The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-09
Miscellaneous,
THE DoWNER's BANNER.

6kH
The battle of Lexington was over, and the
enemy in full retreat Their march, which
had begun with the GOODNESS and order of
veterans, was sharpened into double quick
time; till atlength, 'sduve qli pueP became the
order of the day, and retreat was changed to
flight. And reason was there for their haste.
From every copse ofbushes, every house and
barn, blazed the avenging guns of the men
whose homes they had violated; and every
rod of the ground they had traversed was
wet with the eXpiating blood of Britons.-
They felt more than common fear of their
fierce pursuers Conscience told them the
iniustceof their 81 admonished of the
kindred blood that had been wantonly shed.
There existed no war. The fourth Of July
l776 had notyet come, and the gauntlet of
defiance was not yet thrown down. They
had entered the bosom OF peaceful lane,
like wolves; and like wolves, they fled at the
voice ofthe shepherd. There had needed
but this impolitc step to sever the colonies
forever from their allegiance. That step
was taken. The torch of war was lit, and ii
was for Britain to quench il as she might.
Wounded as many were, and fatigued as
We're all ofthe invading party, it was Obvious
That they would follow each other like the
Cariatii, at considerable intervals, and rs
their strength permitted. Thus while some
companies were entering Boston, and telicita-
ting themselve ontheir escape, others were
still ten miles back, dragging themselves on
through the fire oftheir merciless enemies
It was only on occasions when attempts We're
made to intercept their progress that the
British veterans did any thing like justice TO
their high reputation. Then charging with
the fury ofdespar, they broke their way with
such tremendous havoc, that the provincals
would rare venture again to dispute the road.
Whenever il happened, however the glitter of
the British mllskets as they made the preiiin-
mary movements of ready and aim was
generally sufficient to clear the way without
having recourse to the third order.
AT length they reached a spot where, from
appearances, there had been n fierce strug
Gle. At the foot Of u long hill, piled upon
each other III dust and blood, and in the
Sloughs on either side of the way, lay more
than sixty slain who wore the livery of the
British king
At this dreadful sight our flgitives halted
and looked Wildly mt each other, and then
desperately rushed up the bill. To their great
Joy, on another hill, one mile ahead, the de
serted a column oftheir troops just disappear
ing in thick wood through which the road
passed, But scarcely had they made this OBJ
scrvation, when the wood was lighted with
the blaze ofthrce hundred muskcts, and the
next moment, rs many men sprung into the
road, and with loud cries the whole vanished
down the opposite decliyity, 'pursuers and
pursued ....
Here then, was a case of new difficulty for
4 our heroes. hundreds ofenemieS were be-
tween them and the main body of their
"A troops and to effect a junction with them was
therefore next to impossible.
NJ wanted but few minutes to sunset, on
"a the day already quoted, when two men APP
a.,
"a tho bank of brook, several miles south of
81 he Boston and Lexington road The young
M grass afforded them grateful couch, and the
|8tr0e waters of the brook, swollen to the
s&green brim, went joyously on its course to
&3 the sea. A small grove of oaks, round the
RCaSern skirts ofwhich the brook wound its
I. Way, showed as yet no symptoms ofawaken-
|8ing vegetation. Apparently unconscious of
\ he mystic agency which had already called
A#oth from the ground humble but beautiful
gns of life, the setting light of day streamed
Rmongh their bare and ragged branches cold
4 N as winter But nature was at work, in the
mir aud in the earth; and the sap was concoct-
Rng and flowing upwards, like life blood,into
N pose gigantic vegetables; just like the revivi
#yiHg spirit of freedom, which, however mys-
|sEerIoIs and invisible its course, was then flow
E#ng from the same material earth into the
/. #learl ofeVery son and daughter it reared and
Ronrshed. The spot here described was not
FEo far from the Lexington road but that at in
Mkefvals the sound ofcannon and heavy vol
#ReyS OF musketry would reach it upon the C.
Mgenlng breeze, announcing that the pursuit
was not yet over; but they produced no effect
IS lpon the men who rested by the brook
Their whole appearance bespoke extreme IA
n Ngue and exhaustion. Their guns and ac-
requirements were thrown carelessly down, as
3R Ike the heroes of sacred writ who smote
NJ Fher enemies till their hands Glove to their
#EW0rds, they could no longer handle them-|
~ helrhands and garments bespoke the blood
N work i'll which they had been engaged
both were men of extraordinary size and
pore the common dress of American farm
#ers. But in one, who was fine youth of
N Apme five or six and twenty years, the strength
NJ Vas distributed so justly throughoutthe whole
N Fame that one wasa loss whether TO pro-
#Nounce him an Apollo or a Hercules His
N &atllrcs too, though now haggard with IA
Mgue, We're noble and expressive ofgreat de-
n Hson; and his large black eyes as he lay ex-
ended on his back, was turned to the even
Rg sky with light in them that seemed un-
#lenchable.i His companion, however, was
Mlilt entirely after the Egyptian order, alto
@ther, for strength and durability. Some
#llat older, and some inches shorterthan his
Pmpanion, he was nevertheless much heavi-
ms body being throughout of the same
Ne like rice cask, save where his shoulders
Rread almost to the magnificent dimension
Paddy Carey.* His head was strictly Boz
sRah, his dress coarser than the others and
& tout ensemble bespoke a person two or
N#ee notcheslow on the graduating scale
fociety. Thus they lay by the brook too
pen fatigued even for conversation; and il
KS now dusk and the frosty dews of an A