Show iff SENTRY of VAllEY FORR fORCE A tale of the revolution curse the coi tin congress III desert to the british camp they have food hiarm ft arm clothing comfortable quarters III do it tonight having reached this determination the sentry leaned his musket against a tree and began swinging his arm arms and stamping his feet upon the flinty ground in hopes of obtaining animal warmth by violent exercise few know how near the infant re public came to being strangled that dreadful winter at valley forge after defeating the british at saratoga with the nation ringing with shouts patri otic politicians guzzling win wine and food beside warm firesides in thanksgiving washington s victory the victor bus ous army was v as tracking the snow with blood from unshod feet all the way from whitemarsh to winter quarters at valley forge from dec 11 to the seven days they tramped the nineteen hundreds in baie bale feet bareheaded tat rags many other hundreds crawling on hands and knees or car ried by their comrades no food no shelter weak with starvation less than thau fifteen thousand all told fifteen hundred fighting men at a pinch orel beyond a small matter of miles at philadelphia a vigorous well fed well clad army of twenty and british troops it they had only known I 1 washington s heart bled and he pro tested argued and threatened in vain congress was engaged in wordy dis cushions cus as to the proper construction of df the articles of confederation afraid of exceeding their boners pow ers they permitted vast stores of food cloth ing and other necessaries to perian at the commissary stations while their army the only army that could save the infant nation was starving perish ing from cold A few hours march one vigorous charge chare char e and the famished patriots could I 1 ave been overcome ahe latter would I 1 tave t ave rejoiced for fo r it had reached the point when that first law aw of nature self preservation was uppermost in their minds one blow and there have been no more congress of politicians no more in fant tent nation today to day there would not have been any united states this country would now be an english col ony ny one man of all in the midst of gen eral despair had hope in god wash ington he infused some of his trust into his hopeless soldiers but human V the father of his country nature rebelled so it was small w won on der that the lonely sentry yielded to the outcry of the flesh and resolved to desert his post throw over the poll ticiano and end his struggles against the home enemies he wore a thin blouse his panta leons too short for his limbs dis closed nakedness his head and bosom were bare to the keen sharp wintry blast and through his apologies flor shoes his swollen feet protruded blue and frostbitten of no use he muttered to remain here is death from starvation or frost while over yonder there is plenty he faced in the direction of the british camp there is nothing to prevent me a few hours tramp and then food shelter and warmth he drew his rags closer around him but they gave him no warmth again be he swung bis his arms and stamped his lais feet beet we won at saratoga and Cong I 1 as ordered us to give thanks to eat drink and be merry he forgot his misery in a loud burst of laughter merry on what for seven days no rations have been issued we have eaten the barks of trees and gnawed 4 the roots of plants to stay our hunger haug r no clothing for our fro en bodies no shoes slices for our benumbed feet or gloves for our stiff paralyzed hands self preservation is the first law of nature I 1 will do it the british camp is not far away they are our enemies our oppressors pooh better a thousand times oppression and a full stomach than this looking carefully around in all dl ill erections tons ions his gun still leaning against a tree forlorn as himself the sentry was on the point of starting toward plenty and warmth when he was con fronted by two officers seizing his gun with the instinct of a soldier on duty he cried out who goes there saratoga came the answer pass saratoga mumbled the sen try but the officers did not move on sentry said one of them whose face was concealed under the brim of an old worn hat you are shivering and no wonder in this piercing cold aye but not with cold alone spoke up the sentry with the reckless RH I 1 av 1 42 I 1 71 if curse the continental Con congress gressl energy of despair the beating of my heart draws echoes from an empty stomach I 1 am perishing your name and regiment soldier 7 queried the officer mildly silas thornton was the answer as if at roll call then adding franklin franklins s contingent removing a heavy cloak the office threw it over the sentry s shoulders likewise taking off his gloves and furred overshoes he held them out to the soldier sentry retain these until I 1 shall send tor for them tomorrow saying which he passed down the slope toward the officers quarters with his companion compa mou general vou have saved one man from death for desertion did you hear his soliloquy 7 franklin that man would never have suffered death at my hands had he gone to the enemy and been caught what an example for the army said franklin with a chuckle listen oh wise philosopher said the other god alone knows what is in the mind of man what the heart of that poor sentry expressed I 1 too hae have felt but guarded the secret of my thoughts I 1 have often bee been n moved to cast away my sword and let these scheming quarrelsome politicians fight their own battles to night my benti sentiments ments are the same as that poor soldier soldiers s my hopes are stronger than his that Is the only difference the two walked on in alence until pressing each other s hands they part ed for the night desertion was far from the sentry s thoughts after his visitors had departed A careful ex animation of the heavy cloak the gloves and the fur boots gave him no