The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-16

the following month he participated
In the battle. OF Germantown, and al
though our army was defeated. the
fault did not lie at the door OF Fran
cisco. and the heroic bearing OF men
like him made Frederick of Prussia
say that when the American soldiers
become disciplined they will be very
that the soldiers themselves should
soon have received encouragement and
that vision OF great responsibilities
should have lured them on to moro
daring deeds
Immediately after the battle of Ger
mantown we find our hero, under Col
onel Smith, taking part in the defense
Of Fort Miffin. which was situated on
an island In the Delaware River. Day
after day the besieged withstood the
bombardment Of the enemy with per-
sistency and bravery, until the block
houses were beaten down, the palisades
demolished and the guns dismounted.
Many Of the brave defenders were
killed or wounded, and when the few
still left were unable to defend the
fort they set fire to whatever was COM
bustible and crossed the river at night
by the light of the flames. Young
Francisco during this terrible siege
stood side by side with the bravest
of the defenders and was the peer of
the best. He was with his command
during that awful winter at valley
Forge, and at Monmouth the follow
ing summer. when he was severely
wounded. He appears again at stony
Point under Mad Antony Wayne" The.
first man to enter the fort was Major
Gibson. and the next to him was the
dark-eyed dauntless Francisco. who
killed the color-bearer and received
bayonet wound in his own body. This
exploit gave him great renown, and
he became the hero OF his command.
Later we find him under General Nor
gan taking part in many skirmishes
around New York and Philadelphia
There was a marked resemblance be-
tween Morgan and Francisco In per-
son and character. Morgan was OF
gigantic stature and strength, and OF
unsurpassed courage and fortitude.
Like Francisco. he was faithful In
every fibre, and Morgan was figure
to stir the imagination and ambition
OF young giant like Francisco.
Coming South with Morgan, he was
at the battle OF Camden, where he wit
messed the defeat which caused the
"laurels OF Saratoga to change the
Southern willows" In this battle
Francisco saved the life of Colonel
Mayo by killing the man who had his
gun leyeled at the gallant colonel. AT
the close OF the battle he was charged
upon by one of Tarlton's troopers, but
that proved to be his last charge. for
Francisco ran his sword through the
troopers body. and mounting his horse
made his escape. Later he again came
upon Colonel Mayo. whose life he
had saved but an hour before, and
finding him exhausted from fatigue,
he dismounted from the dead troopers
horse and insisted that the colonel
should mount him in his stead, and
upon this horse Colonel Mayo was
enabled to reach Hillsboro. N. c. Out
of gratitude for this act OF unselfsh
devotion. and for the greater act Of
wards presented Francisco with 1000
acres Of fertile land in the State of
Kentucky.
Hope Comes Again.
After the defeat of Gates at Cam
den. General Nathaniel Greene was
placed in command in the South, and
this general. aided by the intrepid
Morgan. soon changed affairs and new
hope came again to our army. The
sattle OF Cowpens was decided VIC
tory. .dorgan and Francisco were
there. Camden was redeemed. Then
name the battle OF Guilford Court
house. and on this spot Francisco ola
some of his most wonderful fighting.
That long sword made in blacksmith
shop was very bloody. The carnage
was dreadful. and Lieutenant Holcomb.
of washington's Light Horse, says
that the strong arm of Fran
cisco slew three men IN one charge
and eleven in another. One of the
enemy made a fearful thrust with his
bayonet at Francisco and pinned his
leg to the saddle. Francisco quietly as
sisted his foe to extricate his bay
onet. forbearing to strike his enemy
while practically unarmed. but as soon
as the man was in a position to de-
fend himself Francisco made furious
blow with his sword. which cleft the
fellows head down to his shoulders.
Francisco received the commentator
of Colonel Washington for his match
less bravery on this battle-ground AZ
ter the excitement of the battle was
over Francisco found himself unable
to move on account Of that bayonet
wound which had entered above his
knee, piercing the whole length of the
leg to the hip socket. Francisco was
left on the battlefield among the dead.
In this lone and bleeding condition he
was discovered by some good man, who
took him to his home and cared for
him until he could once more mount
his faithful horse. wish I knew the
name of that good Samaritan. ]
would be glad to call it in this pres
ent day.
There was at one time under Ma
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