The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-10-06


but yesterday. A few of them had their
wives with them. | was but IL years old,
but got chairs out of the house and |
helped get them out of their wagons and
felt was highly honored, and so was.
Some of you remember old Squire Rich |
ard Opdyeke, who lived and died at Bar
bertown, in Kingwood township. He
weighed 300 pounds l believe. He was
the Justice of the Peace before whom the
affidavits were all made. My father was
engaged then in getting his mother
grandmother Bray,) pension and hence
the gathering at our house. None were
less than eighty years old. One, John
Clifford, was SO years old. After the af-
fidavits were all made, we had a grand
feast-roast turkey, tender loins, buck
wheat cakes and doughnuts, &C., &C., and
many war story was told by these SOL
diers as only hero can tell them. | do
not remember the stories they told or |
would be happy to relate them, but | do
remember that Squire Richard Opdyeke
was said to be the champion eater of the
county, and (Tom,) one Of my younger
brothers, perched in one corner of the
old fashioned kitchen fireplace, vowed
that he counted twenty-six large buck
wheat cakes that he ate on the occasion.
A slice of fat pork as big as mans hand
was only as blade of timothy grass to
an OK. But he was entirely Welcome"
as the Irishman said the more so, per-
haps, that his visits, like Angels, were
few and far between.
My friend, Charles r. Swallow, of Lam
bertvile, whom everybody and his wife
knows, told me few days ago, that when
he was but seven years old, he went with
his parents to General Bray's funeral and
that his father, Capt. Benjamin Swallow,
lifted him up in order that he might see
the old hero's face as he lay 10 his coffin.
His father used to go over to where grand
father Bray lived when the war was go
ing on, when he was home on visit to
his family, and made cartridges for the
soldiers, and he was then but eleven years
old. Wasn't he brave boy ? He after.
wards went to Pennsylvania to help put
down the whiskey insurrection, and soon
after was made captain.
Old Uncle Johnny Hartpence Gas we
used to call hihO who died some years
ago near Copper Hill, told mo on one &C.
oason, 10 1864 think it was, that about
the time the late war took place between
this country and Great Britain "a few
weeks previously there was general
IN the very snot almost where the Rim
goes station now stands. He was present
aud saw and heard What 7 NOW rotate,
The militia were undar tho command
,bat dow ~ Conorai Rrov ass;stad bv
Cant Iamhert There was a tremend
ons crowd nresant and al, wara raadv to
licL old England Thev had a iaroe cast
iron cannon which ayerv few moments
helcbed ont notrintism in thunder tones
n tho assembled multitude Cant lam.
hort had ohor,a 40 Il his n,rt ha;ng 10
tonch !, Off when loaded with rcd hot
norer Soma tbres faet long The old
Gnnerni had henn rav;ewino tho militia
an .,, ,ho a n ,s,s rsady ~ hs f,rad off
ar,;n uo Nod ,honchtlass,v r,dden his
i r,a Inv marc .ight alongs;ie ~ tba ean.
non Sba ,vas verv frac,ions animal
aud had habit of nitching her riders over
her hoad occas;anailv while ut the farm.
AZ soo,, n ,ha oid Ganarai nereeivad the
situation of affairs he called ont To Cant.
lam art mt 10 sat n off iii he got n little
WAYS Off as his mare was very snirited
Uo topcbed ber with his whin His snurs
had searcelv touched her sides when an
exnlosion toolr nlnce londcr than Molxan.
mas voico raising The dead from their
ator,at slosn She roisad her foot In The
air and n,ade aeyorol wild nlnnoes hnt
he yyas too Good a horsenan To oct unset
viii hat hind of nonsense Tuning her
i'asd he aashaa ~, thronoh the smol,e m
J'a,,,hor, mi denandad ,shat ha meant
hn disabavino his nrder Cant T.ambart
,sas nnt IN tho laast disconcer.ed and
s sn ,anliaa. I'D n five bav. ali
80 ~ a, al III ne;tist ,vo NAV as roll
set used 70 nowder first az last. - Who
S w;i, 1 90 :. ho boS nnt Laval head that
.,as aIi tborn ,ass of II at tho time Int
t,,o n,ii;,ian,a, nod n,anv a ROOD Iangh
aver II a fterwards nj Tho old Generals
ex s, 800 1880
H f1ns t;,,o h,s ,assed, How th;nys have
cba , I'LL Every nerson tben living, little