Show I f I THE ABDUCTION OF i I PRiNCE WILLIAn HENRY I I ti l5i1 An Adventure of the First Commanderinchief Related in the Memoirs Mem-oirs of Fairfax Middle ton BY CLINTON BOSS Copyrighted 1896by Clinton Boss Of saw the other day driven rapidly along the village street alt Windsor the present king of England William IV a handsome redfaced gentleman of the Hanoverian house I have seen in my day which has included much active service for my country three kings of this house George HI whom we fought and George IV the first gentleman of Europe and now inmy old age his present majesty Watching Watch-ing him in his coach with the bewIgged be-wigged puffing postillions and the Windsor folk bending at right and left I was reminded of how in 1782 after Lord Cornwallls defeat he was a boy of 16 a midshipman with Admiral Dighy sent over among us because the king his father fondly hoped that the presence of a prince of the blood royal might regain him some of the Americans lost loyalty Everybody knows what really happened and how Colonel Maitthlas Ogden of the Persey line proposed at Morristown March 28 1782 the plan ito cross the river in whale boats on some darkish rainy night and to take his royal highness e and the admiral who were lodged ito gether in a house In Hanover square The plan pleased our commanderin chief then flushed with the great success suc-cess at Yorktown and the certainty of complete victory His excellency warned warn-ed Colonel Ogden of the necessity of the utmost discretion and of the due respect for the neutral ground from Newark to Rahway and four miles back I have before me now the letter of introduction to Ogden The spirit of enterprise so conspicuous in your plan for surprising in itheir quarters and bringing off Prince William Henry and Admiral Digby merits applause Never was attempt more daring than Ogdens with his captain subal q tern three sergeants and thirtysix men The hazard of it appealed toour general who himself had dared and won so much against Jhe greatest odds In my memory I contrast him with these Hanoverian princes who are not English at all Jfihe Virginian gentlemen gen-tlemen this first comm nderinchief of the American armiesthe greatest AngloSaxon For we after all British Brit-ish and American are at this date still AngloSaxons ad it seems to me the three greatest Englishmen that ever 4 lived were Htrry the Fifth who won Crecy and Cromwell who too made English arms feared throughout Christendom Chris-tendom and Washington of MourJt Vernon Ver-non who did a greater thing than the I others in that he made English arms h feared by Englishmen themselves I But this attempt on the little English En-glish prince failed The historians say the matter was noised The real Circumstances cir-cumstances are left for me to relate now for the first time A ht AniI IQ T h th general wrote to Colonel Ogden he had been informed thait Sir Henry had doubled the guards about the house in Hanover square a circumstance I thought It proper for you to be apprised ap-prised of Thethird night after about 10 oclock t the general was seated before his fire for it was coldish still in the house at Newburgh It was the end of along a-long and tiresome days work filled with perplexities for lie never had more than during these days of the beginning of peace The last visitor had gone he thought and he was still at his desk looking up some private papers pa-pers relating to a boundary line of one of his Virginian properties when an orderly entered apologetically A visitor Tour Excellency Y At this hour said he wearily I told you But you left instructions that anyone any-one from Colonel Ogden should be admitted Colonel Ogden he questioned turning about J This is very peculiar Your Excellency Ex-cellency a young woman What kind of a young woman A country girl From Colonel Ogden Are you sure sureShe She has the password and says she is from him He hesitated before ordering this messenger admitted A girl perhaps of 19 roughly I dressed undeniably pretty entered courtesying as If abashed Her blue k eyes avoided his I I If I might see you alone Your Ex j g LTfl Ifc i1 A Girl Perlinns of 10 Answered I cellency c Go outside and close the door Judson Jud-son The man obeyed Well She took a letter from her bosom From Colonel Ogden Your Excel lencyAnd And who are you 1 Tom Sullivans daughter of the Black Horse on the southern road He tore it open Your Excellency must see you tonight at the Black Horse I do not dare to come to Newburgh because spies might watch one there As you Say they have word of the matter I Yet I have hopes of carrying it out 1 I wish to make my trial just before j dawn day after tomorrow when all I Is stillest should the weather be favorable I fa-vorable First I must see Your Excel lency personally Its necessary I do not wish any one to know I am not in Jersey Hence the request for you to oJ ride over to the Black Horse I think I can carry It out yet but I must talk with Your Excellency aboutthat which cant be written about The girl is the only messenger I can find here Strange said The general I cant make It out He turned to the girl who still stood her eyes cast down as if shametfaced Its Colonel Ogdens hand I saw him write it Your Honor But your fathers tavern Is no more than len miles from Newbisrgh If Colonel Ogden is so nc ar why doesnt he come here himself Colonel Ogden had implied the reason but still the general wished to see the effect of the question She looked at him without moving a muscle I dont know sir He gave my father 20 shillings to carry the message mes-sage But your