The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-06-27

also begun id the city before they uuitted
their ground and the blazing of the houses,
, ships and stores, the report Of exploding mag
azines, and the crash of falling roofs, inform
ed them, as they proceeded, of what was
going forward. You can conceive NOTHING.
liner than the sight which met them as they
drew near to the town. The sky was bril-
hantly Illuminated with different confasTa-
tons, and dark red light was thrown upon
the road, sufficiently to permit each man to
view. distinctly his comrades face. Except
the burning of st. Sebastians, do not recol-
Iect to have Witnessed at any period of my
life, a scene more striking and sublime.
Having advanced as far as the plain,
where the reserve had previously paused, the
first and second brigades halted, and forming
INTO close column, passed the night in bivou-
ack. At first, this was agreeable enough. be-
cause the air was mild, and WEAKNESS made
up for what was wanting in comfort But
towards morning, violent storm of rain, ac-
companied with thunder and lightning, came
ON, which disturbed the rest of all who were
exposed to it. Yet in spite of the disagreed
bleness of getting wet, cannot say that
ielt disposed to grumble at the interruption :;
Tor it appeared that what | had before consid-
cred as superlatively sublime, still wanted
tins to render it complete. The flashes of
lightning seemed to vie in brilliancy with the
flames, which burst from the roofs of burning
houses, while the thunder drowned the noise
OF crumbling walls, and was only interrupted
by the occasional roar of cannon. and the ex-
plosion of large depots of gunpowder. as
they one by one exploded.
. | need scarcely observe that the con-
sternation of the inhabitants was complete.
and that to them this was night of terrour.
SO confident had they been of the success of
their troops, that few of them had dreamt of
quitting their houses or abandoning the civ:
nor was it till the fugitives from the battle
began to rush in, filing every place with dis
may, that the President himself thought of
providing for his safety.n
:" Wien the detachment sent out to de-
stroy Mr.. Madison's house, entered the dinino
parlour, they found dinner table spread. and
covers laid for forty guests. Several kinds of
wine, in handsome cut glass decanters, were
cooling on the Observation-Disclosures stood
by the fireplace, filed with dishes and
plates-knives, forks and spoons were arrang-
ed for immediate use in short. every thing
was ready for the entertainment of ceremo-
NOUS party. Such were the arrangements
OF the dining-room, whilst in the kitchen
were others answerable to them IN every re-
spect. Splits loaded with joints of various
sorts, turned before the fire pots, saucepans,
and other culinary utensils stood upon the
SrateJ and all The other requisites for an ele-
giant and substantial repast, were exactly in a
state which indicated that they had been pre-
cipitately and lately abandoned
:" You will readily imagine that these pren-
arations were beheld by party of hungry
soldiers with no Indifferent eye. An elegant
dinner, though considerably overdressed. was
luxury to which few of them at least for
some time back had been accustomed and
which, after the dangers and fatigues of the
day, seemed particularly inviting. They sat
down to 1t, therefore, not indeed in the most
orderly manner, but with countenances that
would not have disgraced party of aldermen
At :" 1iylck feast; and having satisfied their
dpPettes with fewer complaints than would
PROBABLY have escaped their rival eo,eyn,onds
and partaken pretty freely of the wines. thew
finished by setting fire to the house which had
SO literally entertained them.n
A patent has lately been taken out,
for bowling and modelling hats by ma
chinery, which, we are informed, will
reduce the labour of that part of the
manufacture, nearly seven eighths.-
Our informant adds, that the patentee
has sold one half of his property, in
the patent, at high price.
Precedence Journal.
1zBzuzzSs1uxnsaSzas-a.sse muuu...u~