, " remarked Morton. "He was equal toArnold in those qualities, and superior to him in all others. "

"I think I can see him now, at Morristown, in the midst of themutineers, with his cocked pistol in his hand, attempting to enforceorders--an action that no other man would have thought of doing undersuch circumstances. " "He did his duty, " said Wilson; "but the men cannotbe censured for their conduct. They had received no pay for many months, were without sufficient clothing to protect them from the weather, andsometimes without food. If they had not been fighting for freedom andtheir country's rights, they never could have stood it out. "

"One of the best things Wayne ever did, " said Smith, "was that manoeuvreof his in Virginia, where the British thought they had him surely in anet. "

"What manoeuvre was that?" inquired Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"Why, you see, General Lafayette was endeavoring to avoid a generalaction with Cornwallis, and yet to harass him. Early in July, 1781, theBritish army marched from Williamsburg, and encamped on the banks of theJames River, so as to cover a ford leading to the island of Jamestown. Soon after, the baggage and some of the troops passed the ford, but themain army kept its ground. Lafayette then moved from his encampment, crossed the Chichahominy, pushed his light troops near the Britishposition, and advanced with the continentals to make an attempt on theBritish rear, after the main body had passed the river. The next day, the Marquis was told that the main body of the British had crossed theford, and that a rear-guard only remained behind. This was what theBritish general wanted him to believe, and he posted his troops ready toreceive our men. Well, General Wayne, with eight hundred men, chiefly ofthe Pennsylvania line, (including Mr. Harmar, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Wilson, and myself, ) was ordered to advance against the enemy. Now, Waynethought he had to fight a rear-guard only, and so he moved forwardboldly and rapidly; but, in a short time, he found himself directly infront of the whole British army, drawn up to receive him. Retreat wasimpracticable, as the enemy then might have had a fair chance to kill orcapture the whole detachment. Wayne thought that the best plan was toput on a bold face, and so he commenced the attack at once. A fierceand bloody struggle followed, and I'm not sure but we were gaining theadvantage, when General Lafayette discovered the mistake and ordered aretreat, and we were compelled to fall back, leaving two cannon in thehands of the enemy. By General Wayne's presence of mind and courage, yousee, we got off with but the loss of one hundred men. The British lostthe same number. "

"The Marquis was, of course, right in ordering a retreat, " remarkedyoung Harmar. 

"I suppose so, " replied Smith. "Our detachment might have madeconsiderable havoc among the British, and, perhaps, if promptlysupported, have maintained a long and doubtful battle. But GeneralLafayette wanted to save his men until a more certain contest could bebrought about. He was a very young general--younger than Napoleon whenhe took command of the army of Italy; but all his movements about thattime indicated that he was as skilful and vigilant as he was brave. "

"Americans should ever be grateful to the memory of such a man asLafayette, " said old Harmar. "He was a true lover of liberty, and astaunch friend to this land when it most needed friends. "

"And that reminds me, " added young Harmar, "that I've a song here, whichI wrote for one of the papers, in relation to Lafayette. It is arrangedin the measure of the feeling melody of 'Auld Lang Syne. '"

"Sing it, " said Mr. Smith; and the request was echoed by the rest. Mr. Jackson Harmar, therefore, after sundry excuses in the usualroutine--that he had a cold, &c. --sang the following words in a veryemphatic manner, with an occasional break in the high notes, andhuskiness in the low ones. 

 Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind? The friend that's true, remember'd not, And days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, We never can forget; When dangers press'd, and foes drew near, Our friend was Lafayette. 

 When first our fathers bravely drew 'Gainst tyrants and their laws, On wings of generous zeal he flew To aid the holy cause. For auld lang syne, my dear, &c. 

 He stemm'd the broad Atlantic wave; He vow'd they should be free; He led the bravest of the brave To death or victory. For auld lang syne, my dear, &c. Let Brandywine his glory tell, And Monmouth loud proclaim; Let York in triumph proudly swell The measure of his fame. For auld lang syne, my dear, &c. 

 Shall sons of freedom e'er forget, Till time shall cease to move, The debt they owe to Lafayette Of gratitude and love? For auld lang syne, my dear, &c. 

The song was listened to with considerable pleasure by the company, andthere was an occasional attempt, on the part of the veterans, to join inthe chorus, which, however, ended in a slight cough and shaking of thehead, as if the attempt was hopeless. 

"There's good sentiment in that song, " remarked Smith. "It stirs theheart. "

"Mr. Harmar, did you say the piece was your own composition?" inquiredMorton. 

"It is one of my humble efforts, " modestly replied Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"I'm very glad there are some young men left who can write somethingelse besides the love trash that's so popular, " said Mr. Higgins. Oldmen generally have a strong aversion or lofty contempt for everythingrelating to the love matters of youth. 

"Everything has its time, " was the sage remark of Mr. Jackson Harmar;"or, in the more popular phrase of Mr. Shakespeare, 'Every dog will havehis day!'"

"I should like to see patriotic songs more popular, " remarked Morton;and it is highly probable the conversation would have continued onthis subject, but Mrs. Harmar and the children kept up a constant clamorfor more stories, and old Harmar consented to amuse them and the rest ofthe company with a story which, he said, he had seen in several papers, and told in several different ways, none of which were correct. The truecircumstances he would then relate in order that his son might make astory of it for his forthcoming work, --"Legends of the Times that triedMen's Souls. "

STORY OF THE OUTLAW OF THE PINES. 

"In the fall and winter of 1776, " began Mr. Harmar, "the people of NewJersey experienced their full share of the miseries of civil war. Duringno period of the Revolutionary contest did the enemy's troops act morecruelly or more unlike civilized men. As they marched through theJerseys, driving our poor 'rebel' army before them, they committed allkinds of outrages on helpless women and old men; but this conduct wasdestined to recoil upon the heads of the foe. The people were rousedto resist the invaders, and the militia was organised throughout theState--silently but surely. Our victories at Trenton and Princeton werereceived as the signals for action. As the enemy retired on Brunswick, they were followed by the exasperated farmers, and harassed terribly. But, at the time when my story commences, the red-coats were inquiet possession of New Jersey, from Burlington to New York. GeneralWashington had come over on this side of the Delaware. 

"It was late in December. The weather was bitter cold, and the enemyseldom stirred from their quarters to visit the interior of the State. This respite would have been refreshing to the harassed farmer, if thewithdrawal of the regular troops had not left free play for the moredesperate servants of King George, or others who pretended to be such. One of these pretenders was named Fagan. He was the leader of abouttwenty ruffians as free from any particle of human feeling as himself. There was no romance about the black character of Fagan; he was aperfect wretch; he robbed for gain, and murdered to conceal the robbery. The hiding-place of the band was in the pine barrens of New Jersey, andthey thence received the name of 'the pine robbers' from the people ofthe country. Their violence and cruelty towards women and even childrenhad made them the terror of all classes. The whigs charged their doingson the tories and refugees; but the robbers were against both parties. They plundered a tory in the name of the continentals, and were true tothe Crown when a whig chanced to be in their power. 

"Well, I'm going to tell you about one of their exploits. Not many milesfrom Trenton, on the road to Bordentown, was the farm-house of NathanielCollins, a Quaker, but who was not strict enough for his sect. He wasdisowned by them on account of encouraging his two sons to join thecontinental army, and for showing a disposition to do the same himself. He was about sixty years old at the time of which I speak, but stilla large, powerful man, with the glow of health on his cheek andintelligence in his eye. Though disowned by the Quaker sect, NathanielCollins retained their dress, manners, and habits, and always defendedthem from the attacks of their enemies. 

"One night, the old Quaker, his wife Hannah, cousin Rachel, and daughterAmy, were sitting up till a very late hour. They expected Nathan's sonshome from the Continental army. These sons had chosen the night to crossthe river, to avoid the notice of the Hessians at Trenton. Well, thefamily waited till the clock struck one, but the sons did not appear, and Nathan was getting impatient. At last footsteps were heard on theroad. 

"'There they are at last!' eagerly exclaimed Amy. 

"'Let me see, ' said Nathan, as, with the placid manner characteristicof a Friend, he moved to a window which commanded a view of the kitchendoor, at which a knocking had commenced. He could distinguish six men, armed and equipped like militia, and another, whose pinioned armsproclaimed him a prisoner. His sons were not of the party; and as thepersons of the strangers were unknown, and the guise of a militia-manwas often assumed by Fagan, our friend was not 'easy in his mind how toact. ' His first idea was to feign deafness; but a second knock, loudenough to wake all but the dead, changed his intention--he raised thewindow and hailed the men:

"'Friends, what's your will?'

'A little refreshment of fire and food, if you please; we have been faron duty, and are half frozen and quite starved. ' 'We don't entertainthem who go to war. '

'Yes; but you will not refuse a little refreshment to poor fellows likeus, this cold night; that would be as much against the principles ofyour society as war. '

'Thee's from Trenton?'

'No, I thank you; Nathaniel Collins is too well known as a friend to thecountry, and an honest man, to aid a refugee--we know that. '

'Soap the old fox well, ' whispered one of the band. 

'Come, friend, make haste and let us in, we are almost perished, andhave far to go before sunrise, or we may change places with our prisonerhere before sunset. '

'But what does the party here, this side of the river, right under theHessians' nose, if--'

'Oh, we are minute-men, sent from within by Captain Smallcross, to seizethis deserter--don't you mean to let us in?'

"Nathaniel closed the window and said, 'I don't know what to make ofthese men. Amy, call the boys; tell them to make haste and bring theirguns, but keep them out of sight, where they will be handy. '

"As the command was obeyed, and the three young men, laborers on thefarm, appeared and placed their guns behind the inner, their masterunbolted the outer door and admitted five of the armed men--the prisonerand one of his captors remaining without. Nathaniel thought thisunnecessary of so cold a night, and a little suspicious--'Will not thycompanions enter also?'

"'No, thank you; he guards the prisoner. '

'But why may not the prisoner, too?' 'Pshaw! he's nothing but adeserter. The cold will be good for _him_. '

"'I must say, ' quote Nathan, 'exercised, ' as he afterwards owned, pastendurance, 'thy conduct neither becomes thy nature as a man, or thycalling, which should teach thee more feeling--I'll take the poor fellowsomething to eat myself. '

"The old man had reached the door on his merciful errand, meaning it istrue, to satisfy his curiosity at the same time, when he who had actedas leader of the party sprang from his chair, and, placing his hand onhis host's breast, pushed him rudely back. 'Stand back--back, I say, andmind your own business, if you _are_ a Quaker. '

"There was a momentary struggle in Nathan's mind, whether to knockthe fellow down, as from appearances he easily might, or to yield, in obedience to his _principles. _ 'It was strongly on his mind, ' heconfessed, to pursue the former course, but prudence conquered, andhe quietly withdrew to the upper end of the apartment, where his menlounged on a bench, apparently half asleep, and indistinctly visiblein the light of the fire and one small candle, which burned near thestrangers. In the interim, the old cook had been summoned, and hadarranged some cold provisions on the table. 'Old Annie, ' the cook, wasthe child of Indian and mulatto parents, but possessed none of thefeatures of her darker relation, except a capacious mouth and lipsto match. She refused to associate with either negroes or Indians, considering herself as belonging to neither, and indulging asovereign contempt for both. Her favorite term of reproach was 'Injin'and 'nigger, ' and when they failed _separately_ to express her feelings, she put the two together, a compliment always paid the Hessians, whenshe had occasion to mention them. A party of these marauders had, ona visit to her master's house, stolen her fall's store of sausages;thenceforth she vowed eternal hatred to the race--a vow she never forgotto the day of her death. 

"The strangers ate their repast, showing anything but confidence intheir entertainer, and ate, each man with his gun resting on hisshoulder. During the whole meal, he who called himself their captain wasuneasy and restless. For some time, he appeared to be engaged in a veryclose scrutiny of the household, who occupied the other end of thekitchen--a scrutiny which, owing to the darkness, could not yield himmuch satisfaction. He then whispered anxiously and angrily with his men, who answered in a dogged, obstinate fashion, that evidently displeasedhim; till, finally, rising from his seat, he bade them follow, andscarcely taking time to thank Nathan for his food and fire, passed outof the door and made from the house. 

"'Well, now, that beats me!' said Elnathan, as he and his comradeslooked at each other in astonishment at the abrupt departure andsingular conduct of their guests. 

"'That are a queer lark, any how!' responded John; 'it beats allnatur'. '

''The Injins, ' said Ann. 'If that is not Fagan or some of his gang, never trust me!--why did you not give them a shot, the 'tarnal thieves?'

"But our household troop were too glad to get rid of their visitors tointerrupt their retreat. The house was secured again, the men had thrownthemselves down, and some of them were already asleep, when anotherknock at the same door brought them as one man to their feet. On openingthe door, a laborer attached to a neighboring farm presented himself, breathless from haste, and almost dead with fear. When he so farrecovered his speech as to be able to tell his story, he proved tobe the man whom the pretended militia-men had brought with them as aprisoner, and his captors were found to be no less than Fagan and aportion of his band. They had that night robbed five different housesbefore they attempted our Friend's. Aware that his sons were fromhome, they expected to find the old man unsupported, but having gainedadmission into the house, they were surprised at the appearance of threeadditional men. Fagan, however, was bent upon completing his enterprisein spite of all opposition; but his followers obstinately refused. Atthe foot of the avenue a bitter quarrel ensued, Fagan taxing his menwith cowardice; but the fear of pursuit silenced them at length. Thenext question was, how to dispose of their prisoner, whom they hadseized in one of their 'affairs, ' and, for want of some means ofsecuring him, brought with them. Fagan, as the shortest way, proposed, as he had before, to cut his throat; but the proposal was overruled asunnecessary. He was unbound, and, upon his solemn promise to returnwithout giving the alarm, one of the band returned him his silver anda little money they had abstracted from his chest. In considerationwhereof he made to the nearest house and gave the alarm, impelled byinstinct more than anything else. 

"Suddenly, the man's narrative was interrupted by an explosion offire-arms, which broke upon the clear, frosty night, and startled evenNathan. Another and another followed before a word was uttered. 

"'What can that be? It must be at Trenton. '

"'By jingo, ' exclaimed Elnathan, forgetting, in his excitement, thathis master was present, 'if I don't believe our men ain't giving theHessians a salute this morning with ball _cartridges_--there it goesagain!--I say, John, it's a piert scrimmage. '

"In his own anxiety, Nathan forgot to correct his servant's profanity. 'It must be--but how they got over through the ice without wings--'

"'No matter 'zackly how, marster, it's them. I'll warrant them's hardplums for a Christmas pudding. Ha! ha! they get it this morning, --themtarnation Hessian niggers!'

"'Ann, thee'll never forgive the Hessians thy sausages and pork. '

"'Forgive--not I. All my nice sausages and buckwheat cakes, readybuttered--and all for them 'are yaller varments. '

"The firing having continued some minutes, though less in volleysthan at first, gradually ceased, and all was quiet, as if nothing hadhappened to disturb the deathlike stillness of the night. Yet, inthat brief hall hour, the fate of a continent was decided--the almostdesperate cause of the colonies had been retrieved. The victory ofTrenton had been achieved. 

"The attention of Nathan was diverted, by this first incident, from theother events of the night, but was soon recalled to the pursuit ofthe robbers, and the relief of their victims, who, from their lateprisoner's account, had been left in an unpleasant condition. His menbeing dispatched to collect aid, Nathan now remained with old Anne; thesole efficient defender of the house. He was not doomed to wait theirreturn undisturbed--the indistinct sound, as of many feet, was heardadvancing along the road to Bordentown. 

