The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-07-02
Power of Imagination-A Revolutionary
AnecdOte.

My grandfather, q revolutionary soldier,
was accustomed to relate the following
among the incidents of his experience dur
ing the war:
1t was during the famous Jersey cam
paign Of TITS. Attached to the company
to which he belonged was private soldier,
an inveterate fault-finder, sour, grabbed,
perpetually ''disgruntled" about something,
but who, nevertheless was never suspect
ed of leaning toward the enemy and had
always done his duty as good soldier Of
the continental army
On one occasion, n Lieutenant and a part
of his company, including the subject of
our story, were sent out on a scouting eX-
cursion, instructed to watch the movements
of body of the enemy who were prowling
IN the vicinity. 1t was very warm day,
and the party, after three hours tramp,
camo IN sight of the foe, who, being in
greater numbers than was anticipated COM
pelled the Lieutenant and his men to use
''the better part of valor' and prepare for
a retreat.
On this cold Grouty," as he was called,
lowered his musket, broke forth into til
rade against military duty in general and
scouting parties in particular, and finished
by declaring that he had done enough for
one day, and was determined to remain
where he was for the remainder of it. To
the representation of his comrades that he
would be captured by the enemy, he re-
piled that such an event would be prefer
able to any farther exertion, and stay he
would and abide the result
After exhausting argument and entreaty,
the Lieutenant informed him that rather
than suffer him to be taken by the British
and give them the information they would
seek concerning our forces, if he persisted in
his determination to remain, he must shoot
him in order to secure the general safety
The reply was, Shoot and be hanged, l
shall stay where I am"
On this hurried consultation was held
by the officer with his men, and it was re-
solved to experiment with him, and avoid.
if possible, the sacrifice of his life He was
told to take his seat upon log in the words
where they then were, and to avoid alarm
ing the enemy by general volley, single
soldier from behind was to send o bullet
through his heart.
The announcement was received with a
logged resignation and an unaltered pur-
pose. All being ready, the soldier detailed
as executioner, at the word of command,
fired blank-cartride, while by pre-arrange-
ment second simultaneously threw small
pebble smartly at the spot intended to be
hit. The man fell and greaned, and the
Lieutenant approached, expressed his opin-
ion that the wound was mortal, and his
sorrow that his duty compelled him to the
measure, babe him adieu, and then led his
party to the rear, where they concealed
themselves to watch the result
The martyr to stubbornness Law for some
time, uttering an occasional groan, varied
with maledictions upon the service, his fate,
the red-coats and his comrades. His wrath
toward the latter seemed to be kindled by
the bungllng manner in which they had
performed their duty, leaving him to lin
gering death instead of digpatching him at
once.
At length, with dolerous exertion, he
raised himself on his elbow and looked over
and beneath his shoulder as though to de-
termine the nearness of his exit by the
quantity of blood that had issued from his
wound. Apparently astonished at finding
none, he next, with slow but seemingly less
painful movements, commenced feeling be-
hind his back for traces of the bullet hole.
Unsatisfied with this, he raised himself to
a sitting posture, and with much exertion
took off his coat, and fin ding no perfora-
ton, the truth of the trick flashed upon
MN at once, When, seeing some stragglers
OF the enemy In the distance he started
up seized his musket and ran, as none had
ever seen him do before, toward the Amer
lean lines. He arrived long in advance of
the Lieutenant and his party, who had new
er occasion thereafter 20 censure his baffIed
According to the Humboldt Union
there are several pretty wide Openings"
out west for young lawyers. sOne thou
sand six hundred and seventy three lawyers
have been IN town during the past month
looking out a location where they can
grow up with the country Thousands of
broad acres await hardy toll for their de- |
and we know of no better loca-
ton for growing up that quarter-section |