The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-10-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE GENERAL
WASHINGTON.

On what slight and often unseen and ST.
lent causes depend frequently the history
and late OF empires! Influences the most
rival and transient in appearance, that ex
cite no alarm or even attention, enter as dis
turbing elements our wisest and most COM
pact plans, and like moths in a garment fritz
ter them away.
How often are powerful causes relating to
our interests unseen and unsupported even
II the moment Of their greatest activity
From dangers unseen as well as seen, .
Lord, thou hast delivered US was the thought
iul thanksgiving OF our fathers, and doubt
less We shall in future world discover thai
dangers unseen overh iDging our heads, but
avcrled by Divine Providence, were the real
and chief perlS escaped i'll our liie-pilgrim-
age.
Such thoughts are before US when we con-
template our revolutionary history, with all
lis wonderful deiiverances. Thai we were
often visibly in danger. and escaped, all can
read. But how, probably, should our aston
ishnent be increased if apprised OF all the
unseen. Who can tell how often the piiless
bullet may have passed within a hands
breadth Of The heart Of Washington. How
frequently may the Vaccinations plotted in
secrecy against him and The glorious cause OF
liberty, have been justoE the point OF explod
ing and hurying Us in ruins, when an invisi
b!e hand has inlerposed and avertcd the mis-
CHIEF
II was on a bitter evening in the winter oil
1779-S0, that party Of British soldiers were
regaing themselves in The bar-room OF the
l.. IN
those days OF io!lv fellows and idle soldiers.
situated near lie battery in New York. Ma
nv a night, while the British troops were here
in heir comfortable winter quarters, did the
affairs the revolution and the prospects OF
The colonists pass in review before The sages
Of the beer pot. The prevalent feeling Of the
British soldiers towards the American army
and its officers was that of contempt, They
poured incessant ridicule upon the ragged
and lifted continental soldiers; and the fire.
suentlv uncouth dress and equipments OF
officers. who had dropped the implements Of
usbandry in the field ard hurried 10 lead
heir counlrymen 10 the battle-ground, and
who had neither time nor means 10 regard
nicely their outward appearance. often made
merrment among those who were accus-
toned to the rich and gaudy show of his ma
iesty's officers. The appearance Of d Yam
kce prisoner in British camp was always
announced by Unsurpassed laughter and
ridicule.
On the evening in question il might have
| been expected that this contcmptuous'' esti-
mate of Yankee character had been placed
| in allowance by the not get forgotten disasters
of The British at Trenton and Princeton.
where American skill and valorhad triumph
Al bat. u,
| keeping with British vanity 10 decide that
those misfortunes were mere circumstance,
One of those chances Of war that might
easily happen and he easily repaired. The
stale lest and the Tide of ridicule circulated
as before with their liquor, and the eyes Of
| the ia! and punchy Bonilace who measured
| their beverages, sparkIed wirh pleasure as
he compared with the continental rags call
ed money. the veritable British gold thai
flowed into his drawer, Boniface was a 10y
alist. OF course. lie knew his men, He ap-
| aprecited the value OF their patronage, and
could be trusted without hazard with their
secrets and plots. if any were on the tapis'
The flowing bowl had been many times
| filed and drained on tkis evening. and the
noise and vaIor OF the carousers had reached
d crisis. when Hayner. leading spirit, claim
~ particular attention TO what he lad &c
saw. delivered himself as follows:
Comrades. have scheme in nv head
which, if carried out with success, will maze
our fortunes with King George, put an end
| 10 this everlasting war with the rebels, and
allow us 10 90 home TO our wives and sweet
hearts. As for Sir Harry Clinton. he will
never get through with this business. The
rebels cannot be got 10 stand regular hghl
They want 10 worry us out by making US iUl-
low Them from one end of the country TO the
o,l.er They dodge about like so many wild
ducks, and we can't get shot at them. Now
comrades, my notion is, tina, if we can only
get hold of General Washington and bring
him prisoner to our camp, the work will be
done. 1t would break them all up Ike hive
of bees when the old queen is killed Now
my boys, you know the old cock perches
himself this winter among the hills oil Nor
riston, and our friends, the tories. from that
neighborhood, tell us that he keeps but a
small guard about him and 10 the midst o.
such an awful hard winter it is not likely they
have much fear of anybody coming 10 carry
him off. Here's glorious chance as ever
was for brave fellows to line their pockets anC
GET promoted in the bargain
Hayner's companions. like himself, had Inn
bibed lust enough excitement to be drawn a
once into anything that wore The stamp o.
bold enterprise, without considering very mi
nutelv the chances of failure. All agreed IN
The correctness OF his reasoning, and the