Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-11-12
THE SECRET OF PRUDENCE STRONG.
A Tradition of the Colonial War.

The old war Office in Lebanon, Conn.,,
of Governor Observation-Disclosures
brother Jonathan-has lately received
building which sheltered Washington,
Rochambeau and Lafayette, which, was
the meeting place of the Council of
Safety" and the hating place of the
messengers who bore important dis
patches between Philadelphia and Bos-
ton, is not yet to be torn down. It also
means that the mysterious document
which Mistress Prudence Strong once
hid there, in defiance of Governor Trum-
bull and the Count de Rochambeau, will
still longer remain in it's hiding place
for years ago, even before Governor
Trumbull was gathered to his fathers,
the villagers said that the papers would
never be be found until the building
was taken down and every rafter and
every crevice between the stones of the
large chimneys was examined. 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 Governor Trumbulls
daughters, froni the information that
the Trumbun family whom he knew,
and from various other sources, thestory
of the secret of Prudence STRONG Sc
cret which it is firmly believed would
have been exposed had the Office been
torn down-is gathered.
The Count de Rochambeau with his
battalion of allies, in the winter of 1880
rested in Lebanon. Thesoldiers pitched
their tents and built their huts on the
slope of hill, at the bottom of which
ran 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 just received dispatch from Wash
ington which pleased him greatly, and
had sent messenger to notify Governor
Trumbull that the Count de Rocham-
beau would do himself the honor of
passing an hour or 80 of the evening
with the governor at the war Office.
An unusual hustle in the camp at.
tracted Rochambeau'sa attention. 'sWhat
does this mean? These fellows are un-
usually noisy tonight" he said to an
aide-de-camp who dined with him.
If l mistake not, the sentry has
captured deserter," said the aid, rising
and going to the window. He stood
there peering through the glass, which
was so imperfect as to make big men
look very little and email men seem very
large, besides frequently gracing one
body with four or even six pairs of legs.
1t is as mistrusted, sire. They have
caught deserter, and, if my eyes do not
deceive me, it is Francois Duplan.''
No, not he," the count said, rising,
I" Why, he is a gentleman. He can not
conceal that even from you, if he is
common soldier. He has the air of
grand mystery, and he is withal exceed
ingly serviceable at the oven"
1t is he, nevertheless, sire, and you
will pardon me if recall to your mem
DRY the order that was issued by the
Coung de Rochambeau when the desert.
er was captured the other day and for
given"
" Death at the next SUNRISE" said the
count, sinking into his chair.
Death 81 the next SUNRISE" said the
aid, quietly,
Methinks, had I known that this
fellow would be the next, would have
waited until the next after he, for there
is something about him that passes my
comprehension greatly"
You will"
Ono, | will not. The order was given,