Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-01-28

light of the breaking dayl1iao .taa i.
Yes, yes, as the first CLEAN softhe aus
tu.nnal dawn broke around the spot, as
the, first long gleam Of sunlight stream
ed over the peeled skull of that fair
young wife-she was that last night
there was vow going up to Heaven,
the, VOW Of a maddened heart and an
guished brain. - U''' ,'l'! 4 ~ s' 81
How was that VOW kep,l Gp thefe:
to Brandywine, and where the carnaga
gathers thickest, where the fght fs'
most bloody. there you may see atsto1ti
form riding on, liftinga huge hummer
into light. Where that hanfnek falls
il kills where lhat hammer stfikes, ~
crushes! II Is the blacksmith's form.
And the war cry that he shoutsl Is it
a mad cry Of vengeance--half how, half
hurrah? Is it but fierce yell, break
ing up from his heaving chestl iHat
All, no s-. '~'-
1t is the name of MARY! 1t is the
name Of his young wife!
Oh, Mary--sweetest name ofwoman
--name so soft, SO rippling, so musical
name of the mother Of Jesus, made
holy by poetry and religion--how
did yonr syllables of music
ring out from that blacksmith's lips, as
he went murmering onl
"MARyI' he shouts, as he drags tina,
relocated trooper from his steed:--
"Maryp he shrieks, as his hammer
crashes down--laying that officer in
the dust. Look! Another officer, with
a gallant face and form--another offi>
Ger, glittering in tinse, clasps that
blacksmith by the knees, and begs
for mercy. .. -.,..s
II have a wife--mercyl l have a
wife yonder in England--spare me!'
The blacksmith, crazed as h, is,
trembles--,here is tear in his eye.
u would spare you, but there is a
form ofmy dead wife. That form has
gone before me all day. She calls on
me to strike!"
And the hammer fell, and then rang
out that strange war.cry-"MARYp'
At last, when the battle was over, he
was found by wagonor, who had al
least shouldered cart.whIp in his
country's service-he was found sitting
by the roadside, his head sunken, his
leg broken-the life blood swelling from
his many wounds.
The WAGNER would have carried
him from the field, but the stout black
smith refused.
"You see, neighbor," he said, in that
voice husky with death, II never med
died with the British till they burned
my home, till they"-- he could
not speak the outrage, but his wife, his
child, were there before his dying
eyes-"And now Pve.but five minutes
life in me. I'd like to give a shot at
the British before die. Do you see
that cherry tree? Do you think you
could drag man Of my build up there's
Place me there; give me powder
horn, three riflle-balls and good rifle;
that's all | ask" .r. -.,.
The wagner granted his request; he
lifted him to the foot Of the cherry three
he placed the rifle, the balls, and the
power-horn in his grasp.
Then whipping his horses through
the narrow pass, from the summit of g
neighboring height, he looked down up
on the last scene Of the blacksmith:
life.
There lay the stout man, at the foo
of the cherry tree, his broken leg hang
ing over the roadside bank. The blooc
was freely streaming from his wounds
he was then dying.
Suddenly he raised his head-a soune
struck on his ears. A party Of British
came rushing along the narrow road
mad with carnage and thirsting to1
blood. They pursued scattered banc
of Continentals. An officer led the
way, waving them on, with his sword
The blacksmith loaded his rifle;s ;sswitt
that eye bright with death he took his
aim. .t-.". ...
"That's for Washington!' he shouted
and fired. The officer lay qulvering in
the roadside dust. ..,'1
On and on came the British, nearer
and nearer to the cherry tree-the
Continentals swept through the pass
Again the blacksmith loaded-again he
fired. ... .~....,..... .....-. ..
"Tbal's for mad Anthony Wayne!'
he shouted, as another of. ,he officers
bit the sod. .,~,.,, t......
The British now came rushing to the
cherry tree, determined TO cut dowr
the wounded man, who with his face
toward them, bleeding as he was, deal
death among their ranks. A fair Wis
aged officer, with golden hair waving
on the wind, led them on.
The blacksmith raised his rifle, will
that hand s.iffening in death he took tn
ei'r.l SIT '..7'e-r9 =, &. 'a.