by John V. Lane
CHAPTER XXIV
THE RANGERS SENT AGAINST BURGOYNE
England proposed to snuff out the rebellion that summer of 1777: soshe sent all the troops she could spare and hire, also bribes tosecure the services of the Indians. England must win, though thesavages kill and torture every man, woman and child on the frontier.
General Burgoyne must leave the writing of plays for a time and leadan army from Canada down to New York, and then Philadelphia was to becaptured and the Continental Congress sent a-packing.
Howe is said to have thought the Burgoyne plan unwise, for he knewsomething about war, though frequently too indolent to put hisknowledge into practice. This beautiful month of June he had his armydown in New Jersey, watching for a chance to outwit Washington andseize Philadelphia.
After the first failure, he abandoned New Brunswick and marched histroops back to New York. Here was an opportunity for Morgan's Rangers.They followed Howe's army like a swarm of angry hornets. When tooannoying, the British would turn and drive them back, but, as soon asthe march was resumed, they would return and again sting the rear ofthe column into desperation.
When the Rangers first came in contact with the retreating British thelatter were crossing a bridge. Here was a fine opportunity forMorgan's men, and they used it to the fullest extent. Their bulletslaid many a poor Hessian in the dust, for the aim of the riflemen wasquick and accurate, whereas that of the British was mechanical.
"Ah! Another bee has stung that arm. The redcoats intend to get it, Ibelieve," suddenly cried Rodney.
"Does yer arm feel numb?" asked Zeb.
"No, I guess it's just a scratch. Anyhow I'm going to use it while Imay."
No, our two comrades lost no time examining trifling wounds, whileBritish bullets whistled about their ears. On the contrary, they wereloading and firing as rapidly as possible, and the perspiration wasstreaming down their powder-blackened faces, for the day was hot.
"They are going to support the column; look out for a volley. Git downhere, lie low," and, suiting action to word, Zeb threw himself on thegrass.
A body of Hessians had wheeled about and posted themselves behind sometemporary breastworks, which had been thrown up that morning. "Up andat 'em," was the word, and the Rangers ran forward and threwthemselves on the ground so that most of the volley from the enemypassed over their heads.
"Up and at 'em" again, each time nearer, while flanking partieswere working around toward the rear of the redoubts. The enemybehind the breastworks had the advantage both in number andposition, and held back the Rangers, who had no bayonets and couldnot charge successfully.
"Here comes General Wayne's brigade, now we'll dislodge 'em," shoutedZeb in his excitement, and Bunster stood up and cheered.
"We'll teach 'em that they have to earn their money when they hire outto lick Americans," cried Rodney.
"What's the matter with Bunster!" exclaimed Zeb, for their companionstaggered and pitched forward in a heap, his hands convulsivelyclutching the grass.
"They run, they run, at 'em, boys!" and, with this cry in their ears,Rodney and Zeb charged down on the flying enemy.
Bunster lay face down in the field. How he would have yelled and runafter the retreating Hessians! He had made his last charge, poorBunster! Such a genial fellow; such a kindly, helpful soul, with nofear in your heart! You have done as much as the best and bravest ofthem, and your country can never do as much for you.
At the first opportunity his companions sought him out from among theslain, and laid him in a hastily constructed grave. Zeb's eyes werewet and tears made furrows among the powder stains on Rodney's face.Their hearts would be hardened in the days of war to come, for that isone of war's penalties. What sympathy they might have would be ratherwith those writhing and waiting for death.
"Thar's a heap o' walkin' ahead of the Rangers," was Zeb's greeting ashe returned from a talk with their colonel several days later.
"What is it now?"
"Schuyler an' Gates are howlin' fer more men an' expect Washington tofurnish 'em whether he has 'em or not. Burgoyne's comin' down LakeChamplain with a horde of red devils at his heels, an' the countrypeople up that way don't feel easy about their hair, with the lovelyflag of England wavin' over 'em."
"I just heard a report that the farmers were taking the field. If theydo as well as they did at Bunker Hill, Burgoyne may not have analtogether pleasant summer."
"Thar's too many people in this country who want to be independent ofeverything, even to fightin' whenever and how they please. It's timethey did something."
"Certainly they don't respond very promptly to Washington's call fortroops."
"This war has got to be won, if it's won at all, by armies an' not bya few men shootin' from behind a stone wall whenever the Britishersmarch their way."
"It can't be said that Morgan's Rangers don't respond when calledupon."
"That's right. The country will remember us after we're killed. We'vegot a reputation for fighting already. Two thirds of us 'd rather beat a fight than a feast."
"You among the number."
"Not right. I hate war except when I get in a skirmish, an' then Idon't think about it. I wish the men who bring on war had to do thefightin'."
Howe, twice foiled in his attempts to outwit Washington, had returnedto New York, leaving his antagonist in doubt whether he proposedtaking his army up the Hudson to meet Burgoyne or around toPhiladelphia by sea. During this period of uncertainty, Morgan'sRangers marched to Hackensack and back again. They travelled light,each man lugging his provisions, rations of corn meal and a walletcontaining dried venison. August 16th they received final orders tomarch to Peekskill, and there to take boats for Albany to join Gates'army.
Here at last was something definite, and how the men cheered!Washington was sending his best men to aid Gates because he thoughtthe country needed them at that place. George Washington was a bigenough man to forget self and think only of his country. Gates wasnot, and was to repay his chief for this assistance with treachery.
