The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-10-19
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
One of the Unsuccessful Attempts
Made to Capture Him, and What
Came OF IL.

Clinton, 1t is known, made many at
tempts to capture Washington, believ-
ing that If he was taken prisoner the
war would be brought to a successful
close. He we'll knew that he was the
pillar OF fire by nj bit and the pillar of
cloud by day to the struggling patriots,
and that the news of his being q prison
or in the hands Of the British would not
onl; totally d:shearten The IMPOVERISHED
c%olonists. but palsy the energies Of their
the English Parliament. How many
schemes We're attempted we shall prob
ably never KIN w. We only know that
Washington received q letters warn
ing him of his danger. He DOUBTLESS
bad many narrow escapes, the pans of
the enemy being thwarted, either from
the warning that e received, or from
unforeseen circu tances-ail the work
of that Divine Providence that from his
hrst entrance into the army had watched
over him. That he has not left a record
OF some of these i'll detail is moi very
singular; when we re member the char
acter Of the man; but the following has
been handed down by the i%nhabitane
residing near these headquarters at the
time. No rond at this period ran alone
the river ifom Newburgn sonth to New
windsor, though both are on its shore,
and only a nile apart. A bold bluff one
hundred feet or more high made All al
most preci ,,itcus descent tn the river
nearly tho entire way, rendering the
construction OF a road very difficult and
expensive work. But midway between
the " places the Quas,aick Creek burst
through this heavily wooded tluti, and
plunged into the river between banks
| NJ I,,- IN E,,,,,,l r,l f,,% E,-L ...,ol
ing y dark ana gloomy gorge.
Two 81 three hundred ieet from the
shore this chasm II back on one
,ide in a huge semlcirrle, inclosing a
Sweet little valley which is called the
Vale of Avoca. In this secluded valley
lived a mar named Ettrick. Behind his
house the hill rose gradually. and
stretched away to the west, the chasm
gradually lie -sening in depth, till at the
distance Of half a mile or more it be-
came SO low and narrow that it was
SPAWNED by a bridge. Though Ell
tricks house lay within IL short cannon
shot o Washington's Headquarters.
and in a line almost directly south, anA
about the same distance from the river.
it required u circuit OF nearly two mil g
to re tch it by road. The tide set up the
creek close TO the dwelling, and a boat
from it could be sent by strong over
into the Hudson in five or ten minutes.
In an hour more it could be carried in
to the gorge of the Highlands, and in
less than an hour after to the British
sh ps that lay below West Point. In
fact, u boat we'll manned could get with
in British protection in less than two
hours after leaving Ettrick's horse. Ii
ton could be decoyed into Ettrick's
house al | captured, he would be under
the British guns before ever he WAC
MISE at his own headquarters. The
p an was to have a strong guard come
up in the nignt and lie concealed in the
gloomy gorge, and seize Washington
while at dinner in Ettrick's house, to
which ne had been invited. Eltrick pro-
ies.cd to be a warm patriot, Though
80 ne looked on him with suspicion
Whether he wasleallya traitor from SYM
palhy with the tories or become corrup-
ted by British gold is not known. tie
daughter overheard them talking to.
gether M day about taking Washing
ton prisoner. Soon after her father tolu
her that he had invited Washington to
Zine with him on a certain day. She
Immediately connected this with the
conversation she had overheard. nd
suspected it was a plot to capture Wash.
ington. She at once sought a private
with the latter, and telling him her sus-
picions, requested him not 10 come to
dinner. He, however. determined to
ascertain definitely if there was such a
black-hearted traitor within his lines,
and within hearing Of the bugles of bis
wi headquarters. So on the day APP
pointed he rode around 10 Ettrick's but
ordered a detachment Of his life guard,
dressed in English uniform, to follow at
some distance and never lose sight OF
the house, and at about the dinner
hour, which was late, to march up to it.
They did SO. and Ettrick, installing
them for the British and tories,
stepped up 20 Washington, aid laying
his hand on his shoulder, said, "Gener-
al, | believe you are my %prisorerr II
believe not, sir, but you are miner was
the reply, as the Life Guard filed rap
idly into the room. He was Immediate
ly marched offand locked up. This threw
She had not anticipated such a1esult.
She had given no positive Information
simply told her suspicious to Washing
ton, and asked him to stay away rom
dinner. She did not save Washington
and spare her father, but not to bring
the latter to the gallows; and she be-
sought the former not to repay her tidel
ity by hapgingh her father. If is had been
{. personal matter he could easily have
forgiven it, but the blow was aimed at
his country, and that he would not
have forgiven in an only son. Still,
every instinct of his heart revstcd
against rewarding 81 cruelty the devotion
OF the daughter. His whole noble, chiv-
airic nature was aroused when she be-
sought him not to repay her for saving
his lie by devoting her to u fate inhn
itely worse then death. 1t was CT art
that it was simply impossible for him to
do, and through terribly pressed by the
sense of duty to his country, he resolved
to keep the matter secret, except, per-
haps. as he consulted with a few per
sonal friends, and released the traitor
on the condition of his leaving the
conntry. This he accepted, and fled to
Nova Scotia, aud nothing is known Of his
subsequent fate.-J. r. Headiy, in Har.
per's Magazine for October.
There are 1880 miles Of public roads
in France, and of these 1850 milesare al.
ready bordered with trees. Before a
great while every mile of road where a
tree can be grown will be similarly. plant
ed.