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Captain Slow and his force then moved up to the pole, which was immediately cut down. These prompt measures put an end to the movements of the Liberty Boys in the neighborhood of Reading. After Captain Slow returned the second time to Reading a printer in town whom I knew very well, published an article in his newspaper derogatory to the character of Slow as a gentleman and as a soldier. Slow who was a large and powerful man no sooner beheld it, than he went and bought a cowhide and went to the printing office and took hold of the printer and dragged him across the street to the Market house, which was opposite to the printing office and cowhided him severely. There was not any person interfered, nor did any person say any thing against it for the printer was looked upon as the aggressor.

About this time another insurrection had broke out in Northampton County, Pa. which was known (as was the last above named) by the appellation of the "Liberty Boys."

There was a company of United States' regulars stationed at Reading, and was commanded by Captain Shoemaker. There was another, a volunteer company which was commanded by Captain Keim's, and to which (as I have before stated) I belonged. These two companies received orders to march on to Northampton County to aid in quelling the insurrectionary spirit that had broken out in that quarter.

On the evening before we marched, I was ordered to bring my drummer to the Court-House at an early hour next morning, and to then beat the reveille. We were up and in readiness long before day-light. Just as day began to break, we beat up the reveille, after which we went home and ate our breakfast. After we had ate our breakfast we went to our Captain's Quarters and received orders to beat up the General down and up the streets of the town, and then to beat up the Troop. We done

So.

The men then formed ranks and the rolls were called, after which, they were dismissed for an hour, with orders to be there at the roll of the drum, and all

to be then ready to march off. When the hour expired, we beat up the long roll down and up the streets. The men formed a second time, and at the word "forward," we marched off with "a merry double drag," so that we could not hear the crying of women and children, many. of whom were weeping sorely.

I do not recollect the route by which we marched to Northampton, but I recollect we stopped at the town of

and encamped two or three days. I had played the fife so much at this place, I began to spit blood, and became very ill. Captain Keim, Lawyers Bittle and Scull took me to a house and procured a room in which there was a good bed, into which they put me. They then brought Doctor tered inedicine to me.

to see me and he adminisKeim, Biddle and Scull brought their blankets with them and laid on the floor in the same room with me and attended to me as brothers would have attended a brother. By the aid of the Doctor's medicine and the kind nursing treatment I received from the persons I have named, as also from the family in which I was placed, I was restored to health again in a few days and able to play the fife as usual.

We marched again and arrived at Millerstown, in Northampton County, and encamped on the commonground near to the town. Captain Keims' and Captain Shoemaker's companies constituted all the foot-soldiers: that lay at Millerstown. Here we had little to do as duty and less fighting, our military force was a vast one, and to use the phrase there was no end to Light Horsemen. It seemed as if there were more here than I had seen in all my life previous. Every day we could see Light Horse .companies coming in with droves of insurgents whom they had captured. These prisoners as fast as the Light Horse captured them, were marched off to Norristownon the Schuylkill river above Philadelphia.

Captain Frees, the leader or chief of the Liberty Boys in Northampton County, was an extremely wary fellow. Some of the Light Horsemen were continually in pursuit of him. He being one of the most active and stout

men in the country, and very fleet on foot, he would shew himself frequently to three, four or more Light Horsemen, just in order to have sport with them. This it was said he often done, and after keeping them in hot pursuit of him for some time, would make good his retreat to his fastnesses or mountain thickets and thereby ensure his escape. To do this, was said to be play for him.— But well as he could imitate Sampson of old in escaping he was betrayed into the hands of his pursuers at last, by a woman. There was a woman in the neighborhood at whose house Frees and some of his men frequently rendezvoused, but with respect to his betrayal she came Delilah over him completely. At the time of his capture he had visited her house and as he had done previous in his confidence in her he did now, he threw down his pistols upon a table in one of the rooms in her house. He then walked about quite unconcerned, he having not the least suspicion of her possessing a treacherous spirit towards him. She was employed as an accessary in the furtherance of a plot which was being laid for his apprehension. No doubt, she was well paid for the part she took in the transaction, although for the good, the peace and welfare of the country, it was necessary that he should be captured, but in her yielding herself as an instrument to accomplish it, reflects no credit upon her as a woman in whom he had placed the most implicit confidence, and under whose roof (as regarded herself) he had always considered himself perfectly safe. What will not a woman do, who is base enough at heart to sacrifice affections at the shrine of her mercenary interests? Dear as the sex ought to be held in the estimation of every honorable man, it must be said however, that such women could not be controlled by the agency of any honorable or virtuous principle, and would stop at nothing.

