The Sunday morning news., 1891-12-27

heart. The most heroic DEEDS OF Valor
have been the onward dashes of the sol
dier amid the rain OF death dealing
musketry and artillery, struggling for
the flag of his country, or dashing on
ward to re-capture it from the enemy.
Danger and death were counted as moth
ing, and only the overwhelming instinct
to uphold the honor of the flag moved
the heart. No mental analysis can fathom
this enthusiasm, no language describe 1t;
it bears away and overwhelms all effort
to stop it. The flag is ever the most et-
fectiye appeal to the soldier. and the
grandest inspiration to bravery and patri-
otic endeavor.
The standard of our country. with its
glorious stripes of white and red, aud its
glittering stars on its field of blue, was
not the standard first borne by the Con-
tinental armies. There was before IT the
Pine Tree Flag. with its motto Don't
tread ON me-" the disjonted rattlesnake
flag with it's emblem Unite or dies" the
cap and sword with the motto of 'Liber-
ty or death;' the mailed arm with thfr-
teen arrows; the Continental flag with
the stripes and union crosses, al! or
which, however, yielded to the flag. now
the emblem of our country and its glory.
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
It is interesting and matter of congrat-
ulation to know that our flag is Older
than the present Union Jack of England;
older tnan the tri-colored flag of France;
older than the flag of Italy; older than the
standard of the Empire of Germany, but
above and beyond all things, 1t is the flag
that represents an independent people,
growing with wonderful progress, gov
erning their land by the will of the peo-
pie alone, and floating over country,
that with all it's faults. is steadily advanc-
ing, with its mighty strides as an empire
of freemen. Our flag has never been nm
furled except to battle in The cause or llb-
erty and right.
God give our people unself1sh patriot
ism and devotion to the cause of liberty.
SO that the grand advance of empire and
wealth may never weaken the devotion
of the people to the old nag and to the
freedom of man which 1t represents.
May it ever wave over a nation of free
men controlled by principles OF law; may
it ever be the best inspiration OF noble,
brave and patriotic men. Let it wave
from our school houses and our public
buildings and our private homes Let it
ever be welded to the best instincts and
noblest efforts of our people; let it float
on every sea and in every land, and
wherever it is seen let nations recognize
it as the symbol of a just and powerful
republic, ready to protect the humblest
citizen in his rights, on whatever soil he
may tread.
God preserve and bless the country over
which it floats.
BATTLE GROUND OF THE REVOLUTION.
New Jersey can well claim to be the
battle ground of the Revolution. Its
situation between the cities of Phila.
delphia and New York, which afforded
natural and pleasant headquarters. from
which to direct the operation of the
British forces made our soil alternately,
during the varying fortunes of the Revo-
lutionary War, the marching, the camp
ing, the forage and the battle ground OF
the Revolution.
Almost every portion of the State and
of her people suffered during this struggle,
and her men and her treasures aided the
patriotic cause in nearly every contest OF
the war.
She was the marching ground of the
contending armies. In November and
December l776, the American army made
an enforced retreat from New York to
the opposite side of the Delaware, fol-
lowed by the British and German troops,
which passed through ElizabeJhtoWn.
Brunswick and Princeton, the Hessian
force pressing on to Bordentown, Bur
lington and Mount Holly. IN few weeks
the tide of battle turned, and the marchwaS
reversed. The American army turned to
the left at Princeton and sought the nils
of Morris county, while the British army
returned to their posts III New York. In
July, 1717, the British army again started
through Brunswick towards Princeton,
in order to draw Washington sonth of the
Raritan and give him battle, but they
were outgeneraled and finally drew back
to Staten Island. Again the tide turned;
the American army crossed the state and
| the Delaware River at CoryelPs Ferry,
now Lam bertville, and marched towards
Philadelphia. In June, 177S, after q
winter of revelrY in Philadelphia,
the British crossed the Della
ware at Gloucester Point, and marched
through Burlington and MONMOUTH
| counties and finally sailed for New York.
The American army leaving the cold
and hunger and wretchedness of Valley
Forge crossed the Delaware, and passed
through Hopewell and Princeton to the
| fight at Monmouth Court House, and
thence by Brunswick to the Hudson d
river below West Point. In May 1779,
the New Jersey Continentals march ed
from Elizabethtown to Easton on tn cir
way to the campaign against the Six Ma
tions, and in October they returned from
their successful expedition, and with q
large division of the American army
marched from Easton to Morristown.
In the last week of February, General
Lafayette, with his battalion of light
inf antry, crossed the State from Pomp-
ton to Trenton, and passed over at Tren-
ton landing on their march TO Virginia
under General Washington, with a
splendid French contingent, passed over
the same route to join the advanced de-
tachments before Yorktown. Later in
the fall they again crossed the State to
winter in their huts at Morristown.
The marching and countermarching of
MARCHING AND CoUNTERMARCHING.
the contending armies across our soil in
fiicted great distress upon our people.
The American army had to be clothed
and fed, and clothing and food had to be
taken by force when it could not be pur-
chased with deprecated currency. When
the enemy crossed it's soil their rapacity
was boundless. and their plunder lndis-
| eliminate. The despoilng of homes,
| burning of churches, plundering of
| friends and foes alike, fell with more
| sorrowful and disastrous effect upon our
people than any of the great battles upon
| our soil.
New Jersey also has most interesting
| history as the camping ground of the
| Revoluti on. In December, 1776. the
| British army settled down in their posts
across the State, and on the lower Della
| ware, prepared to enjoy winter of pleas
ure aud ease. In 1577 the American army
was encamped on the hills around Nor
| ris town. In the winter of $780, in their
| encampment in Morris county. they suf-
| tered almost as much as the army in their
encampment at Valley Forge in the win
| ter of 1777 and ITS. In 11Sl the Ameri-
| can army again encamped at Morristown
| to await the return of peace.
| The situation of New Jersey naturally
exposed her to forage parties OF British
| troops. The records of Bergen county
| show that almost weekly raids were made
| there for food ane forage by the British
! from their headquarters in New York
| city. The history of Monmouth county is