"'It's them Hessians, ' said Anne. But Nathan thought not--it was notthe tread of regular troops, but the confused rush of a multitude. Hehastened to an upper window to reconnoitre. The day had begun to break, and he easily distinguished a large body of men in Hessian uniform, hurrying along the road in broken ranks. As they came nearer, heperceived many individuals half clad and imperfectly equipped. The wholeconsisted of about six hundred men. Before their rear was lost behind aturn in the road another body appeared in rapid pursuit. They marched incloser order and more regular array. In the stillness of the morning thevoice of an officer could be distinctly heard urging on the men. Theybore the well-known standard of the colonies. It all flashed on Nathan'smind--Washington _had_ crossed the river, and was in pursuit of therouted foe. The excited old man forgot his years, as he almost sprangdown stairs to the open air, proclaiming the tidings as he went. Eventhe correct Hannah, who had preserved her faith unbroken, in spite ofher husband's and sons' contumacy, and the, if possible, still _more_particular Rachel, were startled from their usual composure, and gavevent to their joy. 

"'Well, now, _does_ thee say so?' said the latter, eagerly following theothers to the door. 'I hope it is not unfriendly to rejoice for such acause. '

"'I hope not, cousin Rachel, ' said Amy; 'nor to be proud that _our_ boyshad a share in the glorious deed. '

"Amy was left to herself, and broke loose upon this occasion from thebonds of Quaker propriety; but no one observed the transgression--exceptold Anne. 

"'That's right, Amy Collins; I like to hear you say so. How themHessians can run--the 'tarnal niggers; they steal sausages better thanthey stand bullets. I told 'em it would be so, when they was herebeguzzlen my buckwheat cakes, in plain English; only the outlandishInjins couldn't understand their mother tongue. They're got enoughswallowen without chawen, this morning. I wish them nothen but JineralMaxwell at their tails, tickling 'em with continental bagonets. '

"'That friend speaks my mind, ' said Elnathan, with a half-sanctimonious, half-waggish look, and slight nasal twang. 

"'Mine too, ' as devoutly responded a companion, whom he had just broughtto assist in the pursuit of the robbers. 

"The whole family had assembled at the door to watch the motions of thetroops. The front ranks had already passed down the road, when ahorseman, at full speed, galloped along the line of march to the extremeright, and commanded a halt. After a few minutes delay, two or threeofficers, followed by a party carrying a wounded man, emerged from theranks and approached the house. This was too much for the composure ofour late overjoyed family; all hastened to meet their wounded or deadrelation, but were disappointed agreeably--the brothers were indeed ofthe party, but unhurt. 

"'Charles--boys--what means--'

'Nothing, father, except that we paid the Hessians a friendly visit thismorning. You saw them?'

'A part--where are the rest?'

'Oh, we could not consent to turn them out of their comfortable quartersthis cold night, so we insisted on their remaining, having first gonethrough the trifling ceremony of grounding their arms. '

"The greeting between the young soldiers and their more peacefulrelations could not have been more cordial if their hands had beenunstained with blood. Nathaniel proffered refreshments to the wholedetachment; old Anne trembled for her diminished stock of sausages, andremarked to Elnathan, that it would take a ''tarnal griddle' to bakecakes for 'all that posse cotatus. ' But the offer was declined by theofficer in command, who only desired our friends to take charge of thewounded Hessian, whom his own men had deserted in the road. 

[Illustration: THE OUTLAW OF THE PINES. ]

"In the meanwhile, about forty men had assembled at Nathan's summons topursue the robbers, some of them having first visited those who hadsuffered from the previous night's depredations. In one instance, theyfound a farmer tied in his own stable, with his horse gear, and his wife, with the bed-cord, to some of the furniture in her own apartment. Inanother place, the whole household was quietly disposed down a shallowwell, up to their knees in water, and half frozen. In a third, asolitary man, who was the only inmate at the time, having fled, in hisfright, to the house-top, was left there by the unfeeling thieves, whosecured the trap-door within. But the last party who arrived had abloody tale to tell: they had been to the house of Joseph Farr, thesexton to a neighboring Baptist church; a reputation for the possessionof concealed gold proved fatal to him. On entering his house, the doorof which stood open, the party sent to his relief stumbled over hisbody. After having most cruelly beaten him, in the hope of extortingthe gold he was said to possess, the murderers, upon his positivedenial, pierced him in twenty places with their bayonets. The oldbedridden wife was still alive in her bed, though the blood had soakedthrough the miserable pallet and run in a stream into the fire-place. Their daughter, a woman of fifty years, fled from the house as themurderers entered, and was pursued by one of them, nearly overtaken, and even wounded in the arm by his bayonet; but his foot slipped inmaking the thrust, and she escaped slightly hurt. 

"This bloody business aroused the whole country; a persevering andactive pursuit was commenced. The murderers had many miles to traversebefore they could reach a safe retreat, and were obliged to lightenthemselves of their heavier plunder in the chase. Four were shot downin the pursuit; the knapsack of a fifth was found partly concealed in athicket, and pierced with a ball, which had also penetrated a large massof continental money in sheets, and, by the blood on the inner covering, had done good service on the wearer. It was believed that he contrivedto conceal himself in a thicket, and died there; as he was never heardof after. Fagan alone escaped unhurt to the pines, and for days defiedall the exertions of the whig farmers. By this time, the pursuing partyhad increased to nearly two hundred men. The part of the wood in whichhe was known to be concealed, was surrounded and fired, till the wretchwas literally burnt from his den, and, in an attempt to escape from oneflaming thicket to another, taken alive, although not unwounded. One ofthe gang, who had not participated in the deeds I have mentioned, wassecured at the same time. 

"There appeared to be no difference of opinion about the mode ofdisposing of the prisoners--indeed, an opinion was scarcely asked orgiven. It seemed taken for granted--a thing of course; and the culpritswere led in silence to the selected place of execution. There wasneither judge nor jury--no delay--no prayer for mercy; a large oak thenstood at the forks of two roads, one of which leads to Freehold; fromthe body of the tree a horizontal branch extended over the latter road, to which two ropes were attached. One of them having been fixed to theminor villain's neck, _his_ sufferings were soon over; but a horribleand lingering death was reserved for Fagan. The iron hoops were takenoff a meat cask, and by a blacksmith in the company fitted round hisankles, knees, and arms, pinioning the latter to his body, so that, excepting his head, which was 'left free to enjoy the prospect, ' hecould not move a muscle. In this condition he hung for days beside hisstiffened companion; dying by inches of famine and cold, which hadmoderated so as, without ending, to aggravate his misery. Before hedied, he had gnawed his shoulder from very hunger. On the fifth night, as it approached twelve o'clock, having been motionless for hours, his guards believed him to be dead, and, tired of their horrid duty, proposed to return home. In order, however, to be sure, they sent one ofthe party up the ladder to feel if his heart still beat. He had ascendedinto the tree, when a shriek, unlike anything human, broke upon thestillness of the night, and echoed from the neighboring wood withredoubled power. The poor fellow dropped from the tree like a dead man, and his companions fled in terror from the spot. When day encouragedthem to return, their victim was swinging stiffly in the north wind--nowlifeless as the companion of his crime and its punishment. It isbelieved, to this day, that no mortal power, operating upon the lungs ofthe dead murderer, produced that awful, unearthly, and startling scream;but that it was the voice of the Evil One, warning the intrusive guardnot to disturb the fiend in the possession of his lawful victim; a beliefmaterially strengthened by a fact that could not be disputed--the limbupon which the robbers hung, after suffering double pollution fromthem and their master's touch, never budded again; it died from thathour; the poison gradually communicated to the remaining branches, till, from a flourishing tree, it became a sapless and blasted trunk, and sostood for years, at once an emblem and a monument of the murderers' fate. 

"Fagan was never buried; his body hung upon its gibbet till the windspicked the flesh from off his bones, and they fell asunder by their ownweight. A friend of mine has seen his horrid countenance, as ithung festering and blackening in the wind, and remembers, by way ofamusement, between schools, pelting the body with stones. The old trunkhas disappeared, but the spot is still haunted in the belief of thepeople of the neighborhood, and he is a bold man who dare risk anocturnal encounter with the bloody Fagan, instead of avoiding thedirect road, at the expense of half a mile's additional walk. Nopersuasion or force will induce a horse _raised in the neighborhood_ topass the fated spot at _night_, although he will express no uneasinessby daylight. The inference is, that the animals, as we know animals_do_, and Balaam's certainly _did_, see more than their masters. Askeptical gentleman, near, thinks this only the force of habit, and thatthe innocent creatures have been so taught by the cowards who drivethem, and would saddle the horses with their own folly. 

"I am at the close of my story, and not a lover or a tender scene in thewhole tedious relation--alas! what a defect, but it is too late to mindit now; it only remains to take leave of our friends. Nathan andHannah have mingled with dust, and their spirits with that societywhose only business is love, and where sighing and contention can neverintrude. Nathan was permitted, on his expressing his sorrow that hehad 'disobliged Friends, ' to rejoin his society, and he died an elder. Rachel departed at a great age, as she had lived, a spotless maiden. Theblooming, the warm-hearted, mischievous Amy lives, a still comely oldlady, the mother of ten sons, and the grandparent of three times as manymore. She adheres strictly to all the rules of her society, and bearsher testimony in the capacity of a public Friend. Still, she isevidently not a little proud of her father's and brothers' share in theperils and honors of the revolutionary contest, though she affects tocondemn their contumacy and unfriendly conformity to the world's ways, and their violation of 'Friends' testimony concerning war. ' Old Anniedied four years since, at an almost incredible age, though she was notable to name the exact number of the days of her pilgrimage. From thedeep furrows on her cheeks, and the strong lines of her naturallystriking countenance, which, as she advanced in years, assumed more andmore the character of her Indian parentage, and the leather-likeappearance of her skin, she might have passed for an antediluvian. While other less important matters lost their impression on her memory, the Hessian inroads upon her sausages and buckwheat cakes were neitherforgotten nor _entirely_ forgiven to the last. She sent for a friendwhen on her death-bed, to make arrangement of her little affairs. Hefound her strength of body exhausted, but her powers of mind unimpaired. After disposing her stock of personalities among some of her friends, she turned to him. 'That's all, Mr. Charles, except the old sash youused to play with, which I sp'iled from the Hessian officer, theInjin--keep that to mind old Anne by, '

"'Thank you, Anne--I'll keep it carefully. But you must not bear malice_now_, Anne; you must forgive even the Hessians, ' said Charles. 

"'What, them Hessians, the bloody thieves?' and the old woman's eyeslighted up, and she almost arose in her bed with astonishment, as sheasked the question. 

'Yes; even _them_: you are about to need forgiveness as much asthey--they _were_ your enemies and persecutors, whom you are especiallyenjoined to pardon, as you would expect to be pardoned. '

'So it is, Mr. Charles; you say the truth, --poor ignorant, sinful mortalthat I am! Well, then, I do--I _hope_ I _do_--forgive 'em; I'll try--thebloody _creeters_. '

"There; will that do for a story, Thomas Jefferson?" asked the oldgrandfather, when he had concluded. The old man had a straight-forward, natural way of telling a story that showed he had practised itfrequently. The boy seemed much gratified by the horrible narration. Mrs. Harmar said she was interested, but didn't like it much; herhusband remarked, however, that it would make a thrilling sketch. 

"I suppose that Nathaniel Collins was very much the same sort of aQuaker as General Green, " said Morton. "They were peaceable men, aslong as peace and quiet were not inconsistent with self-defence. Tobe peaceable when a foe is wasting your fields and slaughtering yourbrethren, is cowardly and against nature. "

"That's truth, " replied Higgins. "We must look upon a merciless invaderin the same light as upon a cruel beast, whom it is saving life toslay. "

"Fagan was well punished for his outrages, " remarked Wilson. 

"It was the only way for the inhabitants to ensure their safety, " saidSmith. 

THE TORY'S CONVERSION. 

"By the bye, " said Mr. Morton, "some events have just recurred to mymind, which interested me very much when I first heard of them, andwhich I think may strike you as being wonderful. I knew of many strangeand unaccountable things that happened during the Revolution, but theconversion of Gil Lester from toryism capped the climax. "

"Enlighten us upon the subject, by all means, " remarked Mr. JacksonHarmar. 

"Yes, that was a strange affair, Morton; tell 'em about it, " addedHiggins. 

"There's a little love stuff mixed up with the story, " said Morton, "but you will have to excuse that. I obtained the incidents from Lesterhimself, and I know he was always true to his word, whether that wasright or wrong. Gilbert Lester, Vincent Murray, and their ladye-loves, lived up here in Pennsylvania, in the neighborhood of the Lehigh. Onenight a harvest ball was given at the house of farmer Williams. VincentMurray and Mary Williams, the farmer's daughter, joined in thefestivities, and, becoming tired of dancing in a hot room, they went outto walk along the banks of the Lehigh, and, of course, to talk over lovematters. 

"They had seated themselves on a fallen tree, and continued for a fewmoments to gaze in the mirrored Lehigh, as if their very thoughts mightbe reflected on its glassy surface. Visions of war and bloodshed werepassing before the fancy of the excited girl, and she breathed an inwardprayer to heaven to protect her lover; when, casting her eyes upward, she suddenly exclaimed with startling energy:

"'Vincent, look at the sky!' Murray raised his head, and spranginstantly on his feet. 'Tell me, ' continued Mary, 'am I dreaming, or amI mad! or do I actually see armies marching through the clouds?'

"Murray gazed steadfastly for a moment, and then exclaimed, 'It is theBritish, Mary--I see the red coats as plainly as I see you. '

"The young girl seemed transfixed to the spot, without the power ofmoving. 'Look there, ' said she, pointing her finger upward--'there arehorses, with officers on them, and a whole regiment of dragoons! Oh, areyou not frightened?'

"'No, ' replied her companion--but before he had time to proceed, sheagain exclaimed:

'There, there, Vincent! See the colors flying, and the drums, andtrumpets, and cannon, I can almost hear them! What can it mean?'

'Don't be so terrified, Mary. It is my belief, that what we see is anintimation from God of the approaching war. The 'Lord of Hosts' hasset his sign in the heavens. But come, let us run to the house. This isno time to dance--and they will not believe us, unless their own eyesbehold the vision!'

"Before he had finished speaking, they were hastily retracing theirsteps to the scene of merriment; and in another moment the sound of theviolin was hushed, and the feet of the dancers were still. With oneaccord, they all stood in the open air, and gazed with straining glancesat the pageant in the heavens; and marked it with awe and wonder. Abroad streak of light spread itself gradually over the sky, till thewhole wide expanse was in one brilliant blaze of splendor. The clouds, decked in the richest and most gorgeous colors, presented a spectacle ofgrandeur and glory, as they continued to shape themselves into variousforms of men, and horses, and armor, till a warlike and supernaturalhost was distinctly presented to the view. The dragoons, on theirprancing horses; the riflemen and artillery, with their military ensignsand accoutrements; the infantry, and even the baggage-wagons in therear, were all there to complete the imposing array. _It is no fiction_;many were eye-witnesses of that remarkable vision, which passed on fromthe east, and disappeared in the west--and, from that evening, the soundof the violin was heard no more in those places, until the end of theRevolution. 

"Mary Tracy hung upon the arm of her lover, and listened anxiously tohis words, as he spoke to her in a low but decided tone. " "That's verystrange; but you have not told us how the young tory was converted, "interrupted Mrs. Harmar. 

"I am coming to that, " replied Morton. "Vincent Murray and Mary Williamsconversed together for some time. He told her he was going to leave hisfriends and join the American army. He said he thought the signs in theclouds were warning to all the friends of liberty to rush to the aid ofour little struggling band; and that he intended to go to New York, and then seek out the best plan for enlistment. Before he bade hissweetheart farewell, he also told her he was resolved to do his best toconvert Gilbert Lester from his tory principles. Now this was no easytask, as the two young men had often argued the question of rights, andLester had shown that he was as firmly fixed to his creed as Murray wasto his. Mary told him that she thought that the frowns or the smiles ofJane Hatfield alone could change his way of thinking. But, nevertheless, Murray resolved to try what he could do. 

