The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-10-24

communication with ths Afl-seefns
mind. II he we're to make q serious
biunder here our cause would TALL
The enemy tries in vain to fool him.
Their devices are as an open book
to Washington. They have fooled me
and Solomon and other officers but not
him. had got quite conceit OF my
self in judging strategy, but now it u
all gone.
zone day / was scouting along the
lines, few miles from Philadelphia.
when / came upon a little. ragged. old
woman. She wished to go through the
lines into the country to buy -four.
The moment she spoke I recognized
her. 1t was old Lydia Darrah who
had done my washing for me the last
year of my stay In Philadelphia.
"'Why. Lydia, how do you dor !
asked.
1.-The way have allus done. lad
die buck she answered in her good
Irish tongue. 'Workin' at the tub an
| fghtin' the divll-bad cess to him
| but / kape me hilth an lucky I ara
to do that-thanks to the good God
How is me fine lad that I'd niver "a
knowed but for the voice o. himr
"'Not as fine as when I wore the
white rufIles but stout as moose
answered. The war is a sad business
at is that--may the good God de-
find us We cross the sea to be rid
o. the diyil an he follys an grabs us
be the neck
I'VE were on a lonely road. She
looked about and seeing no one put q
dirty old needle case In my hands.
TAKE that, me smart lad. It's fer
good luck she answered.
"As left her was in doubt of the
meaning Of her generosity. Soon
opened the needle book and found in
one of its pockets a piece of thin pa
per rolled tight. On 1t I found the
information that Howe would be leav-
ing the city next morning with FIVE
thousand men. and baggage wagons and
thirteen cannon and eleven boats. The /
paper contained other details of the
proposed British raid l rode post to
headquarters and luckily found the |
general In his tent. On the way ar
rived at definite conviction regard
Ing the plans of Howe. I was eager |
to give II air, having no doubt of its |
soundness. The general gave me re-
spectful attention while laid the facts
before him. Then 1 took my courage
In my hands and asked:
General, may venture to express
an opinion?"
Certainly he answered.
at Is the plan of Howe to cross
the Delaware in his boats so as 20
New York. He will recross the river
above Bristol and suddenly descend
upon our rear
washington sat with his arms
looking very grave. but made
no answer.
'In other words. again l presented
my conviction.
"Stil he was silent and I little en-
barrassed. In half a moment | ven
tured to ask:
"'General. what is your oplnlonr
HE answered IN a kindly tone:
Colonel Irons. the enemy has no
business in our rear The boats are
only for our scorts and spies to look
It. The British hope to fool US with
hem. Tomorrow morning about day
ight they will be coming down the
1dgely Bye road on our left
"He called an aid and ordered that
'ur front be made ready for an attack
n the early morning.
81 left headquarters with my con-
cit upon me and half convinced that
'ur chief was out in his Judgment of
hat matter. No like notion VIII enter
nv mind again. Solomon and have
uarters on the Edgely Bye road. A
title. after three next morning the
british were reported coming down the
Dad A large number of them were
He'd and captured and the rest rough
y handled"
Snow and bitter winds descended
pom the camp early in December. II
'as worn, ragged. weary but devot- ,
d army of about eleven thousand men
hat followed Washington into Valley ,
'orge to make a camp for the winter.
Il these. two thousand and ninety
light were unfit for duty. Most of the
liter had neither boots nor shoes. ,
hey marched over roads frozen hard }
18th old rags and pieces of hide
raped around their feet. There
ere many red tracks in the snow in
le Valley Of the Schuylkill thar day
ardly man was dressed for cold
Gather. Hundreds were shiverlng 7
nd coughing with influenza.
"When look at these men cannot
ZIP thinking how small are my trou-
es," Jack wrote TO his mother Il
III complain of them no more. Solo u
on and have given away all the
othes we have except those on our
lcks. A fiercer enemy than the d
ritish is besieging us here. He is =
inter.