Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-09-20


"For days out in the harbor mother
and the servants had been watching
and discussing the big ships which
were anchored there. There were SO
many and so different from the little
fishing and harbor boats | had been
accustomed TO see there
Il was too young to fully under
stand exactly what it all meant, but
had vague idea that something aw-
full was going to happen.
"The day before the battle. June 1G.
we children, my brother Richard, sis
ter Ann and myself. had been playing
in the newly gathered hay which the
farm hands had left in little cocks
ready for carting to the barn. These
we had seen fit to scatter mostly In
all directions.
MY father, returning for midday
dinner, looked very serious, and we
thought him exceedingly cross, for he
commanded that we should rake up
every particle of the hay into cocks
again Immediately.
AT dinner there was much talk OF
war and the British. and the ships
We're watched closer than ever They
seemed now to be tecming with con-
stantly moving red coated men, At
supper the family talked with bated
breath, and afterward father went
back to the village. which mother did
not seem to like him To do and was
very unusual for him. We were not
v,rff 10 hnI ot tlx.
seemed to forget us. and we huddled
around mother as she talked anxiously
with neighbors who had called 10 see
father.
"At 10 o'clock, when father returned,
he said orders had been issued to Colo
mel Prescott to fortlfy Bunker H.I, as
every evidence showed the British
were intending to land. Our callers
departed, and we retired.
1T must have been nearly midnight
when the whole household was aroused
by q terrible knocking at our doors and
the tramping of horses In the yard.
Father, hastily throwing up his win
dow, demanded who was there. The
answer was: General Putnam. Get
the women and children out of the
house as quickly as possible We are
fortifying the hill and must have the
house
Instantly candles We're lighted and
all was excitement and for some time
confusion. Some big chests were eoi
down from the garnet. however. and
clothing, silver, jeweiry, everything at
hand promiscuously flung In, my father
assuring us that we probably should
never again look upon anything left
behind,
''Horses were quickly hitched to the
carriage and others to a big farm
wagon. Mother and we children-Ann
clinging to her pet kitten and hugging
my dear old dog Bose, both crying for
we knew not what-were put Into the
carriage, the women servants and
chests into the wagon, and away we
went down the hill among hundreds
of men now moving up from all direc-
tons, 1t was an awful experience
that OF being called up in the night and
being hurria1 awrv &c -.
-. ..,es. a snaIi never forget II. WI
were driven to q friends house at Rox
bury.
'Tn the midst of the commotion, be
fore we got started from our yard
General Putnam, who had dismountet
and stood for a moment with his hand
on his horses head, met with comica
accident. His horse, being "A high spir
tied ono, nlun9ed In great fright over q
pet lamb of ours that stupidity ran
against the fiery horses legs.
Rearing, the animal forced the gen.
eral violently and all unexpectedly
backward until he was tripped up ana
made involuntarily to sit down in q
large tub of water used as a drinking
trough for the stock. My father quick
" lent his hand and pulled the gallant
general out, both laughing heartily,
which sounded strange and unnatural
TO me among such terrifying surround
ings.
1T is matter of history how the farm
or soldiers worked all night, using the
boards of our barns for stockades and
barricades, and how valiantly they met
the invaders, of whom 1854 were killed
ana wounded, against our 3Oo; winch
fight, in fact, as is well known. were II
not for the giving out of our ammuni-
ton, would hare resulted in the com
plete annihilation of the whole British
force.
when we returned to our old home,
alas, what a scene Of destruction and
desolation was there! My fathers loss
was very heavy; his warehouses all
sacked or burned to the ground, house
furniture ruined, barns and fences all
demolished, with all our live stock
either killed or frightened away and
lost But never mind, Richard! Thank
God you were not one OF the killed,
anyway. The rest we can bear mother
used to say"-Alice L. Quarrie OF New
arly " I'm RoSton Herald