"The little group of dancers were all scattered in different directions. Murray sought among the number for Gilbert Lester, and found him, atlength, leaning in a thoughtful attitude against the trunk of a hugesycamore tree, whose broad shadow fell upon the waters of the Lehigh. Soprofound was his reverie, that Murray touched his arm before he stirredfrom his position, or was aware of approaching footsteps. 

"'Gilbert, shall I divine your thoughts?'

"'You, perhaps, think you could do so, but I doubt whether you wouldguess right. ' "'Why, there can be but one subject, I should suppose, which could occupy the mind of any one who has seen what we have seenthis evening. '

"'True; but there may be different interpretations put upon what isequally a mystery to us all. '

"'Well, I will not dispute that point with you, --but there is a _right_and a _wrong_, notwithstanding. Now, tell me, what is your opinion?'

"'It will hardly coincide with yours, Vincent; for I fear we shall neveragree in our ideas of the propriety and expediency of taking up armsagainst our sovereign. As to this pantomime of the clouds, I mustconfess it is beyond my comprehension; so, if your understanding hasbeen enlightened by the exhibition, I beg you will have charity toextend the benefit. '

"'You are always for ridiculing my impressions, Gilbert; but you cannotchange my belief that our cause is a rightful one, and that it will, with the help of the Almighty, ultimately prevail. '

"'What, against such a host as we have just seen imaged out in the sky?'

"'The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, ' repliedMurray. 

"'But, ' continued his friend, 'if a real army, coming over the sea todo battle for the king, has been represented by that ghostly multitudewhich passed before our view, you will find the number too strong forthis fanciful faith of yours, in the help of an invisible arm. '

"'It is a faith, however, which I am not yet disposed to yield, --therace is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. ' "'I willacknowledge, ' said Lester, interrupting him, 'that you have theadvantage of me in quoting Scripture--but depend upon it, the_practical_ advantages of the British over the rebel army will soonoverturn your theory. '

"'No such thing, Gilbert. I tell you that the zeal, fortitude, undauntedcourage, and invincible resolution, which encompass our little band ofpatriots, will prove a shield of strength that will make every singleman of them equal to at least a dozen British soldiers. And having oncerisen up in defence of their rights, they will persevere to the lastextremity before they will submit to the disgraceful terms of a despoticgovernment. It grieves me that _you_ should be among the tories. Come, Ientreat you, and share in the glory of the triumph which I am persuadedwill eventually be ours. '

"'Then you really do believe, Murray, that God will work a modernmiracle in favor of America! My dear friend, I wish you would abandonthis vain chimera of your imagination, and let common sense and reasonconvince you of the folly of this mad rebellion. '

"'And what then? Should I sit down in cowardly inaction, while othersare sacrificing their lives in the struggle? No--that shall never besaid of Vincent Murray! My resolution is taken; I will rise or fall withmy country!'

"'And perhaps the next time we meet, ' said Lester, 'it may be on thefield of battle. '

"'God forbid! But should it even be the case, Gilbert, I should know nofriend among my country's enemies. Farewell--you will think better ofthis subject; and remember, that no one but a _Republican_ will ever winJane Hatfield, ' said Murray. 

"The young men wrung each other's hands, and each went his way. "

"Murray thought he would put in the last remark by way of strengtheningthe effect of the vision in the clouds, I suppose, " remarked Mr. JacksonHarmar. 

"Yes; the promise of the hand of a lovely girl has a great influence onthe opinions of a young man, " replied Morton. "But in this case, if youwill wait till my story is through, you will see that Jane Hatfield hadbut little to do with Lester's conversion. The next morning after theoccurrence of the wonderful phantom in the clouds, Murray left his home, and soon after enlisted in the army under General Montgomery. He was inthe unlucky expedition against Québec. 

"After the death of Montgomery, and the uniting of the differentdetachments under Arnold, as their head, Murray, to his marvellousastonishment, encountered his friend Gilbert Lester among thePennsylvania riflemen, under Captain Morgan. By some strange accident, and each being ignorant of the proximity of the other, they had not metbefore the attack on Québec. Great, therefore, was Murray's surprise andpleasure; for, since the evening of their last conversation on the banksof the Lehigh, he had no opportunity of learning whether there had beenany change in the political sentiments of his friend. With the utmostfervor of delight he grasped his hand as he exclaimed: "'I rejoice tosee you, --but, my dear friend, what is the meaning of this meeting? Andhow, in the name of wonder, came you here?'

"'Why, it is truly a wonder to myself, Murray, ' replied Lester, 'thatI ever got here; or that any of us, who passed through that frightfulwilderness, are now alive to tell the story. '

"'The wilderness! I should like to know how you contrived to get intothe wilderness from the place where I last saw you?' said Murray. 

"'I remember, ' said Gilbert, laughing; 'you left me looking at theclouds on the banks of the Lehigh; and, perhaps, you imagine that Iwas taken up into them, and dropped down in that horrible place as apunishment for my _toryism!_'

"'And if that was not the case, pray throw a little light on themystery. '

"'Have patience, then, and let me tell my story my own way. The gettinginto the labyrinth was a trifle in comparison to the getting out. Believe me, the tales of romance are nothing to the tremendous horrorsof that march. Why do you look incredulous?'

"'You know your love of the marvellous, Gilbert--but go on; only don'tout-Herod Herod in your description. '

"'There is no danger of that--no description can come up to the truth. Ilooked upon that whole army in the desert as destined to make theirnext general parade in the heavens--and fancied you would see our poor, unhappy apparitions gliding through the sky; and, perhaps, exclaim, 'Poor Gilbert; he died in the good cause at last. It seems, however, thatthe necessity is spared of my making so pathetic an apostrophe. You hadthe good fortune to escape. '

'It was little less than a miracle that we did so, I assure you, 'replied Gilbert. 

'Your preservation, then, should be a more convincing proof to yourmind, that the Lord is on our side, and will not forsake us in thisunequal strife. '

'Ah, ' replied Lester, 'you may beat me in _faith_, Vincent, but I willcontend that I have beaten you in _works_. Had you waded, as we did, through those hideous bogs, which a poor Irishman, whose bones we lefton the way, declared, 'bate all the bogs of Ireland!' you would havesaid the Israelites in the wilderness had a happy time of it, comparedto us. Why, we were drowned, and starved, and frozen, till we had nearlygiven up all hope of the honor of being shot. '

'But you forget that I am still in ignorance of the preceding causes, which produced the revolution in your sentiments, and consequentlyinfluenced your actions after I left the farm, ' said Murray, interrupting him. 

"'You are right, ' replied Gilbert; 'I am before my story. My head wasso completely filled with the images on the way, that I was obligedto dispose of them first, ere I could clear a passage in my memory torelate what came before. It would, however, require too much time, atthis moment, to enter into all the detail of argument and persuasionthat gradually undermined my first principles. My imagination was alittle excited by the whole scene at our last harvest festival. Thesudden interruption in the dancing by the singular phenomena in theheavens, and the termination, from that evening, of all our accustomedmirth and gaiety, made a strong impression, which led me to inquireand reflect on passing events, connected with the disturbances in thecountry, much more closely and anxiously than I had done before. Theresult was a determination, in my own mind, to follow you. Knowing youradmiration of General Washington, I instantly jumped at the conclusionthat you had proceeded to Cambridge, in order to be guided in yourfuture movements by the commander-in-chief; and so, without the leasthesitation, I straightway decided on pursuing the same course. You arewell aware, Vincent, that I am a creature of impulse. My arrival athead-quarters happened to be at the moment when Colonel Arnold wasfitting out his troops for this unhappy expedition; and meetingaccidentally with an acquaintance among the Pennsylvania riflemen, Ienlisted in the same regiment, under Captain Morgan. A spice of romance, which I believe nature infused into my disposition, and which wasincreased among the mountain passes and wild fastnesses of our nativescenery, induced me to look forward with a kind of adventurous pleasure, to the projected passage through the unexplored wilderness. The probablehazard and difficulty of the exploit presented only a spur to my newlyawakened ardor; and thus, with my usual impetuosity of feeling, Ipushed on among the most enthusiastic followers of Colonel Arnold. Theconcluding part of the history is written in the blood of our brave andgallant general; and now, in the closing scene of the drama, I findmyself, by a singular freak of fortune, thrown again in your company, ina place where I had little dreamed of such a meeting. '

"In the meanwhile, an interesting event happened on the banks of theLehigh. The usual business in that part of the country was suspended. The men congregated to talk over the causes and events of the war, andthe signs of the times. The appearance of the army in the heavens wasstill fresh in the minds of all; and it was but a few weeks after thedeparture of Murray and Lester that another spectacle was seen, evenmore astonishing than the first. 

"It was on a September evening that the _Aurora Borealis_ was discoveredin the sky. It grew brighter and brighter, and soon drew together alarge number of the inhabitants of the neighborhood. The distance wasshort to the highest ground on the ridge of the Lehigh Mountains, andthe whole party ascended to the summit, near the old road between Eastonand Philadelphia. There they paused, to view the surrounding scenery inthe broad, clear light. The Kittating Mountain, enveloped in its blueshade of mist, lay far away to the north and west; while, on the Jerseyside, to the east, the high Musconetcong rose darkly in the distance. Suddenly, a cloud appeared on the blue sky above, and immediately, quick, successive sounds, as of the firing of cannon, broke on the ear. The cloud dispersed with the noise, and flying troops were seen rushingon from the west. Men and horses were mingled in one indiscriminate massof confusion. The soldiers wore the uniform of the British; butthere was no order, as in the former vision. Ranks were cut up anddestroyed--plumes were bent down and broken--horses fled withoutriders--and the fallen were trampled on by their companions. Terrorseemed to move in their midst, as they hurried onward. The pillar of acloud rose again behind them. It was like a thick smoke from the fireof the enemy. It curled and wreathed itself away in the heavens, anddisappeared, as with another sound of guns. Then came the ContinentalArmy. Soldiers marching in triumph--officers mounted, and flags ofvictory streaming on the sky. On and on, they followed in the pursuit, till the singular phantasm melted away in the east. 

"The sight was hailed with joy, as an omen of success to the Americancause. Numerous were the spectators to that second vision--and some areyet alive in the part of the country where it was seen. 

"An account of this phenomenon was sent to Murray and Lester, and thelatter became confirmed, heart and soul, in the cause to which he hadattached himself. Now, I know, you may look upon these things with asmile of credulity, and say it was all the result of imagination; but amere fancy cannot mislead hundreds of people, and make them believethat their eyes are traitors. I have told you nothing but what is wellattested. I don't pretend to know anything of the causes of such events, but I do know that these visions changed many a heart from toryism topatriotism. " "I am very much obliged to you for your interestingstory, Mr. Morton, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "I like your plain, straight-forward style, and your matter excites my wonder. It is a fact, that General Washington was known to observe and mention the remarkableapparitions in the heavens, at many different periods of the Revolution. They were not without their influence on his mind. I firmly believethat such things occurred; and can look for no cause but that of God'sprovidence, to explain them. "

Of course Mrs. Harmar believed the story of the apparitions to beperfectly true, and did not look for any other cause except the directorder of the Almighty; but Wilson said he was always suspicious of suchstories. He even ventured to offer an explanation of the phenomenon, which amounted to this:--A thunder-storm came up while the people weregathered together, very much excited upon the subject of the war, andfeeling very anxious for the success of the cause of the colonies; oneman thought he saw an army in the clouds driven before the winds, andheard the roar of the artillery; this he communicated in an excitedmanner to the others, and they, disposed to believe, also thought theclouds looked "very like a whale. " But Morton, old Harmar, Mr. JacksonHarmar, Smith, and Higgins, brought their argumentative batteries tobear upon the explanation and incredulity of Wilson, and silenced, if they did not convince him. He admitted that a man of GeneralWashington's strength of mind could not easily be deceived, and said, that if it was a fact that he had seen and mentioned the phenomenon, he could think it true; but no one was prepared to prove what had beenasserted. Mr. Morton was again thanked for the manner in which he hadtold the story, and Mr. Jackson Harmar said that some of the writers ofthe day might learn from him. 

"Of course, Murray and Lester lived through the war, went home to thebanks of the Lehigh, and married the girls they loved, " remarked Wilson. 

"They did; and two very happy couples they made. Jane Hatfield hadalways been a republican in sentiment, and she loved Lester more thanever when she heard he had dropped toryism as something that would haveburnt his fingers if he had held on to it, " replied Morton. 

THE TIMELY RESCUE. 

"When Mr. Morton commenced his story, " said old Harmar, "he saidthere was considerable love-stuff mixed up with it, as if that was anobjection to his telling it. Now I can tell you a story of which loveand fighting are the elements. The events occurred up here in NewJersey, and are true to the time and the people that acted in it. "

"No matter if it was all made up of love, if it illustrated thecharacter of the time, I should like to hear it, " remarked Mr. JacksonHarmar. 

"And so should I, " added his wife. 

"Is it that story about Captain Edwards and Miss Williams, that BillMoore used to tell?" inquired Higgins. 

"That's the affair; and, supposing you folks will wish to hear about it, I shall proceed. Shortly after the surrender of Burgoyne, two horsemenwere riding along the road which leads to the town of Ridgefield. Onewas Captain Edwards, and the other Lieutenant Brown. Their conversationpartook of the spirit of the period. They were discussing the relativemerits of General Gates and General Washington. Brown thought thatWashington was deficient in energy, while Edwards thought him a modelgeneral, and Gates deficient in both energy and skill. They could notagree, and so they dropped the subject. 

"As the colloquy ended, the horsemen spurred onward, and soon arrived inview of the residence of Mrs. Williams, which was situated on a gentleacclivity, accessible by a long avenue, skirted on either side withtall poplars, and entered at the extremity by a slight wooden gate. Onentering this avenue, old Pompey came running towards them with a browdarkened a number of shades by his agitation, and grasping the bridle ofCaptain Edward's horse, exclaimed:

"'Oh! for Heaven's sake, good master Edwards, don't go to the house!'

"'What the devil's the matter?' ejaculated the captain, as he endeavoredto disengage the hold of the negro. 

"'Mistress has gone clean 'stracted, ' began the African, 'because youngMiss Caroline--'

"'What of her?--speak out, in the fiend's name!' exclaimed CaptainEdwards, evincing much greater emotion than he had hitherto betrayed. 

"'You stop me, sir; I must tell my story in my own way, ' replied Pompey. 

"'Proceed with it, then, with a murrain to you, ' said Lieutenant Brown, impatiently, 'or, by heaven, I'll beat it out of you with the flat of mysword. ' "'Well, then, ' cried the negro, angrily, 'the tory Captain Lewiscame to our house last night with some sodgers, and carried off MissCaroline. '

"'The unhung villain!' muttered Captain Edwards, from between hisclenched teeth; and then, compelling himself to speak more calmly, hesaid, 'Brown, my dear fellow, return directly to the camp, and meet meat Stophel's tavern, with Sergeant Watkins and a dozen trusty soldiers. The scoundrel cannot escape me--I know every tory haunt between hereand the Hudson; I must go to the house, and console the afflicted Mrs. Williams. '

"The subaltern struck his spurs into the flank of his steed, andhastened to execute the orders of his superior. The captain rode up thelane, and having reached the house, threw his bridle to a servant, andentered without ceremony. As he had anticipated, he found Mrs. Williamsin an indescribable state of grief; her health was delicate, and thisunexpected calamity had prostrated her. After offering a few encouragingwords, which produced but a very slight effect, he remounted his horseand rode to the place of rendezvous. Here he met Lieutenant Brown, asergeant, corporal, and ten privates, all finely armed and equipped, andprepared to brave any danger and incur any hazard, in the service of acommander in whom they had the most unbounded confidence. He instantlyplaced himself at their head, and proceeded on his expedition. 

