Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-16


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 himself up, and 3aid in his en-
phatic manner, ''Sir, you are incapable of ask
Ing an improper question" | said, "You are
very kind; but If my inquiry is indIscreet, am
sure you will allow it to pass unanswered" Il
hear you sir, he replied. "Well, then, general,
did anything remarkable happen u you on the
morning of the battle Of ChiTpewap After
brief but impressive silence, he said eyes, sir;
something did happen to me-something very
remarkable. | will now, for the third time in
my life, relate the story:
The 4th of July, 1914, was one of extreme
heat. On that day my brigade skirmished with
a British force commanded by Gen. Rial from
an early hour IN the morning till late in the af-
ternoon. We had driven the enemy down the
river some twelve miles to Streets Greek, near
Chippewa, where we encamped for the night,
oar army occupying the west, while that of the
enemy was encamped on the east side of the
creek After our tents had been pitched, | OBJ
served a t1lg, borne by man in PEASANTS dress,
approaching my marquee. He brought a letter
from lady who occupied large mansion
on the opposite side of the creek H.
forming me that she was the wife of a member
of parliament, who was then at Quebec; that
her children, servants, and young lady friend
were alone with her in the house; that Gen.
Rial had placed a sentinel before her door; and
that she ventured, with great doubts of the pro-
pricty of the request, to ask that | would place
a sentinel upon the bridge to protect her against
str1gglers from our camp. | assured the mes
senger that the lady's request should be COM
Piled with. Early the same morning the same
messenger, bearing a white flag, re-appeared
with a note from the same lady, thanking me
for the p election she enjoyed, adding that, in
acknowledgment Of my clvilities, she begged
that would, with such members of my staff as
alara lara hgNaY .ifn1a
ties of her house at a breakfast which had been
prepared with considerable attention, and was
quite ready. Acting upon an impulse which
have never been able to analyze or comprehend,
| called two of my aids Lieuts. Worth and
Watts, and returned with the messenger to the
mansion already indicated. We met our
hosteas at the door, where breakfast. awaited
| us, and where the young lady previously re-
| leTred 10 was already seated by the cotiee-urn
| Our hostess asking to be excused for few
minutes, retired, and the young lady imme-
| diately served our coffee. Before we had
| broken our fast Lieut.. Watts rose from the Ia
! bic to Get his bandana, (that being before the
| days of napkins which he had left in his cap
on side table by the window, glancing through
which he saw Indians approaching the house on
| one side, and red-cOats approaching it on the
| other, with an evident purpose of surrounding
| if and us, and instantly exclaimed, general, we
are BETRAYED? Springing from the table and
! clearing the house, | saw our danger, and re-
membering Lord Chesterfield had said, What
ever it is proper TO do, it is proper to do WE'LL
| and as we had to run, and my legs were longer
| than those Of my companions, | soon out
| stripped them. As we made our escape we were
| fired at, but got across the bridge in safety.
| / felt so much shame and modification at
| having so nearly fallen INTO trap, that | could
scarcely fix my mind upon the duties which now
| demanded my undivided attention. | knew that
| had committed great inliscretion in accept
ing that singular invitation, and that if any
disaster resulted from it richly deserved to lose
both my commission and my character. | con-
stantly found myself wondering whether the
lady really intended to be.ray us, or whether we
had been accidentally observed. The question
would recur even amid the excitement of battle.
fortunately my presence and services in the
field were not required until Gems Porter and
Ripley had been engaged at intervals for several
hours; so that when my brigade, with Towson's
artillery, were ordered TO cross Streets Creek,
my nerves and confidence had become measura-
bly, quoted and restored.
| need not describe the battle of Chippewa,
That belongs TO and is part of the history of our
country. Ii is sufficient to say that at the close
OF the day we were masters of the position, and
that our arms were in no way discrcdited. The
B Itish army had fallen back, leaving their
wounded in our possession. The mansion which
] had visited in the morning was the largest
house near, and to that the wounded officers in
both armies were carried for surgic ii treatment
look after my wounded. ! found the English
officers lying on the first floor, and our cwn on
the floor above. | saw in the lower room the
young lady whom had met In the morning at
the breakfast table, her white dress all sprinkled
with blood. She had been attending to the
British wounded. On the second floor, just as
| was turning into the room where our officers
were met my hostess
One glance at her was quite sufficient to an
swer the question which | had been asking
myself all day. She had intended TO betray
me, and nothing ut the accident of my aid
rising torhiS handkerchief saved us flom capture.
Years afterward, in rejecting upon this Incl
dent, was led to doubt whether had not mis-
construed her startled manner as | suddenly en-.
countered her. That unexpected meeting would
have occasioned embarrassment in either con-
tingency; and it is so difficult to believe lady
of cultivation and refinement capable of such
an act, that am now, nearly half a century
after the event. disposed to give my hostess the
benefit Of that doubt "
"And now, sir" added the general, "this is
the third time in nv life have told this story.
do not remember to have been spoken to be-
fore on the subject for many years." He looked
at me, and seemed to be considering with him
self a few moments, and then said: "Remem-
boring your intimacy with Gen. Worth, need
not inquire how you came to a knowledge of
our secret"
'Well, general" l replied 81 have kept the
secret faithfully for more than forty years,
always hoping to obtain your own version of
what struck me as most remarkable incident
IN your military life. '-Thurlo1g Weed in Hdr-
per'S Adgaztne for March.