The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-07-25

But it 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,
leader Of party Of rangers, had been In
yolved
Cresap was undoubtedly an outstanding man
among men of his time Roosevelt in his win
ming of the West" while severely criticizing his
conduct in the Dunmore war, comedies that "he
was the regular pioneer type; good woodsman,
sturdy and brave, a fearless fighter, devoted TO
his friends and his country" That he was an
ideal leader for the Maryland rihemen whom he
led TO Cambridge is shown by contemporary
document. 1t is letter written from Gentle
man at Frederickstown Nd" and says:
st have had the happiness of seeing Capt.
Michael Cresap marching at the head of for
midable company of upward 80 men from the
mountains and backwoods painted like Indians,
armed with tomahawks and rifles, dressed in
hunting shirts and moccasins, and though some
of them has travelled 600 miles from the
banks of the Ohio they seemed TO walk light
and easy and not with less spirit than at the
first hour of their march. Health and vigor, after
what they had undergone, declared them 10 be
intimate with hardship and familiar with dan
ger
IT had an opportunity of attending the Cap
tain during his stay in town and watched the
behavior of his men, and the manner in which
he treated them; for ii seems that all who go
out to war under him do not only pay the most
willing obedience to him as their commander,
but in every instance of distress, look up to him
as their friend and father"
Cresap and his rifemen, p 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
tons 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. 1t Is
not likely that he did, for in the greatness of
George Washington there was no room for petty
prejudices.
These rifemen, 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 Washington had known
in his early campaigns" Incidentally, in all
Washington's orders he persisted in calling them
Rifle Companies"-proving again that he was
better as general than as speller!
Now that Washington's Rifle Men, are here,
take look at them as they swagger through
the shady streets of Cambridge town, exciting"
among the rustic visitors to the camp Thacher,
in his Military Journal of the Revolution"
under date of August, 1775, describes them as
remarkably stout and hardy men; many Of
them exceeding six feet in height"
They are dressed for the most part in flannel
shirts cloth or buckskin breeches buckskin leg
gings and moccasns. Over these they wear
fringed hunting shirts, of brown linen,
some of buckskin, bleached white, and a few Of
nnsey woolsey. On their heads rest small round
hats or coonskn 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 spread in
great letters across their hunting shirts, whereas
Graham. Morgans chief biographer, places it on
their headgear. But the place where it appeared
is immaterial. The sentiment was the thing that
counted most and it 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 a hard-fought field of the
Revolution.
The remainder of their costume is in keeping
with its Indian origin, even though not all of
them, like Cresaps men, 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 fax or tow
for cleaning the rife, hangs from strap across
the shoulder. There, too is the powder horn,
scraped and scraped until it is almost as thin
and transparent isingass
In the hollow of their arms or slanting across
their brawny shoulders is tossed carelessly the
long rifle which is so soon 10 become the terror
of Tommy Cages Lobsterbacks." For during
the siege Of Boston, many British soldier
learned 10 his sorrow that il was not safe TO
show his head within 200 yards of these id
widow and orphan-makers." as they called the
rifemen- Significant of their deadly accuracy is
the statement of Thacher that 'at review a
company of them, while on a quick advance
fired their balls into objects of seven inches
diameter. AT the distance of go yards"
During the autumn of 1775 three companies of
rihemen-Morgan's Virginians and Smiths and
Hendricks Pennsylyanians-ac Arnold
and Montgomery the expedition to Quebec
Hendricks was killed during the assault in De
cember and Morgan and most Of the rifemen
were taken prisoners. On January 1. 1776 the
army was recognized, the Pennsylvania Battal-
lon of Rihemen became the First PENNSYLVANIA
Regiment of the Continental army and were