Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-23
GRAND RAPIDS WIS. THURSDAY, SEPT. 2:s 1875

Gu 10 IH0 SOluleTS, UaklnS his IeAG lIOLu
Nehemiah 4: 14-''And I looked and
! rose up, and said unto the people Be
not ye afraid of them. Remember the
Lord, which is great and terrible, and
fight for your bretheren, your sons and
your daughters, your wives and your
homes" The text itself was like
bugle blast summoning to the charge.
The whole sermon was in keeping with
it. rousing the silent audience to the
higest pitch Of enthusiasm.
Finding plenty of men to take his
place as captain and feeling he could
do more good in talking with the men
than in drilling them, he resigned his
command and was appointed chaplain
of Col. Sherbourne's regiment, and in
stituted regular course of daily re-
ligious services. His activity and zeal
were unbounded and his. influence with
the soldiers great. An expedition was
fitted out to remove the hay and cattle
on Noddle's Island near Boston, to pre-
vent them from falling into the hands
of the British. The enemy sent
force to thwart the attempt, but with
out success, and the little band then
retreated to Chelsea Neck to wait for
the approach of the enemy. A detach-
ment of volunteers, with Putnam at
their head, went to their relief, and
Avery joined it. Arriving at nine
o clock in the evening, the combined
forces opened on the enemy with a
brisk fire, which was kept up till eleven
clock, when the latter withdrew to
wait for daylight. Avery took advant-
age of this cessation of the conflict to
exhort the soldiers to be firm and cour-
ageous. He then prayed with them.
But he believed in example as well as
exhortation, and, shouldering his mus
ket, stood sentinel till two o'clock in
the morning.
In the midst of the conflict on Bun
ker Hill, while the shores and
adjacent heights were shaking to the
thunder Of cannon and the flames and
smoke Of burning Charlestown were
rolling heavenword, he stood like
Moses of old and prayed that God
would give victory to the Americans
He said 'sTo us infantile Americans,
unpzad to the thunder and carnage of
battle, the flames Of Charlestown before
our eyes, the incessant play of cannon
from their shipping and from Boston
and their wings in various directions,
together with the fire of muskety from
more than four times our number, all
heightened the majestic terors of the
field, exhibiting scene most awful
and tremendous but amid the perils
of the dread encounter, the Lord
was our rock and fortress"
He stood near Washington when he
drew his sword beneath the great elm
tree and took command Of the CONT
mental army. His zeal and patriotism
made him a prominent man in the army,
and Washington often invited him to
dine at headquarters. 1t was his Gus
tom, whenever an expedition peculiarly
hazardous or fatiguing was sent out, to
ask to be detailed to accompany it
not that he courted either danger or
hardship, but he loved to encourage the
soldiers by his words and example.
AS he stood on Dorchester Heights and
saw the British vessels weigh their an
chors and drop down the bay, he ex-
claimed triumphantly: "Give God
the praise, for he hath done it." He
was with the army at the battle of
Long Island and Chatterton Hill, and
accompanied it in it's melancholy re-
treat through New Jersey. In speak
ing of this retreat, he said: ''The
lustre Of our commanders presence and
magnanimity gave charm to our
gloomy misfortunes it animated our
spirits above the power of undue fear"
He crossed, with Washington the ice
filled Delaware, and accompanied him
IN his stormy midnight march on Tren-
ton, and early dawn found him in the
thichest of the fight. An American
soldier falling beside him, he seized his
musket and leaping on the top Of
rum hogshead, began to fire ON the
confused, disorderly Hesslans. He
here received wound that laid him
up for several weeks. On his recov-
cry, he rejoined the army, sharing all
its perils and misfortunes, and finally
hutted with it at Valley Forge, endur-
ing the privations with the serenity
and cheerfulness of Washington. The
latter was much attached to him, as
was Franklin. He was sent subse-
quently with the troops to oppose Bur
goyne, and was in the thickest of the
fight at the battle of Bennington.
For his services in and after this bloody
engagement, he received vote Of
thanks from the Governor and Council
of State. He was strong man in
the dark perils OF war, and hope shone
in him like pillar of fire when it had
gone out in all others"