Show T 62 haast er of chaos by irving bang bacheller CoPi copyright rIght 1932 by aring bachellor service CHAPTER XII continued 16 they were rudely awakened on christmas night snow was falling in a bitter northa northwest eit wind it wa was no time for tiny any sane person to he be buil out of doors colonel rall rail in command at trenton had had a merry dinner and with other officers and their ladles was dancing in the public hall the fid adlers were playing between lances dances they could hear the cold wind in ID the chimney top and snow pelting the win dow panes what a night 1 they shivered and gathered before the fireplace and filled failed and drained their glasses again it was a night for joy with nothing to fear about midnight a uniformed lackey brought a letter to colonel rall rail who was in command H engaged in a pretty story he put the letter in his pocket then in the whirl of gaiety he forgot it nine miles from trenton a loyalist woman had seen washington with two thousand men crossing the delaware in the darkness she had ridden post haste through the storm with the warning now hidden in the pocket of colonel ralls rail i who but an american would think of af crossing a big river filled with broken ice fee and mr marching ching nine dine miles with a storm raging in which two men were frozen to death the europeans were to learn that fighting for liberty and fighting tor for pay were a different kind of business at eight in 1 the morning washington fell on the city with two detachments rails hessians surrendered while other enemy troops fled in panic the whole hole british structure on the delaware was shattered by this stroke general Dol dollois dollops lops army retreated tren ted general cornwallis Cornwall ls abandoned his bis plan of going to europe and took command in new jersey washington occupied trenton soon cornwallis Cornwall ls and his men came on to glie ghe him battle on the see second ond of january 77 the american commander crossed Assan pink creek and made a pretense of throwing up in trench menta cornwallis Cornwall ls tried t to 0 follow and was repulsed by artillery night came and cornwallis decided to wait until morning washington slipped away in the night leaving men to keep the campfires camp fires burning and to imitate the chorus of picks shovels axes and ox teams at work at daylight cornwallis Cornwall ls began to throw his cannon balls upon empty ground ne he attacked nothing not liing the american camp was deserted the d d yankees 7 were of course far on their way to princeton before he could arrive there that link in the british chain would be broken and washington on his way to safety cornwallis Cornwall ls had made a shrewd guess four hundred men were taken at princeton with guris guns and stores the remainder of the british force scattered having suffered a severe drubel drubbing this winter fighting with wounded men floundering in pools of blood unabsorbed on frozen ground was revolting vol ting at princeton the bleeding was not severe less than three hundred on both sides having been killed or wounded but the men engaged saw more blood than they had seen since the war began our men were at first severely set upon and began to retreat but the chief rallied them and they came through with a handsome victory the enlistment period of two regiments expired that day the men had long been looking forward eagerly to the hour of their re release lease it came lighthearted light hearted they were going home bome they applied for their discharges general washington met them with a grave countenance he reminded them that it was a critical time their country and their homes were now in greater peril than ever before success depended on the dogged faithfulness of this body of men tie ile knew that the feet of many were bleeding that all were weary but relief was near dear the men got together for a conference and presently announced that they had decided to go home they were sick of the hardships and the blood letting again washington appealed to them and now with very solemn words A time had bad come when each and every man of them should know and feel that he held in his hands the fate of america under those circumstances could they bear the shame of leaving him and going to their homes or would they continue to be heroes and set a needed example to the youth of our land why stop pow now when the weary march was near its end there were many who heard the chief among them was old amos farnsworth who shouted they wont leave us lord god ol 01 0 israel I 1 A man that leaves oughter aughter be hung an aint no mistake A thousand men began cheering those who sought discharges abandoned their design and soon fell in the marck march to Pluck pluckemin emin on the way to morristown it had taken howes powerful army six months to dri arhe e G general washington across the delaware the good fighting weather was gone winter operations in a strange strang ge country bere ere sli skunk meat to the european wash ington adew it soon heath and put nam lu the highlands began to threaten A new york whereupon the british set out for that safe retreat where they could find comfort und and security and be dono don with ith unexpected winter dev ip in a treacherous countryside so the american commander in chief had gained time