The record-union., 1895-10-12

w aSnfn&tOn'S OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
esting RELICS of the Revolutionary
War That May be Seen in the
Latter.
YOU'D better 60 and see OLD Fort
Nonsense first" he said.
but I want to see Washington's
Head
''No. comrade, you don't need to see
the quarters till you've seen the lor',
The quarters are down the street, Deninu
ye. that you just come up.
'But Fort Nonsense ?"
THAT'S away up yonder, behind Inc
town, Phi tell you how it was"
We were standing in the public square
of Morrisiown, n. j.. near the foot OF the
monument, upon the top of which stands
bronze volunteer of '61 at parade rest.
looking forever southwark. l do not
know my friends name. but, like my
self, he wore a cannon metal button on
the lapel of his coat. He had an air of
'76 about him; certainly as much as 40.
1T was this way" he continued. Inc
old Continentals, they came back through
Hessians close behind 'em. w Washington
lac sent men ahead to fOrtify along the
roads wherever they could nnu goou
p'ints. Especially he wanted 'em 10
look out for this place. for he meant TO
make Morristown his headquarters"
THAT'S what L came here 10 see." re-
marked, II care a great deal more for
Them than L do for the lori. l never be-
fore heard that there was one"
you lust hold on and l'll tell you fore
l get through" he said. "They reckoned
the higher Till tort was on the safer t
would be, you know, where nobody
could get at it. SO they went away up
there on the hill, above the town, and
they dug and they hauled timber Tor dear
lie. Well, Washington, he got here aud
rode up the hill, and they showed him
what they'd done kind o proud like, Tor
there was a good deal OF il, and all be
said was 'NonsenseP So that was took
for the name OF the fort TO this Gay. GU
see, they hadn't gun thatd throw
more'n half mile, and they q put their
fort more'n mile from any earthly use.
The British could march past 'em and
around lem, along the road TO Phlladel-
ply, and didn't have any need to climb
over them there Notifications.
Didn't Washington ever make It his
headquarters ?' L asked.
He? No. He wasn't any kind Of
fool. He just came and went down across
the railway track, nigh the station. and
up along not more u three minutes walk,
and you'll come to it. Big green lawn ali
around it. First rate house 1t Is, too, for
them days. The 'sociatiOn keeps the flag
a-fiying all the while, and they We
mounted a lot of old guns in front, and
you can't miss it. But you'd better go
and see old Fort Nonsense first. Ism
this hot? was down in Moth Carliny
1aH
what you want TO know about Is the
revolution. My grandfather, he was a
Continental. So was everybody around
here You can't find man In all Jersey
that was descended from Tory"
was looking up at the bronze soldier,
Just then, but his next words were:
"Comrade, Eve got to gil"
| turned my head quickly, but he was
retreating TO the back gate OF the town.
Now that [ knew where TO 90, ii WAS not
many minutes before L found myself
elm oing a steep street that seemed like a
Kind OF back gate of the town. On one
side of il were the Courthouse and jail,
and on the other was row OF dwellings.
Opposite q sidedoOr of the Courthouse
stood a younglsh-looklng gentleman, OF
whom l asked:
lis this the road to Fort Nonsense ?"
"Nonsense2' he replied, with the ut
most politeness. Certainly, comrade.
I'll take you up there and show you"
Young as he seemed, he, too, was a
veteran Of '64, as full OF patriotism as the
old soldier-not the one on top OF the
monument. lie was full of information,
also, concerning the doing OF the Cont
rentals and their adversaries in New
Jersey, and | learned great deal. But,
after all, The top of that bill is nothing
but memory, for when we reached 1t
the fort was gone. 80 10 Washington
army. In the years 1.1o-f9, more or
less. the patriot forces were encamped,
especially the winter, all along this high
ridge. for mile and halt. There Is a
large memorial stone now TO mark the
precise spot where the redoubt was
made, with its outworks facing the road
by which Washington's men got there,
but neither this point or any Diner along
the nights called for much fortIiylng. No
British commander in his senses would
have sent his men up such steep slopes as
these, with sharpshooters on the crest
moving them down. 1t would have
been worse than Breeds Hill. Never
theless, the entire ridge ought TO be made
public park.
/ babe farewell to my kindly comrade.
after walking down again to the middle
of the town, and then l went along the
road once travelled so much by Washing
ton himself, between the fort and his
Headquarters. The street winds some
what after crossing the railway, but lii
tie beyond the bend l met boy. You
can meet boys almost anywhere around
here, but this one looked as If he had
Just struck twelve, and l asked him:
''Can you direct me to Washington
headqusrters?"
Yes, SIR" he said. That's It Where
the flag is. Lots O. cannons out In the
front yard"
Revolutionary cannon7" | asked.
''Y es. sir; so they was. Some OF them
was dug up. Ny grandfather he's got a
muskiL that WAS there then, but he's
going 10 keep il. It's got flint lock-"
/ did not quite understand my young
friend, but | did SO at later hour, for
then discovered that everybody eXcep
his grandfather had presented his muske
10 the Washington Association that owns
and takes care OF the headquarters.
OLD GUNS AND NEW.
The cannon are there all mounted anC
on guard. Most of them bear upon th'
town itself, or on the gravel walk from
that direction. 1t is 10 be noted, how
ever that, having more old gun-carrI
ages than old guns, the association Wisely
obtained from the State couple OF spar
new brass pieces and mounted then
upon venerable wheels of 10. Ihes
things are posted on the shaven lawn a
vdettes, and they present a refreshing
combination of youth and age. Arranged
in solemn battery, near the house, ar
several unmistakable revolutionary can