THE MINUTE BOYS OF PHILADELPHIA [Illustration: “WHICH WAY DID HE GO?”] THE MINUTE BOYS OF PHILADELPHIA BY JAMES OTIS Author of “The Minute Boys of Long Island,” “The Minute Boys of Wyoming Valley,” “Boys of ’98,” “Teddy and Carrots,” “Boys of Fort Schuyler,” “Under the Liberty Tree,” etc., etc. Illustrated by L. J. BRIDGMAN [Illustration] BOSTON DANA ESTES AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS _Copyright, 1911_ BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY _All rights reserved_ THE MINUTE BOYS OF PHILADELPHIA _Electrotyped and Printed by THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, U. S. A._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE SPY 11 II. THE SUGGESTION 33 III. SKINNY BAKER 57 IV. THE RECRUITS 76 V. AT SWEDE’S FORD 96 VI. VALLEY FORGE 117 VII. IN MORTAL FEAR 136 VIII. THE CARNIVAL 156 IX. ON DUTY 173 X. IN THE LION’S MOUTH 194 XI. AT BARREN HILL 213 XII. THE RETREAT 231 XIII. TURNING THE TABLES 249 XIV. A WARM PLACE 268 XV. A NARROW ESCAPE 287 XVI. THE ATTACK 305 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE “WHICH WAY DID HE GO?” (_Page 18_) _Frontispiece_ WE KEPT STRICT WATCH AHEAD AND BEHIND 40 “I COULD KILL YOU AND NOT CALL IT MURDER” 72 “THIS, GENERAL VARNUM, IS RICHARD SALTER” 113 HE FOUND TWO LOBSTER-BACKS GUARDING THE ENTRANCE 144 SCALING THE JAIL WALL 191 IN A TWINKLING JEREMY WAS UPON HIM 258 BUTTING HIM FULL IN THE PIT OF THE STOMACH 296 THE MINUTE BOYS OF PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER I THE SPY In striving to set down what we boys of Philadelphia did during a portion of the time when General Howe and his lobster-backs held possession of our city, I have no intention of blowing my own horn. If, however, it should appear from what I write that I have made myself seemingly of more consequence than is my due, it must be set down as excuse that I am earnestly endeavoring to give a true, faithful account of our work, for some of us lads of Philadelphia did, so we have been told by those who stand high in the American army, very much good for the patriot cause in our own small way. It is needless for me to go into details regarding General Howe’s occupation of the city, for the facts are well known. I question if there be a boy in all these colonies who does not remember how we of Philadelphia suffered when the lobster-backs held possession of the city.