Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-12


What kind of story z
"Wby. a Fourth Of July story, OF
course. We'd like that best"
But. my dears. the Fourth or July
Is made a holiday to celebrate the Is
suing of the Declaration or 1ndepend-
ence. The only story appropriate TO
such a day would be story or the
times in which it was passed. involv-
ing some episode connected with the
efforts of our ancestors to maintain
the stand they had taken. Now,
wasn't born till nearly three-quarters
Of a century after July A. 1776. the
day on which our nation was born.
But my grandfather was still living
when was a little boy, just about the
pge of Sammy there, and he had lived
when the war of the Revolution was
being fought and had taken part In 1t
himself. He often told me stories OF
what happened in those days, and one
of them especially impressed me.
You must remember that in 11I6 all
of the American colonies were grouped
along the Atlantic coast Most or the
territory extending to the Pacific
ocean was a wilderness. and much or
1t had never been explored. The ter
ritory of the colonies may be compar-
ed to a bird with outstretched wings.
The northern wing was the New Eng
land colonies: the body was New York.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania; the
southern wing was the colonies OF the
south. Through the body of the bird
ran the Hudson river, which. with
,a6 fI1H nrl . e.
ticable route to Canada.
after the battle of Bunker Hill at
Boston the struggle between the Amer
leans and British was principally for
the possession of the Hudson river.
Washington, after the battles about
New York city, went to New Jersey,
where he was between the two wings
of the bird.
81 have taken pains to explain this
TO you that you may understand why
Washington spent so much of the time
he was commander in chief of the
forces in New Jersey and
why so much of the fighting was done
in that state. Besides, the story l am
going TO tell you took place there.
when Washington first went to
New Jersey he took position at Hack
ensack with half the army, leaving the
other half on the other side of the
Il hudson north of New York city IN
der command of General Charles Lee.
Washington, being convinced that Gen
aral Howe, commanding the British |
forces in New York, was intending to /
march southwark through New Jer- |
sew, decided to order Lee to cross the /
hudson and join him that he might |
oppose Howe's move with a united |
force.
My grandfather was sergeant In |
he ranks of Washington's army. He
lad done some successful scouting for
he commander during the fighting on
1ong Island and afterward on Manhat-
an Island and by his daring and
idroitness had gained the generals
confidence as a good person to carry
Message. He sent for Abner-my
name was Abner Jones
nd told him he wished him to carry
message to General Lee.
~ have no doubt that Abner was a
cry daring youngster-youngsters are
sually fearless-but the sequel prov
d that his daring was akin to reck-
The message he was to car
y was q very important one, and it
ras very important that he confine his
ttention to it alone. he had but ten
niles to go to reach the river and no
reat distance to reach General Lee
n the other side, but it was over de-
atable ground. and he was liable to
leet small lots of British as well as
merican soldiers.
Washington gave Abner the order
1r General Lee written on tissue pa
er and rolled into little ball about
lie size of pea. In case he was cap
lred with it on him he was to swat
w it, for If the British general should
now that Washington was intending
have Lee join him he would doubt
SIS take measures to prevent the juno
on.
''Abner concluded to walk to the Hud-
N dressed as a farmer. With pitch
rk on his shoulder. he trudged along,
Getting an occasional British or Amer
an trooper, all of whom passed him
ithout especially noticing him. AS he
oceeded he thought how he should
oss the Hudson when he once reach
it, and here is where his reckless
SIS came in, though that recklessness
d spur. which was love for pref
girl. On the west bank of the Hud-
n lived Deborah Goodwin. the daugh-
: of prominent British sympathizer
)ner could trust Deborah, but If her
Their should know chat he carried a
sssage from the commander in chief
d Mr.. Goodwin could get it he would
I'D it at once to General Howe at Z
w York. On the other hand. Abner
ought that Deborah might find a way
+. him to cross the river. ]
Abner persuaded himself that he had
tier go to the Goodwin house, being I
iuenced by desire to see his sweet {
'rt. In truth, he should have avoid Q
any Tory house as he would poison. b
the evening of the day he left Hack Z
sack he appeared at the Goodwin