The Old Bell of Independence |
Common terms and phrases
alarm American arms army attack attempt auld lang syne battle battle of Brandywine battle of Germantown believe Blonay blood boats body Brandywine brave British camp Captain Edwards capture cause Chew's house Colonel command continental army cousin Rachel danger death discovered door encampment enemy escaped exclaimed Fagan fight fire followed Fort Dayton Forty Fort garrison Germantown head-quarters heard heart heavens Hessians horse Humphries Indians inquired Jackson Harmar Jenny John Jones kegs killed Lafayette Lester look Lovelace M'Niel Major Barton miles murderers Murray muskets Nathan never Nick night officers party patriots Philadelphia prayer Prescott prisoner Quaker rebel red-coats regiment remarked Wilson remarked young Harmar replied Higgins replied Morton replied old Harmar retreat Revolution Riley road scene sentinel sirs soldiers soon story sword Sykes tell thought tion told tories tree troops Washington Wayne whig whole woods wounded Zebulon Butler
Popular passages
Page 44 - Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Page 144 - And scared almost to death, sir, Wore out their shoes, to spread the news, And ran till out of breath, sir. Now up and down throughout the town, Most frantic scenes were acted; And some ran here, and others there, Like men almost distracted. Some fire...
Page 143 - Twas early day, as poets say, Just when the sun was rising, A soldier stood on a log of wood, And saw a thing surprising. As in amaze he stood to gaze, The truth can't be denied, sir, He spied a score of kegs or more Come floating down the tide, sir. A sailor, too, in jerkin blue, This strange appearance viewing, First...
Page 144 - He spied a score of kegs or more Come floating down the tide, sir. A sailor too in jerkin blue, This strange appearance viewing, First damn'd his eyes, in great surprise, Then said some mischief's brewing.
Page 148 - After various attempts to find an operator to my wish, I sent one who appeared more expert than the rest from New York to a 50-gun ship lying not far from Governor's Island. He went under the ship and attempted to fix the wooden screw into her bottom, but struck, as he supposes, a bar of iron which passes from the rudder hinge, and is spiked under the ship's quarter. Had he moved a few inches, which he might have done without rowing, I have no doubt...
Page 45 - Cooper himself never prayed with such fervor, such ardor, such earnestness and pathos, and in language so elegant and sublime — for America, for the Congress, for the province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially the town of Boston.
Page 145 - The rebels — more's the pity, Without a boat are all afloat, And ranged before the city. " The motley crew, in vessels new, With Satan for their guide, sir, Packed up in bags, or wooden kegs, Come driving down the tide, sir. "Therefore prepare for bloody war, These kegs must all be routed, Or surely we despised shall be, And British courage doubted.
Page 43 - Accordingly, next morning he appeared with his clerk and in his pontificals, and read several prayers in the established form; and then read the Collect for the seventh day of September, which was the thirtyfifth Psalm. You must remember this was the next morning after we heard the horrible rumor of the cannonade of Boston.
Page 34 - ... looked forth from amid the waste of the wilderness, and the glad music of human voices awoke the silence of the forest. " Now ! God of mercy ! Behold the change. Under the shadow of a pretext, under the sanctity of the name of .God — invoking the Redeemer to their aid, do these foreign hirelings slay our people. They throng our towns, they darken our plains, and now they encompass our posts on the lonely plain of Chadd's Ford. " 'They that take the sword shall perish by the sword.
Page 146 - British troops, sir. From morn to night these men of might Display'd amazing courage; And when the sun was fairly down, Retir'd to sup their porrage.