The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1935-07-18

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FROM THE RIGHT BANE
said Daniel Morgan, and Washington was SO
moved by this reply that he dismounted at once
and went along the company front, shaking
hands with each man while tears rolled down
his cheeks.
At the same time that the riflemen Of Fred
erick county, Virginia, were speeding north with
Dan1 Morgan, another company OF sharpshoot-
ers from another Frederick county-Maryland-
was also on the march. It was commanded by
Capt. Michael Cresap, the son of Col. Thomas
Cresap, well-known Maryland pioneer. Young
Cresap had been an Indian trader at Redstone,
near the present site Of Brownsville, Pa, in
1772 The next year found him making his first
bid for fame as settler on lands beyond the
Ohio, claimed by George Washington. Here he
persisted In staying, despite .Washingtons offer
to pay him for any improvements he had made
If he would depart and despite the threat of
lawsuit If he didn't move s..-... r. ..-. II
But 1t remained for an incident at the opening
OF the Dunmore war to make the name of Michael
Cresap famous all along the frontier. For he was
unjustly accused Of numbering the family of the
great Mingo chief, Logan, who had confused that
massacre with another killing in which Cresap,
as leader Of party Of rangers, had been In
volved. -ass1@sEa 49, IL
Cresap and his rifemen, % of whom had
served with him in the DunmOre war, left Fred
erick on July Is, 1775, and marched the 500 miles
to Cambridge between that date and August 8.
1t would be interesting to know what Washing
toms feelings were when this erstwhile squatter
on his Ohio lands entered his camp in Cam
bridge. Did His Excellency welcome his arrival
any the less gratefully than he had that of the
Virginia and Pennsylvania sharpshooters. It is
not likely that he did, for in the greatness of
George Washington there was no room for petty
prejudices.
These rif1emen, be they Marylanders, Virgin
ians or Pennsylvanians, were men OF the same
stripe. They were, as Washington Irving de-
scribes them, ''stark hunters and bushfghters,
such stalwart fellows as Washington had known
in his early campaigns" incidentally, in all
Washingtons orders he persisted in calling them
'Riffle Companies"-proving again that he was
better as general than as speller!
Now that Washington's "Riffle Men" are here,
take look at them as they swagger through
the shady streets Of Cambridge town, Exciting"
so Irving tells US, "much gaze and wonder
among the rustic visitors to the camp"
They are dressed for the most part in flannel
shirts, cloth or buckskin breeches, buckskin leg
fringed hunting shirts, some of brown 1nen
some of buckskin, bleached white and few of
linsey woolsey. On their heads rest small round
hats or coonskin caps, the sign and symbol of
the frontiersman.
But the most striking part Of their costume
is the display on it of the words Liberty or
Death!" Losing, in his "Field Book Of the Rev
olution," says that the legend was spread In
great letters their hunting shirts, whereas
Graham, Morgan's chief biographer, places it on
their headgear. But the place where it appeared
is immaterial. The sentiment was the thing that
counted most and 1t was Patrick Henry's stirring
speech In old st. Johns church in Richmond
which gave them the motto that was their rally
ing cry on many q hardfought field Of the
Revolution. ~
The remainder of their costume Is In keeping
with its Indian origin, even though not all of
them, like Cresap's men, are painted like red
men. Into the leather belt which holds the hunt
ing shirt in at the waist are thrust the toma-
hawk and that keen-edged weapon which has
caused their redskin enemies to call all frontiers
men the "Long Knives or "Big Knives" The
shot pouch, which contains the small round balls
of lead, the bullet mold and some flax or tow
for cleaning the rifle, hangs from strap across
the shoulder. There, too, is the powder horn,
scraped and scraped until it is almost as thin
and transparent as isinglass.
In the hollow of their arms or slanting across
| their brawny shoulders is tossed carelessly the
long rifle which is so soon to become the terror
Of Tommy Cages Lobsterbacks" For, during
| the siege of Boston, many a British soldier
learned to his sorrow that it was not safe to
| show his head within 200 yards of these id
| widow and orphan-makers," as they called the
rilemen. Significant Of their deadly accuracy is
| the statement Of Thacher that Eat review,
| company of them, while on a quick advance,
| fired their balls into objects Of seven inches
diameter, at the distance of $50 yards"
| During the autumn of 1775 three companies OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Virginians and Smiths and
| Hendricks OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Arnold
and Montgomery on the expedition to Quebec.
| Hendricks killed during the assault in De
cember and Morgan and most of the rifemen
were taken prisoners. On January /, 1776, the
army was recognized, the Pennsylvania Battal-
ion of Riflemen became the First Pennsylvania
Regiment of the Continental army and were
placed under the command OF Edward Hand as
colonel. Later In the year Morgan returned to