Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary TimesEllis, Edward Sylvester
History
Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary Times
Ellis, Edward Sylvester
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States -- Anecdotes; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Anecdotes
"As soon as the funeral service was finished, and the grave of General
Frazer closed, an order was issued that the army should retreat. My
calash was prepared, but I would not consent to go before the troops.
Major Harnage, though suffering from his wounds, crept from his bed, as
he did not wish to remain in the hospital, which was left with a flag of
truce. When General Reidesel saw me in the midst of danger, he ordered
my women and children to be brought into the calash, and intimated to me
to depart without delay. I still prayed to remain, but my husband,
knowing my weak side, said, 'Well, then, your children must go, that at
least they may be safe from danger.' I _then_ agreed to enter the calash
with them, and we set off at eight o'clock.
"The retreat was ordered to be conducted with the greatest silence, many
fires were lighted, and several tents left standing; we traveled
continually through the night. At six o'clock in the morning we halted,
which excited the surprise of all; this delay seemed to displease
everybody, for if we could only have made another good march we should
have been in safety. My husband, quite exhausted with fatigue, came into
my calash, and slept for three hours. During that time, Captain Willoe
brought me a bag full of bank notes, and Captain Grismar his elegant
gold watch, a ring, and a purse full of money, which they requested me
to take care of, and which I promised to do, to the utmost of my power.
We again marched, but had scarcely proceeded an hour, before we halted,
as the enemy was in sight; it proved to be only a reconnoitering party
of two hundred men, who might easily have been made prisoners, if
General Burgoyne had given proper orders for the occasion.
"The Indians had now lost their courage, and were departing for their
homes; these people appeared to droop much under adversity, and
especially when they had no prospect of plunder. One of my waiting-women
was in a state of despair, which approached to madness; she cursed and
tore her hair, and when I attempted to reason with her, and to pacify
her, she asked me if I was not grieved at our situation, and on my
saying I was, she tore her hat off her head and let her hair fall over
her face, saying to me, 'It is very easy for you to be composed and
talk; you have your husband with you; I have none, and what remains to
me but the prospect of perishing or losing all I have?' I again bade her
take comfort, and assured her I would make good whatever she might
happen to lose; and I made the same promise to Ellen, my other
waiting-woman, who, though filled with apprehension, made no complaints.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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