The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-09-22

cts of the Hessians as to inbale the odor O
their pipes, discovered by the newly y-turne
earth the position of the redoubts, and b
the numerous tents that dotted the field 70
"many rood around" and showed dimy
{ amid the light haze, the encampment of tn
British and German re-inforcements, and il
u short, performed their perilous duty wIthou
the slightest discovery, and. pleased will
themselves aud the success Of their cnterpris,
prepared TO retire, just as Chanticeer from
D neighboring farmhouse was bidding salu
J tation to the MORN
The adventurous patty reached small EN-
nence at some distaEce from the British
camp, and commanding an extensive pros
pect over the adjacent country. Here Nor
gan halted to give his men a little rest, be-
fore taking up his line of march to the Amer
lean outpos;s. Scarcely had they thrown
themselves upon the grass, when they per
ceived issuing from the enemy's advanced
pickets body of horse, commanded by an
officer, and proceeding along the road that
led directly by the spot where the ri1emen
had halted. No spot could be better chosen
for an ambuscode, for there were rocks and
ravines, an! also scrubby oaks, that grew
thickly on the emnence by which the ro ad
which we have just mentioned passed, at not
exceeding hundred yards.
"Down, boys, down." cried Morgan, as the
horse approached, nor did the clansmen oI
the Black Roderick disappear more promptly
amid their native heather than did Morgan's
woodsmen, in the present instance, each to
his tree or rock "Lie close there my lads,
till we see what these fellows are about"
Meantime the horsemen had gained the
height, and the officer dropping the rein on
the chargers neck, with spy-glass reconnoi-
tired the American lines. The troops closed
up their files, and were either caressing the
noble animals they rode, adjusting their
equipments, or gazing upon the surrounding
scenery, now fast Frightening in the beams
of the rising sun.
Morgan looked at Long, and Long at his
superior, while the rifemen, with painting
chests, and sparkling eyes, were only await
| ing some signal from their officers "to let the
ruin fly"
AT length the martial ardor of Morgan over
came his prudence and sense of military sub
ordination. Forgettul of consequences, s,reck-
less of every thing, but his enemy, now with
in his grasp, he waved his hand, and loud and
sharp rang the report Of their rifles amid the
surrounding echoes.
At point blank distance, the certain and
deadly aim of the Hunting Shirts of the Rev.
olutionary army is too well known to history
to need remarks at this time of day. In the
instance we have recorded, the effect of the
fire of the rihemen was tremendous. Of the
horsemen, some had fallen to rise no more
while their liberated chargers rushed wildly
over the adjoining plain; others, wounded,
but en:anged with their stirrups, were drag
ged by the infuriated animals expiringly
along, while the very few who were unscath-
ed spurred hard to regain the shelter Of the
British lines.
While the smoke yet canopied the scene
of slaughter and the picturesque forms OF the
woodsmen appeared among the foliage. as
they were reloading their pieces, the colos-
sal figure of Morgan TODD apart. He seemed
the very genius of war, and gloomily he con-
templated the havoc his order had made. He
spoke not, he moved not, but looked as one
absorbed in the intensity of thought. The
martial shout with which he was wont TO
cheer his comrades in the hour of combat twus
hushed the shell from which he had blown
full manya note of battle and of triumph on
the field of Saratoga, hung by his side; no
order was Civ en.to spoil the slain; the arms
and equipments, for which there was always
n bounty from Congress, the shirts of which
there was such need, at that, the sorest Pc
riod of our country's privation, all, all, were
abandoned, as, with an distracted air ard
voice struggling for utterance, Morgan sud-
denly turning to his captain exclaimed, Long
to the camp, to the camp The favorite cup
tain obeyed. the rihemen with trailed arms
| fell into file, and Long and his party soon dis
appeared, but not before the hardy fellows
had exchanged opinions on the strange ter
mination of the late affair. And they agreed,
men, con ;, that their colonel was tricked, (con-
jured,) for assureily after sucha fire as they
had given the enemy, such an emptying of
saddles and scattering OF the troopers, he
would not have ordered his poor rifle boys
from the field, without SO. much as few
shirts or pair of stockings being divided
among them. eyes," said tall, lean and
swarthy- looking fellow,an Indian hunter from
the frontier, as he carefully placed his mocca-
sined feet in the footprints of the file-leader,
"Yes, my lads, it stands to reason our colo
mel is trcked."
Morgan followed slowly on the trail of his
men. The full force of his military guilt had
rushed upon his mind, even before the report
of the rifles had ceased to echo in the neigh
boring fore $. He became more convinced
of the enor y his offence, as with dull
and measured strides, he pursued his solitary
way, and thus soliloquized!
"Well, Daniel Morgan, you have done for
yourself. Bioke, sir, to certainty. You
may go home, sir, SO the plough; your sword
will be of no further, use to you. Broken,
sir--nothing can save you; and there is the
end OF Col. Morgan. Fool, fool, by single
act of madness, thus to destroy the earnings
of SO many tolls and of many hard fought
battle. You are broken, sir, and there is an
end o: Col. Morgan"
To disturb hisreverie, there suddenly ap-
peared at full speed the aid de-camp, the
Mercury, of the field, who reignlng up, ac-