The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-08-10
Lafayette and Jonathan Niles.

y
Lafayette and Jonathan Niles.
In his youth, our hero. Jonathan
Niles, was musician in the reyolu-
tionary army. In 1878, while the treason
of Arnold was being consummated, and
the American army was encamped at
Happen, on the Hudson, Gen. Lafay-
cite had command of the advance, CON
sisting of six battalions of picked in
fantry, his particular duty being to
guard the water front; and in order
that any attempt on the part of the enc
my at surprise might be guarded against
Lafayette issued positive orders that
there should be no noise of any kind by
the troops between the hours of tattoo
and reveille.
Our Jonathan was one of Lafayette's
musicians, and his instrument, the fife.
He was a son of Connecticut. and he
had MANNED and disabled brother
who was a cunning artificer, and who,
among other things, had made the fife
on which Jonathan played. 1t was
so constructed that it could be blown
to the shrill and ear-piercing notes that
belong with the drum, or it could be
softly and sweetly breathed upon as to
give forth notes like the gentle dulci-
mer.
One evening Jonathan wandered
down by the waters edge, and, seated
upon rock, gazed off upon the darby
flowing, star-gemmed flood. His
thoughts were of his home, and of the
loved ones; and anon came memories
of the old songs that had been wont to
gladden. the tiresides. Unconsciously
he drew his flute from his bosom, and
placed it to his lips. In his mind, at
the moment, was sweet song, adapted
from Mozart, which had been his moth
er's favorite. He knew not what he
did. To him all things of the present
were shut out and he was again at
home, sitting at his mothers feet-and
the charm was not broken until a
rough blow upon the back recalled him
to his senses.
"Man! what are you doing? The
General may be awake. If he should
hear you-ahn'
1t was a sentinel; and even this guard
ian of the night afterwards confessed
that he had listened, entranced, to the
ravishing music for long time before
he had thought of his duty to stop it.
On the following morning an orderly
came to the spot where Jonathan had
been eating his breakfast, and informed
him that the General wanted to see him
at headquarters.
Poor Jonathan turned pale and trem-
bled. He knew that Lafayette was very
strict, and that in those perilous times
even the slightest infractions were pun
ished severely. As he arose to his feet
the sentinel of the previous evening
came up and whispered in his ear:
If it should be about the music,
Jonathan, don't you be alarmed Not
a soul save you and me knows anything
about it. | can swear to that! So do
you just say it wasn't you. Stick to it,
and you'll come out all right"
Jonathan looked at the man pity
ingly. "What my mothers son tell lie
like that? 1t would be the heaviest load
that | ever carried-heavier than | ever
mean to carry if have my sensesr'
He then went to the Generals quar-
ter's-a tent pitched on a commanding
site overlooking the whole line he had
to guard. Lafayette was pacing to and
fro, sad and moody, as though his
thoughts were unhappy.
Comrade, who are you?h
Jonathan Niles, General"
''Last evening heard music down by
the rivers bank. Were you the must
Clamp
cit was |, General, but | knew not
what did, | meant not to disobey your
order. | sat and thought of home, and
of my mother, and"
The General started at the sound of
that name and the shadow on his face
grew soft and ethereal.
"Of your-mother! And | thought of
mine. twas theme OF Mozart S, and
was my mothers favorite. If you will
be so kind, go bring your instrument
and play for me that strain here, in my
tent; it will do me good"
In the after years-even to his dying
hour-the man loved to tell that story.
Though he would never urge the truth
upon any man in consideration of so
mean thing as the benefit might re-
suit, yet he could not put away the
thought that the sweetest and most
blessed memory of all soldierly expert
ence might have been lost to him had
he grasped at the opportunity to tell a
lie on the one occasion of all his life
when lie might, to some, have seemed
most opportune and profitable.