The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-08-06
DANIEL MORGAN
The Teamster Who Became A General


always saved, and out of his savings
he bought more and more land until
he had quite a respectable property.
At the outbreak of the revolution he
was one of the first to volunteer, and
Of a company of mountaineers from
western Maryland, western Pennsyl-
vania and northern Virginia he was
made captain. They were wonder
full men with the rifle, and it was not
long before Morgans rifemen became
famous in the army. With his tall
mountain boys he made the long
march to Massachusetts and reported
for duty to General Washington soon
after Bunker Hill.
One of the early troubles Washing
ton had to settle was in regard to
these same rifemen of Morgan. Most
of them were Irish. They did not
mix well with the New England
troops. They did not take kindly to
the routine of camp, to drill or to mill
tary regulation. They wanted to go
and come as they pleased. They had
their own method of fighting. 1t was
not with sorrow that the New Eng
landers heard they were to go with
Arnold on the expedition against Que
bee.
Morgan and his men plodded up
through Maine and forming a iuncture
with Montgomery, took part in that
spectacular midwinter night assault
that thrilled and sorrowed the young
nation. Montgomery led one party in
the attack and Arnold the other.
Montgomery fell and his party was
repulsed. Arnold was wounded and
Morgan assumed command of the CO.
lumn. Mounting the first barrier, his
men rushed forward on the second.
This they carried and reached the
inner works. But here, where they
were to meet Montgomery, they were
without support. They were little
more than a handful and they were
overwhelmed. Morgan and most of
his companions were captured.
Never was there a more foolhardy
attack The whole American force
was only half that of the British and
the fortress of Quebec was the strong
est in the western hemisphere. Moth
ing but the expectation that the
French in Quebec would join the Anne
ricans in the capture of the city war
ranted the attempt and this was vain.
In the estimation of Washington no
one distinguished himself more at
Quebec than did Captain Morgan. So,
after an exchange was effected, the
commander-in-c recommended him
for promotion. He was made~a col
onel and select rifle corps of New
Jersey and Pennsylvania men added
to his old command Washington
planned to use this corps himself, but
at the urgent appeal of Schuyler for
achievements to meet Burgoyne, who
was swooping down from Canada,
Morgan and his riflemen we're hur-
ried to join the army of the north.
Before Morgan reached Saratoga
Gates had supplanted Schuyler. AS
in the invasion of Canada Morgan
was assigned to the division of Ar
mold.
In the battle of Bemis Heights
Gates practically took no part. Ar
mold won it. He and Morgan were
the leading spirits, and neither one
of them was mentioned by Gates in
his report of the battle. The vain,
foolish man, chagrined at the praise
showered upon Arnold and incensed
at Arnold's sharp language, relieved
him of command. Then he sought
to tamper with Morgan. He repre-
scented to him that many general Off
GERS were dissatisfied if not disguised
with the manner in which Washing
ton was handling the main army, and
if there was not going 10 be a new
commandments appointed there
would be many designations. Morgan
stopped Gates when he got this far
and told him he had just one favor
to ask, and that was never to men
ton the subject to him again. Under
no other commander-in-chief than
Washington would he serve.
The battle of Saratoga practically
was a repetition of that of Bemis
Heights, so far as honors go. Ar
mold, disregarding the fact that he
had no command, went into the con-
fict and led first one body of troops
and then another. The rifemen of
Morgan, shooting with deadly accu-
racy, were the backbone OF the Anne
rican line.
Gates, in the report of the battle,