apology to his
guests, left the table to receive them, and presently returned,
resuming his seat without allusion to the incident. Mrs. Washington
held her drawing-room that evening, and Washington appeared in the
assembly with his usual serenity. At ten o'clock he and his secretary,
Mr. Lear, were alone.] The general walked slowly backward and forward
for some minutes in silence. As yet there had been no change in his
manner. Taking a seat on a sofa by the fire he told Mr. Lear to sit
down; the latter had scarce time to notice that he was extremely
agitated, when he broke out suddenly: "It's all over!--St. Clair's
defeated!--routed: the officers nearly all killed, the men by
wholesale; the rout complete; too shocking to think of, and a surprise
into the bargain!" All this was uttered with great vehemence. Then
pausing and rising from the sofa, he walked up and down the room in
silence, violently agitated, but saying nothing. When near the door he
stopped short; stood still for a few moments, when there was another
terrible explosion of wrath.

"Yes," exclaimed he, "HERE, on this very spot, I took leave of him; I
wished him success and honor. 'You have your instructions from the
Secretary of War,' said I, 'I had a strict eye to them, and will add
but one word, BEWARE OF A SURPRISE! You know how the Indians fight us.
I repeat it, BEWARE OF A SURPRISE.' He went off with that, my last
warning, thrown into his ears. And yet! To suffer that army to be cut
to pieces, hacked, butchered, tomahawked, by a surprise--the very
thing I guarded him against--O God! O God!" exclaimed he, throwing up
his hands, and while his very frame shook with emotion, "he's worse
than a murderer! How can he answer it to his country! The blood of the
slain is upon him--the curse of widows and orphans--the curse of
heaven!"

Mr. Lear remained speechless; awed into breathless silence by the
appalling tones in which this torrent of invective was poured forth.
The paroxysm passed by. Washington again sat down on the sofa--he was
silent--apparently uncomfortable, as if conscious of the ungovernable
burst of passion which had overcome him. "This must not go beyond this
room," said he, at length, in a subdued and altered tone--there was
another and a longer pause; then, in a tone quite low: "General St.
Clair shall have justice," said he. "I looked hastily through the
despatches; saw the whole disaster, but not all the particulars. I
will receive him wit