Litchfield enquirer., 1864-12-22
From Harper's Magazine for December l A NEW AEEcDOTE OF WASHINGTON.
HIS VIs1r TO THE WIDOW OF COL. SETH WARNER
 AT wooDBURY.

reVoiuuOnary memory, who, with his noted re giment of Green Mountain Bojs, as rear guarl of st. Glars retreating army, after the evacua t,on of iiconderoga. beat back whole brigade o1 the notiy pursuing British, in the battle o Haooardtown, and thns saved, probably, thai luckiess Generals entire forces, hurrying or Just m front from rout or capture-who came down like thunderbolt on the flushed foe ir
 mld-oattle at Bennington, and secured the vic tory TOT the wavering and halfbeaten Stark ana wno finally was everywhere known as 0ne or the best looking, most heroic, and accom- plished military officers in the Continenta army-thst Col. Warner was an especial favor ite of Gen. Washington. This preliminary. however, is here introduced less on account of any particular pertinency most of 1t may have to this subject than for the purpose of explanation. and securing readieI | appreciation and cre6ence of the interesting personal anecdote which is about to be related and which, it is confidently believed, has never before appeared in print.
 One Son of Col. Warner still survives. or was surviving few years ago. an unpreteudlng resident Of Lower Canada, from which though then seventy five years old, but very active. and in full possession of all his strong native facultiss-he came to the capital of Yer most with the object of petitiolriny the Leys- lature for compensation for some lands former lysgrahted to the heirs of Col Warner, but un Nittingly trenched by subsequent grants and 1t was there and then that tn. writer of this remInlscence was introduced to him, and held several interesting conversations.
 In one ot these conversations, while speak ing of the private affairs of his father, Colonel Warner, he frankly said tha. the Col. was very th' ughtless about pecuniary matters; that he not only expended in the cause of the country. or aiding the needy families of his soldiers, all hls available property. but contracted mauy debts. which fnally compelled him, short time before lis death, to place mortgage on his homestead .aRxantiag at least to nine hun dred dollars. and causing the family great deal of oppression and uneasincss But of thls depressing load they were at length suddenly relieved in the occurrence of most unexpect- ed incident, and one which formed, as well it might, quite an eTa in their family history But we will let NIT. Warner, whose Christian name, we believe, was that of his father. Seth, related the memorable incident in question ir his own language; which, by the aid of the minutes before us, we knou we can repeat sub- staDtially, and we Mink very near literally. as he made use oft
 It was," he said, "in the. month of Septen- Der. l7s9. the fall that Gen. Washington made his tour through the Eastern States. We had kept ourselves toleraby we'll posted about the progress ot his tour, and heard that he was to be in New Haven or Hartford. Coan some where near the :ime at which the event 1 am going to relate to you took place. But as ei- ther of those places was quite q aulnber uf miles from Woodbary, wheFe we ksea, we fad no more idea Of seeing him tha,, t;.e man in the moon. My elder brother, Israel Putnam Warmer, then a man growR, aad mvselt. d ;.i of twelve r lhirteea. were both living with mv mother at that time. And at the particular time of the day l refer t,, Israel Was in the yard grooming fathers old War horse. xhich he had been compelled to go wilh father through all his campaigns 10 take charge of; for the fiery and proud old fellow would n. yer let any body bat his muster, the colonel, and his son Israel, mount or cone near k<A, though he had now got so much tanned down by old age that he would behave quite decentIy with me or anybody. l was in the house with mother. who haHper ed to be unusually downcast that day, aud xas breeding over our family embar- rassments. and had just been saying:
 No no, Seth. can never pay nor, with our means, hardly to begin to pay this dreadful mortgage. Ard as 1 hear it is about to be foleclosed. we must nov soon be driven from our pleasant home, where we have lived SO long, and. until your fathers death, so happily. My husband fought as we'll as the bravest of them, and did all he eould,and more than his part, for the good cause. they are all willing to allow :; and know very we'll that he wore himself out in the service, and was thus brought to pre- nature grave. And yet here is his family al- most on the verge of beggary.'
 ' Tears tere started in mothers eyes, which so touched Hae that rose and went and looked out Of the window when to my surprise, I saw On entering the yard two well mounted strang- CT gentlemen. whom, from something about their general appearance. 1 took to be old mili- tary officers of pretty high rank-or at least, one Of them, who was large and had very commanding look. Having significantly beck oned mother to my side, she eagerly gazed out at the new corners moment in silence, when she suddenly gave start, and, with an excited air exclaimed:
 Seth! just take notice of that noble looking onei Why, he looks ever so much like the picture once saw of-But no i; that scarce. ly can't beI
 "Well at any rate, mother, he must be a man of some consequence !; for, see brother Israel. who acts as if he knew him, is swinging his hat from his head clear away at arm length, and lowing lower than he would to.s kingl Israel is qnite too stiff necked to dc that for any common man. But they are be- ginning to talk, will just open the door here little mite. and perhaps we can hear wha, they are saying
 :" did so, and the first words distinguish el were those of the parsonage who had Sc attracted our attention, and who, addressino my brother, and pointing to the horse, by the side of which he was standing, asked, Is not that the horse Col. Warner used to ride in the war?'
 1t is, your Excellency,' replied Israel, again lowing low and very respectfully.
 'Ah yes. thought so,' resumed the former turning to his companion, or 0ttache, and point ing to the old war steed with which he was known ever to regard fine horses. T thought it could be no other. Just glance at his lead ing points-shapely head, arched neck, deer chest, launches, and limbs. have seen Col onel Warner riding him on parade, when I not
 ed him as rare animal, and thought that the
 horse and rider, taken togethe.-for Warner
 was model of figure, and several inches taller than am--made military appearance second to none in the Continental army. Bu
 my business is with your mother, my young friend. and I will now, if you will take charge of my horse few minutes, go in at once t see Aer.'
 Hearing this announcement, mother and