The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-05-01


entrust YOU with the embarrassing-th
distressing-cir of my pre-
sent situation. You may Judge, how
ever, IN what extremity | stand when
assure YOU that, although my errand is
hostile 10 the rebels, as they are called
i would rejoice to be intercepted and
taken prisoner by them-yes, to be put
to death, rather than execute this mis-
sionn
You say well, sir, and | am happv
to meet your wishes. You may be graft
fled sooner than you expect. Behold i'm
me an officer of the patriot army, and,
after the confession you have made. it
becomes my duty to take you in charge.
Consider yourself my prisoner"
stay, sir" replied the youth--sur-
prised but, seemingly, not disconnected
or intimidated-'l have expressed my
Willingness to be captured. but it seems
that my motives have not been well I'M
derstood. If am to be treated rs an
enemy, 1t would be humanity and base
on my part to make quiet submission.
You must conquer me before | Weld
myself a prisoner"
mOmentary glow on thecountenance
of the officer menaced an angry reply.
but he soon recovered his former sereni-
" Of manner aud answered with much
deliberat1on and cOmpOsure:
lie assured, young man, thai if
thought 1t necessary to use c0mpulsion.
! could soon find means te make YOU
perfectly tractahle, but the words YOU
lately uttered, make me hope that force
will not be required to restrain YOU from
traitorous purpose
THAT is all very true, sir, bat for my
own satisfaction, I would wish it to APP
pear that there Is some necessity for
yielding
And SO there Is, sir" answered the
American officer.
What toa single man? You are no
match for me in physical strength and
! am A. well armed, perhaps, as your
SELF
you may deceive yourself in both of
these particulars. Ina personal contest
have proved myself too much for
stronger man than you, and am armed
far better than sou can be-"
"How sir?'
an the ominpotence of a just cause.
But, that YOU may be assured that |
came hither prepared for every emerg-
ency, know that I am thoroughly ac-
quainted with the object Of your jour
ney; and know farther, that before YOU
expressed a willingness TO be captured,
| had resolved to capture you mt all haz-
ards
And pray, sir, what is, or rather,
what ,c0s the object of my journey ,"
"To convey intelligence to the enemy
that rebel force-as you may call it,
was gathering in your neighborhood.'
And who, do you imagine, sent me
with such "A message
"Your father, sir; the ioyol Mark
Richardson, Jealous friend Of King
George.
"Well. sir, find sir that you are pre-
pared TO estimate some of the difficulties
of my case, and yet you know not 0H.'
i have understood for some time, Mr..
Richardson, that you feel what is due
TO your country a. well as TO your father.
/ have reason to think that were it not
for a stronger influence than flidi affec-
ton, you would, ere this time, have ar
raved Yourself under our standard Az,
sir, l have seen the divinity you worship;
| have seen that mortal beauty which
is more the object of -Four alteration than
liberty
"NOu mistake, sir. | love Letitia as
much a woman can be loved, and |
know that attach myself your cause,
is to abandon her. She, my betrothed,
may leave me when | avOw my disaftec
ton to what she has been taught to con-
slider the cause Of law, justice, and vir
tue; she viii look upon me as an out
law, a bandit, a man disgraced, a wretch
to be eXecrated, Il criminal lost beyond
the hope Of redemption. Her father Is
even a more Jealous royalist than mine;
he would sacrifice his child with his
own hand, rather than see her welded
TO a rebel. My own parent will disclaim
me: | shall be driven from my home.
Nv kindred viii abhor me. All that
can make life suppOrtable will be taken
me. Yet, at the moment you overlook
me, | had resolved TO strike for liberty
and my country"
'sYoung man. said the officer, with
emotion, "this is too much. | cannot
urge you 10 make such a sacrifice. As
for YOUR present undertaking, it is de-
feated rs YOU would wish. You cannot
proceed farther than where yonder
Stream crosses the road. We have had
timely intelligence of this movement,
and have taken measures to disappoint
those who sent you. Your brave spirit
will not be subjected to the indignity of
capture by single man, for not less
than thirty armed soldiers viii meet
YOU at the point have designated. You
are now within the range of their mus
kets, and | beg that you Will suffer me
to advance first, lest your reception
should be such as your present Occupa-
ton, rather than your feelings and prin-
ciples, may be thought to deserve
Richardson bowed, and the other, put
ting his horse to its best speed, proceed
ed to the rivulet which had been point
ed out a. the place of ambuscade; and
when the young man arrived at the
toll
men. who presented their guns and or
dered him to surrender. 1t would have
been madness to disobey, had his dis
position been ever so strong 50, with a
smile of resignation or satisfaction, he
dismounted and was led for some dis
lance along the bank of the stream, to
an opening in the wood, where a party
of sturdy yeoman, each provided with a
gun. powder-horn, and other military
equipments.
This little trOope was not very war
like in its appearance, the only unifor-
nifty in the dress of the men consisted
i'm its raggedness, and that popularity
was common to both officers and pri-
Yates. Some of them were lying asleep
on the turf, others were cooking, some
were furnishing their arms, some were
casting bullets. and some were mending
or attempting TO mend, their clothes,
and this last mentioned occupation
seemed to be the most arduOus of them
all. The raiment ofthe poor fellow was
in most woeful and desperate condi-
ton.
Richardson's late companion came
forward to greet him, which he did
with much cordiality, and having well
coined him to what he facetiously called
the camp. he led him aside beyond the
hearing of the men, and addressed him
as follows:
"Mr. Richardson, Ihave gone through
the formality of making you prisoner,
/ now release you on parole, requiring
of you merely to promise that you will
not again attemptto convey intelligence
of our movements to the enemy. You
must return to your family, at least for
the present Consider your position
well: take week for reflection weigh
in your mind all the consequences of
the step you have protested your will
ingness to take, and if you find that
your resolution holds its force, we will
cheerfully receive you as a companion
in our hardships and dangers, and a
sharer in the glorious prize which we
hope to obtain by them"
CHAPTER II.