The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-05

General
Washington's
Wedding Present
1t Was Well Earned
Nv WIFI Ann nj AKEMAN :
BY WILLARD BLAKEMAN

+++++%++++++++++++++++%++f
After the battle of Bunker Hill, New
York and New Jersey became the
principal Revolutionary backgrounds,
though the final issue was decided In
Virginia. New Jersey was the central
state, and 1t was there for a great por
ton of the struggle the commander in
chief, General Washington. was pres
ent in person.
One morning-it was the winter aft
er the one in which the Americans suf-
fered so severely at Valley Forge and
the cause of American independence
was at its gloomiest point-a young
soldier stepped up to the sentry pacing
before the door OF the Morristown
headquarters. and, being stopped by
the sentry. he said that he had been
ordered to report In person to the COM
mander In chief Passing into the
house, he was directed to little room
In the rear of the building used by
the general for his office. Entering the
room, he found Washington writing at
Ills uCSh. hC bChCldl luLuCu- ut
young man saluted. stood at attention
and said:
General, am Private George Mar
cey."
"Ah! You are the man Captain Ham
ilton tells me is familiar with every
hill and dale in this region. have
mission for you, but one on which l
cannot order you, for you will have to
go In disguise and IL captured viii be
hanged for spy. Are you ready to
assume the risk"
Il am, general"
VERY well. There is in Elizabeth
town Tory named Tracy. His daugh-
ter, Catherine, is stanch patriot.
She has given me valuable informa-
ton of the enemy's movements, but
for a month past nothing has come
from her | am anxious to know If
any trouble has befsllen her. and 1t
is important that continue to receive
the information she has been sending
me. Go to Elizabethtown, find Miss
Tracy and bring me whatever word
she may have to send me. Take the
road from hero to Orange, and from
there proceed due south to Elizabeth
town. You will find the Tracy home
on the outskirts of the town In the
direction of your approach. You will
find no great force of British troops at
Elizabethtown, but they doubtless
have outposts from New York there.
Go, and success attend your efforts
That the general realized the dan
ger into which he was sending the
| young soldier was manifest, SO he
grasped his hand at the final words
| Then Marcy left his commander, who
resumed his work.
An hour later Private Marcy, dress.
ed as countryman and carrying a
basket of winter vegetables on his
arm, was passed out of the American
| lines by Captain Alexander Hamilton
of Washlngtons staff and proceeded
on his journey. Reaching point now
! called Summit, from which he could
look down on the lower ground. he
paused to view the scene before him.
then descended to Orange. where he
obtained refreshments at the tavern.
Meanwhile violent snowstorm had
| set in, and, travel being DISTRACTED.
he resolved to await Its abatement
That night a bowling wind piled the
snow In drifts and rendered progress
doubly difficult.
The next morning the wind had
poacad md tho Gnn namo Onf though
without warmth. Marcy struck out
for Ellzabethtown, but few miles
distant, reaching the outskirts about
IL o'clock. Approaching the Tracy
house, the young man knocked at the
door. A negro servant answered the
summons, and Marcy asked II any
one would buy his vegetables. Mar
cey, seeing a young lady In living
room, pushed In there and began to
solicit trade. When the negro went
back to the kitchen Marcy asked If
the girl was Catherine Tracy and be-
ing informed that she was made him
self known.
Miss Tracy till then had not had any
information for the general since her
last communication. But the night be-
fore some British officers were stop.
ping at her fathers house, and she
had heard them asking about the roads
and distances to Trenton. From these
inquiries and other data dropped by
the officers she judged that consider
able force was to be moved from New
York to some point southwark, prob
ably Philadelphia.
Now, If Marcy had returned imme-
diately to General Washington with
this information all would have been
well. The region round about Eliza
BEETHOVEN was not occupied either by
the British or Americans, and he would
have had no gauntlet to run. His trou-
BILE was he found Miss Tracy so attrac-
tive that he was loath to part with her.
He made an excuse to himself for not
hurrying away that the snow was so
deep and his coming through 1t had so
fatigued him that he needed a rest be.
fore returning.
Catherine was expecting her father
for dinner, so, leading Marcy to the
barn, she pointed to the hayloft, to
which he went and secreted himself in
the hay. Returning to the house, she
provided meal and took 1t out to him.
Unfortunately, though she exercised
caution to escape the notice of Dinah,