The Glenwood post., 1912-11-09
ssheved from my duties at the ferry.
vas Permitted to join his column.

Ahow not when, during all my
army lie, l was more deeply i'm
pressed with the awful solemnity of
war, than as ! watched these yoiun.
teer soldiers land on the Jersey shore,
and tramp away through the dust. In
those ranks We're sick and wounded
scarcely able TO keep up; occasionally
one would crawl asi.e but the moment
he was able would join some new body,
and resume the march.
They were animated by a stern pur.
pose which yielded power. Such as
these were not to be trified with. 9th
ers might scoH at their raggedness of
line, ueir carslessness of discipline,
their noHlgserlpt garments, and vari.
ETY. of equipment, but to one who had
seen sEsE in bat-ie-vho had been
with thCm at Trenton. Brandywine,
and Gen r-lWn-they We're warriors
not to De 1esuised, stern, grim fight.
ers, abb 10 hold their own against
Englanl best drilled battalions.
|atcheG T.rm file past-Wayne's Var
nuns, SCOTS briaG5es. and JacksCn's
and cr sons rC~iments-rnarhin
tie bro lu eakod faces, the eager
eyes, tie sturdy, tireless tread, the
well OIL mUsLets. Boys. men, gray
boards, .II alike exhibited in their
faces The same expression. Theywere
anticipa ba,tl. against a hated foe,
and cour I'd hardship as nothing COM
pared with the joy of conflict. Every
step bIuasht them closer 10 the
grapple a aFms-to that supreme test
of streHab, Courage, endurance, for
which they had left their homes. They
might ls poorly drilled, addressed,
variousi- armed, yet these We're fight
ing men.
II wa midnight when Morgan led US
up The t.uH, and out upon the
sandy road. We advanced silently,
and in srasglinE column through the
aarknesa. passing the embers Of
camp fga for several miles, the re-
cumbent s1ldiery OF other commands
sleeping 0U Jhe ground. At Hopewell,
Washing.un was holding another coun.
ell with his officers. As we swung
past We could perceive his tall figure
standing in the glow Of fire, and
here arose from the lips OF our men
4 sudden. involuntary cheer, breaking
strangely upon the solemn silence of
The night. The group about him were
startled and looked about, and he
paused moment shading his eyes.
What troops are these?" he asked,
MS voice cutting across the distance.
A hundred answered him:
"Morgan's rfemen."
Good, my lads." and even at that
distance ! could see his face brighten.
There will be work for you at dawn"
With rolling cheer, echoing down
our ranks from front to rear, we an
swered, swinging the guns over our
heads, as We swept forward into the
lark night. There might be discus
sion, discussion about that council fire.
but there was none in the hearts of
those vlo6were going out to die. Al
ready Ttmors were flying about re-
garding Lees unwillingness to engage
in battle. ! saw him as / trudged
past, standing beside Wayne, the fire
light on. his face, although his head
was bowed Even to our cheers he
never once glanced up, and, as we
pass beyond the radius of light,
laid my hand upon the name of Nor.
gan's horse.
as it true that Charles Lee thinks
we should let Clinton so without fight
lng?' | asked soberly. That was ru-
mored at the ferry"
"'Tis enough" he answered, his
Eyes upon the dark column of plod-
ding men. 'And he seems to have
others with him. l know not what has
put the coward into the fellows of
ate. Saint Andrew. the odds are no
greater than We have net before. But
iherell be no fighting, lad. fear, un-
less Washington takes the bit in his
:esth and orders 1t. I'm glad the boys
,heered him; twill give the man new
leart."
You favor the joining of issue?"
why not? Were We ever in better
ettle? A retreating army is always
1alf whipped. and we can choose our
ground. Why, lad, it's reported Clin.
.on's line stretches out full twelve
niles, with train of baggage wagons
md battery horses, and camp follow
srs enough for a division. Twill be
easy work attending to them. and most
If his troops are Dutch and Tories"
By daylight We came up with The
New Jersey militia. lying at rest along
he bank Of the Milestone river, wait.
ng their turn to ford that stream, and
oin Maxwell on the opposite shore.
From where I stood could zee the
thin lines Of Continentals spreading
out like fan, as the skirmishers ad-
vanced up the opposite bluffs. Down
the trampled bank, men were strug-
Cling with light battery, and sudden
Iy in the press Of figures l came upon
Farrell. He was mud from head to
foot. his face streaked with 1t, but he
looked nm with beamfnR ewes n