Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-17

and without sleep, he sat dozing on his horse.
! From this condition he was aroused by the
singing ofa ball past his head and the cry "pick
| of that officer on the white horse" While
! Captain IIubey, Of LANCASTER, and some of his
men were pulling down a fence which the
Generals tired horse was unable to leap, he
drew pistol, and turning in the saddle, saw
young officer who had fired at him, person
ally, engaged in re-loadng his muskct. TAX
| ing deliberate aim with his pistol, he fred
and blew out his brains The General was
afterwards heard 10 say, that he regretted the
death he was obliged 10 infct, as the officer
was an uncommonly fine looking man.
He was a. the hard fought battle on the
plains Of Monmouth, June %, ITS and at the
stormng Of Stony Point he commanded the re,
serve. Gen. Wayne IN his letter to General
! Washington says :-"Previous to the attack
had drawn Gen. Muhlenberg into my rear,
who took post on the opposite side of the march,
| in readiness, either to support us or cover re-
treat in case Of accident; and have not the
least doubt ofhis faithfully and galantly effect
/ ing either had there been occasion for it,"
| During Lesle'S incurson into Virginia, 17s0,
/ Gen Muhenberg held the chief command Of
/ the American forces, and he acted under the
command of Baron Steuben during the subse-
qcent invasion Of the same State by Arnold and
Philips in 17S0 81 When CORVALLIS march
ed into Virginia in ISL, Gen. Muhlenberg
was second in command to Lafayette, and shar-
eG with him the dangers and responsibilities
and also the glory of that campaign. In the
battle OF Green Spring, July 6, 17Sl, when the
Pennsylvania line, under Gen. Wayne, fell in
TO confusion, by forced march ofseveral miles,
Gen. Muhlenberg threw himself, uithom orders
between the enemy and the disordered Ameri-
cans, and thus saved the Pennsylvania troops
from total defeat.
At the glorious siege of Yorktown, he COM
manded the First Brigade of Light Infantry,
which s,ormcd the British redoubts, an action
which placed him among the most conspicuous
heroes ofthe revolution. Col. Alexander Ham
lIton commanding one OF the regiments of that
brigade, received the principal honor which,
strictly speaking, belonged TO the General,
whose modesty and easy disposition caused him
to acquiesce in the report made of that affair
His portrait occupies place in the picture by
Trumbul Of the surrender Of Lord Corvallis,
now in the ro,unda OF the Capitol at Washing
ton.
He continued IN service to the entire close
Of the war, and was promoted to the rank Of
Major General before the army was disbanded.
Cot. Monroe, afterwards President of the u.
States, was one ofhs uides-de.camp.
Under the old constitution Of Pennsylvania,
from l775-SS, while Franklin was President Of
The State, he was Vice President In l1sS, he
was elected by general tickc, to the FIRST Con-
GRrSs 10 serve as member from Pennsylya-
MIA from the 4th Of March, 1850, to 1871. On
the 22d juno, l7s9, in conjunction with Madi.
| son and the other republicans, he voted in ia
vor Of the amendment TO the law constituting
the State Department, which amendment pro.
vIded that the Secretary should be removable
/ by the President alone. The passage Of this
resolution settled the disputed question, wheth-
er the Sorate had right to participate in re-
mov''ls from Office as well as in appointments,
ard afforded the friends Of General jackson
satisfactory precedcn, 10 Justify his removal of
the Secretary OF the Treasury from Office. In
this Congress the question what title shall be
! given tn the President = was agitated Cen
/ Muh'erbc5g strenaously opposed the granting
Of any titles OF honor whatsoever.
Ia 1893, he was cle,ted a member of the 81
! Congress, and in 1899, member Of The 9th
Congress irom Montgomery county, and in the
Presidential election following the resignation
OF Washington, he was an elector from Penn.
/ sylvnnia, aud voted for Thomas Jefferson,
whose warm personal and political friend he
was.
When the great party contest occurred in
Pennsylvania, between Mexican and Ross, for
The gubern,'orial chair (by which the lines be-
tween the Democratic and Federal parties were
distinctly drawn Gen. Muhlenberg took firn
and decided stand with the Democrats, and
was placed at the head of the Democratic State
Central Committee, composed OF Thomas Lei
per, Joseph Hester, Michael Lieb, S. Miles,
Alexander J. Dallas and others. II was at the
time freely admitted that his exertlons had
| made Mexican Governor The election of Nc
Kean, after most severe and bitter contest,
was great triumph to the Democrats, ANA as
sisted materially in afterwards electng Jet.er-
son to the Presidency.