The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-13
A BOY PATRIOT.
Touching Little Yarn Of Misdirected
II Revolutionary Zeal. III

OQ q CeTUd1u ApIAi udyt OFSA q AutiuIcN
years ago, the British being IN possession
of Staten Island, the banner o fist. George
waved above the Richmond inn in all its
crimsoned glory, andfiapped and Haunted
in the wind as gayly as though it expected
to remain in that position for a long time
to come. From the window of a house
near by, Lieut.. Wilde of the Queens
rangers looked out upon the village street,
and apparently gave great attention to a
flock Of geese that waddled Indian file
down to the salt creek just back of the
old church. The peaceful array was
broken by an ~obstreperous yellow dog
who jumped at them and then occupied
the ground of observation and lay down
in the dust and the sun aud enjoyed a
nap. But the gaze of the lieutenant never
wandered and it vas evident that he had
paid no attention to thisrural panorama.
There was q rapt expression in his face,
such as q man has hofosters some great
scheme, and he raped his foot once or
twice on the floor in order to emphasize
approval of his ideas. He nodded his
head, and then going to a table where
lay papers and quilts, he was again lost
in thought.
It was fully twenty minutes before he
put a Quill to a sheet of note paper. and
then he wrote carefully. From the care
with which he folded and sealed it, it
was evidently some great and important
paper that he had written. The red wax
received the impression of a shield
crossed and quartered, and the lieutenant
again went to the window. A small boy
Of about twelve years was shutting along
the dusty road, throwing up clouds of
dust which covered his bare feet and legs.
"Obadiah," called the officer, 81 have
an errand for you"
The small boy ame up to the window.
"You know where Capt. Towards
quarters are, I believe"
The boy respectfully nodded and mum
bled assent.
swell" continued the officer, speak
ing slowly, II want you to deliver this
note into his hands-mind you, to him
alone, and bring me back an answer.
Tell him to write it. and If you are back
by 8 o'clock there will be a gold piece of
the kings for you. Mind-be very care
full"
The boy took the letter and nodded as
sent. The lieutenant watched him as he
started on a run, saw him disappear be
hind the trees of the hin by the side of
the church, and then turned with a sigh.
It was evident that some important bust
ness was on hand, and the Englishman
hoped that the boy was sufficiently inn
pressed with the weight of his mission.
Obadiah Green climbed the hill, at the
top of which, and out Of the ~lieutenant's
sight, he sat down and gazed earnestly
at the paper in his hands. The seal and
the officers words made it very precious,
and he looked at the superscription and
tried to imagine what it was. for Obadiah
was not learned. His eye caught sight
of the red flag above the inn, and caused
his heart to beat quickly.
Obadiah was a patriot, OF. as some
called him, "a rebel" He lived with his
parents, who had no particular leaning
to either side, but the boy was possessed
of sufficient patriotism for the family.
He had often wished in secret that the
war might last long enough for him to
reach the proper age to enter the army
and fght-and wouldn't he fight! He
had seen a party of Americans come over
from Jersey and rout a larger party of
British soldiers, and retreat only when a
reinforcement came running up the
Richmond road. So Obadiah wondered
whether he was conveying news to the
British captain that would be hurtful to
the Americans. Then he would be q
t~raitor--at least to himself-and-and-
might not the news contained in that
precious letter be of service to the Amer.
leans? He jumped up quickly and looked
about. He expected to see the red coat
of a soldier behind each tree, or to hear
q voIley of musketry about his head.
But the wood was quiet and the red flag
was the only thing that told of King
George and his army.
The sight Of the flag gave him courage
as he started off in tho other direction
than that which he should have taken to
deliver the note into the hands of the
proper party. He thought himself O
hero as he sped on-he pictured himself
Ia q Dluc NOdt dAQ SOSkCO Alat AcduluX I'LL
assault on the headquarters of the Brit.
ish communicative he would spare his
own home and win his father to the
American side. That was one of his
ambitions, The waters of the Achter
Kill came in sight, and on the other side
was Jerseyl Jersey-where the Ameri-
cans were! He stopped a moment at the
marsh and made q detour to its most
narrow part, through which he waded
until he came to an old bateau tied to a
stake. The British had carelessly left
their boats along the river edge, fearing
to destroy them, and watching them
only when they expected q raid Of the
Americans from Jersey.
Obadiah clan1bered into the fat bot
toned, leaky boat and pushed out into
the current, where, with a small board,
he directed the course of the boat as
best lie might. The tide was running in
and the fiat boat was carried up the
stream toward the opposite shore. It
seemed hours to the boy as he crouched
low, and slowly, slowly left the shores
Of Staten Island, but Jersey came nearer,
and at last the bottom Of the boat grated
on a rock and the land was but a few
feet away. Obadiah plunged into the
waters, which came up to his knees,
and in a few minutes was standing on