The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-04-14
A CENTENNIAL STORY.
How Jeremy Jaeger Helped the Britis
Ont OF Boston.


ington's birthday, and it was Jerem,
.lagger's birthday.
General Washington was forty-fou
years old that birthday, "A hundred year
ago. Jeremy Jaeger was fourteen, an,
early in the morning Of the 22d of Feb
ruary, l776, the General and the Ia,
were looking upon the same bit of coun
try, but from different positions. Gen
eral George Washington was reviewing
his precious little army for the thou
sandth time; the lad Jeremy was look,
ing from n hill upon the camp at Cam
bridge, and from thence across the River
Charles over into Boston, which had fol
many months been held by the British
soldiers.
At last Jeremy exclaimed; :" say,
it's too chestnut-bur bad; it is
''Did you step on one?' questioned a
tall, hard-handed, earnest-faced man,
who al the instant had come up to the
stone-wall on which Jeremy stood, sur
veying the camp and its surroundings.
"No, didn't, retorted the lad .sbut
wish Boston was pared all over with
chestnut-burs, and that every pesky
British officer in it had to walk barefoot
from end 10 end fourteen times day,
do; and the fourteenth time I'd order
two or three Colony generals take a turn
with 'em. General Gates for one.n
''Come along, jeremy" called his
companion, who had strobe across the
wall and gone on, regardless of the boys
words.
When Jeremy had ended his express
al xx-ic hos b.a tharaI 80 III, 10
dinner-basket, and coil of stout cord,
and plunged through the snow after his
leader
When he had overtaken him. the inn
pulsive lads heart burst out Mt the lips
with the words: "We could take Boston
noic. just as easy as any thing, without
wasting a jot of powder either. Skip
across the ice, don't you see, and be
right in there before daylight. A big
army lying still for months and months,
and just doing nothing but wait for
folks In Boston to starve Quit | say it's
shameful; now, too, when the ice has
come that General Washington has been
waiting all winter for"
You won't help your country one
bit by scolding about it, Jeremy. You'd
OtAltA saw NOul clitUklfl lOI cutting
willow-rods to-day"
aid cut like hurricane if the rods
were only going to whip the enemy
with. But just for sixpence a day
pshaw ] say, it don't pay"
"Look here, lad, can you keep a
secret?"
" Trust me for that" returned Jer-
envy jaeger. Turning suddenly upon
his questioner, he faced him to listen to
a supposed bit of information.
"Then why on earth are YOU talking
10 me in that manner, boy?" questioned
the man.
"Why YOU knou all about it, Just as
well as do; and fellow must speak |
out in the woods or somemhere. WHY. |
get so mad and SO hot sometimes that I
IT seems as if every thought in me
would burn right out on my face, when
| think about my poor mother over l
there. pointing backward to the three
hilled city.
The two were standiug at the mo-
ment midway Of cornfeld. The Feb
ruary wind was lifting and rustling and
shaking rudely the withered corn stalks,
with their dried leaves. To the north
ward lay the Cambridge camp, across
the Charles River. To the south and
east, just over Muddy River and Stony
Brook, lay the right wing of the Amer
lean Army, with here fort and there
d redoubt stretching at intervals all the
distance between the camp at Cam
bridge and Dorchester Neck, on the
southeast side Of Boston Behind them,
to the westward lay Cedar Swamp,
while not more than half mile to the
front there was a four-gun battery and
Brookline Fort on the Charles, near by.
While Jeremy Jaeger was pouring
forth his words with vociferous violence
the man by his side glanced eagerly
about the wide field; but, satisfying
himself that no one was within hearing,
he said, resting his Ratchet on the lads
shoulder while speaking: "See here,
my boy The brave man never boasts
Of his bravery nor the trustwor-
thy man of his trustworthiness
How you learned what you know of the
plans OF General Washington I do not
care to ask but to-day and all DAYS
keep quiet and show yourself worthy of
being trusted"
"l'll try as hard as | cam" promised
Jeremy.
Nobody can have tried his best with
out accomplishing something that il
was grand to do, though not always
Just ,chat he was trying to do" respond
ed the man, glancing kindly down upon
the fresh, eager lad. Don't forget.
Silence is golden, in war always. Not
a word, mind, when you get home,
about the work of to-day"
They were come now to spot where
the marsh seemed TO be filed with
sounds Of wood-cutting. As they
plunged into Cedar Swamp, the sounds
grew nearer and multiplied. II was like
the rapid firing of muskcts.