Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-02-27
CHIPPEWA.
Il. wHITNIORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.

Thurlow Weed. in Harper's Magazine fol
| March.
One evening, after our rubber, / said
to the General, There is one question
| have often wished to ask you, but have
been restrained by the fear that it might
be improper The General drew him.
self up and said, in his emphatic man.
ner, Sir, you are incapable of asking
am improper question" l said, "You
are very kind; but if my inquiry is in
discreet, am sure you will allow it to
pass unanswered" "I hear you, sir, f"
he replied. well, then, General, did
anything remarkable happen to you on
the morning of the battle Of Chippewa2"
After a brief but impressive silence, he
said, "Yes, sir; something did happen
to me-something very remarkable l
will now, for the third time in my life,
relate the story:
"The fourth day of July, 1914, was
one of extreme heat. On that day my
brigade skirmished with a British force
commanded by General Riall from an
early hour in the morning till late in the
afternoon. We had driven the enemy
down the river some twelve miles to
Streets Creek, near Chippewa, where
we encamped for the night, our army
occupying the west, while that of the
enemy was encamped on the east side of
the creek After our tents had been
pitched, ! observed flag, borne by
man in peasants dress, approaching
my marquee. He brought letter
from a lady who occupied large
mansion on the opposite side of
the creek, informing me that she
was the wife of member of Parlia-
ment, who was then at Quebec; that her
children, servants, and a young lady
friend were alone with her in the house;
that General Rial had placed sentinel
before her door, and that she ventured,
with great doubt of the propriety of the
request, to ask that would place a SEN
tinel upon the bridge to protect her from
strangers from our camp. Iassured the
messenger that the lady request should
be complied with. Early the same
morning the same messenger, bearing a
white flag, reappeared with note from
the same lady, thanking me for the pro
lection she had enjoyed, adding that,
in acknowledgement of my civilities, she
begged that would, with such members
of nay stsf as | chose to bring with me,
accept the hospita lities of her house at
breakfast. which had been prepared with
attention, and anite ready.
Acting upon an impulse which ! have
never been able to analyze or compre
hend, l called two of my aids, Lieuten-
ants Worth and Watts, and returned with
the messenger to the mansion already
indicated. We met our hostess at the
door, who ushered us into the dining
room, where breakfast awaited us, and
where the young lady previously ly referred |
to was already seated by the cotee-urn. |
Our hostess, asking to be excused for
few minutes, retired, and the young lady |
served our coffee Before
we had broken our fast, Lieutenant Watts
rose from the table to get his bandana
that being before the days of napkins),
which he had left ia his cap on a side
table by the window, glaacing through |
which he saw Indians approaching the
house on one side, and red.cOats ap-
it on the other, with an evi-
lent purpose Of surrounding it and us,
md instantly exclaimed, General, we
ire betrayed Springing from the table
md clearing the house, | saw our dan
ger, and remembering Lord Chesterfield
iad said, Whatever it is proper 70 90, 1t
S proper to do well, and as we had to
-un, and my legs were longer than my
companions, | soon outstripped them.
As we ma-io our escape we were fired at,
,ut got across ths Lfidge in safety.
| felt so much shame and mortiiica-
ion at having so nearly fallen info ,
rap that | could scarcely fix my mind
lpon tbR duties which now demanded
nv undivided attention. / knew that |
Iad committed great indiscretion in
ccepting that singular invitation, and
hat If any disaster resulted from u !
ichly deserved to lose both my commits
ion and my character. | constantly
ound myself wondering whether the
adv really intended to betray us, or
Yhetber we had been accidentally OBJ
erved. The question would recur even
mid the eKcilement of battle. FOrtu-
ately my presence a1d services in the
ED we're not required anti Generals
'orter and Ripley had been engaged al ]
intervals for several hours; so that when
ny brigade, with TOwFons artillery,
ere ordered 10 cross Stewards Creek, !
nv nerves and confidence had become I
neasurably quieted aad restored. /
eed not describe the battle Of
'hippeWa. That belongs to and
5 part of the history Of our f.
ountry. Ii is sufficient 70 say that I
/, ths close Of the day We we're masters {