The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-05
GOV. TRUMBULL'S WAR OFFICE.
A STORY OF THE REVOLUTION NEVER
BEFORE TOLD.
CFrom the Neso York Sun. I

The old war office in Lebanon, Conn.,.
of Gov. Trumbull-Wa Washington s Broth
er JOnathan-has lately received a new
roof. This means that the little build
ing which sheltered Washington, Roch-
ambeau, and Lafayette, which was the
meeting place of the Council of Safe
ty, - and the halting place of the mes
Sengers who bore important dispatches
between Philadelphia and Boston, is not
yet to be torn down. 1t also means that
the mysterious document which Mistress
Prudence Strong once hid there, in def
ance of Gov. Trumbull and the Count de
ROchambeau, will still longer remain in
its hiding place-fOr years ago, even be-
fore Gov. Trufnbull was gathered to his
fathers, the villagers said that the papers
would never be found until the building
was taken down, and every rafter and
every creVice between the stones of the
/ large chimney was examined. Before |
tell the tradition that has been handed
down. and of which still the old towns
people say, with the manner of persons
who know that there is a great secret
hidden in the walls of the War Of1ice-a
secret that has been buried there a hun
dred years-a word or two ought to be
written about the War Office itself. 1t
was sadly slighted during the Centennial
year. yet there is probably no building
standing. save only Independence Hall,
that sheltered at one time or another so
many of the heroes of the Revolution as
did this little gable-ToOfed structure on
/ Lebanon Green. This is not a matter of
/ tradition. but is fully authenticated by
/ papers and letters which were collected
/ bvth late Judge Larned IIebaTd. Here
were written the letters and hence came
/ the suggestions to the sCOmmander-in
/ Chief from Gov. Trumbull, which were
. so practical and bubbling over with good
sense as to cause Washington always to
speak of the Governor as Brother JOna-
than. a name that in time became gene
ric. and even now is applied to the I'm
/ iveTSal Yankee Nation - Here always,
when not called away, was the Governor
/ to be found ROChambeau made it his
nominal headquarters when IN winter
. quarters in Lebanon with his battalion.
/ Gov Trumbull'S war Office was as well
/ known bv common repute to every Rev
7 OlutiOnarv soldier as was Independence
Hall. 1t stands to-day just as 1t did
. then and. barring the new roof, looks as
/ it then did. and the surroundings are al
most idCutical-an advantage tEat 1t has
over independence Hall. The Hon.
/ Samuel !. Tnden, while visiting Leba-
non n few wears ago, eVinced the great
est interest in the building. He said to
Judge Hebard that it was relic of the
. Revolution that ought carefully to be
+ preserved. and suggested that it be made
/ the depository of mementOes of that
war.
From the papers and letters that Judge
, Hebard collected, many of them coming
/ into his hands when settling an estate of
the husband of one of GOV. Trumbull'S
daughters. from the information that
/ Judge IIebard gained from members of
the Trumbull family whom he knew,
and from various other sources, the story
I of the secret of Prudence StrOng-a Sc
cret which it is firmly believed would
have been exposed had the Office been
/ torn downs gathered.
The Count de RochambeaU, with his
/ battalion of allies, in the winter of 11SO
rested in Lebanon. The soldiers pitch
ed their tents and built their hUts on the
slope of a hill. at the bottom of which
ran a stream of water to the mill pond.
/ Stream and pond and sloping hillside
have not been changed since then by
either nature or art.
The Count de ROchambeau sat eating
his dinner of succOtaSh and a juicy piece
of beef one stormy afternoon. He had
lust received a despatch from Washing
ton which pleased him greatly, and had
| sent messenger to notify Gov. Irum-
bull that the Count de ROchambeau
would do himself the honor OF passing
an hour or so Of the evening with the
Governor at the war office.
unusual hustle in the camp attract
ed ROchambeau's attention. ''What
does this mean Those fellows are un-
usually noisy tonight, " he said to an
aide-de-camp who dined with him.
ssIf mistake not the sentry have cap
tured a deserter." " said the aid, rising
and going to the window. He stood
there peeIing through the glass, which
was so imperfect as to make big meT
look very little. and small men look very
large. besides gracing one body withfOu
/ or even six pairs OF legs.
1T is as | mistrusted, sire. They
have caught a deserter, and, if my eye'
dOnot deceive melt is Francois Duplan.' :
',No, not he, " the Count said, rising
:'Why, he is a gentleman. He canno
conceal that even from you, if he is ;
common soldier. He has the air of ;
Grand mystery. and he is withal exceed
/ ing serviceable at the oven. "
1T is he. nevertheless. sire, and yOl
will pardon me if l recall to your mem
orv the order that was issued by tn
C6uut de ROchambeau when the desert
pr was captured the other day and for
given"
Death at the next sunrise, said tn
I Count. sinking into his chair.
Death at the next SUNRISE said tn
aid quietly.
..Metbinks. had 1 known that this fel
low would be the next, l would haY
waited till the next after he, for ther
b is something about him that passes m
! comprehension greatly"
''Nou will
\ .sNo. 1 will not. The order was giN
q en-. it must be followed. See that | al
not awakened until after the sentence
o executed. "
d \ court martial was speedily convened
and Francois Duplan stood before
:, charged with having been captured b
Z the pickets far beyond bounds, and mai
f. ing as it were his intention to pass thrC
u the north woods out upon the Hartfor
y turnpike.
y - cannot deny this. " he said. ''but
y affirm that it was my intention to retur
before roll call and at once admit that
had disobeyed the rules
That is an apology easily framed a
:. ter capture" " suggested the Judge AC
yOcate ''but if YOU can say what you
- purpose was in thus going beyond til
lines, if it seems to us good and consist
ent with your return, it may make TIL
I difference between life and death wit
4 YOU. Francois Duplan.'
ALAS. | cannot tell my purpose.
i can say that it was a good one tha
. had it been accomplished. results {
- much concern to me and to another
- Ea 4