Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-11-13
THE LATE JUDGE PETERS,

4 "a bv the perusai of "a Short Notice OF the
,ts of the late Hon. RICHARD PETERS. in
=. form Of An Address delivered before the
n nlockey and Merton Agricultural Soc ,ety. of
N Ai,h Judge Peters was President, by Sa1Ret
u prsre. ESQ their Vice. President The portrait
n a, The DECEASED, as pa riot legislator, ia :
.. q farmer, aud mao ia social hfc,' IS gwen
n !, tone OF sincerity and Kindness which must
Y vo The regard OF every reader, for both the
81 ,,iset and the writer of the memoir, Five
bnodred copies have been printed by reseIu.
.oo al the Society, with the consent OF Mr.
Breck. for the use Of the members and bis
friends. Those who have not been fortunate
enough TO procure a copy, will be pleased TO
Sc few extracts from tins vsIusb lie pamphlet
To illustrate she naked state IT our maya
zines, and the mental anguish OF our public
functlonares, during the war Of 17T6,'' Mr.
Breck gives an anecdote which lie had noted
down from Judge Peters Narration on the 6. h
November, 1898
Iwas Commissioner of War, he said, in 1879.
u Gen Washington wrote Ia me tat all his pow.
4 der was wet, and that he WAS ~ rely without
lead or balls; so that, should the enemy APP
lproach him, be must retreat. When received
this letter, was gong 10 grand gala at The
3Soansh Ambassadors, who lived in Mr.. Che VS.
fire house in South THIRD street The spacious
gardens were superbly decorated with variega-
lied lamps; the edlhce itself was blaze OF light,
i the show was splendid; but my feelings were
1 far from being in harmony with all this briilian
cy. met at thls party my friend Robert Morris,
who soon discovered the state of my mind
you are not yourself to night, Peters, what is
the matter?' asked Morris. Notwithstanding
my unlimited confidence in that great patrio,,
twas some time before | could prevail upon
myself todisclose the cause of my depression;
but at length yentured to give hin a hint OF
my inability to answer the pressing calls of the
commander in-chief. / he army is without lead
and know not where to get an ounce to supply
it. The Geheral must retreat for want of am.
punItiDn.' well, lei him retreat said the high
minded and liberal Morris: sbut cheer ,up:--
there are in the Hotkar priyateer, just arrived,
ninety tons Of lead, zone. iaalf of which is mime
and al your residue you can get by
applying to Slair NJ. CiaaaThan, aud Eolkar,
both of whom are ia the house with US
Taceepted the offer trom MIR Morris said
Mr.. Commissioner Peters. with many thanks;
and addressed myself immediate to the two
gentlemen who owned the other half. for their
consent to sell, out they had alread trusted
large amount OF clothing TO tie Continental
Congress, and were unwilling to give that body
any further credit. informed Morris OF their
refusal Tell them, said he. that Il will pay
uem for their share This settled the business
the lead was delrvered--i set three or four
hundred men TO work, who manufactured it into
carlridge bullets for Washington's army. to
winch il gave complete relief
'rke sequel Of this anecdote shows, that the
supply was entirely accidental. The Holkar
prysteer was at Martlnico, preparing 10 return
home. when her captain, Matthew LAWYER. who
is still living, had this lead offered to hum for
ballast. Uacer 'ain, however, whether ;he mar.
kel would not be oyerstocked by arrivals tom
Europe, he at first rejected it; but, after some
Persuasion, received 1T on board
The most interesting passage in the memoir
is, perhaps, that narratng the circumstances
winch led to the investment of Yorktown, and
Tue capture OF CORVALLIS, which closed the war
Judge Peters, it viii be rec0llected, was meu,-
Der of the Board of War; and his services at
this time were, as MIR. Breck remarks, peculiar.
ly merltorou, and useful The reader will be
surprised to learn, that the change OF Operations,
by which the intended attack on New York was
aoand0ned for an expedition into Virginia, was
suddenly adopted by Gen. Washington, ard IN
some measure forced on him by the caprice of
the French Admiral DE Grasse. striking in
stance IS furnished OF the readiness with which
Washington could sacrifice his preconcerted
schemes and adapt his measures to the exigen
V OF unforeseen occurrences. The account
which follows, is extracted from a letter of
Judge Peters to Gen. Harrison, dated January
u, 1878:
"fo show the PROSTATE situation of our peeu
Llary concerns, mention, that had not IN the
chest Of The Office, without interfering with the
a'b demands for contingencies, sufficient sum
Tor my outfit and personal expenses Not fore.
seeing any extra clains for casualties, had not
provided out OF my own funds any thing against
them. At Trenton, on our way to camp, lost
ahorse; | could have ordered one out of the
QlarterRaster's stables; but | avoided the ex.
ample, knowing the low state of that depart
ment. was obliged to borrow of Nr. Morris
the money to replace nay loss.
Goa our arrival at head quarters, we had FIRE.
quent conferences with the General. was soon
confirmed in what had before been convinced
Of, that our success in the contemplated attack
on New York, was far worse than doubtful; and
thas WAS the plan Of the campaign, notwithstand
ing historical representations to the contrary.
Among them see recently published, "a pro
Jet OF Connie Rochamoeau,' announcing his hsv-
ihg,a long time precedently, formed deEbe-
fale plan Tor the fortunate achievement which
closed our war. And yet krone that the change
Of the plan a, first hxed on for the campaign,
|ss sudden and accidental. All our Conferences
were predicased on measures solely relating to
the Intended attack on New York"
The change Of the plan originated with Wash
mgton alone; but let Mir. Peters own words be
again used:
zone morning, at the beat Of reveiHe, MFR
Morris and myself who occupied the same mar
Seee, We're reused by q messenger from head.