for needed recuperation the spirit of army and people had improved the new jersey folk had been aroused to fever boat beat by outrages rd es which are arc the inevitable result of occupation by the troops of nn an enemy it was a favorable fato rable time for recruiting but compared with the british army washington had a feeble force of men billeted in morristown soon a british spy was discovered in camp ills his name was lum luce should they hang bang him no washington said we will make a wise use of him officers were apparently impressed by the personality of mr luce they nattered flattered him with friendly attentions giving him much information and no time to visit the billets A plan was made under which the battalions marching out of cover anil and returning to it were paraded three times before him false returns on the number of troops billeted in that countryside were scattered carelessly on the desk of the adjutant when mr luce came to dine alone with him in the midst of the dinner the adjutant was suddenly called away the spy was now loaded and ready to depart an easy way out was nas prepared for him ue he vanished taking to british headquarters in new york a report of the force in morristown which insured its safety young alexander hamilton was in great favor with the chief at a din ner der of the stair staff washington called on him for a speech the young man acquitted ahlm with such wit and charm that the general arose and shook his hand after that all the officers showed him great respect and the boy was often in their councils summer came the last detachment of the british had left amboy for staten island burgoyne was as expected to in northern new york with an army from canada the most difficult problem of the revolution now challenged the ingenuity of the commander in chief ile he must prevent the formidable army arms of howe inowe on york island from going up the hudson to aid burgoyne the force in the highlands was strengthened putnam had put a powerful de frise across the hudson near fort montgomery to prevent ships from passing and to hold bold them under ruinous gunfire it was an immense iron chain supported by los log boos booms a few feet apart and securely anchored to both shores sli ores two forts on the river were well manned and must be reduced before ships could pass beacon lights on butter hill at the northern entrance of the highlands would hash flash the news of an attack to beacon hill and on southward to Mul lenders hill and snake hill bill and the lower hudson howe might win his way but it would be a slow footed perilous undertaking problem was to detain howe and encompass burgoyne who once landed at the head of lake champlain could never hope to return howe having waited long for reinforcements from europe embarked his army ile he started southward evidently heading for philadelphia washington now said to his jersey yeomen go home and do your harvesting and return as soon as possible k I 1 in a camp almost deserted he sat down with members of his staff to consider the great problem plans for the encompassment of burgoyne were complete when a messenger came cane from congress to announce that gates had been given full command in the north washington had ample evidence of the ambition of gates to supplant him and of his unwholesome political influence schuyler commanding in upper new york was a gentleman to his liking and in the chiefs opinion quite equal to the task ahead allaead of him still as usual he must bow to the will of congress gates was a cunning politician morgans riflemen and arnolds brigade were to be sent north to fo help him CHAPTER XIII the coming of pat and the british from the north and the battle general washington wanted reliable and early information as to the force of burgoyne colonel cabot eager tor for news of his sweetheart had applied for service in n the north an express messenger had just arrayed arrived with a dispatch announcing t eliat b at bur goines army expected to embark from st johns by the tenth of june there Is a dense wilderness on either side of the lake colin said it would be easy for a man hidden in a treetop along the shore to estimate the force if you will III trust me in the matter I 1 will get correct information and arrange for relays to ride night and day until it comes to your hand band 1 I will commit to you this undertaking for there Is no do man in whose prudence energy and good judgment I 1 have greater confidence said the chief you know the northern road and many people who live on it you may prepare your regiment to set out tomorrow for bennington where you will report to general stark for duty the regiment set out with horses fol following loving laden with bat baggage there are illuminating entries in colins diary as to the northward journey through danbury and new milford ford bought some leather and many men resoled resolved their boots by firelight and amos put a new spoke in a agod wheel at banbury I 1 cleaned sir air dun lanys watch at new IsIl milford lford I 1 got a spoon mold and cast twenty spoons after wa halted tor for a 9 nights rest at bennington the regiment became a part of 0 the big camp of rugged mountain men under stark its march ended on a sunday in early june while it waited for the bag rage gage wagons officers and men went