The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-03-14

s'o hoS.
"Look yc, priest, this faded coat is spot.
ted with my b!ood!" he cried, as old mem.
ories seemed stirring at his heart. This
is the coat | wore when I painted the
banner of the stars on Ticonderoga. That
Bullet hole was pierced in the fight at
Quebec; now-I am a-l,t me whisper
in your earl
"Now help me priest" he said, in a
voice growing suddenly tremulous; "help
me put OH this coat OF blue and silver
For you Sec" and n ghastly smile came
over his face, "thcre is zone to wipe the
cold drops from my brow; no wife, no
cLid-l must meet death alone; but will
meet him as met him in battle, without
fear"
While he stood arraying himselfin that
worm-eaten coat of blue and silver, the
good preacher spoke TO him Of faidh
in Jesus. Yes, Of that great faith
which pierced the clouds of human guilt,
and rolls them back from the face Of
God.
Faith" echoed the strange man who
stood there, erect, with the deathlirht in
his eye. Faith, can it give me back my
honori Look yc, priest, there over the
waves, sits George Washington, telling to
his comrades the pleasant story Of the
eight years war-thefe in his roval halls
sits George Of England, bewaiing in his
idioiic voice tie loss Of his Colonies. -
And here am I--I--who was first o
raise the flag Of freedom, the first TO
strike blow against that King-hcrc
am dying like dog!"
The awe stricken preacher started lack
from the look of the dying man while
throb-throb- throb = beat the death
watch in the shattered wall.
"llusll! silence along the line thereg"
he muttcred in that wild absent tone, as
though speaking to the dead; silence a.
long the lines! No. word on peril Of
your lives. uark you, Montgomery, we
will meet in the centre OF the town! We
will meet there in victory or DEATH Hist!
silence, my men, not whisper MS you
move up those steep rocks! Now on my
boys, now onl Men Of the wilderness,
we will gain Tie town. Now up with
The banner Of the stars; up with the flag
Of freedom, though the night is dark and
the snow falls! Now-now- shreked
the death stricken man, towering there
in the blue Uniform, with bis cIenched
hands waving in the air--"now, now!
One blow more and Quebec is ours
And look! IIis eyes gr6@ CLASSY
With that word on his lips, he stands
there-ah, what a lideous picture of des.
pair, erect, livid, ghastly! There for
moment aud then he falls! He is dead!
Alb, look at that proud form, thrown
cod and stiff upon the damp floor. In
that CLASSY eye there fingers even yet,
horrible energy, sublimity ofdespaIr.
Who is this strange man, dying here
alone in this rude garret; this man, who,
in all his crimes still treasured up that
blue uniform and faded dagi
Who is this being Of horrible remorse?
This man whose memories link sonnet thing
Of Heaven and more Of helll
Let US look at that pan'hment and that
flag.
The old minister arolls that faded bag,
it wac blue banner, cleaning with thir-
teen stars.
He unrolls that parchment. 1t is a
ColoDers commission in the Continental
Army, addressed to, BENEDICT ARNOLD.
And there, in that rude hut, while the
dcath.watch throbbcd like a heart in the
shattered wall--unknoNn, unwept, in all
the bitterness Of dcsolation, lay the corpse
Of the patriot and Traitor
o, that our own true Washington had
been there, to sever that good right arm
from he corpse, and while the dishonored
body ro,ted into the dust, TO bring home
that good right arm, and embalm it a.
mcng the holiest memoirs of the Past.
For that right arm has struck many
gallant blow for freedom, yonder at IL
cOnderoga, a. Quebec, Champlain and
saratoga--shat arm yosdy. beneath TIC
snow-shite ssoantain, IN he deep silence
Of he dead, .srsf raised into sight ne boH-
aer efns Starr
3 !, was during the renowned expedition
through. the wilderness 70 Quebec, ihat
Arnold epcainpsd for two or three days
beside the River az The Dead. near a snow
whi.o mountain, which rose ii lovely
grandeur esey Al other mouniains, into