Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-08-02
TBe Storp GflIer,
Defending the Homestead !;
Or
The Judges Daughter.
AN INCIDENT OF THE REVOLUTION.

In the summer of l779, during one Of the
darkest periods of our revolutionary struggles,
in the then small village of S, in Penn
sylvania, lived v, one of the frmest and
THIRTEEN and deep in the confidence of
Washington. Like most men of his time and
substance, he had furnished himself with arms
and ammunition, sufficient. TO arm the males
OF his household. These consisted of him.
self, three sons, and about twenty-five negroes.
The female part of his house consisted of his
wife, one daughter, Catherine, about eighteen
years of age, the heroine of our tale, and sew
eral slaves. In the second story of his dwell
ing house, Immediately over the front door,
was small room, called the 'armory,' in
which the arms were deposited, and always
kept ready for immediate use. About the
time at which we introduce our story, the
neighborhood of our village was much an
noyed by the nocturnal prowling and depreda-
tions of numerous tories.
1t was on a calm, bright, Sabbath afternoon
in the aforesaid summer, when Judge v. and
his family, with the exception of his daughter
Catherine, and an old indisposed female slave,
were attending service in the village church.
Not breath disturbed the serenity of the at
mosphere-not sound profaned the sacred
stiffness of the day the times were danger
Gus, and Catherine herself and the old female
slave remained in the house until the return of
the family from church. A rap was heard at
the front door. Surely said Catherine to
the slave, 'the family have not come home,
church can't be dismissed The rap was re-
peated. Il will see who it is,' said Catherine
as she ran up stairs into the armory. On
opening the window and looking down, she
saw six men standing al the front door and on
the opposite side of the street, three of whom
she knew were tories, who formerly resided
in the village. Their names were Van Zant,
Finley, and Sheldon; the other three were
strangers, but she had reason to believe them
to be of the same political stamp, from the
company in which she found them.
Van Zant was a notorious character, and
the number and enormity of his crimes had
rendered his name infamous in that vicinity.
Not murder or robbery was committed with
in miles of -, that he did not get the credit
of planning or executing. The character of
Finley and Sheldon was also deeply stained
with crime, but Van Zant was master spirit
in iniquity. The appearance of such charac-
tiers, under such circumstance, must have been
truly alarming to young lady of Catherine s
age, if not to any lady young or old. But
Catherine v possessed her fathers spirit,
'the spirit Of the times Van Zant was stand
ing on the stoop knocking at the door, while
his companions were talking in whisper on
the opposite side of the way.
Is Judge v at homei' asked Van
Zant, when he saw Catherine at the window
above.
He is not,' said she.
We have business of pressing importance
with him, and if you will open the door, said
Van Zant, I'VE will walk in till he returns
NO. said Catherine, swhen he went to
church he left particular directions not to have
the doors opened until he and his family re-
turned. You had better call when church is
dismissed
mo, Ill not, returned he, I'VE will enter
now or never
Impossible, cried she, you cannot enter
until he returns
open the door, cried he, 'or we'll break
it down, and burn you and the house up to-
gether.' So saying he threw himself with all
the force he possessed, against the door, at the
same time calling upon his companions to as
sist him. The door however, resisted theil
efforts.
do not attempt that again. said Catherine
'or you are dead man, at the same time pre-
senting from the window heavy horseman's
pistol ready cooked.
At the sight of this formidable weapon, the