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show that there was an anti-British spirit in the women as well as the men of '76. I hope all the girls in the United States will read it, though I am afraid some of them, especially in the capitol of the country, will need a dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms wheel, loom, &c. The first is the name of an old fashioned piano with one string, the other is a big house organ with but few stops. But to the story.

Late in the afternoon of one of the last days in May, '76, when I was a few months short of fifteen years old, notice came to Townsend, Mass., where my father used to live, that fifteen soldiers were wanted.

The training band was instantly called out, and my brother that was next older than I, was one that was selected. He did not return till late at night, when all were in bed. When I rose in the morning I found my mother in tears, who informed me that my brother John was to march next day after to-morrow morning at sunrise. My father was at Boston in the Massachusetts assembly. Mother said that though John was supplied with summer clothes, he must be absent seven or eight months, and would suffer for want of winter garments. There were at this time no stores and no articles to be had except such as each family could make itself. The sight of mother's tears always brought all the hidden strength of body and mind into action. I immediately asked what garment was needed. She replied "pantaloons."

"O, if that is all," said I, "we will spin and weave him a pair before he goes.'

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"Tut," said mother, "the wool is on the sheep's backs, and the sheep are in the pasture."

I immediately turned to a younger brother and bade him take a salt dish and call them to the yard.

Mother replied, "Poor child, there are no sheep shears within three miles and a half."

"I have some small shears at the loom," said I.
"But we can't spin it and weave it in so short a

"I am certain we can, mother.'

"How can we weave it? there is a long web of linen in the loom."

By this time the sound of the sheep made me quicken my steps towards the yard. I requested my sister to bring me the wheel and card while I went into the yard with my brother and secured a white sheep, from which I sheared with my loom shears half enough for a web; we then let her go with the rest of her fleece. I sent the wool in by my sister. Luther ran for a black sheep, and held her while I cut off wool for my filling and half the warp, and then we allowed her to go with the remaining coarse part of the fleece.

The rest of the narrative the writer would abridge by saying that the wool thus obtained was duly carded and spun, washed, sized and dried; a loom was found a few doors off, the web got in, wove, and cloth prepared, cut and made two or three hours before the brother's departure that is to say, in forty hours from the commencement, without help from any modern improve

ments.

The good old lady closed by saying, "I felt no weariness, I wept not, I was serving my country. I was relieving my poor mother, I was preparing a garment for my darling brother."

"The garment being finished, I retired and wept till my overcharged and bursting heart was relieved."

This brother was, perhaps, one of Gen. Stark's soldiers. With such a spirit to cope with, need we wonder that Burgoyne did not execute his threat of marching through the heart of America.”

"Come strike the bold anthem, the war-dogs are howling,
Already they eagerly snuff up their prey;

The red cloud of war o'er our forests are scowling,
Soft peace spreads her wings, and flies weeping away;
The infants affrighted, cling close to their mothers,
The youth grasp their swords, for the combat prepare ;
While beauty weeps, fathers, and lovers and brothers,
Who rush to display the AMERICAN STAR.

Come blow the shrill bugle-the loud drum awaken-
The dread rifle seize-let the cannon deep roar;
No heart with pale fear, or faint doubtings be shaken,
No slave's hostile foot leave a print on our shore.
Shall mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters left weeping,
Insulted by ruffians, be dragged to despair?

Oh no-from her hills, the proud EAGLE comes sweeping,
And waves to the brave the AMERICAN STAR.

The spirits of bold Davis, Warren and Montgomery,
Look down from their clouds, with bright aspect serene;
Come, soldier, a tear and a toast to their memory,
Rejoicing they'll see us, as they once have been.
To us the high boon by our God has been granted,
To spread the glad tidings of Liberty far,
Let millions invade us, we'll meet them undaunted,
And conquer or die by the AMERICAN STAR.

Your hands then dear comrades, round Liberty's altar,
United we swear by the souls of the brave!

Not one, from the strong resolution shall falter,
To live independent, or sink to the grave!

