The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-07-01
Fiom the South Western MecAanic.
a RELIC OF '7G.

following interesting document 1t lSn
discourse delivered by the Rev. Jacob
Trout, on the evening before the battle
OF Brandywine j. e. on the llth of Sep
tember, l777. [, was pronounced be
fore the main body OF the American
army, in presence Of Gen. Wayne, and
other distinguished officers of the army.
REVOLUTIONARY SERMON.
s.They that take the sword, shall perish,
by tn" sword"
Soldiers uud countrymsn -
We have met this evening perhaps
for the last time. We have shared the
toll of the march, the peril of the fight,
and the dismay of the retreat alike we
have endured the cold aud hunger, the
contumely of internal foe, and the cour-
age OF the foreign oppressor. We have
sat night after night, beside the camp
fire; we have together heard the roll OF
the revellie, which called US to duty, or
the beat of tatto, which gave the signal
for hardy sleep Of tho soldier, with the
earth for his bed and KNAPP sack for his
pillow.
And now soldiers and brethren, we
I"iiy oA liAo C'C VI OultlC "llllc Tut Sul-
light is dying away, beyond yondcr
heights, and the sunlight that to-mor-
row morn will glinmer on scenes of
blood. We have me, amid the white
ming tents of our cncampment; in time
of terror and gloom have we gathered to-
gether-Gol grant it may not be for the
last time.
1t is solemn moment. Brethren
docs not the solemn voice of nature
seem echo the sympathies of the
hour The flag of our country droops
heavily from yondcr stan-thc breeze
has died away along the green plain of
Chadd's Ford-the plain that spreads
before: us glittcring in sunlight the
heights Of the Brandy ywine are gloomy
and grand beyond the waters of yonder
stream-all nature holds a pause of
solemn silence, on the eve of uproar and
bloodshed tomorrow.
"They that take the sword, shall perish BY
the sword.''
And have they not taken up the
sword?
Let the desolated plain, the bloo,Idcn
vallles: the burned farmhouse blackc.
ming in the sun, the sacked village, and
the ravaged town, answer-let the whi-
tening bones of the butchcred farmer
strewn along the fields Of his homestead,
answer-lct the starving mother, with
her babe clinging to the withered breast
that can afford no sus.aincnce, let her an
swer with the dealhrattlc mingling
with the lnurmuring tones that marked
the last struggle OF her lie: lie, the dy-
ing mother and her babe answer.
Ii was but day past and our land
slept in the quiet peace. War was
not here. Fraud and woe, and misery
and want, dwelt not among us. From
the eternal solitude Of the grcenwoods.
arose the smoke Of the settlers cabin,
gloden fields Of corn looked forth amid
the waste Of the wilderness, and glad
music of human voices awoke the ST.
lence of the forest.
Now, God, of mercy, behold the
change!
Under the shadow Of pretpx,, under
the sanctity of the name of God, invo-
king the Redremtr to heir aid, do those
foreign h,relngs shay our people! They
throng our towns they darken our
plains, and now they encompass our
posts on the lonely plain Of Chadd's
Ford
''They that take the sword, sha'l perish
by the sword"
Brethren think me not unworthy oi
belief when tell you that the doom oi
the British is near. Think me not vain
when | tell you that beyond the cloud
that now enshronds US, see gathering
thick and fast, the darker the blacklist
storm of divine retribution!
The may conquer us tomorrow
Might and wrong may prevail, and we
may be driven from this field but the
honor of Gods own vengeance will
come! H.. ~ =.
Ay, if;in the vast solitude of eternal
:. space, if in the heart OF the boundles:
IL L. A. L. IF