CHAPTER IV. Upon the breaking out of the revolutionary war my father enlisted as a recruiting sergeant in the continental army. At the time of my father's enlistment he lived in Reading, Pa. Sometime after his enlistment, he enlisted my two oldest brothers, John and William, and when he had enlisted a pretty good company of soldiers, he moved on and joined his regiment. Shortly afterwards he fought at the battle of Long Island. My mother and my two brothers accompanied him in this expedition to the north. In this battle the American. loss was very great. The American troops, however, fought as bravely as at any battle during the war of the revolution. "In the beginning of July, Admiral and General Howe arrived in the harbor of New-York. They were accompanied by a powerful naval force, and by an army of twenty-four thousand men, abundantly supplied with military stores. The troops were landed on Staten Island, á position from which ulterior movements could most conveniently be made. General Washington, presuming that the first attack would be made upon the posts at Brooklyn, strengthened it by a detachment of troops from the city, and gave the command of it to General Putnam. On the 22d of August, the British forces were landed on the opposite side of Long Island. The two armies were now about four miles asunder, and were separated by a range of hills, over which passed three main roads. Various circumstances led General Putnam to suspect that the enemy intended to approach him by the road leading to his right, which he therefore guarded with most care. Very early in the morning of the 26th, his suspicions were strengthened by the approach, upon that road, of a column of British troops, and upon the centre road, of a column of Hessians. To oppose these, the American troops were mostly drawn from their camp, and in the engagements which took place, evineed considerable bravery. These movements of the enemy were but feints to divert the attention of Putnam from the road which led to his left, along which General Clinton was silently advancing with the main body of the British army. The report of cannon in that direction gave the first intimation of the danger which was approaching. The Americans endeavoured to escape it, by returning, with the utmost celerity, to their camp. They were not able to arrive there in time, but were intercepted by General Clinton, who drove them back upon the Hessians. Attacked thus in front and rear, they fought a succession of skirmishes, in the course of which many were killed, many made prisoners, and several parties, seizing favourable opportunities, forced their way through the enemy, and regained the camp. A bold and vigorous charge, made by the American General, lord Sterling, at the head of a Maryland regiment, enabled a large body to escape in this manner. This regiment, fighting with desperate bravery, kept a force greatly superior engaged, until their comrades had passed by, when the few who survived, ceasing to resist, surrendered to the enemy. The loss of the Americans, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, considerably exceeded a thousand. Among the latter were Generals Sullivan, Sterling, and Woodhull. The total loss of the enemy was less than four hundred. They encamped at night before the American lines; and the next day began to erect batteries within six hundred yards of their left. While the battle was raging, General Washington passed over to Brooklyn, where he witnessed, with inexpressible anguish, the destruction of his best troops, from which, such was the superiority of the enemy, it was impossible to save them. Finding the men dispir ited by defeat, he determined to remove them to the city. The retreat was effected, on the night of the 28th, with such silence and despatch, that before the suspicions of the enemy were excited, the last division of boats was beyond the reach of their fire."-Hale's United States. WASHINGTON AND THE YANKEE BOY. [The following revolutionary story, while it exhibits the spirit of our young men in the war for independence, shows also the discrimination and prudence of Washington. It is copied from the Olive Branch, published in Boston, and edited with ability.] When on a tour to the West, I met with the subject of this treatise at Utica, N. Y. The grateful remembrance of the soldier of the Revolution by our country, became the subject of conversation. After there had been an interchange of opinion among us, Mr. Bancroft observed that he had applied to Congress for a pension, but owing to the circumstance that his name was stricken off the roll before he had served nine months, to serve General Wahington in a more hazardous relation, he could not obtain it; though he thought his circumstances and his claims for consideration were as great as any soldier's. He then related the following history of his life: er. "I was born in Woburn, north of Boston. At the agé of fourteen was sent to Boston and put behind the countI was warmly attached to the Whig cause, and at the age of sixteen was obliged to leave the town. I then enlisted in the army as a soldier for three years. I studiously endeavoured to understand my duty in my new relation, and thought I was as proficient, at least as much so as other soldiers. One day, immediately after Washington's arrival at Brooklyn, I was detached by the officer of the day among the guard. It so happened, that I was placed as sentinel before the General's quarters at nine o'clock. About ten o'clock, the General's carriage drove up, which I knew as a soldier, but not as a sentinel. I hailed the driver: 'Who comes there?' He answered, 'Gen. Washington.' He replied. "The Commander of the American army.' "I don't know him; advance and give the countersign.' The driver put his head within the carriage, and then came and gave me the countersign. "The countersign is right,' I replied. 'Gen. Washington can now pass.' The next morning the officer of the guard came to me and said, 'Gen. Washington has commanded me to notify you to appear at his quarters precisely at nine o'clock.' "What does he want of me?' 'I do not know,' replied the officer. In obedience to this order, I went to his quarters at the time appointed; but my mind was greatly harrassed to know whether I had discharged my duty aright the night previous. I gave the alarm at the door and the servant appeared. 'Inform Gen. Washington,' said I, 'that the person he ordered to his quarters at nine o'clock, is now at the door.' The servant made the report and immediately came and bade me come in, and conducted me to the General's room. When I entered he addressed me'Are you the sentinel who stood at my door at nine o'clock last night?' "Yes sir, and I endeavored to do my duty.' 'I wish all the army understood it as well as you do,' said the Gen. This relieved the burthen on my mind. The Gen. then continued, "Can you keep a secret?' 'I can try.' 'Are you willing to have your name struck from the roll of the army, and engage in a secret service at the bazard of your life, for which I promise you forty dollars a month?' 'I am willing to serve my country in any way you may think best." Call here precisely at seven o'clock this evening, and I will give you further instructions.' I then retired, and precisely at seven o'clock, I returned. The Gen. presented me with a sealed letter with out any superscription. He asked me if I had ever been on Roxbury Heights. I told him I had, and at his request I described the level ground on the top. He gave me the countersign, lest I should not be able to return before the sentinel received it; and then told me to go to the heights, and on the way to converse with no one, and endeavour not to pass any person if possible, and if I should observe any person, who I observed to notice me particularly, not to go on the height until out of his sight. And when I had ascended to the height, I must look round carefully, and if I discovered any person I must keep at a distance from him and suffer no one to take me. If every thing appeared to be quiet, I must go on the west side of the plain, there I should see a flat rock which I could raise by one hand, and a round stone about four feet from it; I must take the round stone and place it under the edge of the flat rock, which would raise it high enough to put the hand under it; 'you must then feel under the rock,' said the Gen. 'till you find a small hollow; if there is a letter in it, bring it to me and put this letter in the same place.' Having received my instructions, I made my way for the height, and nothing occurred worthy of note, except I found the rock and stone as described, and in the hollow a letter, sealed without any superscription. I then adjusted the rock and placed the stone as I found it. I returned to the General's quarters and delivered the letter I found under the rock. The Gen. broke the seal and read it to himself-He then said, 'You may retire and appear here at seven o'clock tomorrow evening?' This I did for some time, carrying and bringing letters, without being annoyed in any respect. At length, I observed a person at some small distance travelling the same way I was going and he eyed me with more attention than was pleasing to me. I took rather a circuitous route, and when I came on the height, I was confident I saw two persons, if not more, descending the hill on the opposite side among the savins. I went even to the |