father Has the rheumatism Your Honor and had only me to send Werent you afraid I know the country Colonel Ogden gave me the password The general watched her attentively to see net flinch but her face was noncommittal And then he began to consider the letter word for word Certainly it was Colonel Ogdens handwritten hand-written as if hastily Knowing Ogden well he knew that lie no more than Washington himself was willing to give up an undertaking even with the chances much against The times had fallen Inactive and why shouldnt he take the adventure that offered And was he not bound to Colonel Ogden whose undertakings he had encouraged Judson he called Your excellency said the orderly at the door Have my horse and Captain Brin ton and three troopers I am going a bit into the country Your excellency There are no instructions I ShaH return here atlet me see Its 1030 nowsay 230 No information is to be given Captain Brinton simply is to be in readiness as ordered As Judsons steps grew less distinct in the hall he faced the messenger I again susDiciously Was this an ambush am-bush Perhaps He looked at the writing writ-ing again certainly Ogdens hand You rode On an old mare of my fathers Its below Yes You may go Ill join you I Captain Brinton looked at the girl now on her horse at the generalas he stood revealed in the light from the opened door No questions Captain explained the general Into the saddle Judson the orderly watched until the darkness swallowed them upI up-I heard the wench say the Black Horse he muttered He hesitated and then turned to deliver an order to Colonel Seagrove the generals aide As they swung along the country roads in places almost Impassable at that period the general mused of many other dark nights of Long island is-land and defeat of Trenton and Princeton and victory of the enmity he had to meet among those of our side the quarrels and jealousies in congress And he had succeeded The nation declared of the July day In 1876 had proven Itself Brinton noticing his generals abstraction I ab-straction did not venture to interrupt The gIrl rode in silence The three troopers behind alone talked in low tones The spring softness hovered in the moist air The generals weariness of the close room in the Newburgh house passed and he was glad Colonel Ogden had sent for him i Owing to the roads it was past midnight mid-night before about to turn they saw lights showing the Black Horse The girl rode ahead and dismounting dismount-ing awaited them at the door If your excellencys soldiers will wait down stairs in the taproom she began Colonel Ogden is Upstairs and does riot wish to be seen asked the gen BralYes Yes your excellency Wait he called back to Brinton who leaving the troopers with the horses had followed The men may want some beer this chilly night he added thinking of his men as he indeed I deed did always The place was deserted In the taproom I tap-room where he left Captain Brinton was only a smoldering log on the I hearth With another word of admonition I ad-monition to Brinton the general urn dup d-up the stairs after his guide who hesitated hesi-tated before a door where a line of light fell through the cracks over the uneven floor Then she opened the door stepping back as if she expected the general to follow As he entered the poorlyfurnished room he attempted to turn back But what he saw made it necessary for him to pause Three rough fellows stood in the light of a single candle their muskets held ready while a younger man with a sword buckled over his civilians coat smiled in mocking triumph tri-umph Instead of Ms royal highness oejng prisoner of war I have the honor to inform your excellency that you are I one I < l < 0fi 19wcLene pl hesitated i V and yet the four men there noticed that the firm lips did not quiver even at this surprise You are I take it Colonel Delancys menYou You are not wrong sir said the leader admiring against his wish his prisoners selfpossession and yet with suspicion At the instant was the sound of a struggle from the taproom tap-room below Poor Brinton said the General Humph its useless there are 20 of us I understand said Washington still < calmly Will you allow me to < take a chair I have ridden a long 10 miles How does it happen that you imitated Col Ogdens hand so accurately accu-rately I have some skill of that kind I I am Philip Dan llidge before the war a schoolmaster in Kings county Ah yes now a Tory belligerent A kings man sir said the man sullenly A witty one said the General slowly slow-ly as if he were talking of a matter which only had an Intellectual interest inter-est I estWell Well maybe said the man fidgeting I fidget-ing I think that Col Ogdens plan to bitch the prince was not half so clever as this of yours The imitation of Col Ogdens hand was almost perfect I would w3s5i Well said the leader I would wish man you were a WhigWhat of that said the iman Im content to be Tory if I make Your Excellency prisoner I think we can 1 Li iii T s4c9 LLL ULLJJ5JJUL A I HL1VE THE HONOR TO INFORM YOUR EXCELLENCY THLUT TOT ARE A PKXSOXER OF WAR bring the colonies back to the King now nowThe three fellows with the muskets listened with derisive approval although al-though silently as if awed by the great Americans presence even as prisoner The girl stood face downcast at the I door Capn said one we must get him away I Phil interrupted the girl stepping step-ping into the room toward the leader what is that And the sound increased and blanched blanch-ed their faces One rushed to the window win-dow peering out Their leader looked about like a hunted