The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-08-26

au anci,d II appearing stone building y6oy'
used for grinding plaster, which <bciSfo
the revolution was forge, FROM which
the town acquired its name.
On the street We met and intcrvie wed
veteran. probably OF three score years
and ten, who informed US that his father
was in tho revolutionary service five years,
and bivouackcd on those memorable
heights during the winter Washington's
forces we're encamped there in 1777, and
that he had often heard him narrate the
suffcrings that the troops endured, and
that he had many times seen the snow
tingcd with blood from the txcoriated
feet Of those shoeless heroes, which state
ment comports with history. Among
other things, he informed us that the
roadway on which we were then stand
ing, was traversed by those loyal troops
as they left the hill after breaking camp
in the spring. Mrs. Willard graphically
says: " The patience with which these
patriotic votaries of freedom endured
such complicated evils, is, We believe,
without a parallel in history. To go to
battle cheered by the trumpet and drum.
with victory or the speedy bed of honor
before the soldier requires heroic effort,
much more to starvc, TO freeze, and to lie
down and die in silent obscurity. Sparta
knew the names of the individuals who
fell in her cause at the pass of Their.
mopylae, but America scarcely knows
how many hundreds perished for her in
the camp at Valley Forge"
After thanking our aged veteran and
bidding him good bye, we proceeded to
another point Of great interest, the head.
quarters of General Washington during
his sojourn here and his residence that
winter. 1t is stone house finely pen
cilled, with massive terraced stone steps.
We almost involuntarily uncovered our
heads as we entered its sacred portals
We met and saluted an elderly add intel.
ligent matron, stated the object of our
call, was cordially received, and cheer
fully shown the different apartments. Ex-
amined his private Office room, his gen.
eral reception room, and other portions
of the house. The inside doors are mar.
row and folding; the outside door through
which we entered is quite wide and di.
vided transversely, so that the upper half
can be opened while the lower half may
remain closed. The outside shutters are
oak, l.2 inches in thickness, and per-
fectly sound. The heat being intense we
were thirsty, and drank Justify from the
great captains well. In satiating our
thirst we did not not forget to mentally
drink to the memory Of the santed Wash
ington. a sort Of feeling permeated us
that his spirit was still lowering about
there, and that his form was nearly ready
to burst upon our vision to invoke the
integrity, the loyalty, and the patriotism
of this great people; to perpetuate the
true principles of social civil, political
and religious liberty, until the silver cord
must be loosed Or urtil the wheel Of all
natio-s shall finally be broken at the els.
tern.
Having enjoyed the call very much, we
reluctantly retired from the interesting
and historic spot, as the return train was
nearly due. Arriving at the station We
found it, the platform, and the roadway
filled with the excursionists before alluded
to, which it appeared were to return OF
our train, or else We on theirs. No brawl
ing, vulgarity, or profanity was heard
reason, no rum about. We ascertaineC
the excursionists to be temperance as
sociation During our transit back tC
the city We were treated to some beauti
ful singing by the party. As we wer,
; nearing the town, and being whirlet
through the rocky bluffs Of the Wissa
hickon gorge, they struck up Yanke,
Doodle in double quick time with appro
pirate words, which closed the musica
entertainment, and afforded an opportu
nifty for the crowd to let of a little pat
riotic steam in the shape of cheers, huz
: zas. &c. We we're soon at the uppe
station at Ninth and Columbia Avenue
To round up the festivities and enjoyment
Of the day your correspondent by invita-
tion and appointment, delivered an ad
+ dress before an uptown temperance or
ganization. substantially the same wit
some few alterations. as the one you put
I lished awhile since in the REGISTER. Ia
king it altogether we accounted it glor
+, : enough at least for half day, if not en-
i phatically an instance Of Muitnm /
= Parro" p. w G..
. BALLOON VoyAdEs.-The longest ba
IS loon voyage on record was made by NJ
}. Nadar's great balloon, "Le Geant," whic
d ascended from Paris in October, 1S6;
|. with nine passengers, and descended tn