clue to their owner he donned them without com on and their warmth restored his perishing patri otisa I 1 will wait until tomorrow to morrow night he muttered there is no necessity to night toward noon the next day an aid de decamp camp entered a log hut in which were huddled human beings the flow er of washington a army every step he took sinking into the ooze of the muddy floor and called silas thornton the soldier tumbled out of his cold bunk of tree limbs and pine bows drawing his rags around his body to hide its nakedness and saluted the aid de camp smiled p though he was as ragged as the soldier and re turned the salute the officer who loaned you certain articles of wearing apparel last night would have you return them in per son follow me straight they went to the head of the commander in chief the quaker s old barn like house and into the presence of washington who was surrounded by his officers with frank lin prominent among them are you more hopeful to day my friend inquired washington taking thornton s band hand and pressing it gent ly but the soldier hung his head and found no dimmed ate answer at last general I 1 have returned your gar ments the cloak the shoes and the boots his face flushed but wash ington eyed him with a benevolent smile i T his a coarL i narce keep them my friend I 1 shall never wear near such luxuries again until inere was a moisture in his eyes come gentlemen to dinner some good friend has provided us with a feast nay thornton you must not refuse my hospitality thornton had saluted and was about to withdraw when he was restrained by his corn com mander in ch ef A wandering an dering pig had been ruthless ly slaughtered as thin and lean as his h himan iman captors bit by long stewing with sweet lota 1 potatoes toes and turnips h made a savory mess P ne bark s raed as plates and is the smoking t A trencher passed around everyone took what he desired thornton who watched his general furtively noticed that he ate nothing but sweet po and turnips the others fam fain dished noticed nothing but the food gentlemen said washington ton ien the trenchers were emptied and noth ing remained of the feast 1 11 I have called you together for consultation gen varnum what have you done tor for our alleviation 7 I 1 wrote greene this but have never received an answer or even an ac in all human ability the army must dissolve many or the troops are destitute of mea and are several days in arrears the horses are dying for want of forage the country in the vicinity of the camp is exhausted there cannot bo be a moral certainty of bettering our con while we remain here wl at consequences have we t to 0 rationally expects varnum folded his arms and looked glum vr dr thacher arose to say gentlemen I 1 too have written bit b it have ever received the ac ki kr owie they say I 1 am f feath cath cring anc my own n st qt and the docto laughed I 1 am with pine boughs but this is what I 1 wrote men enough cannot be found in a condition fit to discharge the mill tary calip duties from day to day and for this purpose those who ar naked nahed borro 1 from those who aai e clothes washington looked at thornton Tb ornton with a sad smile the doctor docto grew eloquent the men have no material to raise their beds from the damp ground and consequently are suffering from disease and death the army however Is not without consola tion for the commander in chief washington interrupted that Is bad enough doctor with out endeavoring to make it worse by appealing to the imagination he cast a look of affection upon the worthy doctor who intended to compliment his general then took up the conver bation himself I 1 wrote gov clinton a few day ago and my communication met with the same fate as the others oblivion I 1 explained the situation fully among other things writing for some days past there has been little less than a famine in the camp A part of the arm army has been a week without any kindol kind of flesh and the rest three or four days naked and starving as they are we cannot enough admire adm I 1 re the incomparable patience and fadel fidelity I 1 ty of the soldiers that they have not ere this been excited by their sufferings to a general mutiny and desert on gentlemen continued washing ton I 1 confess to you that recently my mind has been in a revolt I 1 feel as does a deserter ano has been in humanly treated and flees from his persecutors leaves the cause of his tyrant and seeks his own welfare but in the midst of these chaotic thoughts there is one hope brightly burning within me we are not fighting 9 for ourselves nor for the politicians we are struggling to establish a country we are at the birth of a new and glorious nation one whose gov Is based upon human liberty t count countless les throng a myriad suffering people constantly throng my brain and hold out their hands appealingly were I 1 to cast away the sword now as I 1 have been tempted to do what answer s shall hall I 1 make to those appealing ones who place their hopes on me and upon us alla it Is their sacrifice not ours and if we who complain of a little suf fering now privation hunger and cold t I 1 d give up a thousand lives were to abandon them for the sake of a few comforts for our remaining years gentlemen it would be a crime we are working struggling fighting for generations to come my life is theirs and mine and mine and mine rang around the table but silas thornton who was sitting as one dumb suddenly arose and looking up to heaven gave a roar as it if something obstructed his utterance it if I 1 had a thousand lives I 1 would yield them all up to torture in such a cause then he sat down amazed at h s temerity in such a presence but washington reached across the rough pine table and grasped his hand gave him only one look which pierced deep into his soul and smiled a kno knowing wing smile which silas thornton under stood |