"It was now dark. Their road lay along the margin of a small stream, bounded on the one side by half cultivated fields, and on the other bya thick gloomy forest, in which the death-like stillness of its darkbosom was only broken by the occasional howl of wild beasts. 

"After pursuing their course for some distance along the bank of thisrivulet, now traversing the ground on its very margin, and then againcarried by the windings of the path miles from the stream, they came toa sharp angle in the road, on turning which, the captain, being a shortdistance in advance of his troops, discovered a figure slightly defined, but yet bearing some resemblance to the human species, stealing alongthe side of the path, apparently wishing to avoid observation. 

"Striking his spurs into his horse, and drawing his sword at the sametime, the captain had the person completely in his power before theother had time to offer either flight or resistance. 

"'For whom are you?' was demanded by Captain Edwards, in no gentleaccents. 

"'I'm nae just free to say, ' replied the stranger, thus rudelyinterrogated, with the true Scotch evasion. 

"'Answer me at once, ' returned the captain; 'which party do you favor?'

"'Ye might have the civility to give me a gentle hint which side yebelang to, ' said Sawney. 

"'No circumlocution, ' rejoined the soldier, sternly. 'Inform meimmediately: Are you a mercenary of the tyrant of England, or a friendto liberty? your life depends on your answer. '

"'Aweel, then, ' said the Scotchman firmly, 'sin ye will have it, bymy saul, I won't go to heaven with a lie in my mouth--I'm whig to theback-bone, ye carline; now do your warst, and be hanged till ye!'"

"He might still have been a foe, " remarked Wilson. "He might have seen, from Edwards' language, that to be a whig was to ensure his safety. "

"I cannot say whether the Scotchman was sincere or not, " replied oldHarmar. "The American captain was well pleased to discover a friend, when he had every reason to expect an enemy; and, after furnishing himwith a pistol, and advising him to avoid the scouting parties of theenemy, by keeping in the wood, he again proceeded on his expedition. They soon reached a fork in the road: one branch led into the recessesof the wood, and the other lay still farther along the banks of thestream. On arriving at this spot, the captain, calling Lieutenant Browna little distance from the troop, said, 'A few miles' ride will carry usto an encampment of a party of these tories. I wish to reconnoitre theposition of the enemy, and shall take the road which leads into thewood, for that purpose, while you with the soldiers will ride on theother road, till you will arrive within sight of the enemy, and thenreturn to this point, which shall be our place of rendezvous. In themeantime, I wish you to avoid coming to any engagement with the tories;but, in case you hear me fire two pistol shots, you may believe me to bein danger, and hasten to my relief. '

"To command was to be obeyed with Captain Edwards, and soon no soundwas heard save the slow and regular tread of the horses of the soldiersunder command of Lieutenant Brown "Captain Lewis, the partisan tory whohad carried off Miss Williams, was an officer of some fame. Of Englishextraction, and bred in the principles of entire acquiescence in theorders of the British ministry, he beheld the struggles of the colonistswith contempt. He saw the inhabitants rising about him in various partsof the country, with feelings of bitter hatred, and he determinedto crush these evidences of rebellion in the outset. He accepted acaptain's commission in the English army, and fought for a time underthe banners of General Clinton, with success worthy of a better cause. But taking offence at some imperious order of his commander, he threw uphis commission in disgust, and retired to his native village near theriver Hudson. Here, collecting about him a few choice spirits likehimself, he kept the inhabitants in a continual state of alarm by hisplundering and rapacious conduct. Acting, as he pretended, under theorders of the king, the tories durst not oppose him, and the whigs weretoo few in numbers to resist his foraging excursions with any prospectof success. 

"In his youth he had been a school companion of Captain Edwards, buttheir principles were widely dissimilar, and little intercourse hadtaken place between them. In after life they embraced different sides, and the tory disliked the whig for his virtues, and envied his goodname. In one of his marauding expeditions he became acquainted withMiss Williams, and discovering the interest the republican had in heraffections, he determined to get her into his power, for the purpose ofholding a check on the whig officer, whom he equally feared and hated. Alibertine in principle, and a profligate in practice, he scrupled atno means to attain his object, and a violent attack on the peacefuldwelling of a defenceless woman was as consonant with his views asrobbing a hen-roost. 

"The dwelling of this renegade was situated on a small hill on the bankof the river Hudson. His peculiar occupation, and the state of affairsin the country, had rendered it necessary for him to fortify andstrengthen his house, and, at the time referred to, it resembled, whatin fact it was, the rendezvous of a band of lawless desperadoes. 

"In the principal room of the building was the villain captain, withthree of his officers, seated round a decayed table, playing cards; onone end of the table stood a dirty decanter, partly filled with applebrandy; three or four cracked, dingy tumblers were scattered over thetable, and the rest of the furniture of the apartment was in keeping. In one corner of the room sat Miss Williams, apparently in the depth ofwretchedness. She occasionally cast furtive glances at the captain, andthen toward a small window, which was firmly barricaded; but seeing noprospect of escape, she relapsed again into hopeless sorrow. Groups ofblackguard soldiers were seated on stools in different parts of theroom, many of them following the example of their officers, and othersamusing themselves with burnishing their muskets and equipments. Afternumerous potations from his bottle, the captain started up, reelingunder the influence of the liquor, and addressing a ruffian-lookingofficer, one of his boon companions, said: "'Lieutenant Jocelyn, havethe drum beat to arms, and take these lazy knaves and scour the woodsfor a few miles around, and cut down or make prisoner every rebel rascalyou meet; leave soldiers enough, however, to guard the old castle;quick--blast me, no hesitation. '

"'Humph!' muttered the old soldier; 'ready enough to run his comradesinto the noose, but devilish careful to keep his own delicate person outof danger. '

"'Ha! what say you, old grumbler? You shall stay here and guard thelady, if you are so much afraid of your beautiful self; and I will takecommand of the men. '

"The lieutenant liked this proposition still worse than the former, butseeing no alternative, obeyed in silence. In a short time, the captain, accompanied by about twenty men, including a sergeant and two corporals, left their camp and proceeded toward the wood. It was night-fall whenthey reached the forest, through which the road was very narrow andcircuitous. They were travelling along the path in double files, whenthe sergeant in front ordered a halt. 

"'Why do we stop here, ' roared the captain, 'when it is as dark asEgypt?'

"'I hear a noise like the trampling of horses, ' replied the sergeant. 

"'Hist, then, ' said Captain Lewis; 'draw up the men into a body, andawait their arrival in silence. '

"'The horse's footsteps were now distinctly heard, but it was a solitaryhorseman whom these worthy soldiers were to encounter. When hearrived within speaking distance, the sergeant advanced a few paces infront of the soldiers, and exclaimed:

"'Stand! stand! or you are a dead man!'

"The horseman evinced no disposition to comply with this arbitraryrequisition, but deliberately drew pistol from his holsters andendeavored to urge his horse through the ranks of his opponents. CaptainLewis now came to the front of his men, and ordered: "'Seize the bridle, and down with the rebel!'

"'Let no man lay a hand on me or my horse, as he values his life, ' saidthe horseman in a determined tone, at the same time cocking his pistol. 

"'The sergeant drew back a few yards, and discharged his carbine, butwithout effect; two soldiers grasped the horse by the head at the sameinstant. The horseman, seeing a struggle inevitable, literally blew outthe brains of one of his assailants, and, plucking his other pistol fromits holster with his left hand, he fired at and slightly wounded hissecond antagonist; he now threw aside his pistols, &c. , and thendrew his heavy broadsword, and essayed to cut his way through hisopponents--but giant strength, combined with the most desperate courage, could not compete with such vast disparity of numbers; some of hisenemies fastened themselves on his horse, while others thrust at himwith their bayonets, and, after a protracted contest, during which thetories lost five men, the horseman was disarmed and brought to theground. 

"'Bind the rebel dog, ' shouted the infuriated captain; 'he shall diethe death of a felon, were he George Washington. By Heaven!' continuedhe, as he viewed the prostrate horseman, 'it is Captain Edwards! Arethen my dearest wishes gratified? I will be doubly revenged! Bind himhand and foot, boys, and throw him across his own horse, if the beastcan bear him; if not, drive a bullet through the horse's brains, andcarry the soldier in your arms. '

"The whig officer was firmly bound and placed on his own charger, whilea soldier marched on either side of him, and another led the horse. After prosecuting their route homeward near a mile, they were startledwith 'No quarter to the cowardly tories! cut them down root and branch!'followed by the discharge of near a dozen pistols, which killed fourmen, and wounded two or three others; and in a moment they were nearlysurrounded by the dragoons under command of Lieutenant Brown. For ashort time the contest was maintained with vigor; the bonds of CaptainEdwards were soon cut; he attacked the tory captain, sword in hand, and, after a short conflict, succeeded in wounding him in the sword-arm andhurling him to the ground, and placing his foot on his breast, he said:

"'Now, you dastardly ruffian, avow your villanies, and inform me where Ishall find Miss Howard, or, by heaven, I will send you where the tenorof your life will be hard to account for. '

"The fierceness of the whig soldier's manner, and the consciousness ofbeing wholly in his power, completely humbled the tory, and he beggedhis life, and promised to conduct the troops to his encampment, wherethey would find the lady in safety. 

"The tories were now effectually routed; some were killed, some wounded, others captured, and some had escaped. A few miles' travel, and CaptainEdwards and the men under his command arrived at the habitation of thetories. A coarse slovenly soldier was pacing the ground in front of thebuilding, and, on the advance of the continental troops, presented hismusket, and ordered them to halt. Captain Edwards briefly informed himof the reverse that had taken place in the fortunes of his commander, and concluded by telling him that 'Submission was safety--resistancedeath. '

"The door was now burst open, and in a moment Miss Williams was foldedin the arms of her lover. 

"Little more remains to be told. No entreaties of Captain Edwards, orpersuasions of her aunt, could induce Miss Williams to give her hand toher admirer till the close of the war. On the establishment of peace, Colonel Edwards, (for he had received that rank, ) was made happy in thepossession of his long-tried affection. Lieutenant Brown served underhis captain during the war, and, on the promotion of Captain Edwards, succeeded to his command. The tory Lewis, and the remainder of hisguilty accomplices, were captured shortly after the occurrence of theevents I have related, and executed for desertion. "

"The tories generally received the worst of every encounter, " remarkedHiggins; "at least, so all our love-story tellers say. " "What I havetold you I know to be true--just as Bill Moore, who was one of CaptainEdwards' men, used to tell it, " replied old Harmar. 

"I believe it to be a fact that the tories did get the worst of mostof the encounters in which they had an equal number of our men to dealwith. The reason was plain. They had not the same great motives to spurthem to daring and noble effort; and the whigs fought against them withmore ardor than they would against the British, " said Wilson. 

"Captain Edwards was a host. Just think of one man daring to resist theattack of twenty men, and killing five of them before he was taken. Itseems like the deed of a fabulous hero, " remarked Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"The case was a desperate one, and demanded desperate conduct. Asurrender would not have saved his life, and might have secured MissWilliams in the hands of Lewis. By a bold attack, Edwards won newreputation and alarmed his men, who then saved his life and the honor ofhis beloved, " said old Harmar, in defence of his hero. 

"I expect they would have murdered the poor man, and then Lewis wouldhave forced Miss Williams to become his wife--the wretch!" put in Mrs. Harmar. 

"Nothing would have been too black for his heart, when he had an end inview. Such men are the most dangerous foes to their fellows, and wemust rejoice when a just punishment overtakes them in their headstrongcareer. Many of those who are glorified as great men have possessed thesame unscrupulous disposition. The only difference between them andLewis lies in this--they fixed their minds on greater objects, " said oldHarmar. 

"What's that for?" inquired Higgins, starting up as the sound of drumand fife broke on his ear. Mrs. Harmar went to the front window, andreported that a Volunteer company of soldiers was coming down thestreet. The old men instantly crowded round the window, and expressedtheir gratification at the sight that presented itself. The volunteerswere neatly uniformed and very precisely drilled. They marched withthe firm and uniform tread of regulars. The "ear-piercing fife andspirit-stirring drum" discoursed the music sweetest to the ears of theold warriors, and their eyes brightened and they made an effort tostraighten themselves, as if "the old time came o'er them. " Theylingered at the window as long as they could catch the sound, and longafter the volunteers had turned the corner of the street. Perhaps, if wehad possessed sufficient mental insight, we might have been with thoseold men in the scenes that came back to their minds like a tide that hadseemed to have ebbed away for ever. We might have been with them wherethe drum and fife were as strong drink to the warriors, firing theirhearts and steeling their nerves for the bloody struggle. But we areleft to conjecture what was present to their imaginations by what theyexpress in conversation. 

BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN. 

"Those fellows look very neat and prim; they march well, and theirmuskets are polished very bright. I wonder how they would stand fire, "said Higgins, after the party had seated themselves. 

"I doubt if they would like it as well as parading the streets; butthere may be some stout hearts among them, " replied old Harmar. 

"They should have been at Brandywine or Germantown. At either place theywould have had a chance to prove their stuff. Fife and drum would havebeen necessary, I think, to stir them up, " said Wilson. 

"I paid a visit to Germantown, the other day, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "I passed over the chief portion of the battle-ground, and examinedChew's house, where some of the British took refuge and managed to turnthe fortunes of the day. The house is in a good state of preservation, and bears many marks of the conflict. "

"I have seen it since the day of the battle, and have also walked overthe neighboring grounds, " said Smith "You are wrong in stating that thetroops that threw themselves into that house turned the fortune of theday. Our defeat was the result of many unlooked-for circumstances, whichno general could have been prepared to meet. "

"I have always understood that the check received by our troopsat Chew's house gave the enemy time to rally, and thus defeatedWashington's plan, " replied Mr. Jackson Harmar. "If it was otherwise, Ishould like to be informed of the circumstances. "

"Oh, tell us about the battle of Germantown, Mr. Smith!" exclaimed Mrs. Harmar. She had some acquaintances at Germantown, and she wished toastound them by the extent of her information. "Father says he was notin the battle, being sick at the time. Besides, if he knew, he wouldnever condescend to tell me about it, when he could find Jackson to talkto. "

"Why, I'm sure, my child, you never seemed very anxious to know, "replied old Harmar; "but if you will listen to Mr. Smith, you will knowall about it. He was present during the whole battle. "

"Ay; and did my share of the fighting, too, " added Smith. "But I'll tellyou how it was; and you, Mr. Harmar, may judge whether our defeat wasowing in any degree to the exertions of the enemy. After General Howetook possession of Philadelphia, the main body of the British wasencamped at Germantown. Our army lay at Skippack Creek, about sixteenmiles from Germantown. Well, General Washington having received allthe reinforcements he expected, and knowing that the enemy had beenconsiderably weakened by sending detachments to take possession of thecity and the ports on the river, determined to attempt to surprise themin their camp. The plan was formed with all the judgment and foresightwe might expect in Washington. We were to march at night for Germantown. Wayne and Sullivan were to attack the left wing of the enemy in front, whilst Armstrong, with a body of militia, attacked it in the rear. Greene and Stephens were to attack the right wing in front, whileSmallwood fell upon its rear. Then there was a strong reserve. Ofcourse, I was with the Pennsylvania line, under Wayne's command. Westarted on the evening of the third of October. I shall never forgetthat night's march. It was very dark. We could scarcely see three feetfrom us; and, as we wished to move on so as not to be discovered by anyof those who usually gave the enemy information, we carried very fewlanthorns. The road, however, was well known, and we marched rapidly andsurely. As we approached Germantown, we found an evidence that the enemywere aware of our vicinity, and Wayne determined to attack at once. Justat dawn of day, a party of Sullivan's troops attacked the picket at theend of the village, and our whole division rushed on as the picket wasdriven in. The surprise was complete. The enemy could not make a stand. They were broken and routed, and their tents and marquees burnt. Wepushed on, took some prisoners, and drove the British from behind fencesand houses where they had taken shelter. 

