Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-08-04
MISCELLANY.

nary Adventure,

~
The leading events Of the War Of Indepen-
dence are familiar to every American but
many incidents and adventures yet remain to
be disclosed. There are those yet living who
remember the following story.
The American authorities found much diff
Guilty in disposing of their prisoners They
had no posts regularly fitted for the purpose
and they could suggest no better means for
securing them than to place them under guard
in thickly settled part Of the country,
where the inhabitants were most decidedly
hostile to the English The town Of Lancas-
ter, in Pennsylvania, was one Of those se-
lected for this purpose. The prisoners were
confined in barracks, enclosed with stockade
and vigilantly guarded. But in spite OF all
precautions, they often disappeared in an
unaccountable manner, and nothing was
heard Of them till they had resumed their
place in the British army. Many and various
were the conjectures to the means of their
escape; the officers inquired and investigated
i'll vain the country was explored to no pur-
pose the soldiers shook their heads, and
told of fortune-tellers, pedlers, and such
characters, who had been seen at intervals
and sundry of the more credulous could think
OF nothing but supernatural agency but
whether man or spirit was the conspirator,
the mystery was unbroken.
When this became known to Washington,
he sent General Hazen to take this RESPONSE
BILE charge. This energetic officer, after ex-
liiustinS all resources, resorted to stratugem
ne was convinced that, AS the nearest Bri-
tlsh post was IA hundred miles distant th.
prisoners must be aided by Americans. Int
where the suspicion should fall, he could not
even conjecture; the reproach of Toryism
being almost unknown i'll that region.
Having been trained to meet cXlgcnccs of
tins kind, III II distinguished career as colonel
IN the British army, his plan was formed ut
once, and communicated to AN officer of his
own upon whose talent he relied for it's suc.
ccssiul execution. This was CAPTAIN Lee.
>Nhose courage and ability fully justified the
/ selection.
The secret plan concerted hrtwcrn them
was tins. 1t was to be given out that Lee
was absent ON iurlough or command lie,
! meantime, was 10 assume the dress of "A Bri-
tish prisoner, and, having provided himself
with information and story Of ms cauture.
| was to be thrown into the barracks where
| he might gain the confidence of the soldiers
and JOln them III IL plan of escape. How well
! Captain Lee sustained his part NAV be in
/ isrrcd from the fact, that when he had disan-
| pcared and placed himself among tho. mi
soncrs, his own officers and soldiers saw hum
every day without the least suspicion. The
person to whom am indebted for most of
these particulars was the lntendant of the
| prisoners, and familiar with Lee but though
compelled to see him often in the dischurTe
Of his duty, he never penetrated the disguise.
Well it was for Lee that his disguise was 50
complete. Had his associates suspected his
purpose to betray them, his history would
have been embraced in the proycrb, Z" dead
men tell no tales
For many days he remained in this situa-
/ ton, making NO discoveries whatever. lie
thought he perceived, at different times,
signs of intelligence between the prisoners,
and an old woman who was allowed to bring
fruit for sale within the enclosure She was
known to be deaf and half witted, and was
therefore no object Of suspicion. 1t was
known that her son had been dis5rdced and
punished In the American army, hI she
never betrayed any malice on at account.
ana no one dreamed that she could have had
the power to do injury il she Hpssessott the
will. Lee watched her closely, bMsaw moth
ing to confirm his suspicious Her dwelling
was about mile distant, in a wild retress,
| where she shared her miserable quarters with
a dog and cat, the former Of which mounted
guard over the mansion, while the latter en-
Outraged superstitions fears which were
equally efeotuai in keeping visiters away.
One dark, stormy night III autumn, he was
! lying awake at midnight, mediLsting on the
enterprise he had undertaken, wicn in the
beginning had recommended itself 10 his r,-.
mantle disposition hut had now losv its
charms. 1t was one Of those tempests which
in our climate 80 often hang upon the path
of the departing year, His companions slept
soundly, hut the wind, which shook the build
ing to its foundation aud threw heavy
Splashcs of rain against the window, conspired
with the state OF his mind, to keep him wake
ful. All at once the door was gently opened,