The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1839-12-19

| iiaihe IS to be transmitted as believer ii
the truth of Christianity; and the authority
Iof that great name is, under God, to BE-
one OF the means, it is to be hoped, Of per
petuating and extending the influence o.
true religion over all the hills and wales Of
our greatRepublic. Every where that great
man recognised the G.,d who made him.
Ankle IN the camp and in the cabinet, his
sen lments were known, and when he
died, not an expression was found in all
MS confidential correspondence, or his
private diary, that a Christian would net
pc wiling to have spread before all the
world, or that can be made 10 contribute
70 the purposes,of in6delity and sin.
But it is merely in regard to his senti-
ments that we desire to become acquaint-
ed with Washington. There is much in
the private feelings and habits Of such a
man that we be glad to know. We would
like to understand what were his emotions
when the storm Of war lowered; when
calamities pressed thick upon him and his
army; when he felt that on each move
ment Of his might depend the liberty and
-
the welfare Of millions of men. We would
like t. be admitted to his tent when pre-
pairing for battle; to observe him when he
rises in the morning, and when he retires
at night. We would like to be told whether
at such times that great man relied OH his
own wisdom, or whether he sought illu-
lnination from the Father of Lights, and
strength from the God of Hosts.
In relation to these obvious inquiries
we have am exceedingly interesting in
stance in The fact which is represented in
the engraving preixed to this article.
The engraving represents him as engag-
ed in secret devotion in retired grove,
where he is accidentally seen by per-
son standing in the distance. The fact on
which this is founded, and the authority
on which it rests, is the following. II oc-
ours Ill letter from Baptist minister to
the editor of the Christian Watchman,
dated Baltimore, January Is, 1882. you
will recollect that most interesting Incl
dent in relation to-. the life of the great
American commander-in-chief has been
related as follows That while stationed
here lat Valley Forge with the army, he
was frequently observed to visit seclud-
ed grove. This excited the curiosity of a
Mr.. Potts, of the denomination of Friends,
who watched his movements at one of
those seasons of retirement, till he per-
ceiyed he was on his knees and engaged
in prayer. Mr.. Potts then returned, and
said to his family. OR cause is lost, (he
was with the tories J assigning his rea-
sons for this opinion. There is man by
the name of Devault Beaver now living
on this spot, and is eighty years of age,
who says he has had the statement from
MIR. Potts, and his family" Hhas been
said also, that General Knox was also al
accidental witness of the same, and was
fully appraised that prayer was the object
Of the commanders frequent visits to the
grove.
In case like this, the authority for the
anecdote appears to be ample. 1t was so
in accordance with his expressed belief in
the truth of religion, and Of al his public
sentiments on the subject, that we can
have no difficulty in admitting the force of
the evidence in the case.
Never did circumstances exist which
made secret prayer to the God of armies
and of nations more proper; and if WASH
lngton ever prayed, the period when he
was encamped with his army at Valley
Forge was one when We should suppose
that he would pour out his heart in fer
vent prayer to God. The time when this
occurred was in the winter Of tn. year
l777, rs. The battle of the Brandywine
had been fought on the 18th of the Sep
TENDER previous, in which the American
army had been defeated by CORVALLIS
with a loss of probably three hundred men
killed, six hundred wounded, and four
hundred taken prisoners. After retreat
ing to Philadelphia, and being compelled
to leave the city, Washington with his
army had crossed the Sch,ylkill with an
intention of offering battle to the victori-
Gus enemy. A heavy rain, when battle
had been commenced, rendered both ar
mics unfit to pursue the contest; and
Washington retired to the Yellow Springs,
slHu LuCl w tllC lily ilUolllOOd VI w ilihh-
town, where a large part of the British
army was stationed. Here, he de.ermin-
ed again to offer them battle; and by a
most judiciously planned movement he
commenced an attack on them early on
the morning of October 4th. Of this bat
tie Washington says in a letter TO his
brother, If it had not been for a thick
fog, which rendered it SO dark at times
that we could not distinguish friend from
foe at the distance Of thirty yards, we
should, | believe, have made a decisive
and glorious day of it. But Providence
designed it otherwise; for after we had
driven the enemy mile or two; after
they were in the utmost confusion, and
flying before US in most places after we
were upon the point, as it appeared to
every body, of grasping complete VIC
tory, our own troops took fright aud fed
with precipitation and disorder. How to
account for this, i know not, unless the
fog represented their own friends TO them
for a reinforcement of the enemy, as we
attacked in different quarters at the same
time, and were about closing the wings Of
our army when this happened. :. Our