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Show A I'Mtrlotlo Woiuhd. "A few years ago," writes J. Watts De Peystcr, In a privately published book, "A Godchild of Washington," "a beautiful picture was exhibited In tho National Academy of Design, representing rep-resenting Mrs. Oen. Schuyler setting fire to her husband's golden fields ot ripened grain." Tho picture represented repre-sented a scene in the war of the revolution. revo-lution. When tho Continental army was retreating before Burgoyno, Mrs. Schuyler went from Albany to hor mansion house In Saratoga to remove her housohold goods. Whllo there sho received directions from Gen. Schuyler to set flro to his oxtonslvo fields ot wheat, nnd to Induce his tenants to do the same to their standing crops, so that they might not be reaped by the enemy. Mrs. Schuyler, with her own hands, set the fire, nnd tho tenants followed fol-lowed her example. When the cereals had been reduced to ashes and the live stock driven off, Rurgoyne found himself him-self balked by a wldoly extended barrier bar-rier of desolation. Mrs. Schuyler drove to Saratoga In a chariot, drawn by four horses, and attended by a slnglo sln-glo armed man on horseback. Whon within two miles of her house she met a crowd of panic-stricken people, who urged her to return. "The general's wife must not bo afraid!" she replied, and drove on, going through a dense forest. Sho removed her furniture, burned hor wheat crops, sent four horqes to the army, and returned to Albany on a sled drawn by oxen. |