The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-05

WITH u lew KUOu uiaiShCc uoAS
have been iu safety....At length We set
of again; but we bad marched scarcely
an hour when another halt was made,
because We had caught sight OF the
enemy. There were about two hundred
men, who had come put to r~econnoltre,
and our troops might have captured them
easily if General Burgoyne had not lost
his head. The rain poured in torrents,
and Lady Acland had her tent put up.
The Indians had become dlsheartened,
and one after another deserted. They
turn towards at the slightest obstacle,
especially when there is NJ piunder Tor
them. My maid did nothing but tear
her hair and bewail her hard fate....
Towards evening We reached Sara
toga, which was only half an hour jour
ney from the place where We had spent
the whole day. | was wet through aud
through by the rain, and had T. remain
so the whole night, as | had ne oppor-
tunity of changing my wet garments. -
[ sat down before a god fire aud undress
ed my children. and We lay down to
gsther on some straw. | asked Genera
Phillips, who came up to me, why W.
did not continue our march while We had
time, as my husband had engaged t.
cover our retreat and bring the army
through. Poor woman !! he replied, i
admire you. Wet through as you are,
you still have the courage to go on IN
this weather. wish you were our com
handing general He feels too tired tn
60 on. ana is going . spend the light
here. and -ive u q ~ ,r
1T IS : tact ia. vera Burgoyne
was very fond Of amusement. and spent
half the night singing and drinking with
his mistress. the wife of a commlssary.
who was as fond of champagne as he was
AT seven O'Clock in the morning of
the 10th, | drank a little tea, and we
hoped every moment that orders would
be given to start. General Burgoyne
ordered the beautiful houses and mills 10
Saratoga, which belonged to General
Schuyler, to be SET on fire. An English
officer brought some excellent broth,
which he insisted on sharing with me,
and we began our march again, though
only to another place not very far distant.
The greatest misery and the widest dis
order prevailed in the army. The COM
missary had forgotten to distribute pro-
visions among the troops. We had cat
tie enough, but not one had been slaugh-
tered. More than thirty officers, who
could not bear their hunger any longer,
came to me. | had coffee and tea made
for them, and divided among them all
the provisions which | always had in my
carriage; for we had a cook who, al
though he was an arrant knave, under
stood his business very well, and often
crossed the little rivers in the night, as
we afterwards discovered, and stole sheep
and fowls and pigs from the country peo-
pie, which he made US pay dearly for.
At last all my resources were exhausted,
and in my despair at being unable to give
more assistance l called to Adjutant-Gen
eral Patterson, who came by just then,
and said to him with some vehemence,-
for | felt the matter deeply, Come and
see these officers, who have been wound
ed in the common cause, and who are
quite destitute because they have not re-
ceived what is due them. 1t is your duty
to represent the matter to the general ;
"He was moved by my words, and
the consequence was that a quarter of al
hour after, General Burgoyne came to me
himself, and thanked me with a great
deal of pathos for reminding him of his
duty. He added that a commander was
much to be pitied when he was not we'll
served and his orders were not obeyed.
[ replied that | begged his pardon for
having intcrfered in a matter which, as
L well knew, was not a woman's province
but that it was impossible for me to keep
silence when | saw so many brave men
suffering and | had no more to give them.
He thanked me again Though feel GER
taIn that in hIS hoart hn nauar fornnuo
me for this); and going from me to the
for what had happened, bat that he had
made everything right by his orders.
Why had they not come to him, as his
kitchen was always at their service They
replied that English officers were not in
the habit ofvisiting their generals kitch-
en-, and that they had taken food from
me with pleasure, because they felt as
sured | gave it with my whole heart.
Upon this he gave the strictest orders
that the provisions should be properly
distributed. However, this lasted only a
short time, and thea things were no bet
ter than before....
Our carriage were got ready for de-
parture. All the army voted for the re-
treat, and my husband engaged to make
1t practicable provided no more time
should be lost. But General Burgoyne
could not make up his mind to it, and
lost everything through his hesitation.
About two o'clock in the afternoon we
again heard cannon ana musketry, and
all was CONSERVATION and alarm. My
husband sent me word to take refuge for
the present in a house not far distant. !
got into my caleche, with my children;
and we were just approaching the house,
when | saw on the other side of the river
five or six men, who we're pointing their
muskets at us Almost unconsciously |
thrust the children into the bottom of
the caleche. and threw myself over them.
The men fired at the same moment, and
shattered the arm of a poor English sol
der who was already wounded, and was
also going to take refuge in the house.
Immediately after our arrival a fearful
.cannonade began, which was chiefly di
rected towards the house where we had
taken shelter; probably because the
enemy believed. as they saw so many
people streaming towards it, that the
generals were there. Alas there was no
but women and the wounded.
TO BE CONTINUED.