The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-01-04
WALLACE AND WEBSTER.

The story of Richard Wallace
of Thetford and Ephraim Web
ster of Newbury, ought to be
handed down in history as par
a11e1 of the exploit of Wrinkle
reid the Swiss Hero. After the
battle of Bennington, and when
the Americans began to hope for
the capture of Burgoyne, they
set about the capture of Forts
Ticonderoga and Independence,
on opposite sides of Lake Cham
plain. The former soon capitu-
lated, but the latter though close
1y besieged still held out. Our
troops on the west side could gain
no communication with the forces
on the east, for the Lake was
held by British shipping, At
this critical moment, "the COM
mander of Ticonderoga called on
his men to know if there were
any two of them who would vol
unteer to swim the Lake in the
evening, and carry dispatches to
Gen. Lincoln, near Fort 1ndepen-
dence." 1t was a most hazard
GUS enterprise, and for time
none offered to undertake it, but
soon Wallace and Webster step
ped forward, and at shutdown an
officer took them to an em1nence
and pointed out the course which
they must take to avoid the Brit
ish shipping. At dusk the same
night, the same officer accompa-
nying them to the lake and saw
them start. They had got to
swim up the lake, and down in
zigzag course, more than two
miles before they could reach
terra firma. They rolled these
dispatches in their clothes, and
bound their clothes on to the back
Of t1eir 1lecks - -cords nassing
over their foreheads. eve shall
never reach the shore" said Wal
lace to Webster, as they touched
the cold water, but this he said
without any thought of relin-
gushing the enterprise. When
about midway of the lake the
cords which bound Wallace's
clothes to his neck, slipped from
his forehead to his throat, and
cut so hard as to almost strangle
him. He failed in several at
tempts to replace the string upon
his forehead, and was on the
point of giving mp all for lost,
when the thought of the i'm
portance of his undertaking SEEM
ed to inspire him with new vigor,
and at length he succeeded in re-
placing the string, and passed on
without saying a word to dis
hearten Webster. They passed
so near the British shipping as
to hear the oft repeated cry,
"All's WE'LL" which they took
pains not to correct, and buffeted
the waves with stout hearts and
sinewy limbs.
They kept in company until
they came near the eastern shore
of the lake, when Webster SEEM
ed to fall to the rear. And just
as Wallace struck the limbs of a
tree that lay extended into the
lake, he heard Webster say,
"Help, Wallace, I'm drowning"
Wallace sprang to the shore,
caught a stick and extended it to
Webster, in the act of sinking,
and drew him ashore. Webster
could not stand, but Wallace rub
bed him briskly, got on his clothes
and he soon recovered so as to
walk. After some difficulty they
reached the American camp, and
delivered the dispatches to the
General in command.
While Wallace was Sat the
'front.'" his resolute wife walked
six miles to see their crops, and
finding the oats ripe, moved,
dried and stacked them, and en-
closed the stack with pole fence.
She afterwards cut the corn and
dug the potatoes. She was the
mother of eleven children, nine of
whom lived to maturity, and as
an accoucheuse was present lin
all at 1866 births and never lost
a mother of whom she had the
care"