Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-02-07
DAIMLER MORGAN AND HIS AIERI.
CAN RIFLEMEN,
A Revolutionary Sketch,

A Revolutionary Sketch.
The outpOsts of the two armies were We
Fy near to each other, when the Ameri-
can commander, desirous of obtaining par
tlcuiar information respecting the position
Ut his adversary, summoned the famed lea
der Of the rifemen, Col. Daniel Morgan
TO headquarters.
1t was night, and the chief was alone
After his usual polite, yet reserved and
dignihed salutatiOr, Washington remark
ed
81 have sent for you. Col. Morgan to en-
trust to your courage and sagacity small
but important enterprise. l wish you to
reconnoitre the cnemy's line, with view
to ascertaiping correctly the posi- icn of
their newly constructed redoubts; also the
CnCAmpmcntof the British troops that have
Eately arrived, and those Of the Hessian
.Aux'iiarics. Select. sir, an officer; non COM
cnisSloned officer, and about twenty picked
thHn, and under cover of the night, proceed
bat witk caution, get as near as you can,
and at day dawn retire, and make your re-
port to head quar- ers. But mark me, Col.
Morgan. m"rk mo we'll upon no account
whatever, are You TO bring on any sker-
miSh with the enemy; if discovered, make
a speedy retrest; let nothing induce you
10 fire single shot. l repeat. sir, that.
no force OF circumstances will excuse the
the discharge OF a single rifle on our
part; and for the extreme precisiveness
of my orders; permit me TO say, | have
my reasons" Filling two glasses of wine,
the General continued. And now, Col.
Morgan, we will drink good night, and
success to your enterprise"
Col. Morgan quattied the wine, smacked
his lips, and assured His Excellency that
his orders should be punetuaIIy obeyed,
and left the tent of the Commander-in-
Chief.
Charmed at being chosen AS the exc
cutive officer Of a daring enterprise. the
leader Of the woodsnen rcpaire To his
quarters, and calling for Gabriel Long; his
AavOrite captain. ordered Linn TO detail a
@rnsty sergeant and twenty prime fellows.
who being mustered and ordered to lay
on their arms. and ready at a moments
warninE, MorEsn and Long stretched their
manly forms LelOrc the watch fire, to wait
the going down OF the moon, the signal
uf departure.
y little after midnight, and while the
rays OF the setting moon still family glim
'nered in.the horizon, up. sergeant"
cried Long, "strr your men, and twenty
athletic figures were on their feet in u
,:nomcnt. " Indian file. march," and
away they all sprung with a quick and
light Stcalthy sep. They reached the
encmI's line, eraw!ed up so close to the
picketa ut the iiessiaus as to iuhale the
odor Ot their pipes: discovered by the
newly turned earth the position Of the re-
doubts, and by the numerous tents that
dotted the field fer many rol around,
and showed dimjy amid the light haze.
the encampment of the British and Ger
man reiniorcemen:s, and In, short perfor-
med their perilous duty without the sllgh-
test discovery aud pleased with them
selves and the success OF their enterprise,
prepared 10 retire just as chan;Cier from
neighboriny farmhouse was bidding
salutation to the morn
The adventurous party reached an emil
renee at some distance from the British
camp, and commanding an extensive pros
pect over the adjacent country. Hese
Morgan halted to give his men little rest
before taking up his line Of march for the
American post. Scarcely had they thrown
themselves upon the grass. when they
perceived issuing from the enemy's pick
ct, a body OF horse, commanded BY an Off
Ger, and proceeded along the road that led
directly by the spot where the rihemen had
halted. No spot could be better chosen for
an HHOuScaJe, for there were rocks and
EAvlnes, and also scrubby oaks that grew
thlcA!y on the emnence BY which the
road which We have Just mentioned pass
sed' at not exceeding a hundred yards.
Down boys, down." cried Morgan, as
the horse approached nor did the clans
men OF the Slack Roderick disappear more
promptly amid their native heather than
did Morgan's wooIsmen, 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 doping the rein
on the chargers neck, with a spv-plass
reconnoItre the American lines. The
troops closed up their files, and were Ell
'heF .caresSing the noble animals they rode,
adjusting their equipments, or gazing up.
on the surrounding scenery, now fas:
OFign'ening IN the beams of a rising sun.
Morgan looked at Long. and Long at his
superior while the rifemen with painting
chests and sparkling eyes were only wal,
tng the signal of their officers to let the
ruin fly'- '' 'l'
At length the martial ardor of Morgan.
oVercame his prudence and sense of mill.
tary su5ordination. Forgesful Of conse-
'4uences' reckless of everything but his