{ title: 'Washington County news. volume (Whitehall, N.Y.) 1871-1873, August 12, 1871, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031734/1871-08-12/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031734/1871-08-12/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031734/1871-08-12/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031734/1871-08-12/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Adirondack Museum
+ « Loew ne P ~ +4 ~R % & « (THE New- york 5mm LIDAR] \ e-ov TOL. 1 \ but happy home. [COPYRIGHT SECURED.1 L mmwmfimm A TALE OF THE SHIP FEVER Times. CHAPTER XVIII. readers may remember a con_ wersition that took plicse in the Q emigrant hovelon the wharf, which swe hid cccasion to relate in our second chaper. From certain expres- sicus which then fell from the lips of EKrthleen's mother he may have caught an InkZing of thatwhich {6 now becomes our duty to record. Bho plainly intimated at that time, thatin emigrating to this country, her hubard hid been actuated by different and more powerful motives, than those whichusuilly prompt tho anlnppy ohil- «lich 0% Erin, to hid adicn to the land of tholw bath Something like tro popu-] Ior freling which is now turning the stops o€ thousands towards tho Califor- nin coast, nllured him from his humble Visions of sudden wailth had long foated through bis fin- cy, until at last gathering togother his houschold goods, with a rejoicing heart Aho departed from the spot where his youth was passed, and where the bones of his Sathers slept. How suddenly those goiden hopes ere blighted - how the pestilonce which smisthen stalking through the earth * sought him on the waters and breathed its poison upon him- how they suffered #rom want and sickness, and begged their bread, and wera the poorest of the por- all of this and more, those who mivafolioned us Thus far, mo already farlliar. In order to ascertain the cause which led to such a disastrousse- vics of misfortunes, it is necessary togo baik again to those early times, when SBkemesborough was but a little settle- went im tho wilderness, and Sir Philip ~ Skone its mhng mhterspitit; | In the army which hccompmnéfi Goh, . Burgoyue to\ America in 1777, wit i brave young Irishman, whose bithplite wis ore the banks of the river Shanuon. On various occasions he had exhibited evidences of intelligence and faithful nes; so much so thithe had attracted tlhe marked attention of the Command» erinChicf He wis just suchnperson as one would select to perform a serv- ico requiring shrewness faid courige. 6, ._ avis of his qualities, Burgoyne, loig Li Boore his irmy had reached the front- zerg of Camads, called him into Ins pres-\ encoand lid before him a propdsxhon | which he was desirous some ong, in whoso fidelity f he could trast, wéfilflgqé- cept. Producmgn mike A Le ecplaingdito bi - | prmuking dmpaign; x, was to Feat s6 atéy-| ning. when hexeac’hea its A few rude. E v e; dr logs, |epeech of dingular enerxy, cilculated to a junction with the army of t] before the Americans would 4 . south; e timé him. - But it was aquestion he hal not yet defermined, whetHer it would be better to push ' forward through the | country to the southward.of Skeencsbo- reugh, or turn to the rightit Ticondero- ga, ombark upon the water 'of the Hor- icon. In order to decidso satisfactorily to himself which course wis the most advisable, ho stated that xt vas necoisary he should hivo acourato information re- Intive to tho dountry Iying loeween Fort Edwar and the hceadwalirs of Loke Champlain, and especially hows far Wood Creek was navigable for Iitterouxm It would be a long and dangoous journey, he obs#Eved, yet, if he accomplished it, he should be munificently rewarded. Unhesiptingly, the offer vas necopted, and the soldioe . set about making preparations to dopirt. - When all was ready Burgoyne hinded him a letter directed to Phillip Skee us,; it the samo time informing him that in his house he would find comportable quar- ters while making explorations in its vi- .cinity. | 'The letter, after introducing favorable consideration, wont on fosinte the information he was desirable of ob- tuining, and concluded with many cour- teous expressions of commundation, for the botd stand which Skeeno had taken in favor of his King,promiging he would surgly remember those whow loyalty re- mained unslhanken in such rebollions times. We cannotnow linger to recount the numerous adventures the soldier met with on hisjourney. times he \thought bimsaif remraed vith suspicion by the Americans; and the spirit they exhibited -hurling such fiorcee defiance soon teught hm that his General had come to battle withno triling enomy. He found it necessity to his safely .to avoid the moré public ways, and accord- ingly. day after day, he pursued bis sol- itary coursenmndermg over bigh moun-, . wilderness, Which thd foot of civilized man never trod Hefore. ~ At length, after many wary days, he, came in. sight of the Httle sittlement - of Skeenes’borough. It was lowards ove as speedily as possible in oder to form- to assemble a sufficient form to oppose. the bearer, and recommending him to ngoinst Great Britain and her armies-' tains, and “Waugh silent places in the | > WIHITEHALL, X. Y., SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1871 W618 seated about then: door-ways en- joying the pleasant air of June, after the toil of the day was over. Bome wore smoking, others plying with little chil- dren on the green sward, while a group gathered mound the door of the - village mill, were discussing the subject of the ware wien m, without stop- he proceeded G@Wirsctly towird the for- midable fort-like mansion on the cast side of the Creek, It