The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-02-21
NATHANIEL TOWNSEND.
How He Saved the Old Powder
House from the Red Coats.

A few months ago an effort was made by
two students of Colonial history to fix with
accuracy the precise place where General
Putnam took his traditional plunge down
the steep precipce in the town of Green
witch. An aged man whose early years
had been spent with those who witnessed
the incursions of the British into the town.
some of whom professed actually to have
seen the irascible patriot spur his horse
over the jagged and appalling decivity,
was welcome though voluntary guide for
these Investigators. This veteran, as he
stood on the brink of the precipice, the
wind tossing his long white locks, excitedly
denounced the tradition as a myth, and
asserted that General Putnam disappeared
from the astonished red-coats, not by
plunging down the steep rock, but by dash
ing into bride path made obscure by the
thick underground of bushes and the inter
locking of branches He led the students
to the spot where traces of the old path
were vet to be seen, and, suddenly stop
ping by the followed and ragged stump of
of an oak of large circumference, said:
Right here lived Nathaniel Townsend, on
the very day that old Put escaped, and he
did Drawer thing than that which people
say the General did" Then he told the
80 - - ~ ~ - IN ~ " ~ M" 10
woods that si,irtad the HoreanacL EijI RT
all accounts SO skilfully had its builder
Joined the chestnut logs, and so artfully
had he arranged the rough clapboards
which covered it, that it was pleasant to
look upon rather than such an unsi~htiy
object as a solitary cabin in the woods E
ant to be. A patriot of renute. whose
farm-hOuse stood on the level plain that
stretched hack from the brow of the nreci
nice had suffered the builder and occnnant
there to live rent free. exacting only in re-
turn such assistance as the tenant couId
give upon the farm. He had chosen the
SPOT, because. .bv reason of a natural omen
ING between the trees, a vista of the rich
green valley below. of the river beyond.
and of the blue waters of the Sound and
far away the seeming meeting of tbe misty
Lone Island hills with the horizon couId he
obtained. Here lived Nathaniel Townsend.
and he was wont on fine DAVIS. inst as tbe
sun BEGAN to tinpe the water Of the Sound
AWAY to the east to sit by the door of his
cabin to eniov the sigbt.
He +bus cot ,orbo,,s a., bo,,,. af+o,, GUY,
,isa on ,,,o,,rinlr ir 1raa TO ,'
nendiner snail not EIa soa,'ad bat,,o,,, %
to he lsfeninor as he niied his ornst hon.
noaIla ond &C., ba Iiitad ~, 81 f,o,,,
his work he GLANCED onxiousIv down tbn
natb. AtIast his fin%ers ston1ad with tbe
irvine half drawn thr0nob The loon and he
listened ~
w.. ,+i. che y,,,,uo o,,,l 900. IL
- VS. G ''iif' no oe9o is
eO an, ~ t SiiV illSn''L IN an instant
MA a, ieu w. tile L pucn ., ol
VIII iloWe n, Wluh nm. me ueW Oh the
th SUI HeelGu w NC upon Inell' loT
~ ~ ~ i II We INV Hue'' anu
one mi pm ti 49," DiG ii 800 UNI a4eu'
,,inciad ia ooSt is d,,i 1a WIN
tbe bend 'o'i''
Soon there annearad a voupg oirl who
came trimming aIong with as mich Iobt,
ness of stem as the narrow brierv 5atb
nermitted Her dress tbouoh Of tba
coarse. bome-snun linsev wooIsev Of that
49, b,,nr, CO r,na ltiy ~ ChaO
iitbesome fioure. the White f?n and 'l rihbad
oinsh tio+ foii - Ine -, i,l,t '
bar neck her broJyn bair oil u d;s
ordered nv her wTastIing With the bnshee
that inteTtwined over soma rarts Of tha
Datb. her cheeks Incoming NV reason of har
evercise in fine norning air aud bay bI,Ia
eves that hut half aIloved n loci, Of ,oooo.
milton TO 90 from than to Natbaniei as e6o
nassadNaII tbase Combined 20 naaLa '.' ~ Sno
tnra that 70 hin, vas fnirar ana I'nro iG
na+ing than tho most oor%eons s,lU,sa IT,
he had ever seen eO- o sum LOG 'ii''O
49,. - - a.4.,
a look Oh soIfow nltted Tor moment
nis els iace as sue 10y WIN
~ SUI q ooHIn oiiaU sue
i hneW ho 40 onele' re hap less noIu Oh
n eead so ne as'wi un3 ~ Ve ire InaC
sne Passe4' lar Tess than the scarlet tana-
ger ImaO So she oa dgntehed' Ior upon that she