The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-09-19
REVOLUTIONARY ANECDOTE.
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headquarters were in Second street,
the fourth door below Spruce, in o
house occupied by General Cadwalla-
der. DIRECTLY opposite resided William
and Lydia eHanah, members of the So
oiety of Friends.
e superior officer Of the British ar.
my, believed to bo the adjutantgcncral,
fixed upon one Of their chambers, a
back room, for private conference, and
two of tho officers frequently mot there,
with fire and candles, in close consulta-
ton.
About tho I'd Of December, the adiu-
tant-gcncral told Lydia that they would
be in tho room at I o'clock, and remain
there late; and they wished the family
to retire carly to bed, adding that when
they were going away, they would call
her to let them out, and cxtinguish their
fire and candles.
She accordingly sent all the family
to bed; but as the officer had been so
particular, her curiosity was excited;
she took OF her shoes, put her ear to
the key-hole of the conclave, and over
heard ali order read for all the British
troops to march out late in the evening
of the 4th, and attack the American
army, then encampcd at White Marsh.
On hearing this, she returned to her
chamber, and lay down soon after, the
officer knocked at the door, but she
arose only at the third summons,
feigning herself asleep.
Her mind was so much aritatcd by
what she had heard, that she could nei-
ther eat nor sleep, supposing it to be in
her power to save the lives Of thousands
OF her fellow countrymen, yet not
knowing how to convey the imforma-
ton to General Washington, nor dar-
ing to confde it to her husband. The
time she felt, however, was short. She
quickly determined to make her way
as soon as. possible to the American
outposts.
On leaving home, she informed her
family that she was in want of -four
She would 80 to Frankford for some;
her husband insisted that she should
take her servant maid with her, but to
his surprise she positively refused
She got access to General Howe, and
solicited, what he readily granted, a
pass Though tho British troops on the
lines.
Leaving her bag at the mill. she
hastened towards the American lines,
and encountered on her way an Anne
r1can lieutenant, ofthe light horse, who,
with some Of his men, was on the look
out for information.
He knew her, and inquired where
she was going. She answered, in
quest of her son, an officer in the Amc-
rican army, and prayed him to aliyht
and walk with her. He did so order.
ing his troops to keep in sight. 10
him she disclosed her secret, after hav-
ing obtained from him solemn promise
that he would not betray her individu,
ally, as her life might be at stake with
the British.
lie conducted her to a house, near at
hand, ordered some refreshments for
her, and hastencd to headquarters to
acquaint General Washington with
what he had heard. Washington, Of
course, made all necessary preparations
for battling the meditatod surprise Lydia
returned home with her flour, sat up
alone to watch the movements of the
British troops; heard their footsteps as
they moved out of the city; but. when
they returned in few days after. she
did not dare to ask questions, though
anxious to learn the event.
The next evening the Aijutant. Gen
eral came in, and requested her to walk
up to his room, as he wished to put
some questions to her.
She followed him in terror, and when.
with an air of mystery, he requested
her to be seated, she was sure she was
either suspected or betrayed.
He inquired earnestly whether any
of her family were up the last niyht,
when he and the others officers met.
She told him they all retired at 6 o'clock.
lie observcd--"I know YOU were
asleep; for | knocked at your chamber
door three times before you heard me.
am entirely at a loss to imagine who
gave General Washington information
Of our intended attack, unless the walls
OF the house could speak. Whom we
arrived near White Marsh, we found all
their cannon mounted, and the troops
ready to receive us, and We have
marched back like parcel of FOOLS
LAMARTrNE INsANE.-Mr. +. Gail
lardet writes as follows to the Courier
DIES Etats, of Ncw-York city, from which
paper tho Tribune translates. The let
ter is dated Paris, Aug 16:
Last week NJ. de Lamartine had as
sembled at his table several of his init