Show THE BOY lloy PATRIOTS A revolutionary INCIDENT history i is s fi led with the deeds of the men of 0 the revolution nor are the patriot women for gI gian tn in the burning of the annalists auna anna lists of ag but where is the hi torian who tells of he the hm of the boys of that gloomy period 1 M waco be writes their biographies there were boys iu in the revolution boys of noble rn aud and da spirit spirito boys who would I 1 not become traitors tho iho the rack and the gibbet confronted them bos bois who toiled with an endurance and boldness unequal unequalled led in the annals of a i nation atton for the independence of the old thirteen and had they now a just desert the brightest star in americas constellation and the stripe in her broad canvas canvass would be dedicated to the boys bo sol of 76 1 let ns us relate an instance it was 1 in 11 tb the year yean ean ear ot iet itt 1 boive anthia inhuman soldiery while the field of brandywine gave american people an evidence of B 11 tish humanity the ini ml abita abitanta abi abl tants tanes rits of pennsyl penns 1 vanla vinla and were at the mercy of their fo foe bands of heslan reslan fl esian dragoons scoured the vicinity of philadelphia for miles around and committed acts which would disgrace a vandal on the evening of a delightful autumn day a group of boys ranging in age from twelve to seventeen years were gathered together on the steps of a tenantless storehouse in the little village of newark delaware the town seemed lonely and with the exception of the youthful band referred to not a human bearg met the eye ali all the man men capable of bearing arms had lied left lett thor thon brines to join the army of washington on the he schuylkill A youth of sixteen years a barrel was giving an account of the disastrous battle battie of brandywine james the narrator was waa a bold boy enthusiastic in his is love for the american cause canse and possessed hessed of no little intelligence his ilia bright blue eye and flaxen hair gave him an effeminate appearance pe pg arance but out beneath that hat plain homespun jacket throbbed a heart that never quailed iu in danger nor shrunk before any obstacle his ilia father was the commander of the delaware regular troops and his mother was dead the boy concluded his and was deeply lamenting that he be could not join the army 1 I am not old enough 12 sai sal sail sali I he bilut lut had I 1 la a musket I 1 would not stand idly here with my hands bands hanging banging useless by my side aae ave there no guns of any description in the he village asked a listening youth d none I 1 have spent nearly neaily a week trying to find fi nd one but my efforts have been of n no avail I 1 suspect that the old tory livingston Uv ingston ha averal in hu hij house but as ho he permits no one to trespass on 1113 his land I 1 am unable to say positive positively lve ive why ilot take a party and earch search hh his dwelling asked frank howard he has no one to aitt asit him except his hig cowardly son george georga and I 1 cn own thrash him as easily aa as tha and tiie the boy snit anit snipped aped his fingers to imply that hat readiness with I 1 which jie aie be could trounce old Livin Livings tons soni cori james jams wilsons Wil sons eyes sparkled with ith joy if there Is ia any three boys in this company will help me I 1 will wui search old Livings tons house thib this nigh night all al who are willing to go just step forward three teree every boy in that little crowd without a menta hesitation ste aped forward the boys eyes fla flashed ed like stars now by te tha dead of bunker mili hut 4 will search old living stona rei rel residence dence though death stand in my ph ll 11 with a firm tread and with the utmost silence sile slie nce ncr the young heroes took up their march for old squib Livings tons livingston Livin gaton had bad long been suspected of harbor frig tog british spies and some of his former laborers had reported that he kept up a regular correspondence with the british commander at atall all ail event he was generally regarded by the wags whigs as a dangerous man and therefore avoided his houe was situated a short distance from whiteclay creek on the side of a steep hill surrounded on all sides hy by tall trees it was just such a place as one might suppose suitable for the plotting of treason at the time james wilson and his little band left the deserted storehouse in the tillage village of newark dusk had given place to the darker shades of night still it was not lark dark the new moon was shining brightly in the clouds and every object wa perfectly distinguishable the boys walked firmly forward forba rd maintaining a solemn silence at length they gained a bank of the creek and slowly following follo the winding path soon came to a little low which crossed chosed a it hallow shallow rivulet leading into whiteclay james wilson ordered them to halt let let lot frank howard and myself reconnoiter the premise premises first to see whether any danger may be apprehended all the rest standi here until we return make no noise and keep a constant watch jamesland Jame james sand and frank silently departed landwere and were fon fo son som n lost in the he woods through which the path pat hran hrar ran scarce had they gone from their companion companions pan ions lons ere pre the quick ear of wison wilson detected a noise hist said he to frank as he pulled him behind a gg gantic antic beech tree the noie noise soon resolved itself into a humin footfall and in another moment george livingston the torys son stood opposite the tre tree jamss jamrs s wilson darted from his covert and lightly grasped the boy byth by the neck eneck the cowardly youth trembled like a reed I 1 speak one word whispered his captor and ill foss loss 08 you in the creek the torys son was struck dumb with fright and found himself in the midst of the whole group of boy bov heroes with the he vice like grip of james and frank on either arm now said jame james answer me promptly and truly trilly or ill make your position uncomfortable do you hear who are in your fathers house at this moment 11 1 I 1 1 I cannot tell stammered the half balf dead bov I 1 you shall shai I 1 tell or spare me and I 1 will disclose everything when I 1 left the houe howe there ere was no one there but our family and major blanstone Bran stone who is het hel asked aked james 11 1 1 I 1 dort dont know I 1 dont indeed tell threatened frak lie lle he iia is the theo captain of the yorkshire dragoons 21 the blue eyes of james iames glistened with joy ard he soon gained from the torys