The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-21
REVOLUTIONARY "REMINISCENCES.
General Golfer, washington's Life
GuardsmAn.

bearing an old-fashioned device o a soldier
holding in one hand a fiery horse and with
the other receiving from the genius of liberty,
who sits beside the American eagle, a streamer
bearing the motto, Conquer or die = This
was the original standard of the Lite-Guard of
General George Washington, commanded by
Captain (afterwards General) William Colfax,
the grandfather of Schuyler Colfax, candidate
for the Vice Presidency of the United States.
The old man died in 1888, when the present
Speaker of the House OF Representatives was
fifteen years old, and the latter's recollection
of his distinguished ancestor is vivid and en-
tLusiastio.
''Mrs. Matthews, Colfax's mother, recalls as
If it were yesterday the time when she entered
the Generals family as the wife of his son. He
was hale and handsome man, positive in his
opinion, Washingtonian III politics, some
thing of traveller; for he visited Indiana
among the earliest of his family, and he knew
by the association of the whole war the mill
tary 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
Tiven and grimy guidons, impeled me to make
some search in the library of Congress for the
life of William ColfaX. In this Mr. SpoffOrd,
the librarian, assisted me, aud 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, COM
mandaDt,' bearing the date Of June %, 1888,
and containing the names of sixty five men,
constituting the life-guard of the commander
in chief Across the back of the report, in
the handwriting of George Washington, was
written:-'Report of the body-guard of the
commander-in- approved
''Then, out of Lossing's Field Book, Howe's
New Jersey Historical Collections and other
4 ,ar,tS Aff fl,n nt I,NA. Il
gathered the following data-thrice interesting
now in the light of the brilliant career of his
grandson-Of William COlfax, the life-guards-
man of the Father of his Country.
''The Life Guard was organized on New
York Island in l776, soon alter the siege of
Boston. 1t was composed of one hundred aud
eighty men, and was at first commanded by
Callet Gibbs of Rhode Island. There were
three lieutenants, Harry p Livingstone of
New York, William ColfaX of New Jersey aud
Benjamin Goymes of Virginia. Ia l779 Will
liam Colfax was raised to the chief command,
and the number of the guard was increased to
two hundred and fifty men. Colonel Nichols,
of Virginia. was lieutenant under Colfax. 1t
was COlfax whom Washington personally re-
lied upon and preferred to hold this important
place near his person, and it was through the
solicitations of Captain Cofax that Washing
ton was initiated into Freemasonry, 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 o (
MorristOwp, over what was recently the bar
room.
Sat Morristown, Captain Colfax was par
ticularly the guardian of the safety of General
Washington. The latter had his headquar-
ters then in the house OF Gabriel Ford, still
standing. 1t was mile or more out of town.
The General and his family occupied all the
house except couple of rooms reserved for
MIR. Ford and family; in log hut, on one side,
he kept his office with his aide-de-camps
Hamilton, Tilghman, and others; a log hut on
the opposite side accommodated his cook. Sur
geon Thatcher, in his diary, relates the
hardships of that winter. The Life Guards
occupied fifty rude huts in meadow
near by, and the army was encamped over a
long sweep of hill-sides, two or three miles eff
in either direction. The near proximity of the
British army obliged Captain Colfax to be
constantly alert. When an alarm-gun was
sounded, successive interior pickets repeated
it, till the whole line Of camps was aroused.
If the alarm were near by, the Life Guard at
once filled tho house. Five marksmen were
placed at each window, ready to shoot down
any enemy. The starcases were guarded, and
in this way the Life Guard held the Generals
person till the earliest regiment appeared in
sight.
E'Captain Colfax used to relate in his old
years, with good deal OF humor, an instance
OF the complacency OF washington.
"Ope time the alarm was sounded. Confu-
sion reigned. An aide-de-camp rushed into
the house, crying:-'Wheres the General
Where's the General p
"Washington coming out of his room, and
walking Oomposedly down stairs, said:-
BE quiet, young man Be quiet =
"Before the door of this house Count
Pulaski used to drill his famous regiment O
cavalry. Captain Colfax relates that Pulaski
used to fire off his pistol, throw it into the air
catch it, hurl it at an imaginary enemy, anC
then, with one foot in the stirrup, bend to thu
ground without losing his rein, and recover
the pistol.
"At this place Washington rode light bay
horse, so small that the Generals legs, astrid
him, almost touched the ground. Captain
Cofax often told of one of the few instance
when Washington was known to laugh hearti
ly. 1t was when describing Arnold's precipi
tate fight from RobinsOn's house at West Poin
on the discovery of his treason. The estimat
of Washington given by Celfax will not be in
applicable to Grant,
"'He was reserved, and his mind appeare
continually in exercise He united sound juds
ment with the EXTREMIST degree OF caution
"The Life. Guardsmen continued in exis
ence under Captain Colfax till 1888, the las
year of the war, when there were but sixty
four of them beside their commaudant. The
were selected by quotas from each OF the State
! with reference to their physical, moral and il
tellectual attributes.
''TO imagine the leader OF this famous ban
of picked patriots we have but to revive tn
strong, devoted, faithful face of Captain Cola
dressed in the uniform of his company-blu