The age-herald., 1897-11-07

such a country as ours by any force the enemy can send against us," was the war slogan of Patrick Henry. But when Virginia called for one man in fifteen; when the towns in Massachusetts off, fered twerlty head of csittle for eighteen months service in the anmy; when Ma ryland ordered a tax of fifteen pounds on the hundrad 10 get men for Washing ton, the paftry S5,0e9 troops congress promised never entered camp. From Dorchester Heights to Savannah, Wash ington and congress never at ono tiIna had the satisfaction of looking upon an organized American army of more than 25,000 n; often not half that num- ber in the seven years struggle.
 Three millions dispersed through the forests two to three hundred miles deep with twenty-five huB5ied mllss sea freupt, white patriots at heart, white families intermingled every where Nth red saw ages and an inflownlg stream of black heathens from the jung1es of Africa, proved to be fighting population but slow to form a great army for the bene- fit of the nation with the prospect of sacrificing to necessary military dtsci- pline wife, fIabes and estate of the ab- sent from home soldier. Nor dir this forest -domiciled popula tion d.scover with unan c1aity Patrick Henry's view of the patriotic ideal of the hour.
 Disagreement of the most violent and viillictive character anta gonized neigh bors, friends and families throughout the progress of the struggle. The Ameri- cam revolution was a movement of pol.t- fcal philosophy and poltiicai economy that begun at the top of the social struc- ture and succeeded before the majority of the population below. eith.r understood or approved. There were negligent, hes ttating wtlIigs and there were brave, bel ligerent tories, and together they corl- posed a great ma jorfity. "She, it was the greatest of causes won by the skir- naislnes of outposts and sentinels," was the rather curt reply Gen. Napoleon Bona pate received from La Fayette when the latter was asked to give an ac- count of the victories of Washing ton Washington's nsilitia was few in ntun- bers and unwaeldy. The rife and the rihemen'a cause were not of one and the sla me age,
 The rifle was een to Twelve pounds 0neavy. five feet four inches long; the way to lead 1t was through the muzzle, the powder horn swung around the s5l- d'ier's neck with charger tied around ,the horns neck. The plug to tine poiwder horn must be drawn and held between the soldiers teeth while the charger is filled; the horn is re-pluggsd, the charger elrrtied into the inuZzle and the process ds not quite half through. The buIlet, which the soldier moulded hlmself the night before, comes from leathern pouch also swung around the soldiers neck The textile lratch is laid over the nluz0ie, the bullet placed on top, the ramrod drawn and ithe patch covered bullet driven home upon the powder al the bottom by main force and naInlmed fhere long and hard to force a suffic.en- cy Of the powder into The touch -hole.
 The powder horn is again called upon 10 prime the pan, the flint is picked by stsiking the edge with 9 pocket knife, and, old sweet lip" she's ready! One long aim, a successful shot, and after the barrei has been wiped out by wad of rag fastened fo the end of the rarn- rod, the rifleman rep:ats. A milltia war of defense against British soldiers who had recently beaten France and Span, with tire Ameidcan rifle. upon the Ameri- can camp facilities and rations. led by the American lln.rcdn.d officers, logically reduced Itself to a war c? outposts and seiltinels where ceierity and discipline were less essential. It was a kind of war fiaitfui of roliss fin tlhe iear.
 But lniIitIamen coming and going from Wasnlngton's tertless and rationaess camp repor:ed to the men and women al home that the cceirnlapder-in- chief was; always orr duty: that 0fis men was con- fident, his coura.enunce composed aud no note Of despair escaped his lips. If he had no army, he deserved oue; fl qlis snilrtsa ran from the British. he did not.
 Washington,
 Congress.
 Tine press.
 Thesa three were uile determining forces Of the American revolution Coii- gress gave the country the Declaration and the A:..idlos of Confederation, hlie essentials of mat.oipal Mfe; congress ne- g0tiated for national recognition with France and Spain. issued fed ral money, arranged for a continental army, the best It might, and called for public thanks giving and prayer. The press re- fused to use stamped 1xlper. and in the using of unstanped paper stood as con- stant evidcno. of the national life and vigor.
 The attempt in this is to present some view Of, t6le uniyersality of the feuds within oll the states and all the commit mites and nclghboriroods between the whiss and tories of the revolution. Washington was q sappoin.ed and griev- ously complained of the New England milltDl fif iont of Boston; the militia did nct behave well on Long Island the mil 1itia ldf. him almcst atons in his retreat through New ersca in the last weeks of 17T6; the militia won rlss battles of Trear- ton arli Princeton encouraged by the daring of tiletr consmanller but they won no other iba tiles for him until Yorktown, where Gls French regulars prayed part They ;Vld not act weM at the siege of Chaidsron or in She battle of Cam den. Tie coptlneT.tais won at Fort Moultrie.
 Iieuterant Budding sworth, Tn com nlnnd of an armed vessel of the British nnvy, Lay in Newport, Rhode Island, t> f!..z A..