Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-12-30

0 dark the hour chat saw thy shameful birth
And dark aud bfshting ali Thy rnilty reign
Rouse, freemen! smte the monster from tho earth
Aud on the nation God shall smile again.
- -
A NEW AhEcDOTs OF WASHINGTON.
1t is well known that Col. Seth Warner,
| OF Revolutionary memory, who, with his
noted regiment Of Green Mountain Boys, as
| rear guard OF s.. Cair's rctrcating army, ac
ter the evacuation Of Tieonderoga beat back
whole brigade Of the hotly pnrsur Brit
ish in the battle of Huhbardson, and thus
saved, probably, that luckless Generals en-
| tire forces, hnrrying on just in front, from
ront or capture who came down like a
thunderboHt on the flushed foe in mid battle
ct Bennington, and secured the victory Cor
the wavering and half br aten Stark, and who
finally was everywhere known as one of the
best looking, most heroic and accomplished
military officers OF the Continental army.
that Col. Warren was an especial iavOrite of
Gen. Washington.
The preliminary, however, ia here intro.
duced less on account Of any psrticular per.
tinency most Of it may have to the subject
than for the purpose OF explanation, aud
securing reader appreciation ard credcncc
OF the interesting personal aneCdote which is
about to he related, and which, il is conf
IDENTIFY believed, has never before appeared in
print.
One son Of Col. Warren still survives. or
was surviving few years ago, an unpre-
tending resident of Lowor Canada, from
whichthocg al then seventy five years ald
but very active, and in fnll possession Of all
his strong native facullcs-he came to the
on MI al pT ". ,,if a. Il; 4;
t!oning the legislature for compensation for
some lands formerly granted to the heirs of
Col Warner, but unwittingly tenchcd upon
by subsequent grants; aud it was there and
then that the writer of this rerniuisccncc was
intro lucgd to him, and held several very in.
tereStng conversations.
In one Of these conversations, while speak.
ing of the private affairs of his father, Col.
Warner, be frankly said that the Col was
very thoughtless about pccunary matters,
that he not only expended 10 the cause Of
the country or aiding the needy families Of
soldiers ali his available property, but con,
tracted many debts, which finally compelled
him, a short time before his death, to place
a mortgage on his homestead, amounting at
least to over nine hundred dolas, and caus.
ing the family great deal Of depression and
uneasimcSs. But OF this depressing load
they were at length suddenly relieved Ia the
occurrence OF most uncXprcted incident,
and one which formed. aS vel it might, quite
an era in their family history But We vii!
let BIZ. Warner, whose christian name, we
believe, was that Of lis father, Seth, relate
the memorable incident in question in his
own language, which by the aid Of the min
utcs before us, we know we, can repeat sub
StaWtjally, and we think very near literally
as he made use Of it.
1t was, he said, in the month Of Scptem
Der, 1889, the fall that General WASHINGTON
made his tour through the Eastern States
We had kept ourselves tolcrably well posted
about the progress Of this tour, and heard
that he was to be in New Haven or Hartford,
Connecticut, somewhere near tho time at
which the event am going 10 relate to you
took place. Bnt as either of those places
was quite nunbrr Of miles from Woolbu.
rs, where We lived, we bad no more idea of
seeing him than the man in the moon. Nv
elder brother, Israel Putnam Warner, then a
man grown, and myself a lad Of twelve o,
thirteen, were both living with my mother
at that time. Aud at the particular time of
the day refer to, Israel was in the yard
grooming fathers old war horse, which he
bad been compelled to 20 with father through
oil his campaigns to take charge of; for tbs
fiery and proud old fellow would never let
anybody bat his master, the ColonCl, and
his son Israel, mount or come near him,
though he had now got so much tanned down
by old age that he would behave quite de.
cently with me or anybody. | was in the
house with my mother who happened to b.
unusually dowucast that day, aud was brood
ing over our family embaErassmcn!s, and had
just been saying:
NO, no, Seth, can EeVcr pay, nor with
our means, hardly begin 10 pay this dreadful
mortgage. And as hear it is about TO be
our pleasant home where We have lived so
long, and until your fathcrs death, so hap.
PLY. My husband, the Colonel, fought as
well as the bravcst Of them, and did all he
could and more than his part, for the good
cause, they all are willing 10 allow and ]
know very well that he wore himself out in
the service, and was thus brought to a pre-.
mature grave. And We; here is his family
almost on the verge Of beggsry."
Tears here started in my mothers eyes,
which so touched me that rose and went
and looked out Ct the window, whon, to my
surprise, saw entering the yard two well
mounted stranger gentlemen, whom, from
something about their general appearance, |
took to be old military officers Of pretty high
rank--or, at least, one Of them, who was
large and had very commanding look. -
Having significantly beckoned mother to my
side, she eagerly gazed out al the new com.
ers s moment in silence, when she suddenly
gave start, and, with an excited air ex.
claimed: ..5 -.-... ........
" Seth just take notice of that noble
looking one! Why. he looks ever so much
like that picture once saw Of. But no;
that surely cant be
Well, at any rate, mother, be must be
man of some consequence for see! brother
Israel, who acts rs ii he knew him, is swing.
ing his hat from his head clear away at arms
length, and bowling iogcr than he would to
kingi Israel is quite too stiff neckcd 10 do
that for any common man. But thcy are
beginning to talk. will just opon the door
a little mite, and perhaps we can hear what
they are saying"
| did 80, eGd the frst words distinguish.
ed were those Of the person who had so at.
tracted our attention, and who, addressing
my brother, and pointing to the horse, by
the side Of which he was standing, asked
Is not that The horse Col. " arner used
to ride in the war;
It is, your Excellency," replied my
brother Israel, again bowling low and very
respectfully.
"Ah, YES. thought So" resumed the