The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-21
awakened from her swoon. hearIng the re-

mark spoke aloud
What. my husband and your father,
John Is. Burgess, numbered with tue
tieers; never, never. l pray God that nv
husband and your father be left upon the
field Of battle rather than be Numbered
| among the teers. Yea, let his ashes like
the smo!dering ruins OF his home that we
now warm by, be strewn to the winds to
win victory for his country and libertvr'
The tears trickled down the ruby cheeks Of
the little girl, but it made no answer; the
language was above the child's reasoning
powers. In a few moments after fresh
| sounds called her attention TO the dark
/ road again. IL was single horseman who
/ gslloped up at full speed shouting aloud.
Sarah. Sarah Burgess is that you Sarahl
Yes, yesl Your husband and my nephew
| are now pursuing the British general, Stew
| art, and we have planted the ladies'
| Charleston flag upon the top of the British
| commanders tent. Fear not Sarah, fear
not; ere the sun rises Sarah, your husband
| will be with you again. She fell upon her
knees and prayed: "Thank God be was not
numbered with the dead, and may the God
1 OF mercy protect and care for all those who
| have this day consecrated their lives to
their country and liberty" That who
announced the victory of Eutaw
! Springs to his nephew's wife was
soon lost in the dark again, and
| only the dull thud of the horses hoofs was
| heard. 1t was our hero, Gen. Nathaniel
| Greene, who returned to his new quarters,
/ viz: the tent Of Gen. Stewart by right
OF capture; the flag floated over the British
tent many day; it was the second time
that the flag had been well bathed that
| night in the smoke of the evenings guns
and had caromed off many bullets, and
| that whole night the Green Mountain boys
Of North Carolina sang the old song Of
| "Give Us Liberty or DEATH" which were
/ 10 do hot oil IOot
Henry on March %, 1775.
This day was the GROWING epoch of Gen.
| Gre mes life. He covered himself with
| glory, and congress afterward presented
him with the British generals standard he
that day captured and also voted him gold
medal to be coined out of the gold spurs
that the British commander wore, that were
taken with his tent. There lived with the
family of Lieut.. Burgess a Miss Emily
Gelger, who, on the approach of the enemy,
| fed to the woods and escaped TO Gen.
| Greene's army, announcing the advance Of
| the tories. When she entered the generals
! tent Greene was endeavoriug to get a vol
unteer to go through the British lines and
| carry a letter to Col. Sumpter, but none OF
Greene's men were willing TO attempt it, as
| 1t was too hazardous service. She saw the
| situation and Immediately volunteer ed to
| perform the mission.
| The general said miss, your age. pleaseY'
~ am, sir, old enough to serve my country.
| She has served me for seventeen years with
food; give me your letter and horse and
| Col Sumpter, my uncle, shall own il within
two daysn 81 will; omnipotence must have
directed you here this day" Greene com
municated the contents of the letter to
Emily, fearing she might be captured. On
| the second day she was intercepted by some
tory scouts and became an object of suspi-
cion. She was taken to a house and con-
,0A -, 4 - e.
to search her. When left alone, she ate up
Greene's letter TO Col. Sumpter and they
discovered nothing. With many apologies
Emily was allowed to go on her journey.
She saved Sumpter's camp.
The old flag was presented to Gen.
| Nathaniel Greene by the ladies of Charles
town, Mass, near Bunker Hill, and GEM
Capt. Ward Of Greenes command at Boyd's
Hill on June II, ITS, carried it
Midst flame and smoke and saber stroke,
| That fell that day thick and fast
Like trees before stormy blast,
| and turned it over to the safe keeping Of
Company A at Cambridge. Greene car
ried it with him to Trenton, Germantown,
Monmouth. North and South Carolina; 1t
became the property OF his aide-de-camp,
| Lieut.. John B. Burgess and it has been
handed down as an heirloom into the hands
| of his only surviving granddaughter, Mrs.
| Annie Burgess of Avoyellea, La. who is
also reativs Of Gen. Greene The colors
are faded and the flag much destroyed; it
was made of cream colored silk and sea
island cotton; the notices are embroidered
with silk in three colors, by our revoluI
tionary mothers. A large letter A is in
scribed upon it. The following is the in
scription upon the flag:
Ger the wood covered hills and green vale Of
the west,
Where the sound of the tocsin has rolled
| Our youth rise in armor for liberty pressed;
IT'S q beautiful sight to behold.
Green Mountain boys north, throng the hillock
! like ants
When serpents intrude on their bed
In the teeth of the warllke attack they advance
Nor stop till the British are fed.
Renown to the fathers of this manly nation.
And health to their sons that embazon her
story;
United Americans pour the l.bation
To heroes and sages immortal in glory.
The land that welive in we love for ascendance,
In eound common sense and in bold independ
| ence.
The inscription upon the pendant is as
follows, and was added by the ladies of
Charleston, 8. c.:
Don't give up the colours,
Death or liberty, brave boys
1t was baptized with war at Bunkers Hill,
It was christened with independence, and folded
in peace.
On Dec. Is, 1882, whe n Gen. Greene
entered Charleston, he was greeted from
the windows, balconies and every house top,
with cheers, waving of handkerchefs and
cries Of NV elcome, welcome" and in the
lead was Gen Greene aud Lieut.. Col. John