The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-07-03

ONO huhurcu years ago. NIL this nap
pencd. II YOU boys had lived then 70,
would not have heard about fire. work.
and PROFESSIONS lnstoad. every body
was talking about the British soldiers
and their cruelty and the many things
they forced the people to do that they
dislikod. Even the boys could not play
as they liked. Harry. don't you re-
member the story OF how the soldiers
plagued the Boston boys when they
went to slide or skater"
"Yes. And when the boys saw their
slides spoiled. they made company
and had captain and marched to the
General and they told him about the
soldiers. And then the General said
they were brave boys" ~C,
What was Fourth o July?' asked
Georgy.
mo, dear, not yet" said papa. The
soldiers grew more and more imperti-
nent and kept on doing cruel things to
/! the people. The King Of England sent
the soldiers here and he would not
take them away for he had sent them
to make the Americans do as he wished.
The people kept growing more angry
and at last they could stand it no long
err, but they were not strong enough to
drive the soldiers away.
Didn't they have any guns to shoot
the soldiers. papa?' asked Georgy.
mot many. and they had not much
money to buy any ammunition. neither
had they been drilled as the British SOL
diers were. So altogether they hardly
knew what to do"
"Would fifty cents buy gun. papa?"
asked Georgy, looking at his silver
piece. *fsfE Fl
what a little goose you are" said
impatient Harry. ''Do 60 on, papa.
What did the 'Mericans do?"
"The men formed companies and
raised money to buy arms. They had to
drill at night of in the country. They
hid their guns and swords in the day.
time so the soldiers could not find
them"
II know about that" cried Harry.
1.-THE soldiers found out that the .Meri'
cans had hid whole lot of guns and
powder and they went after these. But
the 'Mericans hurried up and hid be-
hind fences and trees and fired off theil
guns and made the redcOats run. WASH,
that jolly! Hurrah for the 'Mericans. "
"Hurrah!" shouted Georgy, "Tha;
was the Fourth O July, wasn't it
papa?"
mo. not yet. The people were de
lighted when they knew they coult
beat the redcoats, but the English King
was furiously angry. He sent more
cross messages and disagreeable orders
and shiploads OF soldiers. The peopl,
held great meetings in every part o
the country to see what could be done
From these meetings the wisest mel
were sent to Philadelphia. There tn,
troubles were talked over in Congress
until at last these men decided to SEM
word to the tyrannical King that the.
would have nothing more to do witt
him. They would make their own law
and have their own soldiers and do a
the people thought best. If he insiste
on ordering them as he pleased, the
would fight all the soldiers he wOul
send against them. A long letter wa
) written with all this in to send to Eng
land. This was called the Declaratio
OF Independence The chief men OF tn
, country signed it and when this wa
done all the bells in the steeples ran
loud and long, the cannons were free
r the bands played and the great crowd
Of excited people cheered."
"And that was tie Fourth O July,
s said Harry.
THAT was the first Independence
Q Day in America. Since then all goo
Americans like to show that they r,
member the barve men who were NJ
r afraid OF an angry king and his armie
0 but were determined to make the
g country free"
= '.And then did the boys buy fir
S crackers and did tn, papas give the
y fifty cents?" asked Georgy.
= mo. Boys did not have such a goc
:, time then. The papas and big brothe
y had to march off and fight for mir
, long years. more years than either
r you have lived. Many Of them new,
: came home again, but died on the ba
k tlefeld. There was SO little money
7 spare from the war that the boys oftt
Q had to 60 hungry, ard when the CO.
:. winters came they had no fires to war
j? them. Their clothes were ragged al
h their shoes full Of holes. but the soldie
d were too brave to give up their libert
$ AT last King George was obliged to CO
all his soldiers back to England and
: promise to let the Americans alon
D Then every body had a fine Fourth
% July, and every year since the day HI
7. been celebrated in remembrance
those brave people Of the Revolution
s Albany On. W Argus
IL 1t is not often that a rooster b