Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-29
atliseellauu.
Revolutionary "reminiscences.
GENERAL CoLFAX, WAsHINGToN's LIFE
GUARDSMAN

GUARDsMAN.
The Washington correspondent of IL
Cleveland Leader writes:
Down at the old Virginia city
Alexandria | saw, not long ago, fade
flag Of white silk, fringed, well-worn wit
mould and rain bearing an old-fashione
device Of a soldier holding in one hand
fiery horse and with the other receivin
from the genius Of liberty, who sits besid
the American eagle, a streamer bearn
the motto, conquer or die :" This wa
the original standard Of the Life-Guard G
General George Washington, commando
by Captain (afterward GeneraD William
Coltax, the grandfather Of Schuyler Colfax
candidate for the Yice-P Presidency of tn
nted States The old man died in S3s
when the present Speaker of the House 0
Representatives was fifteen years old, ano
the latter's recollection of his distinguishes
ancestor Is vivid and enthusiastic.
Mrs Matthews, COlfaxs mother, recall
as if 1t were yesterday the time when sh,
entered the Generals family as the wife o
his son. He was hale and handsom,
man. positive in his opinions, "A Washing
ton in politics, something of a traveller
for be visited Indiana among the earlies
Of his family, and he knew by the associa-
ton Of the whole war the military life and
habits Of the first President He is buried
at Pumpton, New jersey, the seat of his
family
The sight Of this old standard so much
older and more storied than our newer
shot-riven and grimy guidons, impelled me
to make some search in the library of Con-
gress for the life of William Colfax. In
this Mr. Spotford, the librarian, assisted
me, and although the results were meagre,
they were Of the highest interest.
First, out Of Peter Forces collection Of
manuscripts drew yellow foolscap sheet,
in the handwriting of " William Colfax,
commandant," bearing the date of June
2s 1888, and containing the names of
sixtv-fve men, constituting the life-guard
Of the commander-in- chief Across the
back Of the report, IN the handwriting of
George Washington. was written - Re
port of the body-guard of the commander
in-chief approved"
Then, out Of Lossing's Field Book,
Howe's New jersey Historical Collections,
and other documents OF the war of Inde-
pendence. [ gathered the following data
thrice interesting now in the light of the
brilliant career of his grandsOn-of Will
liam CoItax, the life guardsman of the
Father Of his Country.
The Life Guard was organized on New
York island in I77G, soon after the siege
Of Boston 1t was composed Of one hun
dred and eighty men, and was at first
commanded by Callet Gibbs of Rhode
Island There were three iieutenants
Harry z. Livingstone of New York, Viii
liam Coltax of New jersey, and Benjamin
Goymcs of Virginia. In 1879 William
Colfax was raised to the chief command
and che number of the guard was increased
to two hundred and fifty men. Colonel
Nichols. Of Virginia, was lieutenant under
Colfax It was Colfax whom Washing
ton personally relied upon and preferred
TO hold this important place near his per-
son, and it was through the solicitations of
Captain Colfax that Washington was
initiated into Freemas0nry, taking his first
degree at Morristown, New Jersey, while
the army lay there in winter quarters.
This ceremony was performed in what Is
known as the Morris Hotel, opposite the
village green of Morristown, over what
was recently the bar-room.
At Morristown, Captain COlfax was par
ticuIarly the guardian of the safety OF
General Washington The latter had his
headquarters then in the house of Gabriel
Ford. still standing 1t was a mile or
more out of town. The General and his
family occupied all the house except a
couple Of rooms reserved for Mr. Ford and
family in a log hut, on one side he kept
his office with his aide-de-camps Hamilton,
Tilghman and others a log hut on the OPP
posite side accommodated his cook Sur
geon Thatcher. in his diary, relates the
hardships Of that winter The Life Guards
occupied fittv rude huts in q meadow near
by. and the army was encamped over a
long sweep Of hillsidcs, two OF three miles
of in either direction The near proximi-
" of the British army obliged Captain
Colfax to be constantly alert. When an
alarm-gun was sounded, successive interior
picket> repeated it, till the whole line of
camps was aroused If the alarm were
near by. the Life Guard at once filled the
house. Five marksmen were placed at
each window, ready to shoot down an
-lANhl liC =LdlItdSto were RudIdCuY stlld
IN this way the Life Guard held the Gen
erals person till the earliest regiment ap-
peared in sight
Captain Colfax used to relate in his old
years, with a good deal of humor, an in
stance of the complaccncy of Washington
One time the alarm was sounded. Con
fusion reigned. An aide-de-camp rushed
into the house, crying Where's the Gen
eral2 Where's the General -
Washington coming out of his room. and
walking composedly down stairs, said
Be quiet, young man. Be quiet "
Before the door of this house Count
Pulaski used to drill his famous regiment
Of cavalry Captain Colfax relates that
Pulaski used to fire off his pistol, throw it
into the air. catch it, hurl it at an imagI-
nary enemy. and then with one foot in the
stirrup, bend to the ground without losing
his rem. and recover the pistol.
At this place Washington rode light
bay horse, 20 small that the Generals legs,
astride him, almost touched the ground.
Captain Colfax often told of one of the
few Instances when Washington was known
TO laugh heartily. 1t was when describ-
ing Arnold's precipitate flight from Robin
sons house at West Point on the discovery
of his treason. The estimate of Wash
ington given by Colfax will not be inappli-
cable to General Grant:
He was reserved and his mind ap-
peared continually in exercise. He united
sound judgment with the EXTREMIST degree
of caution
The fe-Guardsmen continued in ex
1882