was not long be- Tore a huge door swung back on its grat iron hinges, and entering through it, the tired emissary of Burgoyne found himself among congenial spirits in <the \ house of Phillip Skeme. \se fiitlinftercacquaintance of the Int tor with that section of country between the river ind the like enabled him at once to impart to the stranger all the in-\ formation ho could desire Neverthe- less a week or mors was spent in cxam- intion ; and the traveler nny ye$ see to the southward of Fort Anu, the romains of the old log road over which passed the army of Bargoyne in his memorable murch towards Syatoga. They little thought while exploring the route which Bunlly selected; tho obstructions { the baraoits-rrees-of- them nition; with- which the patriotic and horpfe Be afterward throw across it; nor that in consequence of the delay\ in penetrating those almost impassable barriers, would follow tho defeat and disgrace of the royal cause Had Burgoyne, after the occupation of Skemesborough, instead doflles, have rsturned innmediately to Fi- conderoga, and embarking his army up- on Lake (George hitened to Fort Will- inm Henty, wher a broad open road ff befors him to Fort Eaward, the glo- rious vicory of Samtoga would not have adorned our annals, «ad it is moxe than possible the struggle for liberty would have beenin vain. While Skeene and his now acquaint ance were thos engaged, the Royal army was zmpidly edvancing. The Intter was anxious to return, and in chedience to an intimation fm theletter he received, the formerconciluded to accompany him. Ao ocrdingly they sot out together, tik wg nearly the sams route the soldicr{i hut previougly traveled over. They hd ascertained that the British commandor intended tonssemble his Indian allies near the month of the Boquet river, and for certain reasons of his own, gave thora a grind war feast, in complignee with theircustoms. Thitherward, there fore. they directed their steps, and tn 'the third day after their departure came. \in sight of the Eriglish camp. It was on an plain that slopedvgradunl- ly to the Inka shoré, not Tar eastward fron the spot whiers the little village of be mtnessed on that shore such a scene as was there exhibited on the 25th of June, 1777. As Steeno and his com- ads entered the eamp, Burgoyne, stand- mgm tho midst of his barbarian Con- gress, was nddreasin; the sivages in a. deftcite-theirardor in the common-cause. ; ' At the same time, through fear thatit * ping to mike obsavations of Inquiries, | «calp none but those who fell with t R of ontfingling himsolfin those dangerous | Willsborg now stifds. Never again will | N0 22. might reflect Mono» upon the British arms, he waned thm to commit no f unnecessary oruelty, He represented . # to them that in the country thiaMere ao, it # about to conquer, the faithfyl-wore in- Ca 5 fermixed with roboly, andtmibord mm \. friends. A murmur of discontent was - ~ _ f is he enjoined 'npon then ta ~ j nse. in the\:fards} butit soon. ohmsefi‘infio ~ expressions of satisfaction. when he di- 4 ~ Inted upon the rewards awaiting then, if they should prove themselves obedi- ent to his commands, and-bo brave and terrible in battle. - . de When he had concluded. at a signal <2 from the chiofs, they began cirling round and round with uniform 'find Inaugural ntop, After a time they oungmenced singing the wild wat songs oftheir race, | sinking to a low and mourn- E fal tone, then rising higher ind higher, f to the extent of their voices; - ‘8uddonry : the woods resounded with the' war- +3 whoop, and cach ond, quick is thought,. . assumed an attitudo as if he was about ~~ to strike an More thin a thou- sand sivages were present at that mom- orable council, and as they performed huy oflfflxbit tommalhawké in their uplifted # a hands, their faces rendered hideous by \ul war paint, and theit force mreams and ~.. shoutings filling the air. they appeared | Phots. more like an army of fends from the in- fernal realms, than beings of flesh and _. blood, F Even the hired murderers undorKRoid- > k: sel, gazed upon the scone with astonislip - ment and awe; and Burgoyns himsélf; . could not repress a compunctiqus feeling, when he thought of lolting Iooss such hu» man blood-houns to kill and ravage and lay waste. However, he had succeeded in the purposa he had in view, which was to infuse into the breast f of these Fudo children of tho forest, m =~ desp hatred of the people ho was calle to combat, mnd any thoughts of 11:me which hoe might for a momentiiaveenter- _- AH tained, were soon forgotten in the pur. |_ - N suit of his ambitious designs, \~ WW , at The result or the soldier's expedition. -.. .z \wan Taly Commnnimted to bim, andthe - < ole manner in which be had performéfi it' - % met his entire approbation; That mghtw R Burgoyne and Phillip Skeens sat long together in the Cencral'g tent,. earnestly engogeéd in poreing over map. and pgc , . 'pers, and discussing the prospects that sol se C were opening before them. And most probable it is, that at that mimaw 1b, 2k\ was determined to lead thamyforwxmi C ~ - <ald [by the way -of Fork Arin-n determing: *, ~. g' ition which proved tatal to His hope;and | >.< \ g happdywi‘or the cause of Froedom and - tho rights: of man, turned out to be \the A f 'rock no: which be split\\ - ' -s It is foreign to our purposito speak of . -.. «id events whichimmediately followed the - < | Endian war-feast on the- banks of-the - 'Boqust. They afs recorded j# the ols j Nation's history, and. will be. read by - © s succeedinggenerations after the; 'battie- ~ i a mients of Crownpoint 'aud . Tlconderoga 'have: crumbled into dast, andas long as ,f tfie gabemf Bake‘GhampImn shall“ . Al P
