The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-01
FREAK BOOKS ABOUT OLD TINES.
Startling Information About the PERIOD
OF the War for Independence.
From the Washington Post.

From the W dshingfOn fOSt.
If one had the time it would be well worth
the trouble to spend a month at the Library
of Congress. looking over what the librarians
call freak books" Now and then. in al
countries and climates, some one is selzeu
with desire to write book in some manner
other than the way usually followed and
such productions are oftentimes grotesQue
and ridiculous. This is not only the case Az
present but 1t has always been 90. anu nea.
every re can show the work or some person
who had nothing better to do than 70 pusy
himself with the production OF WORK .Iia'
was chiefly remarka BILE for its utterly non
sensical and outlandish character. VI these;
one OF the most remarkable is book entltieeu
The American Revolution written IN
"Scriptural or ancient historical sty.e, ~
Richard snowden. Baltimore; P RI Gsts " y
given nor is there any preface or 1o orr ~
as to who or what the author WAS 1uu ~ ID Il
evident from the name OF the puOllshel uno
time about the year 1895 The book y Jus =
what its title announces, very DlunusI ~
and poor attempt at writing history on W; sne
Revolution in the english OF the stuart ps' the
s Mn,S i tonsie of Moses st. Paul and all
the other Bible characters. In fact, tne
work is some what on the style OF tne MOI
century English with And it came TO pass,
or an exceeding sore ladelieu III nsIe am
there to give it n somewhat bipllchi twaMS.
TO this form of diversion in the early DAYS
Of he republic and it is now fact well KNOWN W.,
to a'l students of American history thaI tnS s
Mormon Bible, that is to say. the bHoh b ~,
Mormon. was simply cabbaged bodily ny
sidney Ridgon from Biblical romance
written by preacher OF the name oi oani"e'
The work in question, which may be seen
by any visitor TO the Library OF Congress-
begins as follows os
Il, In the thirteenth year OF ,ne e rusmd
from the Island, of Britain to the ut'e''h's'
parts of the earth. , % +ox
y? The same King made decree ere e, I'd m *
Columbia. for they had paid no tribute to the
King, neither they nor their forefathers, 4.
TIE battle OF Lake Champlain Is thus oe-
scrihed: - ,,.r tho ships
of the King of Britain were drawing nigh uhto
the navy of Benedict Arnold that tne ,iiu.l
Of war shouted, and the shouting ol 'he ""'
"?l And Benedict the chief captain OF VIZ s
navy in Columbia, and Pringle, me tni ~,
captain of the ships of the king OF brs'aili u,
thirsted for battle, and the roaring 9, t Via
lasted until the time OF the oterlhg Vi W.,
evening sacrifice, and two of the ships thao
were with Benedict fell prey unto 'he '''e'
of Britain IN, :. ,,, ,,,t
30. And il came to pass, while " was S ut
night, that Benedict escaped with the reni,nnS
Of the ships: md when the sun arose, f "! Rritnn
,,.;, Ia
thought to have ended the warfare WIN
Benedict yei,, and. 10, he looked and behold, the
ships were departed from thence: IN,
anchors of the ships and loosened the sails
TO the wind and made all speed 10 pun 2.b
after Benedict and the men vino were wiz"
Va And when the wind sprang up, the
sbips moved swiftly upon the face OF lhe
water and overlook Benedict n the sht tSs
Nevertheless, some of those who were tne
,aI n
"aS But Benedict. seeing that the rem
nant of the ships could not escape from jan IAN
ing to the men Of Britain. he cast qu' iSaf
and prepared to fight with Prlngle. the cnittii
captain of the ships, il. peradventlre, ne cou!u
by any means get his men out OF the ships 10
land a ann,
tnurd for the space of two hours, and Beene-
dirt ran the ships on the land, and the SHIPS
were AS walls and bulkwarks against the balis
of the destroying engines, and the men eo'
safe to land.
"a7 Aud Benedict, fearing lest the ships
should fan into the hands of the servants
of the King of Britain. he burned them with
"2s Now the banner of the great san
hedrim thp Continental tongressl was in
the ship that Benedict was IN: ana ~ cast
in his mind that he should get q blot II
enemy. therefore, he tarricd in the ship until
the fire was kindled and Benedict got great
honor amongst the armed men, and his fame
was spread afar of
captains: and the winter was nigh mt hand,
and the soldiers of the King of Britain were
fain to depart into their winter habitations,
How any one could have the patience to
wade through this mess of nonsense it would
be hard to imagine. but doubtless in those
days when everything in America turned
on Bible and religion. this remarkable book
was thumbed over and eagerly read as a
very clever and witty pffuSlOu.