Democratic banner., 1846-12-07
THE LAST SACRIFICE.
An Incident Of lie Battle Of GermaantOmn,
BY LAWRENCE LABREE.

man who lived during the p~erilous times
of our country-tiose ''times that tried
mems souls" He was ardent and patriot
ic, and thirsted 10 be a sharcr in those clo-
ries which our brave armies plucked from
the bris:ling ~bayorets of the enemy; yet
he had been withheld from joining the ranks
by his aged and infirm parents, whose only
support and comfort he was. AS he look
ed upon the feeblenes7 of their old age,
and thought Of the perils they would be ex-
posed to, with no defender Of their helpless
ness, he gave a sigh for the destinies Of his
country, and resigned himself TO the duties
of the small farm which was their only sup
port. He could not desert them and leave
them to the mercy Of tie vagabnnd strag-
glers from the enemies camp, and the worst
traitors of his own country. Instances
were too fresh in his memory Of rcvered
heads and lioary locks having been crush
ed to the Garth by midnight plunderers and
assassins, and his love for the authors of
his being left him nothing but his prayers
for his oppressed country.
But he had other affections that were
growing in his breast like spring flowers,
shedding a perfume of holiness upon his
spirit, like the Christians Inspiration
There had existed, since their childhood,
an attachment between him and the only
daughter Of awidow who resided but a few
rods from his fathers residence, and that
attachment had ripcned TO a mutual dccla-
ration of love when the parties became
sufficiently old to appreciate the glow of
true devotion. A time was set for Tie con-
summation of their VOWS, which was the
evening of the ever memorable 25th of De-
cember, l776, at the time that Washington
was making his p~erilous but triumphant.
passage across the Delaware, amid floating
ice, and suffering from the intense cold Of
the season.
The two families were now united.
George removing the bride and her mother.
to the house Of his father. But still he was
not harpy-hc could not Danish from Lis
mind an oppressive anxiety for the welfare
Of his country, and the doubtful struggle
which she was maintaining in the hopes Of
acquiring that freedom for which cvcryno-
bic heart SO warmly prayed.
In a week from the night of the passage
Of the Delaware, Washington met a de-
tachment of the enemy at Princeton, which
he defeated with small loss, with the ex-
ceptlon Of several officers, among whom
was the gallant and brave General Mercer.
while that OF the enemy was upwards of
one hundred killed, and the remainder a.
bout three hundred taken prisoners. The
General then retired to winter quarters at
Morristown, which he did not leave until
the latter end Of May, with an army a
mounting to but little over seven thousand
men, although Congress had offered rich
bounties in land with increased pay.
At this time George burned to enlist in
the ranks Of his co%untrymcn, and share
their sufFerings and their glory. But his
young wife looked in his face with weeping
eyes, whose eloquence, added to the infirmi-
ties of his parents, deferred him from the
sacrifice. Besides, as the roads became
more passable, and the season more tenn
perate, robberies and midnight excursions
of struggling Hessians and SINNERS were
more, frequent and the house of one of their
neighbors had been pillaged, the inmates
brutalIy murdered, and the dwelling set on
fire, within sight of their friends, who could
offer them no assistance, expecting, as they
did, every moment to meet the same fate.
In this state Of inquietude passed away
the summer, until the intelligence reached
George of the engagement between the A
merican and the English armies at Brandy
wine, on the 18th of September, when the
republican forces were compelled to retreat
after a days hard fighting, with a loss that
was estimated at three hundred killed, a.
bout six hundred wounded: and between