The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-08-14

Cdtnpt0CHIS tHey observed a man caImIy SLdn-
ding against post, silently looking at them
as they approached the outward gate he Or
dcred his servants to inquire their business,
when with one voice, they all answered, we
want Gen. Washington The stranger behOl
ding an old lady of full four score years, he
requested her to approach him-she came to
the piazZa-he said, take a chair good mo-
ther, and let me know your grievances, for
am Gen. Washington. The old lady told her
tale with all the pathetic elOquepce she was
mistress of. which was no little, for it was a
tale of truth, and brought tears into the Gen
erals eyes. After ending her story, he said E:
yes, good mother. you and your companions
shall have redress. but in walking so far you
must want rest and food. la half an hour
the large table in the Hall was grooming under
good Roast Beef and Pudding. The women
all were seated, the General at the head of
the table; he arose and asked his fair guests
if they would drink to the health of General
Washington yes, said they and drank with
one consent. May every man in power have
the justice and humanity of Gen. Washing
ton. Two hours before sun set, saw he
goodly group of female heroes returning to
their homes, following their regained property.
STRANGE COMBAT.
1t was during the last war of this coun-
try with Great Britain, that circumstances
led me to sea in merchantmen, in which
had embarked what little property / pos
sessed; our seas were at that time cover
ed with small privateers belonging to both
helligerents, who did more mischief to the
commerce of both nations, than the sever
al public armed vessels of either. They
almost invariably eluded the pursuit of the
large frigates and ships of the line by
hauling sharp on the wind, when they dis
covered an enemy; and their peculiar
schoonering, and being built expressly for
.ling would give them distinct advan-
tage over their square sailed enemies, in
beating to windwald. Again their lighter
draught of water, when near the shore
would frequently enable them to run so
close in, that they could not be attacked
unless in boa s; and every one who has
ever read the account of the attack upon
the privateer Neufchattel, by the boats of
the Endymion q believe) which engage
ment happened near Nantucket, will east
ly perceive how little force it requires to
beat off boats, or sink them previous to
boarding. Be these things as they may,
return to my story. We had been sailing
for two days with good breeze, though
now and then it would lull, and then we
sagged heavily along through fog, almost
as dense as the waters which bore US.
We were not far from our port and our
captain was willing to crowd sail night and
day, as the risk of capture was superior to
that of shipwreck, or disaster from Grip
pling of our spars. Our ship was of about
400 tons, heavily ladened and not a swift
sailor. Her captain was man of shrewd
judgment, of infexibility of purpose, and
rather given to taciturnity. He was of a
slight figure. gentlemanly to his equals,
decided and prompt to those under him in
his orders, and in the executionof their fulfil
ment. His keen dark eyes and naval Off
Ger gait, showed kind of courage which
one would call daring, if they had watch
ed his countenance on particular occasions.
Yet at other times, he seemed rather to
be the careful mariner who would reef for
safety. when safety apparently did not re-
quire it. He was one Of those kind OF
men, who seemed to be inclined to bend
the purposes of others to his own, while
they were kept in ignorance of his views.
/ have seen him fix his eagle eyes upon a
sailor, and require of him to look him stea-
Oily in the face for five minutes, and then
dismiss him without comment or a reason
for SO doing: but would bet my life al
most he had one.
After skimming through the mist for
two days, (of which have spoken)'I hap
pened to be on deck with Capt. II was
in conversation with him, as the probabili-
ty of reaching our port free from the enc
mics cruisers. He replied with his usual
brevity, 'the fog and carrying sail, alone
will save US; am made man if we es-
cape; if not am ruined He said this
in the same tone of voice that he would
have a common order-he looked up and
said sternly, here is fog eater--at this
moment the sun seemed to fash upon our
deck and the fog rose from the sea like the
hosting of curtain at the Theatre
smart breeze took US back, and before an
order was given we saw directly under oul
lee, little black looking, sharp bslilt, tall
rugged, port bearing schooner, whose deck,
were crowded with men. Il know her,
calculated the captain: the next thing
49, ~~.no - hnI on~oSc nur h., ,x,.