The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-11-28

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your leader, load and fire, dash those British
Ihlrelings upon the barriers rocks-ye heroes
Of the Wilderness! f1is rHH oI ~.
i Now Arnold is in his glory. f.
Now be knows nothing, sees nothing but
that grim barrier yonder, those fires flashing
rom the houses, that rafting hail of bullets
Ipattering on the snow-he sees, he feels them
not. - H1ulaF )Uirf" |H.-I
His eyes are fire fixed upon the second
barrier, he gances around that mass of rifles,
now glttering in the red light, he floats the
banner otthe stars on high. Hark to his
shout. fr.i ,- .....f In.. ........... Ill. ...
Never fear my men of the Wilderness
We have not come three hundred miles TO
fail now. Have not sworn to meet Mont
gomery there, to meet him in the centre of
the town or die? l.lrr. ..... .r...I .
And then on, on across the rocks and can
non of the barrier Hank, that crash, that
yell! The British soldiers are driven back
over the dead bodies of their comrades-the
first barrier is won. l..... r.... .H... ..
Arnold stands victorious upon that barrier,
stands there with blood upon his face, his
uniform, dripping from his sword, stands
there with the banner ofthe stars in his
hand HJrl.l.e. .l ........ I'D
| Oh, sainted mother ofArnold, who ON that
calm summer night, near forty years ago, laid
your child upon the sacramental altar, now
look from heaven and if saints pray for the
children ofeaTth, then pray that your son
may die here upon the bloody barrier of Que
bee. For then his name will be enshrined
with the warriors1 and Washingtons of all
time. . ... .........
Even as Arnold stood there, brandishing
that starry banner, a soldier rushed up to his
side, aud with horror quivering on his lips,
told that the gallant Montgomery had fallen.
Fallen at the head of his men covered with
wounds, the noble heart that beat so high an
hour before,was now cold as the winter snow
on which his form was laid.
Leaving Arnold for moment on the first
barrier of Quebec, let us trace the steps ofhis
brother hero.
Do you behold that massive rock, which a.
rises from the dark river into the darker sky?
Along the rock ofCape Diamond, while the
st. Lawrence dashes the ice in huge masses
against its base, along that rock, over path
that leads beneath a shelf of granite, with but
room for the foot ola single man, Rich
ard Montgomery leads his band.
Steadily my comrades, not word, let us
climb this narrow path. Take care, mis-
placed footstep, ard you will be hurled down
upon the ice ofthe dark river. Up my men,
and on. Yonder it is at last, the block house,
and beyond it at the distance oftwo hundred
PAGES, the battery, dark with cannon.
With words like these, Montgomery led on
his men. The terrible path was assembled.
He stood before the block house. Now com
rades. How that rifle blaze flashed far over
the rocks down to the st. Lawrence. An axe,
an axe by all that is brave. He seizes the
axe the brave Montgomery; with his own
arm, he hews the palisades. The day is clear
for his own men. A charge with blazing RI
fies, shout, the block house is won.
Talk ofyour British bayonets, ha, ha.--
Where did they ever stand the blaze of A
merican rifles? Wher e? Oh, perfumed |
gentlemen who in gaudy uniforms strut
Chestnut street, talk to me ofyour charge of |
bayonets and your system oftactics, and will |
reply but single word, one American rifle
man, in his rude hunting-slIirt, was worth
thousand such as you. Who Knocked the |
charge of bayonets on Bunker Hill? Who |
Burgoyne? Who mt Brandywiue
kept back panopIy of British arms from
till night? The rihemen
On shouts Montgomery, the block house is
won. Now on towards the hattery-load and
Montgomery still in the 'front.'
With yell the British behold them APP
proach; they flee from their cannon. Mont
gomery mounts the walls of rocks and iron:
his men. AT this moment hush your breath
and look! While Montgomery clings to the
rocks ofthe battery, single British soldier
turns from his flight, and fires one of those
grim cannon, and then is gone again.
A blaze upon the right, smoke, chorus
of groans T.. aIf
Montgomery lays inangled upon the rock,
while around him are scattered four other
corses. Their blood mingles in one stream.
A rude rifieman advances, bends down and
ooks upon that form, quivering for an instant
only, and cold-upon that face, torn and man I
gled as with the print of horses hoof, that
ace, but moment before glowing with he I
'o's soul. IIe looks for nome mt, and then
With panic in his face, turns TO his COM ;
AIDES. .Ha 1".. q. .. L.. al ,
Montgomery is deadn he shrieks and with {
me accord they retreat--they fly from that s
atal rock. f .r -aT. s-H -..a sil. 1
But one form fingers. 1t is that boyish
orm, graceful almost to womanly beauty, with
he brow of a genius, the eye of an eagle {
That boy ran away from college;bore WASH ;
ngton's commands 800 miles, and now {
covered with the blood of the fight-stands ,
beside the mangled body ofMontgomery, his |
lark eye wet with tears. In the form behold
he man who was almost President ofthe u s
lited States and Emperor ofMexico-the e.
ligma of our history, Aaron Burr.
ii They are going, Montgomery is left alone,
With no friendto compose those limbs or /
lose those glaring eyes. And at this mo- {
nent, while the snow falls over his face, |
While the warm blood of his heart pours out S
lpon the rock,yonder in his far distant home, c
lis young wife kneels by her bed. and prays f
Tod TO hasten his return! t.,, b. l.,..r 1T t
He died in the flush ofherosm,i in the prime
f early manhood, leaving his country the I