American freedom, is now triumphantly terminated, and a sanctuary sacred to civil and religious liberty will be opened in this western hemisphere.

Extract of a Circular Letter from his Excellency George Washington, Commander in Chief of the armies of the United States of America, to the Governors of the several States.

HEAD QUARTERS, Newburgh, June 18, 1783.

"For my own part, conscious of having acted, while a servant of the public, in the manner I conceived best suited to promote the real interests of my country; having in consequence of my fixed belief, in some measure pledged myself to the army, that their country would finally do them complete and ample justice, and not willing to conceal any instance of my official conduct from the eyes of the world, I have thought proper to transmit to your Excellency the enclosed collection of papers, relative to the half pay and commutation granted by Congress to the officers of the army.

"From these communications, my decided sentiment will be clearly comprehended, together with the conclusive reasons which induced me at an early period, to recommend the adoption of this measure in the most earnest and serious manner. As the proceedings of Congress, the army, and myself are open to all, and contain, in my opinion, sufficient information to remove the prejudice and errors which may have been entertained by any, I think it unnecessary to say any thing more, than just to observe, that the resolutions of Congress, now alluded to, are as undoubtedly and absolutely binding on the United States, as the most solemn acts of confederation or legislation.

"As to the idea, which I am informed has in some instances prevailed, that the half pay and commutation are to be regarded merely in the odious light of a pension, it ought to be exploded forever: That pro

vision should be viewed as it really was, a reasonable compensation offered by Congress, at a time when they had nothing else to give, to officers of the army for services then to be performed: It was the only means to prevent a total dereliction of the service; it was a part of their hire. I may be allowed to say, it was the price of their blood and of your independency; it is therefore more than a common debt, it is a debt of honor; it can never be considered as a pension or gratuity, nor canceled till it is fairly discharged."

For the following sketch I am indebted to the Honorable William Eustis, a highly respectable surgeon in the hospital department during the revolutionary war.

Colonel John Crane, and others.

The mechanics of Boston and its vicinity, may take a just pride in having furnished from their ranks some of the bravest and most useful officers of the revolutionary army, and among them, no one more brave or more useful than John Crane.

In adverting to the sources whence they derived their knowledge of discipline, and of service, our first object is to show from facts and experience, the utility and importance of a well organized militia, and to defend this invaluable institution from the reproaches of the ignorant and assuming, who would sap the foundation of the national defence; and secondly, to inspire the young mechanics with zeal in the military profession, that like their predecessors they may become the able and substantial defenders of their country.

Previous to the war of the revolution, there was in Boston, a company of artillery, commanded by Captain Adino Paddock, by profession a chaise maker. It was composed principally, if not altogether, of the mechanics of Boston, and was distinguished by its

superior discipline, by the exactness of its manœuvres, and the accuracy of its firings. Paddock had tory connexions, adhered to the British, went to England, was consulted repeatedly by the British ministry and was invested with the military command of the island of Guernsey. In this company were raised Colonel John Crane, Colonel, now General Ebenezer Stevens, with others, all of whose names are not recollected. Crane and Stevens were house carpenters, Perkins was a shoe maker, Seward a hatter, Popkins a tailor, Allen a sail maker, Carnes a rope maker, Lillie a cooper, Johnson a painter, Treat a cooper, Burbeck a, Hall a mason, D. Bryant a chair maker, Cook a butcher, Thomas a cooper, and Allen a sail maker.

The greater part of these with others formed a regiment of artillery, not exceeded in discipline, valor, and usefulness by any regiment in service. Crane was made a major in 1775. An uneducated man, he had all the pride and ambition of a soldier. He was constitutionally bold and daring, courting danger wherever it was to be found.

In 1775, when Boston was besieged, his station was in Roxbury. On Boston neck a breast work was constructed, and so soon as cannon could be procured, they were mounted. Crane had the command, spent a great part of his time there, and was never more delighted than when he was permitted to fire on the British entrenchment. Our stock of powder was then small. It was on this theatre that he first displayed an undaunted courage, and a knowledge of the art of gunnery, not often displayed by old artillery officers. He repeatedly dismounted the cannon in the embrasures of the British works, killing and wounding their men. After the evacuation of Boston, he marched to New York. Whenever a British ship of war appeared in the East, or North river, or any firing was heard, Crane was on horseback and galloped to the scene of action. Being reproached on

an occasion when he exposed himself alone, riding through Greenwich street, under the constant broadsides of a passing ship, he replied, "the shot is not cast which is to kill me."

Not long after, a frigate run up the East river and anchored on the Long Island side, near Carlaer's hook. Four field pieces were ordered to annoy her. They were only six pounders. Crane, as usual, was present and pointed the pieces. His sight was remarkably true, his aim was sure. He had from habit and the acuteness of his vision, the faculty of seeing a cannon ball on its passage through the air. A falling shot from the ship he kenned in a direction to strike, as he thought, the lower part of his body, not having time to change his position in any other way, he whirled himself round on one foot, the ball struck the other foot while raised in the air, carrying away the great toe and ball of the foot. Thus ended his usefulness for the campaign. He was afterwards removed to New Jersey, and surviving the perils of a partial jaw lock, so far recovered as to go home on furlough. He returned the next spring and continued in service till the peace. The nature of this work will not allow us to follow him through the remainder of his career, but we cannot refrain from stating a closing anecdote, illustrative of his independent spirit. He had been among the number of those who thought the army had been neglected by the country, and spake as he felt indignantly at the treatment they had received. A board of general and field officers, with two hospital surgeons, were appointed to examine the wounded officers and soldiers in camp at the close of the war, and to report the rate of compensation to which they were severally entitled. A · friend and brother officer who well knew the nature of his wound, waited on Colonel Crane, represented to him that on his return to private life, his activity of mind and body would lead him to some kind of labor, and that having lost the ball of his foot, the

bones would come through the cicatrix and his wound open again, asking the favor of him to walk over, and suffer his foot to be inspected. Stamping the wounded foot on the floor, he replied indignantly, "No, Sir, they never shall say that I eat their bread when I have done serving them."

He entered afterwards on active and laborious business, and prospered for a number of years, met with adverse circumstances, his wound broke out again, he could no longer labor. After many years he came to the friend who had admonished him of the consequences of his wound, and said to him with tears in his eyes, "My friend, I am now a humbled man, you may do with me as you please." He was immediately placed on the pension list, but did not live a year to enjoy his pension.

The important services of Major Stevens, who commanded the artillery under General Gates, in the campaign of 1777, are well known.

There are anecdotes relative to many others of them, illustrative of their bravery in the field, and of their magnanimity and general usefulness during the war, which we have not room to particularize. One however, we cannot in justice omit. David Bryant, bred a chair maker in Boston, and afterwards a lieutenant in the artillery, was a man of small stature, but remarkable for the strictness of discipline which he observed from the earliest period of the war. At the close of the battle of Brandywine, he was hard pressed by the enemy, and was mortally wounded. His men hovered round him to take care of him. He addressed them in the following words. "My lads, it is over with me, leave me, but don't leave the pieces." His words were electric, they saved their pieces and brought him off on the trail. He died in the American camp.

To the above catalogue of worthies, may be added Colonel Paul Revere, his occupation was that of a gold smith. He was a very active and influential