Rodney never forgot that day when they first came in sight of thebeautiful Hudson. He made some remark about the scenery, when the mannext him in line exclaimed: "Whew! but I'd like plenty of shade treesin my scenery," wiping away the perspiration with his sleeve.
"Ab, you are in as big a hurry to git thar as any of us," saidanother.
"I don't feel right certain about matters after we do. Thar must besome rattle-headed men in charge up in this country; what with fillin'ol' Ty full o' powder an' ball an' then allowin' the Britishers toclimb a hill an' drive 'em out the fort. Thar sure be some folks asthink they're ginerals by grace o' good looks an' lots o' friends.Then some feller, as knows how, comes along an' trees 'em," was Ab'sreply.
A warm welcome awaited the Rangers when they joined the northern army.In fact all along their route they had received admiration and cordialgreeting to their hearts' content. Gates flattered Morgan by arrangingthat the colonel should receive orders only from the general incommand. Quarters were assigned them at Loudon's Ferry, and here theywere joined by Major Dearborn with two hundred and fifty men selectedfrom other regiments. This was pleasing to Morgan, as he and Dearbornhad fought the enemy at Quebec, where both had been taken prisoners.
The Rangers welcomed the recruits heartily, and proceeded to getacquainted. In the midst of this Rodney saw a fine looking fellow, ofabout his own age, clad in the uniform of the Massachusetts militia,run toward Zeb, exclaiming, "I might have known if I could findColonel Morgan I could find you, in flesh or spirit. How are you,anyway?"
"Shades of the Great North, Don, yer face looks good ter me."
Then, after they had shaken hands and patted each other on theshoulder, literally and metaphorically, Zeb, turning to Rodney, said,"Here's Donald Lovell, the lad who found me in a Quebec snowdrift an'saved my life when I was about as fer gone as poor Bunster."
"Easy, Zeb. I don't want to tell all you did for me, there isn't time,but I'm glad to know any one that's your fr
iend."
"You two boys make a likely pair. Ye both really do credit to myjudgment in pickin' ye out. How long ye been here, Don?"
"Only a few days. You've heard about Stark and the battle atBennington, of course?"
"We certain have. He gave those Hessians a sound drubbing if reportsare correct. He was at Trenton, you know. Was disgruntled, because hedidn't get the promotion he wanted, an' went home."
"Lucky he did. He was just the man needed to do that job atBennington. I went as messenger to Portsmouth and heard John Langdon,the speaker of the New Hampshire assembly, pledge his property to fitout Stark. That's the kind of statesmen to have."
"A durned sight better than the majority of those in Congress. Whar isyer Uncle Dick, at home worryin' about ye?"
Donald laughed, and then his face grew serious as he said, "No. Hejoined Stark and I'm the one who is worrying about him."
"General Arnold played a good trick on St. Leger, when he sent thatdecoy messenger to him with the cock-and-bull story about thereinforcements marching to Fort Stanwix bein' thicker than the leaveson the trees," remarked Zeb.
"And wasn't that a glorious fight poor old Herkimer's men made againstthe Tories and Brandt's Indians? That must have been terrible, aregular hand-to-hand struggle. Yes, Arnold is here and many think heshould have the command."
"And I'm one o' the number," said Zeb, stoutly. "That man has morecourage an' energy than the whole Continental Congress. Look at theway he fought in the Canadian campaign! They tell me, though theBritish defeated the fleet of boats he built to oppose 'em on thelake, that no man ever led a braver struggle against greater odds andgot away without bein' captured. He was ready to resign before thisBurgoyne campaign, an' I wouldn't hev blamed him. He doesn't know howto git along without making enemies, for, when he has anything to do,he goes at it hammer and tongs no matter whose toes he treads on, buthe gets it done, by hook or by crook."
"You know, Zeb, that somehow I never had great liking for him, but hecertainly is a brave, resourceful leader. I think he's the mostambitious man in the service."
"He's willing to earn his promotion, which some of 'em wouldn't ifthey knew how. He's earned it ten times over. The men who can dothings are the ones we've got to have to win. One thing, this armyisn't goin' to lack fer men, such as they are, by the way the farmersare comin' in with their old guns and hay hooks."
"Such as they are! Zeb, you're a dyed-in-the-wool Virginian. These NewEnglanders and New Yorkers coming into camp are of the same mettle asthose under Stark and those who died with Herkimer. There are nobetter men in the world."
"Reckon ye better make an exception o' the Rangers. They sent us downhere, when we ought to be with Washington, specially to save youpeople from the Indians."
"Yes, and the day you started, Stark and his New Hampshire andMassachusetts men, with the help of Seth Warner's men, won a victorywhich will result in the defeat of Burgoyne. You Virginians are allright; you have your Washington and Morgan and the Rangers, but don'tcry down the Northern farmers in their homespun. They've had to fightfor a living from the beginning, and, from Lexington right downthrough till now, they've fought for their country."
"Except when they've left to go home and gather their crops. Soldierswho stay in the field till the war's over are the kind that isneeded."
"Excuse me," interrupted Rodney, for the conversation had waxed warm,"but, from what Zeb told me, both Virginia and Massachusetts wereneeded to pull through the wilderness on the way to Quebec."
Zeb laughed and said, "I reckon Virginia and Massachusetts will haveto hang together if we get the job done."
"And if we don't," added Donald, with a laugh, "they'll hangseparately, as Dr. Franklin said of the signers of the Declaration ofIndependence."