FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>  
en your array; The spirits of the blest shall smile Upon our deeds to-day. Unfurl the banner of the free Amidst the battle's cloud; Its folds shall wave to Liberty, Or be to us a shroud. O'er those who fall, a soldier's tear Exulting shall be shed; We'll bear them upon honour's bier, To sleep in honour's bed. The maiden, with her hurried breath And rapture-beaming eye, Shall all forget the field of death To bless the victory. The child, O! he will bless his sire, The mother bless her son, And God, He will not frown in ire, When such a field is won. "Good!" exclaimed Kinnison, when the song was done. "That is a war-song of '76, I know." "It is," replied the singer; "and judging from what I have heard you say, it expresses in it the feeling of the period." "A truce to songs and music," said Davenport. "I never was fond of any kind of music but that of the fife and drum, and I never needed that to put me in a condition to stand fire." "You are too gloomy," said Kinnison. "I have had cause enough for gloominess," said Davenport. "But I wanted to talk to you about something--and that was my reason for checking you. You talk so much about the treason of Arnold, and say that he never was a patriot, that I wanted to tell you of another man's treason, not to excuse Arnold, but to show you that he wasn't alone in preferring the British side of the question, and that there were bolder patriots than Paulding, Williams, and Van Wert, the captors of Andre. "We know there were plenty of traitors and patriots in the country without a showing," said Kinnison, "but go on with your narrative." "But this will prove that all censure should not be heaped upon Arnold's head, nor all the praise on the militia-men of Tarry-town," observed Davenport. THE TREASON OF BETTYS. "When the Revolutionary War broke out," said Davenport, beginning his narrative, "there was a man named Joseph Bettys, who lived in Ballston, New York, remarkable for his courage, strength and intelligence. Colonel Ball of the Continental forces saw that Bettys might be of great service to our cause, and succeeded in enlisting him as a serjeant. But he was soon afterwards reduced to the ranks, on account of his insolence to an officer, who, he said, had abused him without cause. Colonel Ball was not acquainted with the facts of the affair, b
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>  



Top keywords:

Davenport

 

Kinnison

 

Arnold

 
patriots
 

Bettys

 

wanted

 

treason

 

Colonel

 
narrative
 

honour


traitors

 
country
 

patriot

 
plenty
 

showing

 

question

 

Williams

 
preferring
 

captors

 

excuse


British

 
bolder
 

Paulding

 

observed

 

service

 

succeeded

 
enlisting
 

strength

 
courage
 

intelligence


Continental

 

forces

 

serjeant

 

acquainted

 
abused
 
affair
 
officer
 

reduced

 

account

 

insolence


remarkable

 

militia

 
praise
 

censure

 

heaped

 

TREASON

 
Joseph
 

Ballston

 

beginning

 

BETTYS