The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-16
BY CLINTON Ross.
Author Of THE Countess Bettina," e


Colonel Blair. the commendant, told
US this many times at the New York
meetings OF the Cincinnati, when we all
were inclined to gossip, and to tell OF
this battle and that. and the daredevil
things we had done. or would have done
If we had had the chances of other
mon.
But by Caesarr' cried Timothy
Blair. his well weathered face turning
even redder. I've faced shot many
tinles.-without running; you know
that, SO 1 can say it without boasting.
Yet this time I wanted TO give 'em
my heels wanted to be fighting them
again: to have the chance to sight a
rnusket as when they poked their heads
above the works at York Town. But
my friends. this was a thing Of dill
ferent color. Here was / with the gen
erals order to deliver, and SUCH an
order too. And here waiting me We're
these gentlemen.-some mere boys IKE
my own with mothers and fathers at
home And they were Eng1lshmen, 700,
Now. we were country established
that day in 1852, although there SUN
was some lighting going on. Bat peIore
the declaration we'd been fellow cltl-
tie order to. Why, my friends, we hate
the British Lion, and hold the Unicorn
worse than a rattlesnake but sun,
when You think of it, that blessed Lion
is first cousin to the American Eagle
IC that amt natural history it's ms
borical fact. And more than all that,
by this time [ knew these chaps well. !
Most went about on parole, and We're
lodged here and there. They were (
gay lot. and you some way respect a 1
man who can laugh when he is de
feated Well III witness that his
Lordship of Cornwalis' officers were as /
nice. and companionable lot as ever
were born. Now, they were assembled 1
before me, by my order which was that |
Of the neral-in-chief."
We'll it took me a long time to clear
my throat"
last. gentlemen, a lot has TO be
d1-awn. -
a lot. Colonel Blair! Come, whist /
is a better game, said Captain Ludlow, /
Lord Ludlow's second son, who always (
was Joking me; but now I looked at him |
sternly'
It's, gentlemen, no game. l wish TO (
heaven il was. It's the lot of death .
MY manner sobered them a bit, l
think; they only stared now in wonder. y /
Gentlemen I went on, my voice I
armer 1 think now that I heard it; "a !
murder has been committed by the con- |
niVance of British officer An Amerl- |
can citizen held prisoner of war in /
New York a brave mani knew him
InySelf.-AIajor Huddy, was taken from
goal in New York carried over into Jer-
sey and hung on Middletown Heights, 1
n placard over his body. Here hangs
Huddy for Philip White"
"'Rut Gerry well. Colonel CAPTAIN I
Asgill, a little boyish chap. interrupted. /
what is White, or your interesting
Huddy, TO us2' "
e. If yea will wait gentlemen, I'll ex-
plain. Give me time" All, I ropped
nv brow here as came to the point I
hated myself for it. Philip White, gen
tlenen. was a Jersey Tory, shot in at I
tempting to escape from the guards, (
who were taking him to the Monmouth
gaol. tt was his friends who induced
q kings officer to release Major Hud-
DIV. prisoner OF war, to be punished
only by the usage of war
oh. there your Hubby again. Col
onel.' said one, what's the point?'
It's this. gentlemen said L, seeing
I could evade it no longer. Sir Henry
Clinton has refused to punish the OF
fender who caused Major Huddy's |
murder Gentlemen, the military
court Of the army of the United States
has declared that British officer Of
the army of the Earl of CORVALLIS, held
here as prisoner of war. shall be exc I
cuted in retaliation-if Sir Henry
Clinton does not punish the real Of
fender Gentlemen. lots are to be
drawn among you
And then [ paused. I had il out at
last. but 1 found myself in a cold sweat. /
They all were still enough now. You
yaiy, MT u
fierce voice broke out
Go on with your damnable farceP y
The lots were drawn, and as one by
one they fell out, those that were left, /
only two One of these was a boy of
nineteen. Captain Asgiu. Sir Charles !
Asgills son. He took it almost lightly; !
hut my heart went out to him. He was
no older than my own boy. How finely
he looked, how bravely he laughed. !
Gentlemen of the Cincinnati that lit
tie captain Of CORVALLIS had the stuff
in him. Today he is General Assill the /
famous General AsgilL I wonder if he
remembers that day when he drew the
lot of death"
We'll my friends. Captain Asgill had (
the lot Of death. and his comrades look |
ed at him pityingly, and then grew
angry, and men swore at US Americans, !
and at Washington. By Caesar, my
friends, what names those British pris-
oners of war did call the general-in- /
chief. But couldn't blame them much
that day: for IN their places I might
have been a bit profane myself
This was the story Colonel Timothy
Blair told again and again at the meet
ings of the Cincinnati. 1 can see him
now, this brave claret-complexione
Timothy Blair. who indeed was some
thing OF a hero at Saratoga, as the his
tories tell.
remember well Meg, Simon More's, |
the landlords, daughter of the old
Kings Arms, Lancaster. Her buSom
arms kept the pewter mugs shining like
her eyes; and her name was passing /
toast, not only among those of our own
stationed at Lancaster. but later among
Lord CORVALLIS officersa prisoners 4
there after York Town She passed the (
gossip. when you came in for your
glass. She told one day how infamous
was the hanging Of Major Huddy by
the Jersey Tories on Middleton Heights, /
and a few weeks after how horrid was
General Washington in holding Cap
tain Asgill in retaliation. Captain AS
gill was such a charming young gentle
mani Well, he was enough even to
make a tavern keepers daughters heart |
ache, and there were men who sighed
for her. Mistress Meg added with q /
rnischievous toss Of her black name !
Come to the Independence Tavern, !
formerly Kings Arms. We good Ameri- /
cans, but be prepared to hear that your
erreaf chief ig 2 despof from Nee's /