Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-15

will be of no further use to you. Broken. sir.
nothing can save you; and there is the end
OF Col Morgan. Fool, fool, by single act Of
madness, thus to destroy the earnings of so
many tells and of many hard. fought battle
You are broken, sir, and there is an end OF
Col Morgan.
To disturb his reverie, there suddenly ap-
peared at full speed the aid-de-camp, the
Mercury of the field, who, reigning up, ac-
costed the Colonel with, {" I am ordered, Col.
Morgan, to ascertain whether the firing Just
now heard proceeded from your detachment
1t did, sir" doggedly replied Morgan.
Then, Col. Morgan" continued the aid,
am further ordered to require of You your
Immediate attendance upon His Excellency,
| who is fast approaching"
Morgan bowed, and the aid, wheeling his
charger, galloped back to rejOin the Chief.
The CLEANS of the morning sun, shining up
on the sabres of the horse guard, announced
the arrival of the dread comm mander-that be.
ing who inspired with a degree of awe every
one who approached him. With stern. vet
digniied composure, Washington addressed
the military culprit:
Can il be possible, Col Morgan, that nv
aid-de-camp has informed me Alright? Can it
be possible, after the orders you received last
evening, that the firing We have heard pro-
ceeded from your detachment? Surely, sir,
my orders were so explicit as not to be easily
misunderstood
Morgan was brave, but it has been often,
and justly, too, observed, that man was never
born OF woman who could approach the great
w ashington and not feel degree of awe and
veneration from his presence. Morgan quail
cd TOR moment before the stern yet just dis
pleasure of his Chief, till arousing all his
energies for the effort, he uncovered and re-
piled:
"Your Excellency's orders were perfectly
understood; and agreeably to the same, |
proceeded with the select party to reconnoitre
the enemy's lines by night. We succeeded
even beyond our expectations, and was re-
turning to headquarters to make my report,
when, having halted few minutes to rest
the men, VIC discovered party of horse COM
ing out from the enemys lines. They came
up Immediately to the spot where we lay con.
| cealed by tho brushwood. There they halt
| ed, and gathered together like flock of pat
tridges, afording me so tempting an opportu-
| nifty OF annoying my enemy, and, may it
please your excellency, flesh and blood could
| not refrain"
At this rough, yet frank, bold and manly
| explanation, smile was observed to pass
| over the Generals suite. The Chief remain
| ed unmoved; when, waving his hand, he con-
| tinued: Colonel Morgan, you will retire
to your quarters, there to await further or
| ders''
Arrived at his quarters, Morgan threw him
| self upon his hard couch, and gave himself
up to reflections upon the events which had so
| lately and rapidly succeeded each other He
was aware be had sinned against all hopes Of
forgiveness. Within twenty -four hours he had
| fallen from the command of a regiment, and
being an especial favorite with his Genera, to
| be what "a disgraced and broken soldier.
Condemned to retire from the scenes of glory
the darling passion of his heart-foreVer to
abandon the fair fields of fighting men )"
"a IN oh Jtv \ n
wrctched existence, neglected and forgotten
And then his rank, SO hardly and so nobly
won, with all his " blushing honors" ACQUIRED
/ IL the march across the frozen wilderness of
the Kennebec, the storming Of the Lower
Town, and the gallant and glorious sombat at
! Saratoga.
The hours dragged gloomily away, and
night came, and with it no rest for the trou-
bled spirit of poor Morgan The drums and
hfes merTily sounded the soldiers dawn, and
the sun arose, giving promise Of goodly
day" And to many within the circuit of this
widely extended camp did his genial beam
give hope, and joy. and gladness, while it
cheered not with single ray the despairing
(! Leader Of the Woodsmen.
About ten o'clock the orderly on duty re-
ported the arrival CT an officer Of the staff,
from headquarters, and Lieutenant Colonel
Hamilton, the favJrite aid Of the Commander
in Chief, entered the marque.
'.Be seated" said Morgan; "I know your
errand, so be short, my dear fellow, and put
me out of my misery at once. L know that I
am arrested 'tis matter Of course Well
there is my sword; but surely his Excellency
honors me, indeed, in these last moments of
my military existence, when he sends for my
sword by his favOrite aid, and my most es-
teemed friend. All, my dear Hamilton, if
you knew what I have suffered since the ac-
cursed horse came out to tempt me to my
ruin"
Hamilton, about whose strikingly intelIi-
gent countenance there always lurked play
ful smile, now observed, "Col Morgan his
Excellency has ordered me to-
O. know it," interrupted Morgan, /" to bid
me prepare for trial; bat, pShaw, why trial T?
Guilty, sir, guilty past all doubt. But then,"
recollecting himself "perhaps my services
might plead-norSense-again the disobe-
dience of positive order; no, no, it's all
your old friend, Col Morgan"
The agonized spirit of the hero then mount
ed TO pitch Of enthusiasm, as he exclaimed,
" But my country will remember my services.
and the British and the Hessians will remem-
Der me; for, though l may be far away, my
brave comrades will do their duty; and Nor
gan's Rihemen will be, as they always have
been, terror to the enemy"
Tue noble, the generous -sOuled Hamilton
could no longer bear to witness the struggles
of the brave unfortunate he called out, "Hear
me, my dear Colonel; only promise to hear me
for one moment, and will tell you all - l
"Go on, SIR, interrupted Morgan, despair
ingly, "go on
"Then," continued the aid-de-camp, "you
must know that the commanders of regiments
dine with his Excellency to-day"
-" What Of that !'' again interrupted Nor
gan; "what has that to do with me pris-
oner and"
"No, no." exclaimed Hamilton s'no priso- |
ner-a once offending, but now a forgiven
soldier; my orders are to invite you to dine
with his Excsllency to-day, at three o'clock
precisely; yes, my brave and good friend,
Col. Morgan, you still are and likely long to
be the valued and famed commander of the
Regiment"
Morgan sprang from his campbell, upon
which he was sitting, and seizing the hand of
the great little man in his giant grasp, wrung
and wrung it, till the aid-de-camp literally
struggled to get free, then exclaimed: Gam L