The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-09-21

a moment. Indian tile, march,, and away
they all sprung with the quick and yet light
and stealthy step Of the Woodsman. They
reached the enemy's lihss crawled up so
close to the pickets Of the Hessians as to in
hale the odor Of their pipes; discovered by
the newly turned earth the position of the
redouhts. and by the numerous tents that
dotted the field for manya rood around,
and showed dimly. amid the lighthaze, the
encampment of the British and German
reinforcements, and, in short, performed
their perilous duty without the slightest
discovery, and pleased with themselves
and the success of their enterprise, prepar-
ed to retire, just as chanticleer from a
neighboring farmhouse was bidding salu-
tation to the NORA
The adventurous party reached a small
eminence at some distance from the British
camp, and commanding an extensive pros
poet over the adjacent country. Here
Morgan halted to give his men little rest,
before taking up his line Of march for the
American outposts. Scarcely had they
thrown themselves upon the grass, when
they perceived issuing from the enemy's
advanced pickets body of horse, COM
manded by an officer, and proceeding along
the road that led directly by the spot where
the rifemen had halted. No spot could be
better chosen for an ambuscade, for there
were rocks and ravines, andalso scrubby
oaks, that grew thickly on the eminence
by which the road which wehave just men,
toned passed, at not exceeding a hundred
yards.
Down, boys, down. cried Morgan, as
the horses approached;nor did the clansmen
of the Black Roderick disappear more
promptly amid their native heather than
did Morgan's woodsmen, in the presentin-
stance, each to his tree or rock. Lie close
there, my lads, till we see what these fel-
lows are about
Meantime the horsemen had gained the
height, and the officer, dropping the rein on
the chargers neck, with spy-glass recon
noitred the American lines. The troops
closed up their files, and were either
caressing the noble animals they rode ad-
justing their equipments or gazing upon
the surrounding scenery, now fast bright
ening in the beams of a rising sun.
Morgan looked at Long, and Long at his
superior, while the riAemen, with painting
chests and sparkling eyes, were only wait
ing some signal from their officers ito lei
the ruin fly
At length the martial ardor of Morgan
overcame his prudence and sense Of mill
tary subordination. Forgetful of conse,
quences, reckless of everything but his en-
envy, now within his grasp, he waved bis
, hand, and loudand sharprang thereporto oI
their rifles amied the surrounding echoes
At point blank distance, the certain and
deadly aim of the Hunting Shirts of the
Revolutionary army is too we'll known tc
history to need remark at this time of day
In the instance we have recorded, the effec
of the fire of the riflemen was tremendous
OF the horsemen, some had fallen to rise nj
more, while their liberated chargers rushed
wildly over the adjoining plain, others
wounded, butentangled with their stirrups
were dragged by the infuriated animals
expiringly along, while the very few who
were unscathed spurred hard to regain thC
shelter of the British lines.
While the smoke yet canopied the scene
of slaughter, and the picturesque forms o
the woodsmen appeared amongthe foliage
as they were re-loadiug their pieces, th'
colossal figure of Morgan stood apart. HI
seemed the very genius of war, and gloom
lily he contemplated the havoc his order hat
made. He spoke not, but looked as on'
absorbed in the intensity of thought. Th'
martial shout with which he was wont t
cheer his comrades in the hour of combat
was hushed; the shell from which he haC
blown full many note Of battle and o
triumph on the field of Saratoga, hung by
his side; no order was given to spoil thu
slain, the arms and equipments, for which
there was always bounty from Congress
the shirts of which there was such neeC
at that, the sorest period of our country
privation, all, all were abandoned, al
with an distracted air and voice strug
Cling for utterance, Morgan, suddenly
turning to his captain, exclaimed-Long
to the camp, to the camp The favoritt
captain obeyed, the riiemen with trailec
arms fell into file, and Long and his part.
soon disappeared, but not before the hard,
fellows had exchanged opinions on tn
strange termination ofthe late affair. Ant
they agreed, mem. con-, that their colone
was tricked, (conured, for assuredly at
ter such fire as they had given the enemy
such an emptying Of saddles and scatter
ing of the troopers, he would not have or
dered his poorrife boys from the fieldwith
out so much as few shirts or pair of stock
ings being divided among them. Yes,
said tall, lean and swarthy looking fellew
an Indian hunter from the frontier, as h
carefully placed his moccasined feet in tn
footprints Of the file-leader, yes, my lads
it stands to reason, our colonelis trieked
Morgan followed slowly on the trail G
his men. The full force Of his militar
guilt had rushed upon his mind, even be
; fore the report of his rifles had ceased :
f echo in the neighboring forests. He be
, came more convinced of the enormity Q
,, his offence, as, with dull and measure
strides, he pursued his solitary way, an
thus soliloquized:
We'll, Daniel Morgan, you have don
for yourself Broke, sir, to a certainty
I You may go home, sir, to the plough; you
sword viii be of no further use to you
Broken, sir-nothing can save you; an
there is the end of Col. Morgan. Foo
: fool-by single act of madness, thus
r destroy the earnings of so many hare
fought hattie Won mr. hrokan. CIR an