The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-01-20

The heart of the new made officer, was 100 full to e-
press his thanks but he resolved to prove BY deeds, and
not by word, that he was worthy of Washing!on's con
sideration. The commander-in-chief saw that some i'm
mediate steps must he taken not only to save Hhliadel
phia-wbich he learned by the dispatches brought by
Doolittle, the enemy were determined TO possess-but to
arouse the spirit Of the nation, that had now sunk to The
lowest depth Of despondency. He resolved to anticipate
the British, and cross the frozen Delaware, ON the night
Of the 26th OF December, where he learned that Il large
body of Hessians were cncamped. He followed up his
plan with cminent success for the attack being totally
unex pected, more than nine hundred Of the enemy were
taken pris ,ners Of war. Tie recrOssed the river again,
and though his shadow of an army was weary anu ex
hausted, he determined to make an attack on the British
forces at Princeton. Here he had the good fortune to
kill sixty, and take three hundred prisoners more. This
good fortune served to dispel the gloom that had settled
over the American cause. 9 sw.II .ui
1t is All uudoubted fact. that Malachi Uoollttle held
a colonels commission in the army before the close OF
the war, which took place when Great Britain acknowl-
edged the independence Of the United States, November
3Uth, 1882. 25F ~
On the banks of the river Raritan, some ten years
after the incid' nts detailed in our story, there stood a
fine house, built in the style Of the Elizabsthian period
the residence of Colonel Do%olittle and family, who
was now one of the wealthiest farmers in the whole coun-
try. lie was one OF the most %hospitable of men, and
neither friend or stranger could pass his door without
oeing asked to take a mug of the coloneI's good cider
OF ii u udppeNeu 10 De ABOUT tea time, Il cup or tea, anu
IA slice of short c:ke, made by The fair hands of BIZ, wife
Molly. There was an old man, too, who sat in the
cosiest place by the Preside, who for a long time after
the close of the war, would advocate the cause of King
George, and talk about having somebody arrested for
stealing a sorrel lorse-at which his daughter would
wiz silly to her husband but he finally came to the
conclusion as peace and plenty crowned the land of free
dom, that George Washington was not so much of a
rebel after all. .-.-
There was an old lady, too, who appeared to never
grow tired Of praising her son.in-law ; and a little boy
very image of his mother, who, at the close of many a
summers day. would climb upon his fathers lap, and
Say with a tone of earnest entrcaty
Now. pa, do tell me all about Ensign Spencer and
General Washington and the IIes>ians, and how you
hooked ~grandpa's horse and listed for a soldier
Willingly, my son. the colonel would reply, but !
have related the story so often, | should supp e you
had it by heart Yet colonel Doolittlc would repeat it
over and over again. Such is enc of the many incidents
connected with the dread hours of the revolution. AL.
though purchased with the blood of thousands, it left
the legacy Of freedom to man ; and few acquired great.
er fame in the American cause than Malachi Doolittlc,
the Blacksmi,h's apprentice. &