to 16 hear the sermon and scripture reading rev kev john allen alien of pittsfield whom colin had met at al the ned fled cock tavern in rhode island inland that night of the bloodless duel was preaching tie he told the story of the quarrel with conway and quoted what the aide of washington had said as to the sublime pat patience leDee of the commander in chief under discouragement when the leaders of humanity decide to leave the old road and take a new direction there Is much halting and walting waiting he said bald the new way must be cleared of ancient prejudice hut but do not forget that the british ha haie hae e more trouble in their way than we have courage we need and then patience di divine vine farseeing far seeing superhuman patience we need the courageous undying patience of st paul when the light of 0 the world was flickering our washington has it allen alien was surprised and delighted when after the service collo colin shook ills his hand and introduced himself the fighting parson became a firm friend of the young colonel and stark invited both of them to dinner allens aliens son was a missionary at a settlement near the lake in the north lie ile will help you said the parson 1 I will give you a letter to him and a map of the road and trails I 1 think that the british are now embarked the six nations have gathered near the head of the lake to wait for them I 1 think that you had better be on your way colln colin left his regiment mentIn in command of the capable major humphries and set out on his northern journey that afternoon stop stopping pling at a log inn when darkness fell to rest his mare for the night As usual he fl hayed ayed bated and her heel with his own hand band after three days in the saddle he came to the rude hamlet la ili a deep valle valley y near the lake where he found foun li the young missionary the british had not dot yet passed young allen alien disqualified for military service by lameness was eager for any chance to help the great cause the danger was that the big flotilla might pass any chosen point in the darkness of the night when a reckoning would be impossible it was bound to be a long slow moving procession of 0 sloops and bateaux studying a map of the lake they chose two stations about ten m miles iles apart allen alien would awalt await the inva invasion slon on a point near his home colln colin on an island some ten miles northward that evening with his destination in ili view colonel cabot set out tor for it in a small boat it was a lonely island covered thick with pine spruce and hemlock its southern end dwindled to a narrow stony point apart from the forest where the land began ali to taper stood the stub of a lone hemlock its upper part shattered by lightning had fallen in the wind it now lay splintered decaying in the shallows ile he concealed his boat in bushes and lay down with his blanket on a carpet of pine needles and had a restful sleep at daylight he climbed some ten feet to the ragged top of the stub and found as he expected only a shell of sound timber that enclosed a mass of damp decay he began to throw it out and soon discovered that it crumbled and packed under his weight until he had a firm footing and comfortable accommodation for his stature inside the shell opposite his eyes with his knife he made two holes like those of a woodpecker fronting both channels this little timber tower with its diminutive windows offered an laeal ideal opportunity to view the passing of Cur Bur goynes army for two das daig from dark to dark he sat many hours in a treetop like a bird looking northward tor for signs of the coming caravan soon after sunrise on the third day he saw a new island with slivered silvered edges and white towers in the distance ile he watched it through his glass thrilled by the thought that in the great procession moving toward him was as a fragment of mortality which had filled his later life with inspiration vast beyond ills his expectation was that endless flotilla streaming down out of 0 the north on the smooth wide water alley between high mountain ridges its length waved backward into dim misty reaches of the lower lake when it had come within a mile or so of his island colin went to his station in the hollow stub before the front of the long procession was abreast ile he heard a band playing merry music the flotilla was led by painted indians in canoes soon he be saw the first arst rank of the immense in bateaux each about forty feet in length and iome some seven feet wide and each worked by four men head and stem men and middle men what i a c colorful olor ful impressive pageant was this moving down through the primeval wilderness with regimental flags flying high british grenadiers grena diers in red coats ii and nd white breeches germans in blue helmets topped with gleaming metal and in yellow breeches women hundreds of women some to in gay attire blue veils white veils and many children cli ildren oxen horses wagons tumbrels cannon li happy appy voices like those of a crowded street in london town the floasin flo floating atin cannan was flanked by six ninety ton sloops 81 lops long ions summer day colln colin stood in ills his wooden tower counting and making notes it was a trying day with only it a niom molli cut out of anxiety aben a soldier amused |