The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-07-13

THE DENISl
fought against such odds. Thrice
armed is he who hath his quarrel just.
The Americans fought for liberty, for
their homes, for all the sacred ties
dear to the hearts of men. The Brit
ish fought at the behest of tyrant,
fought without justice on their side,
to subdue and humiliate and conquer
a people of their own flesh and blood
people whom they should have
treated with the business and the con,
sideration of brothers. After all ii
was an unequal combat, for God is
on the side of right.
what q wondrous tale it is. From
the midnight hour when Paul Revere
galloped north from Boston town.
sounding the alarm, "The British are
coming. The British are coming 9
At every window startled heads ap-
pear, how quickly clothes are don
ned, the trusty fint-lock taken from
its nook beside the fireplace, the
hasty good-byes spoken, the rush to
the appointed place of meeting, the
hush of expectancy, the proud oncom-
ingof the British regulars and then
"the shot that was heard around the
world" From every bush, from every
tree, from every covert flashed deadly
fame and every shot meant death. In
vain the red-coats rallied, in vain
their volleys poured, the well-ordered
advance became retreat, the retreat
became q panic, and back to Boston,
broken, Inundated and defeated, ran
the proud soldiers of the king. Then
came the rush to arms. From the
Green Mountains they came and from
the White, Maine, Vermont; New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connect
cut, Rhode Island, all New England
was afiame. See them coming to the
camp on the heights around Boston,
boys in homespun. boys in buckskin
breeches, boys clad in the garb of
mountain and of plain, flint locks,
blum erbusses, bayonets, few, pitch.
forks, axes, anything that could be
used to hew down the enemies Of their
country. See them on the heights
about Boston looking down upon the
proud city now in the grasp of their
foes. see the dirt fly as they hastily
throw UP their Entertainments, hear
the shouts of welcome as the brave
George Washington comes from Vir-
ginia at the behest of congress to
take charge of the continental army,
the ragamuffin army that was the
laughing toast of every British sol
der. Hear the cannon roar, see the
stern ranks of war advance on Bunker
Hill, listen to the sharp crack of
musketry, the volleying shots that tear
the British ranks, see the lines break
and waver and retreat, see the Off
GERS forming their men again, fresh
troops. more cannon, again the adj
vance. the deadly fire, the frightened,
hurried retreat. Again and again
they come; bit then the.fre grosg
weaker, men there are. yalor fh1arei ia.
but ammunition there is none. There
is hand to hand struggle, pitch..
forks against bayonets, the lines Of
the patriots fall back and the battle
of Bunker Hill is lost and won, but
won at such a cost that Boston town
is freed.
Follow, if you will, to Long Island
where the continental army again
meets defeat; follow the discouraged
army through New Jersey, fighting,
iretreating, but holding on. Striking
again and again, crossing through the
ice at Trenton, striking at Princeton.
The "sly Fox" as the British called
George Washington, never slept, never.
faltered, delivered his telling blows,
escaped their stronger grasp and
sSIIuCh again.
Follow to Valley Forge, the winter
camp Of the footsore, hungry, half
clad. wretched army. See the great
commander in chief as he kneels upon
the snow, praying the Almighty to
preserve his own. Well may the name
Of Valley Forge be spoken with bated
breath and beating heart, for it was
here that our countrymen passed
through the very midnight of the
strife, that darkest hour that comes
before the dawn. Germantown,
Brandywine, defeat after defeat, but
each defeat turned into victory by
the matchless skill Of the great leader.
The treachery Of Benedict Arnold, the
dark. dark days when treason reigned,
when confusion and distrus+ and no++y