Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-10-26
brought up in that way 100 years

volunteers"
"And Mr.. Perkins has gone off to
the Neck" said the dame, rising and
going to the window, from which
she could look up towards Wind
mill Hill. No horseman was in
sight. There was no sign of her
husbands return. Then with flash
of indignation in her eyes, she turn
ed to the boy and asked:
"Why stand you there? Go!
alarm the town"
The boy was off like a shot.
'Wha that? What's that
mother?" cried Oliver, a boy of six
teen, who rushed in from the back
garden, where he had been spading
up the beet beds. His mother had
taken down Capt. Perkins gun
from the wooden mantle where it
hung, and was looking at the old
flint lock.
"The red-coats have landed at the
Back Cove, my son, and we must de-
fend the town."
"You, mother?" cried the boy,
with something like a laugh IN his
eye, but with his face glowing.
"You, mother?"
''The time has come at last, my
boy. Father said that there was
danger that the British would come
over from the Penobscot shore and
take the town in the rear. They
have landed at the Back Cove.
There is no force IN the little bat
terry between them and the fort, and
Capt. Blodgett has only thirty mill
tia-men with him in the fort. Ev-
cry body must do his share to save
the town. l can run bullets for
some one to use with your fathers
gun.
"Give me the gun mother, I'll CO."
and the lads eyes sparkled as he
spoke.
"Said like a man, my boy! said
like a man! There are the horns!"
and just then the sound of fish horns
braying on the village green showed
that the alarm had spread.
The preparations were few and
hurried. Oliver hung his fathers
powder horn about his neck, put
into his pouch what few bullets he
could find, picked the flint of the
gun-lock, So that it should not miss
fire, and he was then ready to run
to the green to report himself ready
for duty.
81 shall run some more bullets
and send to you anon," said the
mother "The skillet is on the Goals,
and Doroas will help me-"
The lad fingered an instant in the
open doorway, and the sun stream
ing brightly on him gilded his yel-
10y hair and shed a sort of glory
over his fair young face. So full
of life, so alert and ardent, he SEEM
ed for the moment transfgured in the
eyes OF his mother. She went swift
ly forward; kissed him, and without
a quiver in her voice said:
"I cannot give you to your coun-
try, Molly. God gave you when he
gave you country. You will do
your duty"
''That 1 will, mother," said the
boy,and he throwing his fathers gun
over his shoulder, ran down the
village street to the green.
As he fled two stalwart fellows
hurried by, not forgetting to salute
Dame Perkins as they passed. Shad-
ing her eyes from the sun, she call
ed after them:
Seth and lothian Buker! Ny lit
tie Molly has gone to the defense.
Will you have an eye to his welfare
in the fight?"
"Aye! aye!" answered the men
cheerily as they ran.
Then Dame Perkins softly closed !
the door, threw her apron over her
head and sat down on the stairs, cry
ing to herself, "My sonl my son!
Dorcas,. the little handmade of the
house, brought bag of bullets, all |
hot from the moulds, to Oliver as
he stood with the other volunteers
on the green.
''And 1 thought, Molly, that may
be you'd like your fshin' tackle"
and she produced the boys tom-cod |
lines as she spoke.
The young men standing around |
laughed at the sight, and Oliver
bluShed with modification. 1t seem.
ed to him that he had grown to
manhood since he had used that line
off the wharf the day before. Curb
ing his patience a little, he said:
"Much obliged, Dorcas," and he
put the reel into his pocket.
'Forward march," shouted Cor
poral Hibbard, and the little COM
pany stepped out manfully to the
tap of the drum, every beat of which |
seemed to say to the lad: "You
will do your duty! you will do your
duty!" over and over again.
Through the fields they went
straight to the crown of the penin-
sula, on which Castine is built. |
There, on the rounded ridge, over
looking the town on one side, and |
the pastures on the other, was
rude earthwork about six feet high, |
surrounded by a ditch, and com
manding a view of the harbor in
front of the town, as well as of the |
Back Cove, which bordered the
rocky and sloping pastures behind |
it. This was ''The Fort" Thence
they could descry a feet of boats on |
the shore of the cove, about a mile
and half away. Half a mile off |
was a small battery of earth, shaped |
like half moon, behind which few
men might lie concealed and worry
an advancing enemy.
''Tell off twenty men for the bat
tery," shouted Captain Blodgett.
And Corporal Hibbard went down
the line and counted out every 9TH
er man until he had his twenty men. |
These stepped out to the front.
There were old, middle-aged and |
young. Each was afre with zeal;
each was more than ready to fight
for his country. The oldest was the
c,,.o,, ba;rad errandsira of Seth and /