Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-03-27
A." BOYS DO YOU HEAR THAT 7"

Twenty-six years ago last Autumn, (said a gem
tleman to us the other day,) | was a boy tending
school in a log cabin, with no other windows Than
the light afforded through the space oftwo logs, by
the removal of a piece OF the third, with greasy
bits of paper pasted on as substitutes for glass.
This cabin, dedicated to learning, was situated IN
the outskirts of a now popnlous town IN PennsyI-
vania. No State in the Union furnished more. or
better soldiers for the defence and protection OF the
Northern frontier of Ohio, during the late war,
than did Pennsyl 'ania not a few of her sons were
in The army surrendered by Hull, besides numbers
| Other brave followers were massacred and scalp
| cd at WrNCHEsTER's and DUDLEY defeat; still the
after call of GENERAL HARRISON for more soldiers,
was answered by large numbers of Penn>ylvanins
including several from our village. The departure
| of these rave fellows from their families and
friends was then viewed as a voluntary sacrifice
ofliie for the defence oflhcir country and the Glare.
well, God bless y,e," was uttered in a lone ana
feeling that sank deep INTO the hearts of the by
ISLANDERS, and which will, never be ellaccd from
my memory.
In those days orr mails were few and uncertain,
and it was only by the occasionally passing OF a
sick or disabled soldier returning home that we
a deep gloom over>prcad our countryside last
news was, a ga battle iS7soon expected between
the American Army under General Harrison and
the British and Indians Under the blood thirsty
Proctor and Tecnm>eh." Days and weeks passed
by, and yet nothing was heard from our army.
Or citizens eagerly hailed all strangers from the
West, with the anxious enquiry of any news
from General Harrison - and such was the delay,
doubt and uncertainty, that it was generally fear
ed, and Ivy many ~lelieved, that Harrison and his
army had, like those lefore him, been defeated
and massacred. While | was sitting (said ont in
%formani) at the long io,o tcindoD of our school
house, and our Irish scbpolmaster was busy in
repeating our A b G to the smaller %urchins, sud
IDENTIFY heard the sound of horn. | looked forib
and saw descending the bull, halfa mile distant,
foot of the hill he crosscta ridge, and the rapid
clatter of the iron hoof rcsounded throughout ON
cabin. Raising the hill near us, his horse at full
speed and reeking with sweat, he again sounded
his >hrIll horn. and when opposite our log Acade.
my, he called ont, 'Harrison has Whipped tn
British and Indi ans Pr
Our Irish tutor, with as true an american hear
as ever beat in Il son Of Erin, sprang from his sea
as though he had been shot, his eyes flashing fir,
screaming ont "BoYs DO You HEAR THAT -!
caught his hat, dartcd ont The door, and followe,
the mail boy at the top of his speed the scholar
were not a second lehind him, The larger one
taking the lead and shouting "Huzza for Harri
son." and the smaller ones running after hollowln!
and screaming with fright. The people of our vii
lage hearing the confusion and seeing the mail DO,
and horse al full run followed by the SchooImastt
at the top of his speed and his whole shool scream
ing, shouting and running, knew not what L
make oft. The mechanic left his shop, the mer
chant his store, and the women stretched thei
necks out Of the windows, while Consideration
and dismay was depicted on every coun,enance
= the mail arriving at the Office, the carrier rose il
his >tirrups, and exclaimed, at the same tim
whiring his hat in the air, "Huzza for Harrison
he has whipped the British and lndian>"-"boy
do you hear that y a universal shout ofjoy bur
forth, bonfires were kindled in the street, and on
I, village illuminated at night. In those days,
heard no one say that Harrison was a " coward
!, or a granny" but I did hear many say Go
:, bless Gen. Harrison. ~. S. Gazene.