Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-06-25
CHAPTER <.

NhAFA 4
The morning Of Saturday, the 4,h Of October.
i777, dawned slowly and heavily; and the sky
was obscured by dimly defined masses Of clouds
and mis' that oycrhung the pathway Of the sun.
and extended likeoncyastshrJud, along the dome
Of heaven, enysloping bill, and pIan and stream,
IN the density Of is folds. Objects were not dis.
cernibIo, az more than fifty PAGES, and not Uurre-
quenly, the tired eye Of the soldier, in vain es.
soyed 10 define the outline Of marching troops,
opposing enclosures, brushwood or trees, not
more than twenty PAGES in front.
As the first g.immeriHg Of dawn began 10 steal
over the landscape, the American amy conmen.
ccd their march, unmarked by the roll Of drum
7r the Pcal Of trumpet. The only sounds that
disturbed the silence Of the atmosphere were the
monot0nous tread Of men and horses, shaking
the earth, like the low moaning Of far of lhun.
DER and ever and anon the words Of command.
uttered in a suppressed tone Of voice, passed a.
long the line; and these sounds, mingled with the
.iarof cIankug swords, the shrill neigh Of the
nettIed war-horse, and the thousand ha'csoJbcd
noises that accompany The movements Of large
body Of armed men, were all the tokens that ser
we'd 10 warn the surrounding farmers and peas
antry 10 flee from the scene Of the approaching
conflict.
At the head Of the central body, with Wayne
on one side and Sullivan on the other, rode the
man Of the army, his tall form seeming yet more
lofty, as it loomed through the mist, and his face
Impressed with an expression Of solemn deter.
minalion, as he gave to his various aids-de-camp
the orders Of the day, the directions regulating
the march, or as he impaired farther instructions
in relation 10 the attack and surprise.
The deep and prolonged murmur and haIEsup.
pressed hustle, that was heard to the right aud
left of the central body, served 10 show that the
divisions Of Greene and Stephens on the left
wing, and the militia Of Maryland and New Ter
sey on the extreme left as we'll as the brigade Of
Pennsylvania on the extreme right, wero deGjiug
cast and west. 10 take their respective positions
in the approaching struggle.
As the central division advanced in regular or
der over the fields, and through the woods, that
lay between the haunted house and chesnut hill.
The fog seemed 10 deepen, and the light Of dav
served only to render the gloom more apparent,
and objects around more vague and shadowy.-I
The Black Rangers we're some two hundred
yards in advance, and quarter Of a mile 10 the
right Of the main body on the look out for scouts
aud loragng parties Of the enemy. They had
arrived within mile Of chesnut hill, and were
ascending a circular elevation Of earth, crowned
with thick copse when the quick aror Harry
llelt, first dscerned the sounds Of laughter, the
cIaah Of swords, and the patcrug Of horses
hoos, on the opposite side Of the hill, beyond
the woods.
"With your permission, captain, III Just ride
up to the top of the hill and see what them sus.
picious sounds might mean"
"Do so, Iioutenant,' replied Herbert. at
strikes me that your eye will discover some stray
ioraging party who have lost therw way in the fog.
Just approach near enough to ascertain their
force and posilion-don't thrust yourself heed, /
Iessly into danger"
Sand sure, captain, exclaimed Dennis, "might
not it be Jest as well for meself 10 ride to the op-
posile side Of the hill, in different direction from
that taken by the lieutenant, and take dacent
peep at the Britishcrs-if Britishers they bc!'
The captain nodded ascent. and while the par
.ty haItcd at some fifty PAGES from the copso at
the summit of the elevation, Harry Ilch put spurs
to his horse, and galloped around the eastern side
.of the ascent, while Dennis pursued his way TO-
ward the western side.
Harry passed through the copso and gained
the opposite brow Of the hill, where refining in
his secd, he tried TO discover the nature Of the
ground. Below him, for some twenty PAGES, the
hill slopcd down in a gentle descent, and was
then lost in the obscurity Of the fog, hom the
bosom of which, far down in the valley, came
drunken shouts, mingng with snatches Of songs,
and the sounds of horses feet.
"Lets see," soliloQuzed Harry, "Whero am
and what's this place like! All now have it
this hill slopes down into a small valley, which
it encircIcs in the shape of new moon-and
now that think Of it, there is level outlet from
it toward the south, opening into a flat boltomcd
piece of swampy ground. On all other sides it
is circumyentcd by semi-crcuIar woods, and it
strikes me. them strangers, whoeverthev be, must
be taking lroIic right in the lap of the hollow.
By the Continental Congress, what's that!"
The sound that attracted Hary's attention,
was the quick and sudden noise of horses hoofS,
mingled with vindictive shouts, as though their
riders were in close pursuit of an enemy. Near
er and nearer the sounds of pursuit drew, and
Harry was about TO obey the impulse Of the mo.
ment and rush down into the valley, when the
jarring report Of pistol broke upon the air. and
the conclusion lifted the fog for some fifty PAGES
below the spot where stood the gallant Ranger.
As the mist slowly rose, like the uprising Of vast
curtan, Harry behed sight that sent the Blood
in one wild warm current, to the heart.
Quick as the lightning flash he baheld two sol.
diers in the crimson uniform Of British troopers,
mounted on stout, fleet horses, galIoping up the
hill at the top Of their speed, their swords sus-
pended in the air, and their arms nerved to strike
wounded man, who dropping to one side of his
steed, essayed to escape up the ascent, while his
noble horse made almost supernatural efforts to
increase his speed. At the same instant that
Harry saw the wounded man and his pursuers,
he beheld body of some dozen dragons gaIlop-
ing in the rear; while down the bill, in the centre
of the valley, the main force of the company
(some twenty troopers in ally were gathered a
round fire, in the act of springng upon their
horses, as if disturbed by someunexpected alarm.