"Six companies of a British regiment, under their lieutenant-colonel, being hard pressed by an advancing column, threw themselves into Chew'shouse, and, barricading the lower windows, opened a destructive firefrom the cellars and upper windows. Our troops, finding their musketrymade no impression, were in the act of dragging up their cannon tobatter the walls, when a stratagem was attempted, which, however, failedof success. An officer galloped up from the house, and cried out, 'Whatare you about? You will fire on your own people. ' The artillery opened, but, after fifteen or twenty rounds, the pieces were found to be of toosmall calibre to make a serious impression, and were withdrawn. 

"A most daring attempt was then made to fire the building. Lieutenant-Colonel Laurens, aid-de-camp to the commander-in-chief, witha few volunteers, rushed up to the house under cover of the smoke, and applied a burning brand to the principal door, at the same timeexchanging passes with his sword with the enemy on the inside. By almosta miracle, this gallant officer escaped unharmed, although his clotheswere repeatedly torn by the enemy's shot. Another and equally daringattempt was made by Major White, aide-de-camp to General Sullivan, butwithout as fortunate a result. The major, while in the act of firing oneof the cellar windows, was mortally wounded, and died soon after. 

"Washington accompanied the leading division under Major-GeneralSullivan, and cheered his soldiers in their brilliant onset, as theydrove the enemy from point to point. Arriving in the vicinity of Chew'shouse, the commander-in-chief halted to consult his officers as to thebest course to be pursued towards this fortress that had so suddenlyand unexpectedly sprung up in the way. The younger officers who wereimmediately attached to the person of the chief, and among the choicestspirits of the Revolution, including Hamilton, Reed, Pinckney, Laurens, and Lee, were for leaving Chew's house to itself, or of turning thesiege into a blockade, by stationing in its vicinity a body of troops towatch the movements of the garrison, and pressing on with the column inpursuit of the flying enemy. But the sages of the army, at the head ofwhom was Major-General Knox, repulsed at once the idea of leaving afortified enemy in the rear, as contrary to the usages of war and themost approved military authorities. 

"At this period of the action the fog had become so dense that objectscould scarcely be distinguished at a few yards' distance. We hadpenetrated the enemy's camp even to their second line, which was drawnup to receive us about the centre of Germantown. The ammunition of theright wing, including the Maryland brigades, became exhausted, thesoldiers holding up their empty cartridge boxes, when their officerscalled on them to rally and face the enemy. The extended line ofoperations, which embraced nearly two miles, the unfavorable natureof the ground in the environs of Germantown for the operations of thetroops, a large portion of whom were undisciplined, the ground beingmuch cut up, and intersected by stone fences and enclosures of varioussorts, the delay of the left wing under Greene in getting intoaction--all these causes, combined with an atmosphere so dense fromfog and smoke as to make it impossible to distinguish friend from foe, produced a retreat in our army at the moment when victory seemed to bewithin its grasp. 

"Washington was among the foremost in his endeavors to restore thefallen fortunes of the day, and, while exerting himself to rally hisbroken columns, the exposure of his person became so imminent, that hisofficers, after affectionately remonstrating with him in vain, seizedthe bridle of his horse. The retreat, under all circumstances, was quiteas favorable as could be expected. The whole of the artillery was saved, and as many of the wounded as could be removed. The ninth Virginiaregiment, under Colonel Mathews, having penetrated so far as to bewithout support, after a desperate resistance, surrendered its remnantof a hundred men, including its colonel, who had received severalbayonet wounds. The British pursued but two or three miles, makingprisoners of the worn-out soldiers, who, after a night-march of fifteenmiles and an action of three hours, were found exhausted and asleep inthe fields and along the road. 

"I made a narrow escape from being taken by a party of dragoons. Theywere nearly upon a small body of us that had got separated from ourdivision, before we perceived them. I gave the alarm, and we ran on, aswe thought, toward our troops; but the fog was so thick that we mistookthe way, and wandered about for some time in constant risk of beingsurrounded by the enemy. At length we stumbled on the main body ofour line, and retreated with them. I never saw a more irritated anddisappointed set of men than our officers on that day. Every one had adifferent cause for the repulse. Some said that Greene did not come upin time to aid Wayne and Sullivan; while others said that Greene hadperformed the most effective service during the engagement, and that theloss of the day was owing to the military prejudices of Knox and someothers, who would halt to attack Chew's house, instead of following upthe advantages already gained. Then the fog was blamed for the confusionit caused. The fact was, the defeat was owing to many causes combined, some of which I have mentioned. "

"The attack was certainly skilfully planned and truly executed, in spiteof its want of success, " remarked old Harmar. "Your opinion of thecauses of the defeat, Mr. Smith, is that which is now generally adopted. The halt at Chew's house did not give rise to the retreat of Sullivan'sdivision. The ammunition of the troops was exhausted, and they were notaware of Greene's approach until they had begun to fall back. By theway, did you hear how General Nash was killed?"

"He was killed by a cannon-ball, I believe, " replied Smith. 

"Yes, " said old Harmar. "A round-shot from the British artillerystriking a sign-post in Germantown, glanced therefrom, and, passingthrough his horse, shattered the general's thigh on the opposite side. The fall of the animal hurled its unfortunate rider withconsiderable force to the ground. With surprising courage andpresence of mind, General Nash, covering his wound with bothof his hands, called to his men, 'Never mind me, I have had adevil of a tumble; rush on, my boys, rush on the enemy--I'llbe after you presently. ' He could do no more. 

Faint from loss of blood and the intense agony of his wound, thesufferer was borne to a house hard by, and attended by Dr. Craik, byspecial order of the commander-in-chief. The doctor gave his patient butfeeble hopes of recovery, even with the chances of amputation, when Nashobserved, 'It may be considered unmanly to complain, but my agony is toogreat for human nature to bear. I am aware that my days, perhaps hours, are numbered, but I do not repine at my fate. I have fallen on the fieldof honor, while leading my brave Carolinians to the assault ofthe enemy. I have a last request to make of his Excellency, thecommander-in-chief, that he will permit you, my dear doctor, to remainwith me, to protect me while I live, and my remains from insult. ' Dr. Craik assured the general that he had nothing to fear from the enemy; itwas impossible that they would harm him while living, or offer insultto his remains; that Lord Cornwallis was by this time in the field, and that, under his auspices, a wounded soldier would be treated withhumanity and respect. The dying patriot and hero then uttered thesememorable words: 'I have no favors to expect from the enemy. I have beenconsistent in my principles and conduct since the commencement of thetroubles. From the very first dawn of the Revolution I have ever beenon the side of liberty and my country. ' "He lingered in extreme torturebetween two and three days, and died admired by his enemies, admired andlamented by his companions in arms. On Thursday, the ninth of October, the whole American army was paraded by order of the commander-in-chief, to perform the funeral obsequies of General Nash. "

"I have heard those who knew him best speak of him as a brave soldierand a noble-hearted man; and your account of his death assures me of thetruth of their eulogy, " remarked Smith. 

"It is said that Washington, seeing that his well-arranged plan wasabout to be defeated, could not control his anger and disappointment, "said Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"It is true. Washington, like all very great men, was naturally stronglypassionate. His usual self-command was the more wonderful because it hadbeen acquired by stern practice. The battle of Germantown was one ofthose few occasions in his life when his feelings burst through allrestraint; and then, it is said by those who should know, that his wrathwas fierce and terrible. The officers were compelled, by considerationsof his safety, to lead his horse from the field. He did all that a mancould do to rally his broken troops, and exposed himself as fearlesslyas the bravest soldier. All his exertions were vain, however, and hebecame much irritated in consequence. "

"The retreat just when victory was within his grasp was enough toirritate any commander who valued his aim and plan, " observed Mr. Jackson Harmar, agreeing with Smith in the remarks which he had justmade. "I suppose, if Washington had been completely successful atGermantown, the British would have been driven from Philadelphia, " saidHiggins. 

"Ay; and from the vicinity of Philadelphia, " replied Smith. "They couldnot have recovered from such a defeat. "

[Illustration: BATTLE OF THE KEGS. ]

BATTLE OF THE KEGS. 

"Father, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar, "I have a song in my portfolio, written by Francis Hopkinson while the British were in Philadelphia;perhaps you can tell us something about the event which is the subjectof it. Here it is. It is called 'The Battle of the Kegs. '"

"The Battle of the Kegs! That I can, my boy. But read the song, " repliedold Harmar. His son then read the following facetious ditty:

 "Gallants, attend, and hear a friend Trill forth harmonious ditty: Strange things I'll tell, which late befell In Philadelphia city. 

 Twas early day, as poets say, Just when the sun was rising, A soldier stood on log of wood, And saw a sight surprising. 

 As, in amaze, he stood to gaze, -- The truth can't be denied, sirs, -- He spied a score--of kegs, or more, Come floating down the tide, sirs. A sailor, too, in jerkin blue, The strange appearance viewing, First damn'd his eyes, in great surprise, Then said, 'Some mischief's brewing. 

 These kegs now hold the rebels bold, Pack'd up like pickled herrings And they're come down to attack the town, In this new way of ferrying. '

 The soldier flew, the sailor, too, And, scared almost to death, sirs, Wore out their shoes to spread the news, And ran till out of breath, sirs. 

 Now up and down, throughout the town, Most frantic scenes were acted; And some ran here, and some ran there, Like men almost distracted. 

 Some fire cried, which some denied, But said the earth had quakèd; And girls and boys, with hideous noise, Ran through the town half-naked. 

 Sir William he, snug as a flea, Lay all this time a snoring, Nor dream'd of harm, as he lay warm, While all without was roaring. 

 Now, in affright, he starts upright, Awaked by such a clatter: He rubs both eyes, and boldly cries, 'For God's sake, what's the matter?' At his bedside he then espied Sir Erskine at command, sirs; Upon one foot he had one boot, And t'other in his hand, sirs. 

 'Arise! arise!' Sir Erskine cries: 'The rebels--more's the pity-- Without a boat, are all afloat, And ranged before the city. 

 'The motley crew, in vessels new, With Satan for their guide, sir, Pack'd up in bags, or wooden kegs, Come driving down the tide, sir. 

 'Therefore prepare for bloody war! These kegs must all be routed; Or surely we despised shall be, And British courage doubted. '

 The royal band now ready stand, All ranged in dread array, sirs; With stomach stout, to see it out, And make a bloody day, sirs. 

 The cannons roar from shore to shore, The small arms make a rattle; Since wars began, I'm sure no man E'er saw so strange a battle. 

 The rebel vales, the rebel dales, With rebel trees surrounded, The distant woods, the hills and floods, With rebel echoes sounded. The fish below swam to and fro, Attack'd from every quarter: Why, sure, thought they, the devil's to pay 'Mongst folks above the water. 

 The kegs, 'tis said, though strongly made, Of rebel staves and hoops, sirs, Could not oppose their powerful foes, The conquering British troops, sirs. 

 From morn to night, these men of might Display'd amazing courage; And when the sun was fairly down, Retired to sup their porridge. 

 A hundred men, with each a pen, Or more--upon my word, sirs, It is most true--would be too few Their valor to record, sirs. 

 Such feats did they perform that day Upon these wicked kegs, sirs, That years to come, if they get home, They'll make their boasts and brags, sirs. "

"Ha! ha! that's a good thing. The enemy used to be so fond of the word'rebel' that they would attach it to the most trifling things, whenspeaking of our people. Judge Hopkinson ridicules that in fine style, "remarked old Harmar. 

"It ought to be sung to the tune of the 'Hoosier's Ghost, '" said Wilson. 

"Who is the Sir Erskine alluded to in the song?" inquired Mrs. Harmar. "Sir William Erskine, one of Sir William Howe's officers, " replied oldHarmar. "This song created much merriment among the whigs at the timeit was written, so that, however much the enemy were right, we had thelaugh on our side. "

"But what were the circumstances which gave rise to it?" inquired Mr. Jackson Harmar, impatiently. 

"I was about to tell you, " replied his father. "A Mr. David Bushnellhad invented several ingenious articles of submarine machinery, for thepurpose of destroying the British vessels stationed in the Delaware. Among these was the American torpedo, a machine shaped like a watertortoise, and managed by a single person. It contained sufficient air tosupport respiration thirty minutes without being replenished, valves toadmit or reject water for the purpose of rising or sinking, ballast tokeep it upright, and a seat for the operator. Above the rudder was aplace for carrying a large powder magazine, constructed from two piecesof oak timber, and capable of carrying one hundred and fifty pounds ofpowder, with the apparatus for firing it. Within the magazine was anapparatus constructed to run any proposed length of time under twelvehours, after which it sprung a strong lock similar to that of a gun, which gave fire to the powder. This apparatus was so secured that itcould be set in motion only by the casting off of the magazine from thevessel. 

"With this machine a skilful operator could swim so low on the surfaceof the water, as to approach at night very near to a ship without beingdiscovered. After sinking quickly, he could keep at any necessary depth, and row to a great distance in any direction, without coming to thesurface. Bushnell found, however, that much trial and instruction wererequired for a man of common ingenuity to become a skilful manager. Itwas first tried by his brother, who, unfortunately, was taken ill at thetime when he had become an able operator. Another person was procured, and the first experiment tried upon the Eagle, a sixty-four, which LordHowe commanded in person. He went under the ship, and attempted to fixthe wooden screw into her bottom, but struck, as was supposed, a barof iron running from the rudder-hinge. Not being well skilled in themanagement of the machine, he lost the ship in attempting to move toanother place; and, after seeking her in vain for some time, rowed alittle distance and rose to the surface. Daylight had now advanced sothat the attempt could not be renewed, and, fearing he was discovered, he detached the magazine from his vessel and escaped. In an hour thepowder exploded, throwing a vast column of water to an amazing height, and leaving the enemy to conjecture whether it was caused by a bomb, awater-spout, or an earthquake. Want of resources obliged Mr. Bushnell toabandon his schemes for that time; but, in 1777, he made an attempt froma whale-boat against the Cerberus frigate, by drawing a machine againsther side with a line. It accidentally became attached to a schooner andexploded, tearing the vessel in pieces. Three men were killed, and onedangerously wounded. 

"In December, 1777, Mr. Bushnell contrived another ingenious expedientfor accomplishing his favorite object. He charged a number of kegswith powder, arranging them so as to explode on coming in contact withanything while floating along the tide. This squadron was launchedat night on the Delaware river, above the English shipping; but, unfortunately, the proper distance could not be well ascertained, andthey were set adrift too far from the vessels, so that they becameobstructed and dispersed by the floating ice. On the following day, however, one of them blew up a boat, and others exploded, occasioningthe greatest consternation among the British seamen. The troops werearoused, and, with the sailors, manned the wharves and shipping atPhiladelphia, discharging their cannon and small-arms at everything theycould see floating in the river during the ebb tide. 

"The scene must have been a very ridiculous one, and we cannot wonderat Judge Hopkinson making such comic use of it. The British must haveimagined that every keg was the visible part of a torpedo, intended fortheir destruction. "

"We cannot wonder at their consternation, while in constant danger ofbeing blown into the air, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "Just place yourselfin their position; and, knowing that several attempts had been made toblow up the ships, how would you have acted?"

