The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-11-13

on the morrow TO redeem our country b,
striking signal blow, and every hear
beat high with the anticipation of victory
) Column after column of our little arm,
defilcd at the ferry, and the night hat
scarcely set in before the embarkatiol
began.
} At last we crossed the Delaware. Th
whole night had been consumed in Thu
transportation of the men and artillery
and the morning was within an hour o
two of dawning before the detachmen
had been embarked. As | wheeled my
horse on the little bank above the land
ing place, paused an instant to look
back through the obscurity of the scene
The night was dark, wild, and threaren
ing--the clouds betokened an approach
ing tempest-and could with difficulty
penetrate with my eye, the fast increas.
ing gloom. AS put my hand across my
brows to pierce into darkness, gust Of
wind, sweeping down the river, whirled
the snow into my face and momentarily
blinded my sight AT last discerned
the opposite shore amid the obscurity.-
The landscape was wild and gloomy
A few desolate looking houses only were
in sight, and they scarcely perceptible in
the shadowy twilight. The bare trees
lifted their hoary arms on high, groan-
ing and screaking in the gale. The river
was covered with drifting ice, that now
damned with crash together, and then
noated slowly apart, leaving scarcely
space for the boats to pass. The dan
gers of the navigation can hetter be imag-
med than described-for the utmost ex-
ertions could often just prevent the frail
structures from being crushed. Occa-
sionaly a stray fife would be heard shoot
ing shrily over the waters, mingling fec
bly, with the fercer piping of the winds
and anon the deep roll of the drum
would boom across the night, the neigh
ing of horse would float from the OPP
posiio shore, or the crash of the tanning
ice would be heard like far off thunder.
The cannoners beneath me were dragging
a piece of artillery up the ascent, and the
men were rapidly forming on the shore
below as they landed. 1t was stirring
scene. At this instant the band of the
- regiment struck up an enlivcning
air, and plunging my rowels into my
steed, | whirled around, into the road,
and went off on gallop to overtake the
Generals staff.
1t was now four o'clock, and so much
time had been consumed that it became
impossible to reach our destination before
daybreak, and consequently all certainty
of surprise was over. A hasty council
was therefore called on horseback to de-
terminc whether to retreat or not. A few
minutes decided it. All were unanimous
TO proceed at every peril.
"Gentlemen,' said Washington, after
they had severally spoken, "then we
all agree--the attack shall take place
General" he continued, turning to Sui
Ivan, '.your brigade shall march by the
river road, while | will take that by PEN
nington let us arrive as near eight
o'clock as possible. But do not pause
when you reach their outposts-drive
them in before their ranks can form, and
pursue them to the centre Of the town.
| shall be there to take them in the flank
the rest we must leave to the God of
battles. And now, gentlemen, to our
posts" In five minutes we were in
motion.
The eagerness CT our troops to come
up with the enemy was never more con-
spicuous than on the morning Of that
eventful day. We had scarcely lost sight
of Sullivan's detachment across the in
tervening fields, before the long threat
ened storm burst over us. The night
was intensely cold; the sleet and hail
ratified necessarily upon the mems KNAPP
sacks the wind shrieked, howled, and
roared among the old pine trees with ter
rifle violence. At times the snow fell
perpendicular downwards-the it beat
horizontally into our faces with furious
impetuosty and again it was whirled
wildly on high, eddying around and
around, and sweeping away on the whist
ling tempest far into the gloom. The
tramp of the men-the low orders of the
officers-the occasional rattle Of mus
ket were almost lost in the shrll voice Of
the gale, or the deep, sullen roar of the
tortured forest. Even these sounds at
length ceased, and we continued the
march in profound silence, the storm in
creasing as we drew nearer TO the out
posts of the enemy. The redoubled vio-
lence of the gale, though it added to the