Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-29
Original Skettbes.
For the Monmouth Weekly Herald.
LIVES OF
Disting ished J~erseymen.
GEN. DANIEL MORGAN.
BY en 4y Ward.
XvTII.

Incompatible with Christian principle
We have mkpy examples ii Holy Writ. Of
truly pious land worthy men, who were
necessarily engaged in severe and sangui
nary warfare. They served their God
faithfully. and delivered their country
from cruel bondage. and from mercenary
and destructive invasion. The War Of
the Revolution called into the field many
such patriotic Worthless: among whom.
Gen. DANIEL MORGAN, held a high and
conspicuous rank.
He was a Jerseyman by birth and edu-
cation; 1913 being the year in which he
was born. In his early youth, he was re
markable for his quickness of apprehen
sion and energy Of character. lie was
likewise Arally bold and resolute; and
wa in the right, would
n brook an insult. And vet
he kind-hearted generous to a
fault. N&n he had attained to that age
in which boys are generally expected to
make choice of a trade or profession, his
father, not being in a~fluent circumstances
apprenticed him to a blacksmith. In this
situation, he acquired a vigorous and ath-
letic frame; and his constitution, natural
ly strong, was rendered still more SO, by
the very nature of his occupation. Nor
did he neglect the culture Of his mind
lie was profoundly versed in History,
Politics, and the Mechanic Arts.
At the breaking out of the War in ITS,
he received from the Continental Con
gress, a captains commission. which he
unhesitatingly, accepted. His orders
were, to raise, organize, and equip, as
soon as practicable, a company Of rife.
men, and proceed with them to Gen.
W~ashington's Head Quarters at Cam
bridge. At this time, Gen. Gage, with a
large D0dy 0rBr1ish troops, were in pos
session of Boston; and it was the deter.
~mination Of the American COMMANDMENT.
Chief, either to drive the enemy out by
force OF arms, or to beseige him so close
ly, as to compel him t, abandon the City
without blood shed. In accordance with
the advice Of Major Gen. Ward, he adop
ted the latter plan, which succeeded ad,
mirably. The arrival Of Captain Nor
gan's rifemen, struck terror to every off
Ger in the British army, who was vel
aware with what deadly precision anc
fearful rapidity that inyincible corps dis
charged their unerring rifles. They con
sisted of ninety six men, all young, spiri
ted, we'll drilled, and moving with a ce
lerlty, that was truly astonishing; which
rendered them more formidable than a
legion of heavy armed troops. They wore
blue cassocks, and their caps were sur
mounted with black plumes. The very
name of Slorgan's black planned Rife.
men, waa gignal of terror to their en-.
emies, andY99 confidence to their friends.
In September, he was ordered, with his
company to join Generals Arnold and
Montgomery in their expedition against
Quebec in Canada. The disastrous re-
suit of that undertaking is too well known
to need q recital in this place. The gal
liant Montgomery was slain, while storm
ING the walls; and Arnold succeeded in
effecting an entrance into that city with
a small number Of men; among whom was
Capt. Morgan, with his rife corps. They
were all taken prisoners, without any re.
%sistance. While on parol, Capt. Morgan
received a gross and brutal insult from a
British officer, who struck him several Sc.
we're and %unprovoked blows with the fiat
side of his sword, and bestowed upon him
a number Of very harsh and di~shonorable
epithets, Morgan internally swore re-
venge; and how well and fearfully he kept
his oath-&asa4ael of his military career
will most terribly prove. He was not
long retained as a prisoner of war, by the
British, but was shortly after, exchanged,
and permitted to return home.
But a man Of his ~intrepidity Of character,
could not long remain idle. Instead of a
company Of Ridemen, he soon succeeded
in raising a regiment. and was appointed
to command it. With the utmost expedi-
ton he proceeded to Saratoga, where he
Joined Gen. Gates. The British General
Burgoyne, with an army of eight thou
sand men, was SO closely pressed on all
sides, by the forces under Gen. Gates.
that nothing remained for him, but either
to cut his way through the American lines,
or surrender with his whole army, arms
and baggage, to enemies whom he had
heretofore affected to d~espise. He chose
the former alternative, and prepared for
battle; ERECTED the gallant General
Fraza Ike an attack upon the van of
the army. This he did, with
sutE Tury that their lines.
were broken, and they retreated in some
confusion, and fell back towards a piece
of woods. Confident Of victory, the i'm
petuous Frazer spurred on his proud steed
to the onslaught. Suddenly a dense smoke
issued from the woods, by the firing Of the
underbrush; one loud ~resounding cry was
from the thicket, and a thousand black
plumes were dancing in the breeze. The
woods were all alive with Morgan's black
plumed Riaemen, Col. Morgan turned to
Murphy, the keenest marksmen in the
regiment, and pointing to Gen. Frazer,
said, Murphy, mark that British officer,
and do your duty for Freedom" Imme
diately the sharp crack Of a rife was
heard, and Gen. Frazer fell headlong from
his war steed, and died without a groan.
Then followed a tremendous cracking
of rifles, and rank after rank fell to the
ground, like grass beneath the mowers
scythe. Such dreadful slaughter was too
much for Burgoyne; he could endure it no
longer. and ~6TS$fgdsthe signal to be Civ
en- to surrender. Immediately the firing
ceased, and Gen. Burgoyne had the NOR
LITIGATION to find himself and his large and
well appointed army, prisoners in the
hands OF Gen. Gates and Arnold. That
the GOODNESS and ~intrepidity Of Col. Nor
gan contributed greatly to gain the vic
tory, all were ready and willing to ac-