"I should have made quite as much noise, I suppose, " replied old Harmar;"but then it was so laughable. I don't think the folks aboard of thoseships slept for a week after finding that there was powder in the kegs. That, I believe, was Bushnell's last attempt to destroy the fleet. "

"For my part, " remarked Wilson, "I never liked such contrivances; and itis a very pregnant fact that in most cases they have failed, when, fromthe skill and science displayed in their construction, success wasanticipated. It's my opinion, God works against such things. As muchas I hated the enemy, I could not sanction such wholesale murder--formurder it would have been, to have sent hundreds of men into eternity, without giving them an inch of fair fighting ground. I would not haveminded blowing up the British government--that I could have done myselfwithout any more sting of conscience than the hangman feels; butsoldiers and seamen fight fairly and openly for their country's honorand rights, as they understand those things, and they should be met inthe same manner. "

"You're right, Mr. Wilson. Torpedoes, catamarans, and such inventions, might be employed by both parties in war, and with destructive effect. But wars ought to be conducted in such a manner as to gain the desiredend with as little loss of life as possible; besides, in the eyes of allreally brave men, these things must seem cowardly, " said Morton. 

"You must permit me to differ with you, gentlemen, " put in Mr. JacksonHarmar; and, in a very dignified, Congressional style, he deliveredhimself of the following defence of the innovations of modern warfare:"I view all such contrivances as the triumph of the genius and skill ofman over mere brute force, and as tending to the great ends of the peaceand happiness of mankind. They place the weak upon a level with thestrong, and make it evident to every one that the best course would beto submit all questions of right to the arbitration of the mind insteadof the arm and sword. Suppose I, being a small, weak man, should quarrelwith a man of great physical strength, and a hatred to the death shouldbe declared between us. Now, upon whichever side the bone of right lay, the strong man would have the power to destroy me; but if I set my brainto work, and contrive an 'infernal machine, ' I shall be superior to him, and drive him to the same resource. Now, we both see by this, that westand an even chance of being destroyed, and reason resumes her reign. We see that the wisest and safest course for both would be to submitthe question involved in the quarrel to the judgment of a mutual andimpartial friend. Even so these inventions operate among nations, which, by the way, should be ruled by the same general principles asindividuals. "

"That's all very true, " remarked Wilson. "But if I was about to fighta duel with a man, and I stood up, pistol in hand, while he stood offbeyond my reach, and with some infernal invention endeavored to kill me, I should call him a coward. "

"That would not settle the dispute, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "Yourwisest course would be to equal his invention, and compel him to fightfairly or make peace. "

ARNOLD'S TREASON. 

"Many strange and many laughable public events occurred in Philadelphiaduring the Revolution, " said old Harmar. "I was with the army during thegreater part of the time, but our family remained in the city, and keptme advised of everything that was going on. I was engaged to be marriedto your mother, Jackson, before the war commenced, and I had to leaveher in Philadelphia also, until the war was over. She used to write meletters, telling me about everything that passed in the city that wasinteresting. I recollect in one letter she gave me an account of how thenews of Arnold's treason was received among the people. "

"With blessings on the traitor's head, of course, " remarked Wilson, ironically. 

"I could imagine how it was received, " said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "Thepeople were indignant and cursed the traitor. "

"The people of Philadelphia knew Arnold's real character, " replied oldHarmar. "They knew, from his residence among them, that he was capableof selling his soul for gold, glory, and pleasure; but they did notsuspect him of any intention of leaving our cause entirely. They thoughthe would see that it was for his interest to stand by his country'srights. While in command in this city, Arnold had been very intimatewith several wealthy tory families, and I believe had married a ladywho was connected with them. But such an intimacy was not sufficient tojustify suspicions of his patriotism, if it had not been joined withother circumstances. He gave great entertainments at his house, andlived as if he was worth a mint of money. Then he was always in troublewith the committees of Congress about money matters, which madepeople generally believe that he cared more for gold than he did forprinciples. Well, when the news of his discovered treachery reachedPhiladelphia, the men with whom he had been wrangling about money saidthey knew it would turn out just so, and they never expected anythingelse; and the citizens generally were very indignant. They chose somelaughable ways of showing the state of their feelings. An artistconstructed a stuffed figure of the traitor, as large as life, andseated him in a cart, with a figure of the devil alongside of him, holding a lantern so as to show his face to the people. The words, 'Benedict Arnold, the Traitor, ' were placed on a board over the headof the first figure. An evening was appointed for the display, and thehanging and burning of the effigy. A vast procession was formed, withthe cart at the head, and drums and fife playing the Rogues' March. Thisparaded the streets of the city during the whole evening. The peoplegroaned and hissed, and pelted the figures as they passed. At length theprocession reached a common which had been selected for the purpose, andon which a gallows had been erected. There the effigy was hung, and thentaken down and burnt. In the fire, the figure of old Nick was arrangedwith one hand upon Arnold's head, and the other pointing below, while hegrinned as if over a triumph. "

"An appropriate ceremony, " said Wilson. 

"It must have been a great sight, " observed Mrs. Harmar. 

"They should have caught the man himself, and burnt him instead of astuffed figure, " said Higgins. 

"It would have saved Andre, " remarked Smith. 

"The scoundrel!" exclaimed Morton. "He ought to have been put to deathwith all the torture the Indians use with their captives. "

These slight remarks indicated the peculiar manner in which each ofthese individuals viewed a subject. 

"The British generals expected that Arnold's example would be followedby numbers of the Americans; but I think they soon saw the character ofthe people, and the way they regarded Arnold, " said old Harmar. 

"It's my opinion that Arnold's going over to the enemy was a benefit toour cause, " remarked Smith. "Such men are stains upon the character ofthe people with whom they associate; and if a selfish, sensual traitorwas fit company for Sir Henry Clinton and his officers, he was not forWashington and the other generals of our army. " "Some of our peoplethought that he would prove a dangerous foe; but, after the attack onNew London, all his activity and bravery seem to have fallen asleep. Wehad many men who could have met and defeated him, with anything likeequal force. We did not lose much by his treachery, and the British lostAndre, who would have outweighed many Arnolds, " said Morton. 

"But treason found its reward, " observed Mr. Jackson Harmar. "If Arnoldhad an atom of conscience or sensibility to shame, the curses of a wholepeople, whom he had turned from admiring friends to bitter foes, andthe jeers and scorn of those whom he wished to make friends, must haveplanted many a thorn in his bosom, to rankle and poison his life. "

"If he had any conscience?" remarked Morton, with an unbelieving smile. 

"The people of Philadelphia showed that they had the true patrioticspirit in them, in burning that effigy of Arnold, " said Mr. JacksonHarmar; "and taught the enemy that, though they might buy one man, theycould not hire a people to follow wrong example. "

CAPTURE OF GENERAL PRESCOTT. 

"Well, leaving Arnold to the execration of all patriotic and pure-souledmen, " remarked Mr. Jackson Harmar, assuming the post of pilot to theconversation, "there is an exploit of the Revolution which always struckme as being one of the most daring and perilous to be found in theannals of war. I mean the capture of Major-General Prescott by MajorBarton. If either of you, gentlemen, know the circumstances of thataffair, I would be obliged to you for your information. "

"I don't know as much about it as you may obtain from history, "replied old Harmar, speaking for himself. "Our line was in anotherneighborhood. "

"I should suppose Mr. Morton was acquainted with the facts, as he was upin that part of the country about that time, " observed Wilson. 

"I was; and do know all that one engaged in the expedition might tellme, " replied Morton. "Furthermore, I have no objection to communicatingmy information. --I would thank you for a glass of water, Mrs. Harmar. "The water was handed to the old man, and, after a refreshing draught, heproceeded with his narrative. 

"You must know, that in the latter part of 1771 General Charles Lee wassurprised and taken prisoner by a detachment of British troops. Thiswas the result of his own carelessness. The British chuckled over hiscapture, saying that they had caught the American palladium, as if Leewas at all necessary to the success of our cause. However, the Americansconsidered him a valuable officer, and Major William Barton, of theRhode Island line, resolved upon retaking him or procuring his exchange. 

"Some months elapsed, after the capture of General Lee, before anopportunity offered of effecting the object which Major Barton hadin view. In the month following that of the capture, the enemy tookpossession of the islands of Rhode-Island, Canonicut, and Prudence. Major Barton was then stationed at Tiverton, and for some monthsanxiously watched the motions of the enemy, with but feeble prospect ofobtaining the opportunity he desired. 

"At length, on the 20th June, 1777, a man by the name of Coffin, whomade his escape from the British, was seized by some of the Americantroops, and carried to Major Barton's quarters. Major Barton availedhimself of the opportunity to inquire respecting the disposition of theBritish forces. Coffin on examination, stated that Major-GeneralRichard Prescott had established his head-quarters on the west side ofRhode-Island, and described minutely the situation of the house in whichhe resided, which he said was owned by a Mr. Pering. His account wasa few days after confirmed by a deserter from the ranks of the enemy. Major Barton was now confirmed in his belief of the practicability ofeffecting his favorite object:--but serious obstacles were first to beencountered and removed. Neither his troops, nor their commander, hadbeen long inured to service; and the intended enterprise was of a natureas novel as it was hazardous. Besides, Major Barton was aware that theundertaking, should it prove unsuccessful, would be pronounced rash andunadvised, and, in its consequences, though his life might be preserved, be followed by degradation and disgrace. Moreover, to involve in theconsequences of an enterprise, devised and undertaken without previousconsultation with his superiors in rank, the interest and perhaps thelives of a portion of his brave countrymen, was a subject that excitedreflections calculated to damp the ardor and appall the courage of thebravest minds. Still, however, upon mature reflection, aided by aconsciousness that its only motive was the interest of his country, heresolved to hazard his reputation and his life in the attempt. 

"The regiment to which Major Barton was attached, was commanded byColonel Stanton, a respectable and wealthy farmer in Rhode-Island, who, in the spirit of the times, had abandoned the culture of his farm andthe care of his family, and put at hazard his property and his life indefence of his country. To this gentleman Major Barton communicated hisplan, and solicited permission to carry it into execution. ColonelStanton readily authorized him 'to attack the enemy when and where hepleased. ' Several officers in the confidence of Major Barton werethen selected from the regiment for the intended expedition, on whoseabilities and bravery he could rely:--these were, Captain SamuelPhillips, Lieutenant Joshua Babcock, Ensign Andrew Stanton, and JohnWilcock. (Captain Adams subsequently volunteered his services, and tookan active part in the enterprise. ) These gentlemen were informed byMajor Barton, that he had in contemplation an enterprise which would beattended with great personal hazard to himself and his associates; butwhich, if success attended it, would be productive of much advantageto the country. Its particular object, he stated, would be seasonablydisclosed to them. It was at their option to accept or decline hisinvitation to share with him in the dangers, and, as he trusted, in theglory that would attend the undertaking. The personal bravery of MajorBarton had been previously tested; and such was the confidence andesteem which he had acquired among the officers under his command, that, without insisting upon a previous developement of his plans, his proposal was immediately accepted. Major Barton experienced moredifficulty in obtaining the necessary number of boats, as there were buttwo in the vicinity. But this difficulty, though it caused a few days'delay, was at length obviated, and five whale-boats were procured andfitted for service. Major Barton had purposely postponed procuring thenecessary number of men until the last moment, from an apprehension thattheir earlier selection might excite suspicion, and defeat the objectof their enterprise. Desirous that this little band might be composedentirely of volunteers, the whole regiment was now ordered upon parade. In a short, but animated address, Major Barton informed the soldiersthat he projected an expedition against the enemy, which could beeffected only by the heroism and bravery of those who should attend him;that he desired the voluntary assistance of about forty of their number, and directed those 'who would hazard their lives in the enterprise, to advance two paces in front. ' Without one exception, or a moment'shesitation, the whole regiment advanced. Major Barton, after bestowingupon the troops the applause they merited, and stating that he requiredthe aid of but a small portion of their number, commenced upon theright, and, passing along the lines, selected from the regiment, tothe number of thirty-six, those who united to bravery and disciplinea competent knowledge of seamanship, for the management of the boats. Having thus obtained an adequate number of officers and men, andeverything being ready, the party, on the 4th of July, 1777, embarkedfrom Tiverton for Bristol. While crossing Mount Hope Bay, there arose asevere storm of thunder and rain, which separated three boats from thatof their commander. The boat containing Major Barton, and one other, arrived at Bristol soon after midnight. Major Barton proceeded to thequarters of the commanding officer, where he found a deserter who hadjust made his escape from the enemy at Rhode-Island. From this man helearned that there had been no alteration for the last few days in theposition of the British. On the morning of the fifth, the remainingboats having arrived, Major Barton, with his officers, went to HogIsland, not far distant from Bristol, and within view of the Britishencampment and shipping. It was at this place that he disclosed tohis officers the particular object of the enterprise, his reasons forattempting it, and the part each was to perform. Upon reconnoitringthe position of the enemy, it was thought impracticable, without greathazard of capture, to proceed directly from Bristol to the head-quartersof the British general. It was determined, therefore, to make WarwickNeck, a place opposite to the British encampment, but at a greaterdistance than Bristol, the point from which they should departimmediately for Rhode-Island. The closest secrecy was enjoined upon hisofficers by Major Barton, and they returned to Bristol. 

"On the evening of the sixth, about nine o'clock, the little squadronagain sailed, and crossing Narragansett Bay, landed on Warwick Neck. On the seventh, the wind changing to E. N. E. Brought on a storm, andretarded their plan. On the ninth, the weather being pleasant, it wasdetermined to embark for the island. The boats were now numbered, andthe place of every officer and soldier assigned. About nine o'clock inthe evening, Major Barton assembled his little party around him, and ina short but spirited address, in which were mingled the feelings of thesoldier and the man, he disclosed to them the object of the enterprise. He did not attempt to conceal the danger and difficulties that wouldinevitably attend the undertaking; nor did he forget to remind them, that should their efforts be followed by success, they would be entitledto, and would receive, the grateful acknowledgments of their country. 'It is probable, ' said he, 'that some of us may not survive the daringattempt; but I ask you to hazard no dangers which will not be sharedwith you by your commander; and I pledge to you my honor, that in everydifficulty and danger I will take the lead. ' He received the immediateand unanimous assurance of the whole party, that they would followwherever their commander should lead them. Major Barton then, remindingthem how much the success of the enterprise depended upon their strictattention to orders, directed that each individual should confinehimself to his particular seat in the boat assigned him, and that nota syllable should be uttered by any one. He instructed them, as theyregarded their character as patriots and soldiers, that in the hourof danger they should be firm, collected, and resolved fearlessly toencounter the dangers and difficulties that might assail them. Heconcluded by offering his earnest petition to the Great King of Armies, that he would smile upon their intended enterprise, and crown it withsuccess. The whole party now proceeded to the shore. Major Barton hadreason to apprehend that he might be discovered in his passage from themain to Rhode-Island, by some of the ships of war that lay at a smalldistance from shore. He therefore directed the commanding officer atWarwick Neck, that if he heard the report of three distinct muskets, tosend boats to the north end of Prudence Island to his aid. The wholeparty now took possession of the boats in the manner directed. Thatwhich contained Major Barton was posted in front, with a pole aboutten feet long fixed in her stern, to the end of which was attached ahandkerchief, in order that his boat might be distinguished from theothers, and that none might go before it. In this manner they proceededbetween the islands of Prudence and Patience, in order that they mightnot be seen by the shipping of the enemy that lay off Hope Island. Whilepassing the north end of Prudence Island, they heard from the sentinelson board the shipping of the enemy, the cry of 'All's well!' As theyapproached the shore of Rhode-Island, a noise like the running of horseswas heard, which threw a momentary consternation over the minds of thewhole party; but, in strict conformity to the orders issued, not a wordwas spoken by any one. A moment's reflection satisfied Major Barton ofthe utter impossibility that his designs could be known by the enemy, and he pushed boldly for the shore. Apprehensive that, if discovered, the enemy might attempt to cut off his retreat, Major Barton orderedone man to remain in each boat, and be prepared to depart at amoment's warning. The remainder of the party landed without delay. Thereflections of Major Barton at this interesting moment, were of anature the most painful. The lapse of a few hours would place him in asituation in the highest degree gratifying to his ambition, or overwhelmhim in the ruin in which his rashness would involve him. In the solemnsilence of night, and on the shores of the enemy, he paused a moment toconsider a plan which had been projected and matured amidst the bustleof a camp and in a place of safety. The night was excessively dark, and, a stranger to the country, his sole reliance upon a direct and rapidmovement to the head-quarters of a British general, so essential tosuccess, rested upon the imperfect information he had acquired fromdeserters from the enemy. Should he surprise and secure GeneralPrescott, he was aware of the difficulties that would attend hisconveyance to the boat; the probability of an early and fatal discoveryof his design by the troops upon the island; and, even if he shouldsucceed in reaching the boats, it was by no means improbable that thealarm might be seasonably given to the shipping, to prevent his retreatto the main. But regardless of circumstances, which even then would haveafforded an apology for a hasty retreat, he resolved at all hazards toattempt the accomplishment of his designs. 

