e President's Secretary, he
would take charge of the dispatches and deliver them at the proper time.
The officer made answer that he had just arrived from the western army,
and his orders were to deliver them with all promptitude, and to the
President in person; but that he would wait his directions. Mr. Lear
returned, and in a whisper imparted to the President what had passed.
General Washington rose from the table, and went to the officer. He was
back in a short time, made a word of apology for his absence, but no
allusion to the cause of it. He had company that day. Everything went on
as usual. Dinner over, the gentlemen passed to the drawing-room of Mrs.
Washington, which was open in the evening. The General spoke courteously
to every lady in the room, as was his custom. His hours were early, and
by ten o'clock all the company had gone. Mrs. Washington and Mr. Lear
remained. Soon Mrs. Washington left the room.

The General now walked backward and forward slowly for some minutes
without speaking. Then he sat down on a sofa by the fire, telling Mr.
Lear to sit down. To this moment there had been no change in his manner
since his interruption at table. Mr. Lear now perceived emotion. This
rising in him, he broke out suddenly, "_It's all over--St. Clair's
defeated--routed;--the officers nearly all killed, the men by wholesale;
the route complete--too shocking to think of--and a surprise into the
bargain_!"

He uttered all this with great vehemence. Then he paused, got up from
the sofa and walked about the room several times, agitated but saying
nothing. Near the door he stopped short and stood still a few seconds,
when his wrath became terrible.

"_Yes_," he burst forth, "HERE _on this very spot, I took leave of him;
I wished him success and honor; you have your instructions, I said, from
the Secretary of War, I had a strict eye to them, and will add but one
word_--BEWARE OF A SURPRISE. _I repeat it_, BEWARE OF A SURPRISE--_you
know how the Indians fight us. He went off with that as my last solemn
warning thrown into his ears. And yet!! to suffer that army to be cut to
pieces, hack'd, butchered, tomahawk'd, by a surprise--the very thing I
guarded him against!! O God, O God, 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_!"

This torrent came out in tones appalling. His very frame shook. It was
awful, said Mr.