animal His disappointment found utterance j in an oath The general had risen his hand on his sword his voice calm I My friends said he you took me me for a fool I read your cunning message and determined to investigate At the same time I told my orderly out of hearing of the girl to have Maj Seagrove follow with 100 or more troopers troop-ers There were cries outside still the hoof falls of running horses steps on the stairs The fellows in the room looked out of the window one by one and cursed Only the leader who was better born now kept his selfpoise The girl was clutching his shoulder sobbing At the instant Maj Sea grove the liberated Capt Brinton and some men were outlined in the doorway door-way Your Excellency is not hurt Sea con ncol r oV u Not a hair We have about 15 prisoners below Three ran for it Wait said the general four five here counting the girl Suddenly she was kneeling clinging to him crying Oh General Washington he Is my husband forgive him forgive him The general leaned toward her for as all attest he easily was influenced by a womans tears > or smiles Get up my girl get up He who sends you on such an errand doesnt deserve you I volunteered to go she sobbed Seagrove and his troopers stared from I their position at the door The general gen-eral was forced to push Ihe girl away Dandridge the Tory leader I lead-er stood almost proudly his arms folded fold-ed His three men gazed fearsomely expectant I take it that Colonel Ogden will not catch the prince and the admiral said our chief smiling I take it not said Dandridge sullenly sul-lenly And you almost turned the tables on meIf If it hadnt been for your excel lencys cursed wit Dandridge the general interrupted sternly your offense has been against I me and I dont know but I may judge of it without a military court You meanW began the other his voice husky while the girl clung to himThe The generals voice did not change an Inflection Major Seagrove he went on You may release your prisoners Your excellency Seagrove remonstrated remon-strated You have heard the chief said calmly What dye mean general gasped one of the men It means my men that you can go ell of you And why asked Dandridge Because you are beaten he said speaking faster than his wont because be-cause the war is almost over because those of you who have been strong malcontents mal-contents will suffer too much by C < n gressional action and because by whatever means I can I believe it expedient ex-pedient to gain all the Tories I mayto the United States God bless your excellency the Woman Wo-man began God blesses a man who is served by a wife as this man Dandridge by you said the general dryly Your excellency Dandridge began I dont understand Possibly you dont the general 5in swered contemptuously j But this you may believe the other went on almost humbly y < iur excellency is greater than King George 11 j iurtph i said Washington Vhave hi J 1t t iiiiiiii we not declared and proven a paradox all men born free and equal Well good night my friends Its a long ride to Newburgh Seagrove had remained at the door having sent Captain Brinton below with the order to release the prisoners Washington bent his head gravely to the persons in the room The girl began Hurrah for General Washington As he passed down the stairs those below and his own troopers took up the cry Hurrah for General Washing ton and it echoed over the slopes that April 7jght stirring with wonder good folk ii7 their beds I Seagrove rode close to the chief Do you not see the people are ripe for it he ventured Your action tonight to-night was exactly right The other was silent Have you not had Colonel Nicolas letter sirfrom the armywho want a strong central governmentwant your excellency to be the headking Washingtons voice held a tremor Seagrove art you a fool too Do you too want to upset > all we have doneYour Your excellency its the best way the only I am glad said the chief interrupting inter-rupting calmly that I have some little lit-tle judgment left to keep my own ambition I am-bition from betraying me and my friends who are only indiscreet from being more than fools traitors You have refused You mean Seagrove asked his voice trembling now j nave answered Colonel Nicola and his friendsof whom I take it you are one Major Seagroveby a letter calling cal-ling them to heir senses For I major ma-jor if you and your friends mayhave not forgotten that my only distinction is that I have foughtfor a nation His manner demanded silence and for a halfhour they rode without a word when the major out of his gloomy reverie was surprised by a low laugh I was laughing explained the chief after a moment to think how neat that fellows trick I half believed it myself and felt bound to investigate investi-gate it with some strong fellows to follow me up You failed your excellency to ask who sent him out Seagrove commented com-mented rather eager to pick a flaw Because I knew You knew Why yes Franklin kings governor gover-nor of New Jersey Ah yes And dont you think Major Sea grove Doctor Franklin has done too much service to be bothered by more plots of his son An hour latei the general was at his < desk looking again over that boundary line and some accounts of his Mount Vernon estate For the details of his property interested him more than aught save his one absorbing subject these United States of America This episode which Is variously re lated was recalled ito me as I say by seeing m his coach at Windsor his majesty King William IV who in 1782 was that very Prince William Henry whom Colonel Matthias Ogden planned to abduct |