"To the head-quarters of General Prescott, about a mile from the shore, a party in five divisions now proceeded in silence. There were doors onthe south, the east and west sides of the house in which he resided. Thefirst division was ordered to advance upon the south door, the secondthe west, and the third the east, the fourth to guard the road, and thefifth to act in emergencies. In their march they passed the guard-houseof the enemy on their left, and on their right a house occupied by acompany of cavalry, for the purpose of carrying with expedition theorders of the general to remote parts of the island. On arrivingat the head-quarters of the enemy, as the gate of the front yard wasopened, they were challenged by a sentinel on guard. The party was atthe distance of twenty-five yards from the sentinel, but a row oftrees partially concealed them from his view, and prevented him fromdetermining their number. No reply was made to the challenge of thesentinel, and the party proceeded on in silence. The sentinel againdemanded, 'Who comes there?' 'Friends, ' replied Barton. 'Friends, ' saysthe sentinel, 'advance and give the countersign. '

"Major Barton, affecting to be angry, said to the sentinel, who was nownear him, 'Damn you, we have no countersign--have you seen any rascalsto-night?' and, before the sentinel could determine the character ofthose who approached him, Major Barton had seized his musket, told himhe was a prisoner, and threatened, in case of noise or resistance, toput him to instant death. The poor fellow was so terrified, that uponbeing asked whether his general was in the house, he was for some timeunable to give any answer. At length, in a faltering voice, he repliedthat he was. By this time each division having taken its station, thesouth door was burst open by the direction of Major Barton, and thedivision there stationed, with their commander at their head, rushedinto the head-quarters of the general. At this critical moment, one ofthe British soldiers effected his escape, and fled to the quarters ofthe main guard. This man had no article of clothing upon him but ashirt; and having given the alarm to the sentinel on duty, passed onto the quarters of the cavalry, which was more remote from thehead-quarters of the general. The sentinel roused the main guard, whowere instantly in arms, and demanded the cause of alarm. He stated theinformation which had been given him by the soldier, which appeared soincredible to the sergeant of the guard that he insisted that he hadseen a ghost. The sentinel, to whom the account of the general's captureappeared quite as incredible as to his commanding officer, admitted thatthe messenger was clothed in white; and after submitting to the jokesof his companions, as a punishment for his credulity, he was ordered toresume his station, while the remainder of the guard retired to theirquarters. It was fortunate for Major Barton and his brave followers, that the alarm given by the soldier was considered groundless. Had themain guard proceeded without delay to the relief of their commandinggeneral, his rescue certainly, and probably the destruction of theparty, would have been the consequence. 

"The first room Major Barton entered was occupied by Mr. Pering, whopositively denied that General Prescott was in the house. He nextentered the room of his son, who was equally obstinate with his fatherin denying that the general was there. Major Barton then proceededto other apartments, but was still disappointed in the object ofhis search. Aware that longer delay might defeat the object of hisenterprise, Major Barton resorted to stratagem to facilitate hissearch. Placing himself at the head of the stairway, and declaringhis resolution to secure the general dead or alive, he ordered[Illustration: CAPTURE OF GENERAL PRESCOTT. ] his soldiers to set fireto the house. The soldiers were preparing to execute his orders, whena voice, which Major Barton at once suspected to be the general's, demanded 'What's the matter?' Major Barton rushed to the apartment fromwhence the voice proceeded, and discovered an elderly man just risingfrom his bed, and clapping his hand upon his shoulder, demanded ofhim if he was General Prescott. He answered 'Yes, sir. ' 'You are myprisoner, then, ' said Major Barton. 'I acknowledge that I am, ' repliedthe general. In a moment, General Prescott found himself, half dressed, in the arms of the soldiers, who hurried him from the house. In themeantime, Major Barrington, the aid to General Prescott, discoveringthat the house was attacked by the rebels, as he termed them, leapedfrom the window of his bed-chamber, and was immediately secured aprisoner. General Prescott, supported by Major Barton and one of hisofficers, and attended by Major Barrington and the sentinel, proceeded, surrounded by the soldiery, to the shore. Upon seeing the five littleboats, General Prescott, who knew the position of the British shipping, appeared much confused, and, turning to Major Barton, inquired if hecommanded the party. On being informed that he did, he expressed a hopethat no personal injury was intended him; and Major Barton assured thegeneral of his protection, while he remained under his control. 

"The general had travelled from head-quarters to the shore in hiswaistcoat, small-clothes, and slippers. A moment was now allowed him tocomplete his dress, while the party were taking possession of the boats. The general was placed in the boat with Major Barton, and they proceededfor the main. 

"They had not got far from the island, when the discharge of cannon andthree sky-rockets gave the signal of alarm. It was fortunate for theparty that the enemy on board the shipping were ignorant of the causeof it, for they might easily have cut off their retreat. The signalof alarm excited the apprehensions of Major Barton and his braveassociates, and redoubled their exertions to reach the point of theirdestination before they could be discovered. They succeeded, andsoon after day-break landed at Warwick Neck, near the point of theirdeparture, after an absence of six hours and a half. 

"General Prescott turned towards the island, and, observing the shipsof war, remarked to Major Barton, 'Sir, you have made a bold pushto-night. ' 'We have been fortunate, ' replied the hero. An express wasimmediately sent forward to Major-General Spencer, at Providence, communicating the success which had attended the enterprise. Not longafterwards, a coach arrived, which had been despatched by GeneralSpencer to convey General Prescott and his aide-de-camp prisoners toProvidence. They were accompanied by Major Barton, who related toGeneral Spencer, on their arrival, the particulars of the enterprise, and received from that officer the most grateful acknowledgments for thesignal services he had rendered to his country. "

"I suppose Prescott paid for Lee soon afterwards?" said young Harmar. "Yes; he was an officer of equal rank with Lee. The enemy had refused toexchange Lee for two or three officers of an inferior grade, but theywere ready enough to take Prescott for him, " replied Morton. 

"It was as complete an enterprise as was ever carried through, " remarkedold Harmar. 

"The poor general must have been surprised to find he was a prisoner, when he thought himself safe among an army and fleet, " observed Mrs. Harmar. 

"Major Barton was every inch a hero. See his skill and daring inplanning and executing the capture, and then his modesty when Prescottsaid he had made a bold push--'We have been fortunate. ' The reply wasworthy of the noblest of the Athenians, " remarked Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"Circumstances did certainly favor the enterprise, " said Smith. "Infact, we may say its success turned upon chances, and if it had failedand the whole party been made prisoners, Major Barton would have beencalled a rash and inconsiderate officer. Success works wonders in ourestimate of deeds. "

"You are harsh. Barton calculated the chances before he entered into theexpedition--saw that they were in his favor, and then formed his plan. I am persuaded that, had he failed, his countrymen would have done himjustice, " said Wilson. 

"Perhaps, " replied Higgins. 

JONATHAN RILEY AND FRANK LILLY. 

"I say, Mr. Higgins, " said old Harmar, wishing to change the subject, "do you recollect Jonathan Riley and Frank Lilly, that were in ourcompany?"

"I do. I shall never forget the death of either of them, " repliedHiggins. "Poor Frank used to be the butt of the regiment. "

"And why shall you always remember the death of those two men?" inquiredMr. Jackson Harmar. 

"Well, from peculiar circumstances connected with them, " repliedHiggins. "However, your father knew them most intimately, and he cantell you more about them than I can. "

"Come, father, we call on you for the story, " said Mrs. Harmar. 

"You shall have what I can recollect of it, my child. My memory won'tpass muster any more; but if there's one event that will never escapeits grasp, it is the singular death of Jonathan Riley. He was a sergeantin our regiment. 

[Illustration: RILEY GOING TO THE PLACE OF EXECUTION. ]

He had served in the old French war, and, being a man of triedcourage and presence of mind, he was usually selected for dangerous andtrying situations. He was at length placed on a recruiting station, andin a short period he enlisted a great number of men. Among his recruitswas Frank Lilly, a boy about sixteen years old, who was so weak andsmall that he would not have passed muster if the array had not beengreatly in want of men. The soldiers made this boy the butt of theirridicule, and many a joke was perpetrated at his expense. Yet there wasa spirit in the boy beyond his years. Riley was greatly attached to him;and it was reported, on good authority, that he was the fruit of one ofRiley's love affairs with a beautiful and unfortunate girl. 

"Often on our long and fatiguing marches, dying almost from want, harassed incessantly by the enemy, did Riley carry the boy's knapsackfor miles, and many a crust for the poor wretch was saved from hisscanty allowance. But Frank Lilly's resolution was once the causeof saving the whole detachment. The American army was encamped atElizabethtown. The soldiers stationed about four miles from the mainbody, near the bay that separated the continent from Staten-Island, forming an advance picket-guard, were chosen from a southern regiment, and were continually deserting. It was a post of some danger, as theyoung ambitious British officers, or experienced sergeants, often headedparties that approached the shore in silence, during the night, andattacked our outposts. Once they succeeded in surprising and capturingan officer and twenty men, without the loss of a man on their part. General Washington determined to relieve the forces near the bay, and our regiment was the one from which the selection was made. Thearrangement of our guard, as near as I can recollect, was as follows:

"A body of two hundred and fifty men was stationed a short distanceinland. In advance of these were several outposts, consisting of anofficer and thirty men each. The sentinels were so near as to meet intheir rounds, and were relieved every two hours. It chanced one dark andwindy night, that Lilly and myself were sentinels on adjoining posts. All the sentinels were directed to fire on the least alarm, and retreatto the guard, where we were to make the best defence we could, untilsupported by the detachment in our rear. In front of me was a strip ofwoods, and the bay was so near that I could hear the dashing of thewaves. It was near midnight, and occasionally a star was to be seenthrough the flying clouds. The hours passed heavily and cheerlesslyaway. The wind at times roared through the adjoining woods withastonishing violence. In a pause of the storm, as the wind died suddenlyaway, and was heard only moaning at a distance, I was startled by anunusual noise in the woods before me. Again I listened attentively, andimagined that I heard the heavy tread of a body of men, and the rattlingof cartridge boxes. As I met Lilly, I informed him of my suspicions. Allhad been quiet in the rounds, but he promised to keep a good watch, andfire on the least alarm. We separated, and I had marched but a few rods, when I heard the following conversation. 'Stand. ' The answer was froma speaker rapidly approaching, and in a low constrained voice. 'Standyourself, and you shall not be injured. If you fire, you are a dead man. If you remain where you are, you shall not be harmed. If you move, Iwill run you through. '

"Scarcely had he spoken, when I saw the flash, and heard the report ofLilly's gun. I saw a black mass rapidly advancing, at which I fired, andwith all the sentinels retreated to the guard, consisting of thirty men, commanded by an ensign. An old barn had served them for a guard-house, and they barely had time to turn out, and parade in the road, as theBritish were getting over a fence within six rods of us, to the numberof eighty, as we supposed. We fired upon them, and retreated in goodorder towards the detachment in the rear. The enemy, disappointed oftheir expected prey, pushed us hard, but we were soon reinforced, andthey, in their turn, were compelled to retreat, and we followed themat their heels to the boats. We found the next morning that poor FrankLilly, after discharging his musket, was followed so close by the enemythat he was unable to get over a fence, and he was run through witha bayonet. It was apparent, however, that there had been a violentstruggle; for in front of his post was a British non-commissionedofficer, one of the best formed men I ever saw, shot directly throughthe body. He died in great agonies, as the ground was torn up with hishands, and he had literally bitten the dust. We discovered long tracesof blood, but never knew the extent of the enemy's loss. Poor Rileytook Lilly's death so much to heart that he never afterwards was the manhe previously had been. He became indifferent, and neglected his duty. There was something remarkable in the manner of his death. He wastried for his life, and sentenced to be shot. During the trial andsubsequently, he discovered an indifference truly astonishing. On theday of his execution, the fatal cap was drawn over his eyes, and he wascaused to kneel in front of the whole army. Twelve men were detailed forthe purpose of executing him, but a pardon had been granted, unknown toRiley, in consequence of his age and services; they had no cartridges. The word 'ready' was given, and the cocking of guns could be distinctlyheard. At the word 'fire, ' Riley fell dead upon his face, when not a gunhad been discharged. "

"That was a remarkable death; but there have been many instances ofa similar kind. The dread of death has been sufficient to produce itwithout a mortal blow, " remarked Wilson. 

"But I cannot believe that Riley ever felt a dread of death. He wasalways as reckless of his own life as if it was not of the value of apin's head. No; it was not the dread of death, " replied old Harmar. 

"It may have been the belief that death was certainly about to visithim. Imagination may produce effects quite as wonderful, " observed Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"It's a waste of time and thought to speculate on such things, " saidSmith. "But I'm inclined to believe, with young Mr. Harmar, that it wasthe result of imagination. A man hearing the word 'fire, ' in such acase, would feel sure of death, and then his faculties would sink intothe expected state. "

"I guess Riley's heart must have been almost broken at the death of poorFrank Lilly, " said Mrs. Harmar. 

"Yes; he felt it deeper than most of us thought, and as I said, becameperfectly indifferent whether his duty was performed or not, " repliedold Harmar. "The whole story of Riley and Lilly, including the accountof the love affair, was a sad bit of romance. "

THE MASSACRE OF WYOMING. 

"The people of Pennsylvania, " observed Morton, "suffered more from thetories and Indians than they did from the British. Philadelphia andits vicinity were the only parts which any considerable British forcevisited; but look at the depredations of the tories and Indians onthe northern and western frontiers, and at the massacre at Wyomingparticularly. "

"Ay, there were suffering and horror enough experienced in that valleyalone, to match those of any other event in our history. It was a timeof blood and desolation, " remarked Mr. Jackson Harmar. 

"I was intimately acquainted with several families residing in thevalley at the time of the massacre, " said Morton; "and one man, whowas taken prisoner after seeing his whole family slaughtered, and whoafterwards escaped from the bloody band, narrated the whole affair tome. "

"There is considerable dispute in regard to the circumstances attendingthe massacre. It seems impossible to get at the precise truth, " observedMrs. Harmar. "It's my opinion, the horrors of the event have beengreatly exaggerated, " added Smith. 

"I do not think they could be exaggerated, " replied Morton. "If youdesire it, I will relate the circumstances as they were narrated to me. I can vouch for the strict regard to truth that has ever distinguishedmy friend. "

Of course, the company signified their desire to hear the account, andthereupon Morton began as follows. 

"Wyoming, besides being a frontier settlement during the course of theRevolutionary war, and therefore constantly exposed to the inroads ofthe savages, had furnished two full companies, and about sixty recruitsmore, for the main army--all which were annexed to the Connecticut line, and armed at their own expense. They amounted, in the whole, to twohundred and thirty men. While thus weakened and unguarded, they wereinvaded by an army from Niagara, in the British service, composed ofregulars, tories, and Indians; of which the Indians composed the greaterpart. 

