The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-04

! when he went into action pair OF heavy
ably the very first pair of rifed pistols ever
made or seen in America 1t was very un-
common to find q rifed pistol in this coun-
try until toward the close of the last quar-
ter of this century. Being an excellent
rifeman, it occurred to him that. the &C,
could the principle of growing the barrel
De applied to ii, as 1t was in the rife. a
wealthy friend, Robert Morris, learned of
WashingtonS belief and desire and caused
a pair of rlfied pistols &c be made for him.
They were of the finest workmanship the
colonies had ever seen.
'At that time there were but three rife
factories in America-Deckert and Leman,
in Pennsylvania, and Lang, at Charlottes-
the rifles used in the revolution. The pis-
tolls In question were the work of Lang. He
spent nearly three months in perfecting
them. and early in III they were finished.
They were twelve inches in the barrel, most
carefully sighted; and at fifty, yards were
as sure and deadly in the hands OF a good
shot as a rife. They were beautifully
mounted in silver and the locks We're of
the finest French make. They carried a
half-ounce ball / was present when they
saved General Washington's life at Brandy
wine. 1t was near Birmingham Church
The General and 1 were riding in that di-
rectlon, when we ran squarely into picket
OF knyphausen's German rifemen. The
morning was foggy, and we were past them
before we were noticed. They fired n VOL
ley, but their shots went wild, though they
came much too near for comfort or pleas
ure. There were six of them still in front of
forty yards away.
WITH PISTOL AND SWORD.
'As those in front of us began to reload
the others behind us We're running up We
were in a lane. between two stone walls.
We simply had TO get by the two rifemen
nearest us. That morning the General was
riding old Nelson, his favorite war horse,
and the only one of the four he had that
seemed to carry well his riders immense
weight He halted him, and the trained
charger stood as steady as If on dress pa
rade. Meantime the Germans were reload
ing with all possible speed. One of them
seemed to be having some trouble with a
hand pistol from his holster, cooked it, and
with quick aim drew the trigger. The
sharp whplike crack rang out upon the
| had just got his bullet down and was prim-
ing his piece He turned half round, and
then pitched forward on his face, shot
through the brain. Before the other could
| finish loading we were upon him and he
surrendered. The General turned the pris-
| had come up with his company, and said
nothing. But the prisoner told the story
and soon the wonderful marksnanship OF
! the General-in-chief was talked about at
every camp fire of the Revolution.
sba bnrg sWoTs s@ @avs was er very
| those days. The present dull-edged sword
| or sabre of our. officers would never nave
| been allowed a hundred years ago. Wash
| ington was a fairly good sWordsman when
| the war began, but he habitually fenced
with Baron Steuben and the French ofiic ers
under Lafayette. None of us could break
| through his guards" said General Lafayette
| to. the writer's grandfather, when the Illus
| trious French patriot visited this country
| in 1894. HE was the strongest man and
the quickest on his feet, for one of his
height and weight, l have ever known. He
had a very handsome dress rapier, which
he wore upon occasions of state. 1t was
sent to him by the King of France. 1t had
| gold hilt, and was beautifully mounted.
never knew what became of ii, for 1t
| certainly was not among his effects when
he died.
What about General Washington's for
| tune? History is greatly at variance touch
ing it,
II can answer that question readily
said Colonel Sims. son Of the colonel of the
| Sixth Virginia Regiment of Continentals.
| My father was Washington'S confidential
| attorney and legal adviser, and drew bis
will. He reputed to be worth $500, COO
at his death, great sum then. 1t was not
| true. His wife was rich, but not the Gen
| eral There was never year after his re-
tirement into private life that Washington
| did not have to encroach upon the principal
| of his fortune to make both ends meet.
| 1t is, as you know, matter Of history
| that when the army was at Valley Forge
| General Washington loaned TO the govern
| ever paid back. 1t is true that James Mad
| ison, in 1892, did propose to the General to
| Introduce a bill in Congress looking to the
| return of this money. But General Wash
| ington received me so haughtily, said Mr..
| Madison, when / called upon him to learn
| thereafter l forbore.' When he died, in
| 1893, General Washington was worth $4,000
| in his own right. Had he lived ten years
| longer he must have been bankrupt"