Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-04-06

ALBANIA, Va
Down. We rebels, town.. as x he. Carrot
prisoners were driven below at sunset.
Excepting in the shipyard and through
the sparsely built district lying betwixt the
line OF Notifications and the city proper ON
the westward side Of the island, there was
scarcely a rood OF land TO which l could flee
and not come IN contact with the evidence
Of war The quiet desolatjon Or harrenness
81 the former and the broad, green mead
ows, the song OF birds the harmonious hush
OF nature and ealmness Of the evening skies
At the latter point We're in marked contrast
with the hell lying close at hand Had the
devil come on earth in his proper person. as
some poet has made him out to have done,
and landed in New York. he would have
rubbed his hands and switched his barbed
tail in glee at the work OF his emissaries who
were serving him as but few so-called Chris
tians serve the Almighty.
Barefaced nhumanity stalled before So
ciety and caused a laugh. Cruelty had be-
come a pastine. Donesticity was dead
Robbery seemed set TO the music OF pop
uiar song, 20 universal il became, nor was
it confined to the confscation of property
belonging to patriots. An uninitiated stran-
ger would have found some difficulty in de-
tefmining whether this brilliant assem-
blage was eXerting itself as much toward
suppressing rebellious people as it was
in making war on the king treasury.
There may have been honest men in New
York during the summer Of IFS but as vet
/ had failed to strike them. Every one with
whom had to do was gambler. a thiof, or
dlunkard frequently all three-and |
dare swear that were the truth known, one
term or the other applied to the whole
army, from Sir Henry Clinton TO the last
subaltern, and from the bowelless villain OF
provost marshal, Cunningham. to the low
est bcsotted turnkey under his thumb
New York had ceased to be town. 1t
was nothing more than fortified camp. IN
which neither justice nor mercy might be
found. Morally. it had become a vast, open
sore, spreading It's corruption beyond ITSELF
irtue was a weight on man and woman Il
speak but OF the rulel, and power the only
recognized right
| was nightly depressed at this time
Seasoned though | was. | shfank from life
as | saw it, and siekened of those into whose
company my policy forced me. In fact,
might have made shift to get myself from
this sink OF heartless depravity, only my
gold still swung at the end OF a cable within
pistol shot OF the shore, and none knew it.
Many a night had | lain awake Matching
schemes TO get aboard and recover IT, but
they were worse than foolhardy, as | knew
after a second thinking, so | took 1t out in
watching and hiding my time.
rs the days sped, had little or no fear
for myself Lounsbury was probably well
under ground by this. for | had heard moth
Ing Of him, and if the negro was pris-
oner in a hulk he might a. we'll have been
in a tomb.
OF what was taking place in the world out
side | knew nothing save from rumor. and
lumor oft eontradicted itself The only
report seemingly sure was that Washington
had sat himself down on the Hudson just
aorth 81 tile Harlem tie very spot from
which Ike had been driven tw2 Year, be-
5oreE and was there awaiting thc ARRIVAL 81
she French fleet lu orler 10 strike blow
And There he remained inactive. ion tile
freueh did arrive early ia july, and, iind
ag Howe fleet drawn up To receive taem
but pcered INTO She bay. ana fhea turned
tsil and sped aw8v "a Newport on tbe 1rult
less mission oil hloekading chat port
In the seemingly open vet wholly secret +
life | les / made MANS friends mostly pot
house compauions-to whom | listened but
spoke little fearing To he recognized as an
lnpostor. kept both ears ana ewes on
She alert the while, fighting shy Of broiis
the camp otfscouring. owing TO my size and
apparent strength. | even dared make
map OF the lower defenses Of the citv; but it
MAS So disguised. SO crossed. and recrossed
In a manner clear only to myself that
would have trusted it 70 tine eye Of any OF
them without fear OF their coming by It's
true nature.
This / did not to he idle. for nothing hap
rened 10 the way Of military movement, or /
even threatened 10, for some weeks after
nav arrival BY then l was practically pris-
oner. for without a pass and clear state
ment of business I could not have gotten
beyond the lines. which now extended across
the island from the heights Of Corlears Hook |
70 the Hudson Ton about the general line Of |
she present Grand street,
Ms wound healed in the space az two or
three weeks. bat still l kept the arm in a
sling. using it in privacy that the muscles |
might not weaken or stiffeE from lack Of |
exercise. The sling saved me from many |
awkward questions, for when asked why I !
DID not join the army Or apply Tor berth in
the feet. ! had but TO point 10 Il. gently NOV
Ing the limb. and say: Al IN good time
adding for weight that had no cali 10 fur |
Their serve his majesty until be paid me the |
money had already earned
But for the arm, backed perhaps BY the |