When Captain Frees was quite at ease in his own mind, and perfectly at home within himself, she had a number of men concealed. After she had locked or fastened all the outer doors of her house, she cried out

to our American Sampson that the Philistines were upon him, and at her signal the concealed soldiery rushed into the room, sprung upon him, and secured him. He was immediately conveyed to prison to await a trial for trea

son.

After the capture of Frees, we were ordered to march to a place four or five miles off. It being late in the evening when we received marching orders, we did not get under way before dark. Shortly after night set in, we were marched off in silence. Soon after starting we commenced to ascend a mountain, and when near to the top of it, the officers called a halt, and ordered that every man should load his piece, stating that there was a body of the liberty boys but a short distance ahead of us, and for every man to hold himself in readiness for action.We then moved forward until we gained the summit of the mountain. When we arrived at this commanding spot upon the mountain, we beheld a great many fires lighted up along the foot of the next ridge. Now was the time to tell who was a soldier-who was brave and who was a coward. Some became very sick, and others became very lame, some complained of one thing and some complained of another. The baggage wagons having arrived, these self-sick and self-lamed fellows were crammed into them, and we then began to descend the mountain. I smelt a rat, but said nothing. I believed it was all a sham, and just done to try the spunk of the men. We continued our march until we arrived at the fires, and there being no enemy about, the soldiers were ordered to stack their arms. Soon after our baggage wagons drove up, and then Surgeon Green, to whom the scheme was known, went to them with medicine, for the purpose of administering it to the sick, but finding nothing wrong with their pulses, legs, feet or stomachs, informed them that they were getting better very fast, and were all likely to do well. After pitching our tents, we took a bite to eat, and as it was now well on to morning, we laid us down and slept soundly until day break. We arose and beat the reveille. After the

men formed the line and the rolls were called, we then drew our rations. Our invalid soldiers of the night before were all upon the ground, and stood ready to receive as full a ration, each, as the most healthy, sound and able bodied man in the whole army. O cowardice! many are the enemies you conjure up in the imaginations of men.

We laid at this place perhaps a week. There being a general review of all the troops engaged in the expedition about to be held not far from Millerstown, we were ordered back to that place for the purpose of joining in the review. There were from 6,000 to 10,000* Light Horsemen present, and constituted one of the most grand and imposing sights I had ever beheld any where. It appeared to a person occupying the centre of the line, as though the right and left wings of the line were endless

Shortly after we were reviewed by the commander-inchief of all the forces in the field, (peace being restored, or rather the insurrectionary spirit quelled, and the Government having no more call for our services,) we were marched on our return towards Reading, where, upon our arrival, we were immediately discharged.

Captain Frees in the course of some time received his trial, was found guilty and sentenced to he hanged. His sentence was approved. A gallows was erected in Quakertown, not far from his residence. The day proposed for his execution having arrived, he was conducted to the gallows. It was said (for I was not present,) that he marched as bold and undaunted thither as a lion. He was reprieved, however, when on or under the gallows. Captain Frees was a fearless man, and in a better cause, his innate daring courage, would have shewn as conspicuous as it would have been eminently serviceable. He was of rather an amiable disposition, his deportment civil and obliging. I have often played long bullets with him in Quakertown since, and he was rather too much for me, and was the only man I could have

*The number of soldiers ordered out this time by Government, may have been a much greater one.

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