Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-07-26
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Well, as | was saying, this Is the
way it came about: l was young
thing then, just turned is. Your grand
father had been my playmate, hero
and protector from the time that was
old enough to 60 to school. ] had new
er thought of marrying any one but
him. and so when he asked me to be
his wife, why, of course, ] said Yes.
Well. It was In the spring OF ITS
that we were to be married. Mother
and l spent the winter getting my
things made up, and / had as fine an
outfit as a girl could possibly have in
| those days. The day set for the we'd
ding was the 10Th of April yes, the
very day on which the battle of Lex
ington occurred. as have good reason
to remember.
Those were anxious days for US.
remember how serious my father and
brothers used to look MS they discussed
the events which were then taking
place. Their only conversation was
about rights, stamps and taxes.
When the towns began to raise min
company in our town, and your grand
father and my brothers were members
of it. We girls could not stand guard.
/ of course, so in order to show our pa
triotism we all signed a paper in which
we agreed not to have anything to do
with the men of the town who refused
to Join the company.
of ffr,l
day. though warm one for the sea
son. We were all up early that morn
ing, for. there was a great deal TO be
done. 1t was about $ o'clock in the
forenoon when my mother, who had
been looking over some linen, suddenly
raised her head, exclaiming as she did
so, why, Mary, was that the meeting
house bell?"
what can it mean71 cried, and
running to the window, caught sight
Of our neighbor's sons. Joe and John
Eaton, running down the road with
their guns. Across the way Harry
Wright was plowing the field The
boys called out to him as they passed.
and, without stopping to unhitch the
horse, he seized his gun and was off
across the fields.
at is an alarm, rnotherf' l cried
''The boys are down by the brook, :"
she said. 'gThe sound will not reach
them. Run and tell themY
Without delay hurried to the kitch-
en-, and, seizing the horn, l ran out of
the house and started for the brook,
which was some distance from, the
| house. ! blew blast on the horn as
ran, and as the boys caught sight Of
me / pointed toward the road, where
several men could be seen running
with their guns. The boys understood,
and, waving their hands to me. they
were off across the field to the road.
"What do you suppose the matter
tsY asked mother when returned to
the house.
81 do not know" was my reply, "but
am going to find out" And ! ran out
of the house and took a short cut across
the fields to the meeting house which
was to be the gathering place if the
alarm should ever be sounded l, for
| one, had never expected to hear any
alarm, for at home we hoped for a
| peaceful settlement of the difficulties.
| But when | reached the church and
saw the whole town gathered on the
green the mems stern air and the wo-
mems pale faces frightened me, and
began to fear that something serious
was the matter.
"V. hat is It? Where are they &C.
ingY" ! asked. And as I spoke the men
came hurrying out of the meeting
house. where they had heard few
words from Parson Smith, and, mount
| ing their horses, rode off as fast as
! they could go. l looked for your grand
| father, but he was not there Catch
ing sight of my father, | ran to him.
"Haye you seen HenryfD Chats your
grandfather asked.
Henry was at the tavern when the
messenger rode through here" replied
my father, and, as he had his horse
with him, he rode away without wait
ing for the company TO assemble"
You may imagine my feelings as
turned to go home. This was my. we'd
ding day. and the man who was to
marry me had ridden off without a
word, knowing. too, that he might new
er return, II all they were saying about
| fights and resistance was true.
My father had reached home before
me. and as opened the door heard
mother ask. "Do you think it is any
thing serious, fatherfn
II am afraid it may be. wife," be
said. 'aThe messenger said that Gov
ernor Gage has sent some of the kings