Then Freemen fill up-lo! the Striped Banner's flying,
The high bird of LIBERTY screams through the air,
Beneath her, Oppression and Tyranny dying-
Success to the beaming AMERICAN STAR."

The

"After some skirmishing on the morning of the 16th of August (1777,) Stark commenced a furious attack on the royal forces. Baum made a brave defence. battle lasted two hours, during which he was assailed on every side by an incessant discharge of musketry.He was mortally wounded; his troops were overpowered; a few of them escaped into the woods and fled, pursued by the Americans; the rest were killed or taken prisoners. Thus, says a British historian, in whose language we have chosen to record some of these events, without artillery, with old rusty firelocks, and with scarcely a bayonet, their militia entirely defeated 500 veterans, well armed, provided with two pieces of artillery and defended by breastworks.' This was not the only subject of astonishment with which the

Americans furnished their enemies during this campaign."-Frost's United States.

About this time, October or November 1777, the small-pox broke out in portions of the army, and my father was sent to take charge of the sick to a place where a considerable number of soldiers were encamped not far from Allentown, Bucks county, Pa. Upon my father's reaching there, a large house that had belonged to a Tory was converted into a hospital. All the soldiers that had not taken the small-pox, were immediately inoculated. My father had a room (in this building) exclusively to himself, and had the care of all upon him. He drew the rations for the soldiers and dealt out the same to them, he had to superintend the preparation of victuals, drinks, &c. for the sick, and assisted in nursing them in their sufferings.

My father caused myself to be inoculated with the real small-pox, and I became very sick, the cause of this, however, was with myself, I did not restrain myself as I should have done, I did not keep from eating salt and strong victuals, I would sometimes partake heartily of my father's cooked meats, &c. My appetite was keen, and I left nothing undone in my endeavors to satisfy it, even resorting to novel methods to obtain what was satisfying to it, one of which was to sharpen the end of a stick to a point, and after fixing a piece of bread upon it, I would hide it behind my back, and "slip up" to where some of the soldiers were engaged in cooking salt and fat meat, and watching an opportunity, would dip my bread into their pans or kettles, and then run away and feast myself upon it at my leisure. I recollect that once my father had some excellent gammon cooked, and had placed it for safekeeping in a cupboard which he had forgotten to lock, this I got at and ate it all, a mess sufficient for two hearty men. After this indulgence I fell very sick, and remained so for some time, or at least was a good while before I recovered my health properly.

My sister Elizabeth was bound out about 10 miles off, and my father having heard that she had had the small

pox, went for her and brought her to see me, as also to attend me in my sickness. She remained here until I recovered, and I may state until we both left after the decease of my father, which took place not long after he brought her to camp. A word or two more relative to my sickness. I was very sick indeed, and suffered much although there were in all but thirteen pocks upon me, the rest having struck in (or had not come out at all,) in consequence of my own imprudence.

I had but got about again out of a sick bed, when my father, who was so constantly among the sick, fell sick himself, and died in the course of three or four days after he was first attacked. I cannot recollect what the disease was, whether pleurisy or fever. I believe, however, that it was the latter. I remember that the disease was not small-pox.

I have here a very singular circumstance to relate, relative to my father. In the room occupied by my father there was a fireplace, in which there was a fire, the weather being then rather cold. From that room we had to pass through another before we could gain the entrance that lead into the house. My father was very much deranged on the morning of the last day of his illness, so much so, that it required two or three soldiers to keep him in his bed. Towards noon he had become somewhat easy, and had fallen into a gentle sleep. During this interval of quiet, my sister and myself were sitting at the fire. When he awoke from sleep, he sprang suddenly from the bed upon which he lay, and dashed out of the room, passed through the entry, and out of the house. All within ran after him, in order to secure him and bring him back to his bed. The yard was a very large one, and in it stood a very large barn. We hunted about in the yard, and searched the barn over and over again, but could not find him. There were a number of fields upon the place, but there was one in front of the house, a very large one that extended from the house to the woods, and we searched for him in every direction, but without success. My sister and

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