Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-08
cornwalIts bowed. with nm easv. good

humored smile on his big, confident,
masterful face. I'VE who enjoy the
hospitality of this mansion can scarce
der happier circumstances, should be
our hostess. You shall have your body
servant, mistress"
81 thank your lordship," said Anne,
with dignity.
Seating himself, CORVALLIS wrote a
hasty line, folded the paper and hand
ed it to her.
Colonel Dundas' brigade lies with
Simcoc at Spencers ordinary on the
Williamsburg road" he said. "He will
give you return passes"
The officers rose as she swept low
courtesy from the threshold. The aid
held her stirrup with Difference, and
she cantered down through the gates
| and took the west road with n joyfulfy
beating heart and the written order in
| the pocket of her gown.
But she did not finish the journey.
She had Jared scarce half the way when
far popping came from the distance.
The next h,sl showed puffs of smoke
hanging above the trees, and she knew
that the sound was the rattle of ell
gaging musketly. Could her eye have
pierced beneath that foliage she would
have seen the first skirmish of La
fayctte's campaign, the brilliant charge
of McPhersons dragons upon Sim
GOES rangers.
She had pulled up, startled at the
sound, when low but familiar voice
called her from the thicket.
John the Baptist" she cried.
"Yas'm, Mis- Anne, cts me-" he re
sponded, with moist grin, parting the
bushes. 81 warm gwinter curry no
Britisher bosses long! 'Twarn' no use'n
'em wallopin' me-mch hides tougher'n
whit leather"
"They let you go?"
He threw back his head like bay
ing hound and laughed loosely.
Norm! Dem squinch eyed scoun'ls
skunt en- TUX ter dc bresh dis ve'y
mawnin' sliclser'n or weasel. Creased
lightnin' couldn't kctch me! Whut yo'
dom heah, Mis- Anne? Whar yo'
becnY
"At Burwells."
"Yo jes' ride lickety cut down dar
ergain. OATS de bes' place. 'Speck
Mars John be down dar 'trcckly."
For fortnight Burwclls heard the
grind and rush of the armies SO near.
AT length this lullcd. CORVALLIS had
withdrawn sullcnly into Yorktown.
Then in carly September momen-
tous message flew from lip to lip.
Washington was coming! The wary
commander in chief, pretending plans
against New York, had led Sir Henry
Clinton to recall part of his force from
the Chesapeake and then, turning front
had marched with speed for Virginia
where CORVALLIS lay with all his army
in the elbow of the bay, leisurcly forti
flying.
Back of this swift march of 400 miles
lay vital tidings. a. new French fleet
was on its way to the Chesapeake
Lafayette drew his troops between the
British and retreat into the Carolinas
The patriot army was fastening down
upon them from the north. Would
Clinton scent danger and send ships tc
snatch CORVALLIS from the closing
jaws, or would the French fleet como
in time to block the sea way out?
But Virginia knew nothing of this ar
first. She only knew that Washington
was coming.
|
Ono night Anne was awakened to al
unusual sight Out on the jasper col
ored river came n succession of huge
barges, and from them, above the plasl
of oars and creak of cordage, rose the
hum of multitude. She leaned fal
from the window to listen. How like
phantom shadows the bristling float.
swept past! What can it be?" sh,
cried.
"'Tis the French, come in the fleet O
De Grasse," said Mr.. Burwell. 81
must now be at anchor in Hampton
Roads. Thank God! Thank God!'
There was q thrill of rejoicing in hi
tone, but Anne's heart beat painfully
Hope and help were come to her land
to Virginia the beautiful, the tragic, tn
q tender. The first promise of this he'll
n had come to it when strong arm Gale,
\ to counsel and counsel to strong arr
and both feared to answer. And b
y who bore that message? Denied by he
. lips that called to him, dishonored b
;, her hand that ached for touch of hin
y what thought now had his heart 70
her?
o The dark shapes passed on to tn
O notch of jamestown island that nigh
II and disgorged an army. Silently the
r. filed up Archer's Hope creek and drew
with Lafayettc's troops, the fatal cordo
= about Yorktown.
s The fleet that brought them lay 1
the river mouth below, and when th
3 British ships which CORVALLIS ha
J. been promised hove to that same day
with fourteen hundred guns, D
!, Grasses watchful frigates batterc
u them away.
The would be rescuers sailed bacl
% and CORVALLIS woke to find himse]
entrapped
II On the day Washington's allied n
;. mics marched into Williamsburg, Ann
|
steps Of the capitol to see them pas
"a The Continentals were ragged, wor
# with painful marches in heat and rail
Il with stained rags covering old wound
but with the unquenchable resolve i
n their faces. Rochambeau's French we,
q uniformed in white, with rose colore
/. facings, eager, debonair, carrying gol
h wrought standards that caught the SUI
Il Anne watched through smarting eye
a Somewhere, waiting these, among thos
other troops lying painting against til
, hills nearer Yorktown, was the or
!, face which meant the whole war-tl
4 whole world-to her.
i Steadily, under the encmy's fire, ba
n teries rose along the parallels. Frol
n one to another of these rode Kno.
+ placing his gunners, his round, jovi,
face creased in smiles, in his eleme1
), ut last. And these gunners for fiy