The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-18 00:00:00

IBER.

ANECDOTE OF WASHINGTON,

At the 4th of July celebration in Monson Mass.,
the Springfield Republican states that the Venerable
and Rev. Alfred Ely related the following :—" When
a boy I resided in West Springfield, and worked on
a farm. In the autumn of the year 1789 I was en-
gaged with my employer in gathering a load of
corn-stalks in a field not far distant from the
Connecticut River. My employer had driven his'
loaded team from the lot, aad left me as usual
to put up the bars. While thus engaged I noticed
the approach of four horses and a large vehicle.
There was no driver upon the carriage, but astride
the nigh horse of each span was a young Mulatto I
postilion ; there were also two outriders and a foot-
man.
The vehicle (in which was seated a gentleman
whose striking personal presence impressed me) was
called in those days a chariot. It was entirely unique,
and unlike anything in present use, except in the
running part. I saw the outriders gallop on in
advance of the chariot and hold some parley with
my employer, who occupied the entire road with
his loaded cart; the .roads at that time being so
narrow that two teams could not pass unless one
yielded to the other. I perceived that my employer
yielded none of his right of the road, and that the
chariot was detained by the cart until they
reached a turn out,' when the cortege passed by.
employer, and inquired who
Ithe pergonsge was who had just
soon overtook my
passed us, and was informed that it was George
Waahingtou I. I obtained periniaßion to run on

There is now living in the parish of Welford, near
Newbury, John Hatton, formerly a private soldier in the
52d Regiment of Light Infantry, and now in his 77th
year. Hatton enlisted in the Ist Royal Dragoons in
the year 1795, and on the reduction of that regiment
served for some time in the Berkshire Militia, from
which he volunteered into the 52d, and was with
that regiment, in the year 1801, ordered to
Portugal, where the 52d formed part of the
light division commanded by General Craufurd,
afterwards killed at Ciudad Rodrigo. Hatton
was present at the battle of Vimiera, and was with Sir
John Moore's army in the disastrous retreat on, and
battle of Corunna. The light division, in the summer of
1809, made every exertion to be present at Talavera, but
in spite of all efforts they arrived the day after the action,
having made, according to Napier, one of the most ex-
traordinary marches on record, " and leaving only 17
stragglers behind, in 26 hours accomplished a march of
62 English miles, beneath a burning sun." In the fol-
lowing year Hatton was present at Busaco, where the
52d made a most brilliant charge, contributing greatly
to the success of the day, and subsequently retired with
the army behind the lines of Torres Vedras. In May,
1811, he was engaged at the battle of Fuentes d'Onor,
and in the following year was present at the storming of
Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz ; at the former of which
places the light division lost their general, Craufurd, who
was killed, and Colonel Colborne, of the 52d (now Lord
Seaton),
was severely wounded. Hatton was sub-
sequently present with his regiment at Salamanca, Vit-
toria, and in the battles in the south of Franco in 1813-
14, including Toulouse, and finally wound up his glorious
career at Waterloo, whero the 52d, under their old
Colonel, Colborne, had the distinguished honour, at the
close of that memorable day, of charging and putting to
the rout a division of the French Imperial Guard. With
the exception of a slight wound in the finger at Waterloo,
Hatton has never had blood drawn in action. He was
di corated with Peninsular and Waterloo medals, atri
clasps for Corunna, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad
Rodrigo, Badajoa, Salamanca, and Vittoria. For this
lengthened and perilous service he receives a shilling a
day, which scarcely suffices to meet the requirements of
increasing ago and infirmities.—Reading Mercury.