"The Indians, in the spring of 1777, began to be troublesome. Theirnumbers were frequently augmented by the arrival of new parties; and itwas from the cattle, hogs, and other plunder taken from the inhabitants, that they furnished themselves with provisions. Some of the inhabitantswere killed by them, and others captured; and they destroyed muchproperty. At length they became very formidable. 

"The inhabitants had erected several small forts, but the principal onewas Forty Fort, in Kingston, on the west side of the river, a smalldistance above Wyoming Falls. To this the settlers had chiefly resorted. They had sent agents to the continental army to acquaint them with theirdistressed situation; in consequence of which, Captain Spaulding, withabout sixty or seventy men, was dispatched to their assistance. Thisdetachment was, at the time of the massacre, about forty miles distant. The garrison had been apprised of their march from Lancaster, but not oftheir proximity. 

"The people in the garrison grew uneasy, under the insults of theinvaders. The militia were placed under officers taken from themselves, and the whole body was commanded by Colonel Zebulon Butler, of thecontinental army. Colonel Dennison, of the militia, was second incommand. There was a fortification about three miles above Forty Fort, called Wintermoot's Fort. This was in the possession of tories. Theysurrendered at the approach of the enemy, without opposition, and gavethem aid; some of them entering fully into their interests. Wintermoot'sFort instantly became the headquarters of the expedition from Canada;and was commanded by Colonel John Butler, a British officer, andcommander of a party of rangers. The second in command was ColonelBrandt, a natural son of Sir William Johnson, by an Indian woman. Somecommunications by flag had taken place between the hostile partiesprevious to the battle, with propositions of compromise. The Canadiansinsisted on an unqualified submission to Great Britain; but this thegarrison peremptorily refused, and nothing was effected. The reciprocalbearers of flags represented the army of the invaders as double thegarrison in number, and still more superior in the quality of theirarms. 

"It was debated in the garrison, whether it would be a point of prudenceto hazard a sally. An officer, who had been at the enemy's camp with aflag, opposed it, as did also Colonel Dennison and several others, andColonel Butler rather declined it; but, among others who were in favorof it, a certain captain, (who never lived to lament his temerity, )urged it with so much vehemence, that the commandant consented. A Mr. Ingersol, then in the garrison with a flag from the enemy, had been sometime their captive, and was intimately acquainted with their strength. He did his utmost to deter them from the rash attempt, but all in vain;and, when he saw them turn out and parade, could no longer refrain fromtears. 

"The third day of July, in the year 1778, was the fatal day that delugedin blood the plains of Wyoming! The garrison marched off in a solidcolumn, and met with no material obstruction till they reached theenemy's camp, about three miles above Forty Fort. Here they had theSusquehanna on the right, and a thick swamp on the left; and, perceivingthat the enemy extended from the one to the other, ready to receivethem, they displayed column, which threw them into a similar position. Colonel Zebulon Butler commanded the right, and was opposed by ColonelJohn Butler, on the enemy's left. Colonel Dennison commanded on theleft, and was opposed by Colonel Brandt, on the enemy's right. Theaction commenced at about forty rods distance. The air being heavy, thesmoke obstructed their sight; and, after the first discharge, they couldonly direct their aim by the flash of the enemy's guns. Little executionwas done till after several discharges. Brandt marched a party into theswamp, and flanked the militia. The enemy, now firing from under coverof the thicket, greatly annoyed that wing. The militia dropped downvery fast, and at length began to give way, one after another, in rapidsuccession, till the rout became general. The fugitives were closelypursued by the Indians, who, besides their rifles and tomahawks, wereprovided with long spears, which they threw with great dexterity, andseldom missed their object--the practice of throwing the tomahawk andspear, and of taking aim, being the principal exercises to which anIndian warrior is trained. 

"It was impossible for men thus flying and thus pursued to rally, norhad they a moment's time even to load their pieces, while death wasclose upon every man's heel. And, besides, many of them had no otherweapon but a rusty musket. Flight was their only hope; and the Indians, being most accustomed to running, if they could not run the fastest, could, however, out-wind them. The carnage at once became general, andthree-fourths of the militia were killed. 

"According to the account of some who were present, the numberthat sallied out was five hundred, and of those who escaped thescalping-knife two hundred. Others assert that the sortie consisted ofbut three hundred, and those who escaped were less than one hundred. The probability is that, between the confusion, carnage, and panic ofthe day, the accounts are all incorrect. But, by every account, aboutthree hundred able-bodied men, amounting to more than half thesettlement, were slain on that dismal day. 

"The fugitives fled in every direction. Some saved themselves by fairrunning; some, by hiding till the darkness covered their retreat; andmany by swimming the river, &c. Particular details of all individualescapes cannot be given; nor would they, perhaps, be entertaining, and Ishall, therefore, pass them over. Some few of the enemy were killedin the pursuit; their total loss was never ascertained, but we are topresume that it was small. 

"Forty Fort was immediately evacuated. Some few of the inhabitants tookBritish protections, and remained on their premises. The signal for ahouse under protection was a white cloth hung up near the door, and fora man, a white rag round the crown of his hat. 

"Those of the militia who escaped from the battle, hastened toward theDelaware, and, on their way through the swamp, met Captain Spaulding'sdetachment, who, on being informed of the strength of the enemy anddeplorable condition of the settlement, judged it prudent to turn aboutand retire to the settlement on the Delaware. 

"The road through the swamp was thronged with women and children, heavy-hearted and panic-struck; destitute of all the comforts of life, travelling day and night, and in continual dread of the tomahawk andscalping-knife! The whole country, and all the property in it, wasabandoned to the savages, save only by the few who had taken Britishprotections. 

"Colonel Nathan Dennison, who succeeded to the command after Butlerescaped, seeing the impossibility of an effectual defence, went witha flag to Colonel John Butler, to know what terms he would grant on asurrender; to which application Butler answered, with more than savagephlegm, in two short words, '_The hatchet_. ' Dennison, having defendedthe fort till most of the garrison were killed or disabled, wascompelled to surrender at discretion. Some of the unhappy persons in thefort were carried away alive; but the barbarous conquerors, to savethe trouble of murder in detail, shut up the rest promiscuously inthe houses and barracks, which they set on fire, enjoying the savagepleasure of beholding the whole consumed in one general blaze. 

"They then crossed the river to the only remaining fort, Wilkesborough, which, in hopes of mercy, surrendered without demanding any conditions. They found about seventy continental soldiers, who had been engagedmerely for the defence of the frontiers, whom they butchered with everycircumstance of horrid cruelty. The remainder of the men, with the womenand children, were shut up, as before, in the houses, which being set onfire, they perished altogether in the flames. 

"A general scene of devastation was now spread through all thetownships. Fire, sword, and the other different instruments ofdestruction, alternately triumphed. The settlements of the toriesalone generally escaped, and appeared as islands in the midst of thesurrounding ruin. The merciless ravagers, having destroyed the mainobjects of their cruelty, directed their animosity to every part ofliving nature belonging to them--shooting and destroying some of theircattle, and cutting out the tongues of others, leaving them still aliveto prolong their agonies. 

"The following are a few of the more singular circumstances of thebarbarity practised in the attack upon Wyoming. Captain Bedlock, who hadbeen taken prisoner, being stripped naked, had his body stuck full ofsplinters of pine-knots, and then a heap of the same piled around him;the whole was then set on fire, and his two companions, Captains Ransonand Durgee, thrown alive into the flames and held down with pitchforks. The returned tories, who had at different times abandoned thesettlement in order to join in those savage expeditions, were the mostdistinguished for their cruelty: in this they resembled the tories thatjoined the British forces. One of these Wyoming tories, whose mother hadmarried a second husband, butchered with his own hands both her, hisfather-in-law, his own sisters, and their infant children. Another, whoduring his absence had sent home several threats against the life of hisfather, now not only realized them in person, but was himself, with hisown hands, the exterminator of his whole family, mothers, brothers, andsisters, and mingled their blood in one common carnage with that ofthe aged husband and father. The broken parts and scattered relics offamilies, consisting mostly of women and children who had escaped to thewoods during the different scenes of this devastation, suffered littleless than their friends, who had perished in the ruins of their houses. Dispersed, and wandering in the forests as chance and fear directed, without provision or covering, they had a long tract of country totraverse, and many, without doubt, perished in the woods. "

"Such deeds make the blood curdle in my veins, " observed Mrs. Harmar. 

"It is said that the cruelty of Colonel John Butler at Wyoming has beengreatly exaggerated, " remarked Mr. Jackson Harmar. "His son, WalterButler, was certainly a savage, and the bloody deeds he committed havebeen frequently attributed to his father. But I think history shouldset the matter right, nor found its assertions upon the stories of theexasperated whigs. "

"That's well thought of you, Mr. Harmar, but it's my opinion thathistorians cannot find any evidence of the humanity of John Butler. As Isaid before, I firmly believe the story of my friend. If John Butler didnot butcher the men who asked for quarter, he looked quietly on whilethe red men did it, and therefore he is just as criminal, in my eyes, asif he had handled the tomahawk, " said Morton, emphatically. 

"Colonel Zebulon Butler, with his family, escaped from the fort beforethe massacre, I believe?" observed Higgins, inquisitively. 

"Yes; and in that I think he betrayed his trust. A commander shouldeither conquer or die with his men, " replied Morton. 

"But when slaughter is certain, I think every man is justified in doingall that he can to save himself, " said old Harmar. 

"That is selfish. If slaughter was certain, would it not have been morehonorable to remain, and make the enemy pay life for life, than it wouldbe to steal away and leave women and children to fall without revenge?"observed Wilson. 

"But would it be wise?" asked old Harmar, interrogatively. 

"Whatever is honorable is wise, " replied Wilson. 

STORY OF THE DAUPHIN'S BIRTHDAY. 

"Mr. Mortan, what do you think was the most interesting scene you sawduring the war?" enquired Mr. Jackson Harraar. 

"Well, that's a question it requires some thinking to answer, " repliedMorton. "Leaving battle scenes out of view, I think the celebration ofthe Dauphin's birth-day, in May, 1782, was one of the most interestingevents I have ever witnessed. "

"It was a great celebration, " observed Higgins. 

"You see, " began Morton, "our army was then encamped on the high groundson both sides of the Hudson. The camp on the west side of the river wascalled New Boston, because the huts had been put up by the Massachusettstroops. The head-quarters of General Washington were at West Point. As our Congress had entered into an alliance with the king of France, General Washington thought it proper to seize every occasion of doinghonor to our allies; and when the French were thrown into all sorts ofrejoicing by the birth of an heir to the throne, he decided that weshould celebrate the same event. The thirty-first of May was fixed uponfor the celebration. Great preparations were made for the festival. InGeneral Washington's orders, invitations were given to all theofficers in the army, and they were requested to invite any friend oracquaintance they might have in the country to join them. A romantic, open plain near West Point was chosen for the building of the greatbower under which the company were to meet and partake of a grand feast. A French engineer, named Villefranche, was employed, with one thousandmen, ten days in completing it, and, when completed, it was one of themost beautiful edifices I have ever seen. It was composed entirely ofthe material which the trees in the neighborhood afforded, and was aboutsix hundred feet long and thirty wide. The roof was supported by a grandcolonnade of one hundred and eighteen pillars made of the trunks oftrees. The roof and walls were made of the boughs and branches of trees, curiously interwoven, while the ends were left open. On the inside, every pillar was enriched with muskets and bayonets, which were arrangedin a fanciful manner; and the whole interior was decorated withevergreens, French and American colors, and various emblems and mottoes. 

"On the day of the festival, the whole army was paraded on the hillson both side of the river, and it was a grand view. For several milesaround, as far as the eye could reach, lines of men, glittering in theiraccoutrements, appeared. The officers were in front, or among theirrespective commands, and their waving plumes seemed like floatingfoam on the waves. At the signal--the firing of three cannon--all theregimental officers left their commands and proceeded to the buildingto join in the festivities there prepared by order of thecommander-in-chief. 

"At five o'clock, dinner being on the table, an interesting processionmoved from the quarters of Major-General M'Dougall, through a lineformed by Colonel Grain's regiment of artillery. In front, walkedthe noble commander-in-chief, his countenance expressive of unusualcheerfulness, and his stately form moving with characteristic grace anddignity. He was accompanied by his lady, and his suite followed him. Then came all the principal officers of the army with their ladies, Governor Clinton and lady, and various distinguished characters fromthe States of New York and New Jersey. The procession moved to the vastbower, where more than five hundred guests were assembled. The banquetwas magnificently prepared, and bands of music added melody to the othercharms of the scene--thus feasting and satisfying the eye, the ear, andthe palate. The cloth being removed, thirteen appropriate toasts weredrank, each being announced by the firing of thirteen cannon and theplaying of appropriate music by the bands in attendance. The companyretired from the table at seven o'clock, and the regimental officersrejoined their respective commands. In the evening, the arbor wasbrilliantly illuminated. The numerous lights, gleaming among the boughsand leaves of the trees that composed the roof and the walls, presentedthe appearance of myriads of glowworms or of thousands of starsglittering in the night. When the officers had rejoined their differentregiments, thirteen cannon were again fired, as a prelude to the generalfeu-de-joie which immediately succeeded. Three times was it repeated, and the reverberations sounded among the hills with tremendous effect, darkness adding grandeur to the scene, as the flashing of the musketryof the army broke upon it like sheeted lightning. The feu-de-joie wasimmediately followed by three shouts of acclamation and benediction forthe dauphin, given by the whole army as with one voice. At half-pasteleven o'clock the celebration was concluded by an exhibition offireworks, ingeniously constructed of various figures. There was a ballgiven during the evening in the arbor, at which General Washington, with Mrs. Knox for a partner, led the dance. Thus ended the generalfestivity. "

"There, " remarked Mrs. Harmar, "that has interested me much more thanall the horrible stories that have been told to-day. How I should haveliked to be there!"

"It was a sight such as all men are not permitted to see, " said Morton. 

"It was grand--it was sublime!" exclaimed Mr. Jackson Harmar. "A sceneworthy of any pen or any pencil!" As Mr. Jackson Harmar seized all suchopportunities for exercising his literary propensities, it was mostprobable that he considered that the pen alone could do justice to thescene, and that _his_ pen was destined to immortalize it. 

The bell now rang for tea, and the party adjourned to the tea-table, where, however, the conversation turned upon matters foreign to theRevolution. Mrs. Harmar would introduce household concerns when herhusband began to allude to the war, and the children, especially ThomasJefferson Harmar, would play around the old veterans, asking themtrifling questions, until the meal was finished, and then Morton, Higgins, Smith, and Wilson prepared to return to their respectiveresidences. Morton lived in the interior of Pennsylvania, and wasstopping with a near relative during his visit to the city. The otherthree resided in New Jersey, and were putting up at the same house--thatof a friend of Higgins'. Old Harmar shook hands with his old campassociates, wishing them many days of health and happiness to come, andtrusting that they might meet again before death should claim them. Theveterans kissed the children, and Morton gave Thomas Jefferson Harmar abullet from Bunker's Hill, telling him to learn what his countrymen hadfought and bled for, and to act like them on a like occasion, if anysuch should ever occur, which he earnestly hoped would never be thecase. Mr. Jackson Harmar procured a carriage, and the veterans beingsoon comfortably seated, he accompanied them to their respectiveresidences. On bidding him farewell, the aged patriots thanked himfor his kindness, which Mr. Jackson Harmar returned with an elaboratepanegyric on the men of the Revolution, and the duty of his generationto treat them with the highest veneration and respect. The public eithersuffered from or were benefited by the interview between Mr. JacksonHarmar and the veteran patriots, for the press soon teemed with stirringpoetical appeals to the people to hold their liberties dearer thanlife, on account of the blood that they had cost. A large volume alsoappeared, entitled "Legends of the Times that tried Men's Souls, "beginning with the history of the "Old State-House Bell. "

THE END.