Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-09-22
=, SEPTEMBER 81, 1SAO,

Il
all the time. ! got up the scuttle, and
could see the men marching and
marching still--but awful slow.
was just ready to drop-for thinks |,
they're backing out, and who would a
believed it III Bill Saxbury comes
home TO me So" says l. but hadn't
time TO finish before a whole sheet of
fire come out all along the continental
line. Then guess the whole of us
held our breaths. Ii seemed rs il siaokc
never did cling TO the ground so; but
10y and by it rose up, and we see the
British troops, backing down the hill
in terrible taking, some OMEN left
behind dead too.
"God forgive me for being pleased
at murder-but ! did join in the hurra,
and little Bill there he clapped his
hands and hollered as if he understood
all about it. SNOW" says I; "it's a
clear beat, and III get some dinner"
| didn't Justly know whether William
would be home or not, but | hoped
and hoped, and guess | put one of
the best platters at his end of the table,
and gave his knife an extra scour. |
knew he'd done his duty, dead or alive.
Then ] put Bill there in the cradle,
and went up to take another look
Lord how my heart sunk to see the
men moving up the hill again, not quite
so smooth as before, for this time they
had to walk over the bodies of their
dead and dying friends, Ezekiel Jones.
What do you know about war? You
see the Jonesville Light Infantry, tur-
ming out, and training, and looking
mighty nice, and going home at night,
and wanting to be nursed up, as ifthey
had done something wonderful in trans
posing about town and mdding their
white pantaloons-but when it comes
to putting bullets into the guns it's
another story.
ga second time the commentators
moved down them British soldiers as
if they'd only been so many spears of
hay. Just then heard William there
tune up his pipes, and make more
noise, I've faith to believe than all the
guns. He'd mortal loud pipes that
boy had. | ran down and brought
hit up, and just as | got to the scuttle
again, there was the town of Charles
town, een-amost whole blaze of fire.
| thought of my poor cousin Nabby
over there, and how she must feel,
burned out of house and home, all by
the king and British soldiers, and did
hope that my Williams bullets and
horn held out, but didn't sec how
they could, there'd been such terrible
firing; and want sure that he held
out himself. | began to give him up
for as good rs dead.
81 didn't think no more Of the din
ner, | can tell you; and as pretty
mess of pork and beans as was ever
put into pot all boiled away to rags.
| kept watching till Bill there fell a.
sleep at my breast see the British
60 up the hill again, and it did seem
as if there never ,cdS to be no end to
them. This time there didn't come
out such sheet Of fire from the hill
as before. Crack-crack along the
top of it the single guns ratified, and
the inimy sent out the sheets of fire
now. Then there was a cloud Of dust
raised, and they seemed to be an aw-
ful struggle. knew now that Will /
Jams powder was all up, or else he was
down. Then the ships they changed
round some how, and fired away, and
the big guns they fired on the hill a.
gain the fort, and the sun had sot, and .
our hearts had gone down with it. We .
knowcd just as well that il was over,
but we knowed too that our folks had .
stuck to-
while there was shot in the lock-
er, mother y said Old Bill-'now do
ust give over
Not I'LL I've told the whole, Will i
am. laid you right down on the
loor, and now says |, you fatherless
1aby do you squall it out But you
vas too tired to cry long, vii. and you
vent Otto sleep. fever felt like a
widow, il was in them long dull hours.
prayed TO God for your father, Will {
am, and then kind a-wondcred, and
bought, If he was really dead, aud | /
prayed tho prayer Of aith, whether
Tod would bring him TO life again, 10
.oniort the widow. tried 10 think I
hat every thing was possible with God,
nd then tried 10 pray unreasonable. {
tried TO ask him to do a miracle for
ne q nonr sinGIll crcnfnrc-hnf