The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-01
Lord COrnwallis's Day.

IL was the anniversary Of the day
October 10, 17S1-when Lord Corn
wallis surrendered with the British
army to General Washington, which
ended the Revolutionary War, and left
us free country, to be no more troubled
by England on the ground that we be-
longed to her.
Well, when | was little boy lived
in the town of W, very near Con-
cord and Lexington, where the Centen-
nial celebrations took place last June.
and there they were accustomed to make
good deal of this day, though it is
given up now.
They used to celebrate in large field
back of hotel and at the foot Of
mountain, and the woods on the mOnn-
tain came down to the edge OF this field
Here there would he grand mock fight,
between men dressed as CUniinentol SOL
diers and Others dressed as British sol
diers and Indians, till. finally, the vic.
tory would be won by the COntinentals,
and then there would be great cheering.
will describe one of these days just as
recollect il, when / was about FIVE years
old.
The first event of the day, that filled
me with admiring awe, was the fixing
up of an elder brother to look like an
Indian. He was dressed IN a frock witt.
a belt about his body, into which was
stuck a tomahswk and a knife. The
handles of both were painted red, and
the blades blue. Over his shoulder was
slung a qniver filed with arrows. ]
don't recollect the color of the culver.
but / can see the red tips OF the arrows
as plain in my minds eye as if it were
as they peeped over his
shoulder. Then in his hand he carried
a bow. This also had good deal of red
about it.
And his face! confess / was a little
scared at first, when be came grinning
and scowling at n brother, just as big as
l was, and me, and fiourished his toma-
hawk over our heads. His eyebrows
and lashes were stained black, and his
face red; and / rather think there were
streaks of other coIors about his fierce
visage, though / can't remember dis
tinctly. He had moccasins on his feet.
and wore forget just what on his legs.
Well, he started of in the morning.
and We (my companion brother and N.Y.
self soon after followed. We went ND
to the field, which l judge was nearly
a mile from our house, and there we
found old men and old women, middle |
age men and middle-age women, young
men and Young maidens. and big and
little boys .and girls. And there were
men selling everything that tasted good
to youngsters like ourselves; but we
had no money to buy, so we could only |
stand and watch others buy, and eat and |
drink.
Presently we heard distant war
woop. and, running with all the rest, we
saw the Indians approaching. They
we're dressed in all sorts of colors-blue,
red, yellow, green, white, and I could
ut now say what else, with their faces
painted in every sort of way: and as
hey advanced with an Indian trot, they
Kept making the war-whoop, by patting
heir mouths with the palms of their
hands as they let their voices out in cries
md yells.
stood near stone wall, and as thev
passed over il in their moccasined feet.
me stone after another would roll or
vmble to the ground, until, by the tim
he last Indian had passed, very little
If the wall was left at the place.
Then they crossed the field, and ran
nto the woods at the foot of the noun.
ain.
Soon after there came from the o.her
nd of the field, with martial music and
tately, regular tread, the British army.
Iressed in red coats and buff waistcoats
md breeches with epaulets on their
houlders, bright brass buttons, and
'lumes in their hats; They marched
lowly into the woods and joinid the In
Iians; who were occupying fort that
lad been built for the occasion.
Now came the music of the drum and
he fife, playing yankee Doodle" and
Up marched the Continental boys, in
heir blue coats, with buff Iappets,
Taisteoats and breeches, their knee
'uckles gIistening in the sunlight, and
heir plumes waving from their cockade
Iats, while their epaulets seemed proud
o be on their shoulders. as the spectators
heered and cheered again. I'll not he
ure, but ! rather think, to my boyith
ancy, the Yankee soldiers had more
hoot in their looks than the British.
Well. they filed into the woods, and
PRESENTLY the battle commenced. VoIleys
f musketry rang through the forest,
nd we could see the arrows of the Jndi
MS fly through the air. The wells of
he soldiers mingled constantly with the
ndIan war-whoop, and now and then a
hout arose from the field.
At length, the smoke Of battle hid al
most everything from view; and then 4
Ort Of dread came over the hearts Of US
oungsters, for il began to have a terrific :
ound. But all at once there was one !
reat shout, and the air was filed with I
oud cheering, and the cry arose: "The
Yankees have whipped The British
re beaten %
And sure enough, as the smoke clear.
d way, we could see the Continental
slue-coats had won the victory. There
'as grand surrender of the Red coats I
nd Indians, and with that the great {
vent Of Lord CornwaIlis's day was end.
d.
Then /, with my little companion
rother, wended my way home. but half
wake to the commonplace realities Of
he empty streets through which we
'assed; and along in the evening came
ur big Indian brother, who washed
himself at the sink, making the water