orys lorys I krys son sou a revelation which stamped his father a traitor trailer of th the most appalling character ile he ci ei cot cov cohered ered that old liv ington ing ton not only kept up a correspondence with I 1 the british that be he had EO so plotted in his traitorous designs that the little village of newark was wag to be burned to ashes and its women and children left exposed to the pitiless foes the old tory was to receive aa as his hii reward the lind land whereon the village stood steed and aa an annual pem pew pension ion lon from the breish government but stranger than all the plot was to be consummated sum mated on the very night the torys son had been captured while he lie was going on an errand to a tory lory neighbor about two m les distant the little band of heroes learned too that the british troops had bad secured their horses in ble and intended to descend the creek in a large boat there were twenty of them beide their captain major IL anston ethe leader of the band w was as in temper and heart a thorough demor and scrupled 8 not in his couely to destroy the slumbering infant or the sickly wife not a few in that youthful band of patriots trembled fora w widowed mother or de fenceless sister some were for departing immediately but james wilson still retaining his grasp on the torys son ordered orde reil rell all to be silent the prisoner was tied hand and foot and a handkerchief bound over his mouth to prevent him from calling for assistance and a stout cord fasten fastened pd to his breast and wound about a tree all hope lope of escape forsook george livingston wilson motioned his little band of followers they stood on the summit of a high precipice which whiteclay creek now boys said james wilson vilson the narrative which we have just heard is ti up and as we have no muskets or ammunition we must make the bast of the occasion the britti band wil will pass this spot in their boat at aud as we have an hour bour to work let us busy ourselves in ir rollin rolling 4 some of these large rocks to the edge of the pre and when the redcoats red coats pass below let us sink them to the bot bottom torn each boy immediately set to work and in an incredibly shirt space of time nine huge rocks each haff half a ton in weight were balan baian balanced ceJ ced upon the edge of the giant precipice the creek creeh at this bolit was not more than twenty feet wide and was directly orr overhung hung by the mass maps of rock on which our heroes stood if tile the B ibish band de bended the creek they would certai certainly illy tily pass it tah is spot and it they passed it then death was their cartain certain fate ju in about an hour the quick ear of wilson detected the measured beat of muffled odra oara they are coming he whispered let no one drop his rock until f I 1 give the word and then all at once it was a beautiful night to wreak a work of death tila the heavens were spangled with innumerable stars and every object which the moon beams played upon sparkled with a silvery radiance closer cam came the doomed roy royalist alista and the hearts of the boy patriots beat wildly to their hosom bosom peering cautiously over oter the wilson saw the tory boat slowly but surely approaching an officer stood on the bows guiding the oarsmen oarsman by his orders and the epaulets on his shoulders told that he was the i denti cil fiend major Bard stone dont drop till I 1 give the order again whispered wilson when the boat was about twelve feet from the ha rock the boy leader fell feil f ell eil securely behind his stone defence and shouted who goes there in a moment the oarsmen oarsman ceased rowing and gazed with astonishment above them then the impetus which the boat had acquired caused it to drift slowly b beneath neath the rock and just as it was fairly below came forth the doomed words cut loose in the name of liberty L each eich hoy oy pushed bis rock at that instant and I 1 with one impulse the gigantic stones fell aloud A loud shriek from the dark waters fers told how well the plan had succeeded and as the exultant boys again looked over the tile yock rocky nothing was waa seen but a few pieces of floating wood the boat lied been beer burst to pieces and the occupants had found a grave at the bottom of whiteclay A cry of I 1 victory burst from the joyous lips oe of the youthful patriots and it was echoed long in solemn grandeur now for our prison prisoner eirl cried frank howard bounding ahead but what was the astonishment of the boys to find that in the efforts to free himself sel george livingston had been cau caught haby by the fatal chord and choked to death the there e was no time for repining the traitor and his son had met their deser deserved descried ved sed doom and there was no one to mourn their loss I such be the end ot of americas America 3 foes forever 1 3 v said james wilson j old Livings Livingston livingstone tons 3 house was searched and to I 1 the surprise of every one not merely guns but I j three brass fieldpiece field piece pieces several barrels barriEL 9 of pow df dar r and an abundance of balls etc were found concealed in the torys cellar the military stores amerlean found there were given over to the american troops and found a jovial welcome at their hed heid quarters had not the bi ibish party been as signally defeated I 1 along the banks of the whiteclay the town of newark and the whole northern part of the state of delaware would have been overrun by predatory rv bands of british soldiers james wilson and frank howard both joined the army of green and served with distinction in fit the southern campaign frank fell in the mr mf morable battle of eutaw spring bewailed by all who knew him james wilson lost a leg lag at the siege of 0 yorktown and retired to his ila ina native tive live village but mortification ensued and he expired with wilh the ever to be remembered words on his lips cut loose in the name of liberty the village of newark still stands rands and has become a town of some celebrity the scene of 1 the defeat of the british by the boy patriots is still pointed out and it Is a sacred spot in the annals of newark such reader were the acts of the boys of 76 and though they have no monumental pile to preserve their memon demoi ies fes es they live in legends songs and verges verses where they will exist when history liaa ba ilaa been swept into obscurity I 1 I 1 let our literary men redeem from darkness I 1 the deeds of american youths and while they recount the noble achievements of our revolutionary pabio palio ts let them not forget the boy pa ipa pilots |