The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for IndependenceLossing, Benson John
History
The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence
Lossing, Benson John
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
We landed at Schuylerville in the midst of "sun and shower," for the sky
was clear in the west, yet the rain-drops came glittering down
profusely. The Fish Creek, which here has a succession of falls and
rapids for nearly a mile, affording fine water-power for several mills,
was brimful with the showers of the day, and poured its flood, roaring
and foaming, under the canal viaduct with such force as to shake the
solid masonry. It empties its waters into the Hudson about one hundred
rods east of the canal, at the southeast angle of Old Fort Hardy, now
among the buried things of the past. Upon the plain north of the creek,
near the old fort, the forces of Burgoyne laid down their arms; and on
every side of that pleasant village scenes of historic interest lie
scattered. The earth was too wet to invite a sunset ramble, and we
contented ourselves with viewing the beauty of the scene that spread out
before us eastward while loitering upon the upper piazza of the
Schuylerville House.
* I have already had occasion to use the terms Whig and Tory, and shall
do so often in the course of this work. They were copied by us from the
political vocabulary of Great Britain, and were first used here, to
distinguish the opposing parties in the Revolution, about 1770. The term
originated during the reign of Charles II., or about that time. Bishop
Burnet, in his History of his own Times, gives the following
explanation: "The southwest counties of Scotland have seldom corn enough
to serve them round the year: and the northern parts producing more than
they need, those in the west come in the summer to buy at Leith the
stores that come from the north; and, from a word, whiggmi, used in
driving their horses, all that drove were called whiggamores, and
shorter, whiggs. Now in that year, after the news came down of Duke
Hamilton's defeat, the ministers animated their people to rise and march
to Edinburgh, and then came up marching at the head of their parishes,
with unheard-of fury, praying and preaching all the way as they came.
The Marquis of Argyle and his party came and headed them, they being
about six thousand. This was called the Whiggamore's inroad, and ever
after that all that opposed the courts came, in contempt, to be called
Whigg; and from Scotland the word was brought into England, where it is
now one of our unhappy terms of distinction." Subsequently all whose
party bias was democratic were called Whigs. The origin of the word Tory
is not so well attested. The Irish malcontents, half robbers and half
insurgents, who harassed the English in Ireland at the time of the
massacre in 1640, were the first to whom this epithet was applied. It
was also applied to the court party as a term of reproach.-See, also,
Macaulay's History of England, i., 240.
Beautiful Evening Scene.--Commencement of Burgoyne's Retreat toward
Saratoga.--His Retreat anticipated by Gates.
072
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