Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker: Sometime Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on the Staff of his Excellency General WashingtonMitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
History
Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker: Sometime Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on the Staff of his Excellency General Washington
Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
Quakers -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
Says Jack, “October 15.--I can never cease to be thankful that, when we
had them driven like seared sheep into the far side of the redoubt,
I ran back to see what had become of Hugh. It was but a minute I had
missed him, and when I saw him slip I had only just time to catch that
devil Arthur Wynne’s blade. He was used in old days to play with me like
a child, but either I am become more skilful or he was out of practice,
for I knew pretty soon that he was delivered over to me, and had small
chance to get away unhurt. If my friend had killed him,--and that was
what he meant, I fear,--would Darthea ever have married Hugh? I know
not, but it has been ordered otherwise. There was indeed a way opened,
as Friends say. A nice Quaker I am become!”
I was not of his opinion that night. Just before reveille I fell into a
broken slumber. I awakened in a sweat, having dreamed that I had put a
sword through my cousin, and was troubled that Jack was to tell Darthea.
Thus it came to my mind--dulled before this with anger and unsatisfied
hate--that I had made a fortunate escape. The morning brought wisdom. I
was beginning to think that all was not well between Darthea and Arthur
Wynne, and that to kill him would do anything but add to my chances with
a woman so sensitive, nor would it much improve matters that his death
had come out of the unhappy chances of war.
When in happier mood I began to dress at dawn, I found my left arm very
stiff and sore. I must have been much distracted overnight not to have
felt it, and not to have seen that I was seriously bruised; my breeches
were starched stiff with blood from a bayonet-prick. Jack’s quarters
were on the extreme right, and as soon as the lines broke after morning
drill I rode over to find him.
He told me that Dr. Bush was come to camp the day before with other
surgeons, and that Arthur was in a tent and cared for by our good
doctor, who informed Jack that his sword had traversed the right lung,
but had not gone through, as it seemed to me it must have done. The
doctor thought he might possibly get over it. Out of his affection for
my aunt he would see that Arthur had such care as she would desire for
one of her kin, but was it not a most unfortunate accident?
“I assured him,” said Jack, “that it was most lamentable, but might have
been worse--as I intended it should be,” added Jack, with a grin. He
then asked me had I heard of that good Free Quaker, Colonel Forest, who
had taken Major Campbell, saying, “I advise thee to surrender, or thou
wilt repent it, d--- thee!” to the delight of Hamilton, who must tell
his Excellency that night, having supped with him on his return.
I made haste to write to my aunt, and was able to send our letters North
with the general’s despatches to Congress. I said nothing of my own
encounter with Arthur, but made mention of Jack’s affair as one of the
chances of war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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