The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-01-11
Incident of Brandywine-To be
$50 Read at Peace Meetings. .il


The following interesting document was
recently found among the papers of Major
John Shaefmyer. deceased patriot of the
Revolution. Itis discourse delivered on
the eve of the battle OF Brandywine, by
Rev. Joab to large portion OF the Amer
lean soldiers, in the presence Of General
ashington, Gen. Wayne and other off.
GERS OF the Army.
REVOLUTIONARY SERMON.
They that take the sword shall perish by the
sword"
SOLDIERS AND CONFERENCE.-The have
met this evening. perhaps tor the last time.
We have shaved the toll OF march, the
peril of the fight, and the .dsmay of the
retreat, alike; we have endured the cold
and hunger, the coniumely. of the etern a.!
foe. and the courage OF the foreign oppres-
sor. We have sat, night after hight, be-
side the camp fire; wehave together. he ard
the roll OF the reveille which called US to
duty. or the beat of the tattoo, which gave
the signal for the hardy sleep of the soldier
with the earth for his bed and the KNAPP
sack for his pillow.
And now, soldiers and brethren. we have
met in this peaceful valley on the eve Of
battle. while the sunlight is dying away
beyond yonder heights, the sunlight that
tomorrow morn will glimmer on scenes OF
blood.\ We have met amid the whitening
tents of our encampment; in the time OF
terror and gloom have gathered together.
God grant that it;may not be the la st time.
1t is solemn moment. Brethren. does
not the solemn voice OF nature seem to
echo the sympathies of natures! The flag
Of our country droops heavily from yon.
der staff-the breeze has died away along
the egreen plain Of Chadd's Ford-the plain
that spreads before US. gliltering in sun.
light; the heights of the Brandywine. arise
gloomy ant GRAND beyond the waters OF
wonder stream; all naiGrs holds pause
of solemn silence. on the eve o! upfoar.
and bloc dshed. and strife of to morrow. sta
''They that take the sword shall perish by the
sword" sla-.. II .;se
Aud have they not taken the sword!
.et the desolate plain, the blood -sod.ien
valley, the burnt farm houses blackening
in the sun, the sacked village, and the
ravaged town answer; let the whilened
bones OF the butchered farmer, strewn
along the fields OF his homestead, answer;
let the starving mother. with the babe cling
ing to the withered breast that can afford
no sustenance, let her answer with the
death rattle mingling with the murmuring
tones that marked the struggle oil her life;
let the mother and babe answer.
1t was but a day past, and our land slept
in the quiet Of peace. War was not here.
Il Il Il IL. ,
US. From the eternal solitude Of The green
woods arose the blue, smoke of the settlers
cabin. and golden fields Of corn looked
from amid the waste of the wilderness, and
the glad music OF human voices awoke
the silence of the Forest ~ hiaa p. ra.s
Now, God of mercy, behold the change.
Under the shadow of a pretsxt. under the
sanctiiy of the name Of God. invoking the
Redeemer to their aid. do these ioreign
hirelings slay our people! They wrong
our towns-they da,ken our plains. and
now they encompass our posts on the
lonely plain of Chadd's Ford. ad Siaof-
Brethren, think me not unworthy Of be-
lief. whenal tell You that the doom of the
British is very near. Think me not vain
when | tell you that beyond the cloud that
NOV enshrouds us. see gathering thick
and fast, the darker cloud and thicker
storm Of Divine retri5niion.f.q -siis ti..sI
They may conquer US to. morrow
Might and wrong may prevail, and we
may be driven from the field; but the hour
of God own vengeance will come.
Aye, in the vast solitudes of eternal
space. .ahere ,hrobs the being OF an awful
- a o,,;,L A., iova,,,,a ond curo t> nuo; -,
guilt. then will the man called George
Brunswick, called King. feel in his brain
and heart the vengeance of the eternal
Jehovah! A blight will light upon his
| Iife-a wi,hered brain and all accused in ;
tellec,; a blight will be upon his children
and people. Great God! how dread the
punishment.
A crowded pnlace, peoplng the dense
towns where the man Of money thrives,
while the laborer starves; want striding
among the people in all the forms Of ter.
ror; an ignorant and God. .defying priest
hood chuckling over the miseries of mil.
lions; proud and merciess nobility add
ing .wrongsto wrong. and heaping insult
upon robbery and fraud; royalty corrup
10 the very heart, and aristocracy rotten
to the core, crime and want linked hand
in hand, and tempting men TO deeds o
woe and death-,hese are partof the doom
and retribution that shall come upon thu
English throne and the English people.
Soldiers look around upon your la
miliar faces with a strange interest To
morrow morning we 60 forth to battle-lo
need | sellyou that your unworthy minis
ter will march with you invoking God'
aid in the fght-we will march to the bat
tle.. Need | exhort you to fight the goot
fight. TO fight for your homesieads, Tor you
wives and children.
My friends, might urge you 10 fight b.
the calling memories OF British. wrong
Walton-l might tell you Of your father
butchered in the silence of night on th
} plains Of Trenton; Tmight picture his gra,
hairs dabbled in blood; might ring hi
; death shrek in your ears. Sheimire--
might tell you of a butchered mother, an,
a sister outraged, the lonely farm house
} the night assault, the roof in. flames, III
, shouts of the troopers as they dispatche,
, their victims. the cries for mercy ) and tn
pleadings Of innocence for pity. ! Nigh
paint these all again, in the vivid colors q
/ the terriblere aliiy. if thouuht courag