The evening times., 1900-04-18

Colonel Terhune's long association With
General Washington gave him an uusur-
passed opportunity to study his character,
and it was his expressed opinion that the
principal element Of Washington s pre-emi-
nent ability was the application Of his
practical. accurate, and unfailing common
sense to every question that could be
brought before il. he said tone one
time: General Wsshington's mind was
always fairly quick in reaching conclu-
sions: sometimes ne was wonderfully alert
He would never do. nor could he be induced
10 do, what he thought Was not the best
ulder the circumstances. u was seldom
that he made a mistake in reading char
acter. ! remember that during that hard
winter we had at Morristown the army
was alarmingIy reduced by the expiration
Of the term Of service OF the men and by
smallpox. One bright day number Of rs
were with General Washington on the pa
rade ground when We saw a man crossing
the open space some distance away. The
commander chief looked at him mo-
ment CT two. then. turning back 10 US,
SAID: Do you see that gentleman yonder?
Well ne is a British colonel That is what
he is. depend upon it"
d" We proposed Immediately that he be
arrested a. a spy but the general said We
could make him more useful to us in an
other way Leaving the company. he re-
turned 70 mis- tent and presently sent FOR
the inspector general. To the latter Wash
ington said That British officer will pre-
sent himself as & gentleman from the cOun-
try who has been prevented from visiting
camp by sickness in his family and by en-
barrassing business circumstances, and he
regrets that he did not come here before
this. You will probably find him too pa
| triOtie for comfort and deeply interested in
/ freeing this country from the British.
| Take him at his word. AS soon as The
/ troous can be assembed-for we have
/ enough for one good Tegiment-we will
| have them march in review fer his benefit.
! I will send you an order TO inspect such
/ and such a regiment Of the line. Invite
| him to go with you u is his object in
| coming here to find out the number Of men
we have. so that General Clinton may know
| whether to attack us here in camp.
Remarkable Inspection.
4" The country gentleman repeated his
! story almost verbatim with what General
Washington had said he would say. Then
| the inspector general received his order TO
inspect a certain regiment The ''coun-
| try gentleman was only too glad to ae-
company him. The inspection passed of
very successfully. Then soon afterward
came another order TO inspect a certain
other regiment. The wondering inspector
general went to the parade ground that
had been chosen for the inspection OF this
( regiment followed all the time by the
visitor, and again went through the whole
affair Just as he had before, except that
| all the colors and officers had been
changed and to the casual viewer it was
| an entirely different body OF men. This
occurred just nine times during that day
and when the visitor left that evening
he was cordially invited 10 remain over
night and be with the inspector general
the next forenoon, while he completed
the inspection Of the army. Before go
ing. however he expressed himself rs
very much surprised and highly pleased