The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-11-13
Copyright. 1901. by c. d. Lewis

] tflot, jacob VAN Bfunt, with MS VISION
gone forever. \ Hcssian's bullet had
blinded him. and n comrade walked
hand in hand with him and warned
him of Instructions in the road.
One night months later, us the blind
man slept, there was gentle tapping
at his window. and MS he opened the
sash and asked who was there pa
trlot sergeant replied:
Hist, jacob | have been with oxen
and wagon for muskets. powder and
lead. have had Il long pun of 1t, and
the oxen can go no farther, and there
is a lIessian picket ON the road to the
south, We must hide the munitions
and come for them again
Ten minutes later the blind drummer
and his three daughters We're assisting
the soldiers TO unload the wagon and
hide its contents In the dark and emp
~ cellar of the barn. In all haste and
yet with due caution the work was
speedily finished and the vehicle driven
back over the road and by and by
when patrol of cavalry came trotting
that way no man saw or heard any
| thing unusual
And when the muskets had been oil.
ell and the lead east into bullets which
cleaned bright as silver there was
drill ON the bare floor of the old barn.
With drum at his side. but tho sticks
beating softly, and with Ruth Mary
and Esther In line before him, the blind
man whsperIngly commanded:
Attention. company! Right face!
Left face! Order arms! Shoulder
arms! Ready aim reeoyerl R.r.r-rl
Rat-tat.taU"
And there came n November day
when the snowfakcs huttered down
now and then. and the skies were dirk
with winters warming. and the gale
whipped the dying leaves of the apple
and pear trees and tossed their branch
cs about In wild disorder. The blind
drummer was modelling In sleep In his
chair, and his daughters were In the
field searching for potato hills which
might have escaped the raiders, or Il
sudden the man reused up and peered
into vacancy With his sightlcss eyes
aud listened NTH beating heart,
The daughters found him standing
erect. with drum at his side and sticks
In his hand, rs they came running In.
Aye, they are coming, the enemy
he said as the painting girls essaycd
10 speak, "Thpy have heard of the
arms and are coming TO take them
away. You, Ruth and Mary to the
barn and bring as many muslIets as
YOU can carry, and you, Esther, lead me
10 the lane and stone wall. Forward
straightforward, march
Attention, company" cried the drum
mer MS he ceased to rattle his sticks.
'Load cnch and every musket. Let
them come half way up the lane before
| you fire. Tell me, Esther, what do they
do"
They have halted, father, and APP
pear surprised and confused"
"R-r-rrl Rat-a-tat! Rat tat TAFT They
are brave men and will come on, but
they are enemies Of liberty. Aye, I
hear their tramp on the dying grass.
Steady girls steady When they are
even with the wild cherry tree. fire at
them TO XIII. Tell me, Esther. tell me
Bang! bang! bang! roared the three
muskets, and with pulses jumping the
blind man grasped his sticks and made
the drum rnttlc TIL the half dozen
horses down In the rond reared up and
plunged and whlnnied at the sounds.
Fresh muskcts Fire againl Tell
me, Esther tell me II any Of them are
down."
give, father-Gye are down now. and
one is leaning against the WALL We
have stopped thcml They halt-they
waver-they give back
The enemy fell back, rallied and al,
vanced for the third time. Now some
Of the troops left the narrow lane and
advanced upon the tanks Of the de.
Tense. They crept along the stone
walls or skirmlshed across the fields.
and the firing became brisk
"R-r-rr! atn-tat-tat-tatw ratified
| the drum, and the drummer shouted
above the noise: you are using but
two muskets nowl What has become
Of RUTH"
ooh, father" replied Esther, Ruth
! Ruth Is deadp'
"Rat-a-tat tat-tatl Attention, com
panyl Load-ready-a m-hrc-recovcrl
Tell me, Esther, can we hold themT
mo, fatheri They are In front-to
the rlght-io the leftl | see them aim
ing at you, fathcrl Crouch down be
side me or you Will be killedw
II cannot see, cannot shoot, but |
VIII stand to the lasll Rr-rrl R-rr-r!
Rat-a-tatl Rat-a-tat-tatl 'Ts the drum
beats that called tho mInutemen to-
gether at Lexington. You are using but
one musket now what has become of
MaryY
Dead father-dead as she rested her
gun barrel over the 'allr'
attention, company! Only a blind
man and n girl, but the muskets In tho
barn belong 10 Washington and llber-
ty, and we must die for them! Are you
afraid, Estherp
II am not afraidH
"Then fight on. Twas thus that the
drums ratified ut Bunker IIlll-r-r-r-a-a-
tat-tat-tat-taii And TWAS thus they
stoutened our hearts as we slowly fell
back from Brooklyn IIelghts-rrrrat
a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! You have ceased
firing. Tell me, Esther 10 the powder
gone?"
There was no answer
"They are dead" groaned the blind
man-"Ruth. Mary aud Esther all
deadl Aye. shout and cheer and fire,
you hIrelings | face you-sol And
here Is the way the drums beat at
White Plains az our ragged patriots
came swinging Into action-r-r-r-r! Tat
tat-tat! Rat-a-tat! Rat-atat! Rata
tat-tat-tat-tat. And when we crossed
the Delaware and broke the British
center at Trenton II was-r-r-r-r-at-
tat
The blind man swayed and tOttered
and sank to earth, and there were
cheers from the walls and fences aud
billocks.
"And at Princeton" he whispered as
he clutched the drumsticks with fin
gers of death, the drumbeats were
tat-tat'-