“And so you were really there, Mr. Dodge?”

“I shouldn't wonder.”

“I dare say you might tell us some of the particulars
which have not found their way into the newspapers.”

“I guess I could.”

“Have you been long in the Continental service?”

“It's going on for fifteen weeks and three days, more
or less; but I don't recollect very particularly.”

“Come, then, suppose you tell us something about it.
We have nothing better to do this warm evening than to
listen; and I believe you are the only one of the party
who was at Trenton.”

[figure description] Page 174.[end figure description]

The person I addressed was a Yankee. He was attired
in a sailor's jacket and trowsers, but had added to
them a musket and knapsack. He was a little above the
middle height, and apparently a little below the middle
age. He was narrow chested, with a slight stoop in the
shoulders. His complexion was freckled and sunburned.
His features were hard but full of intelligence, not unmixed
with cunning. Furthermore he rejoiced in the
appellation of Welcome Dodge.

We had encamped for the night not far from Bennington,
and in the part of New England then called the
“Hampshire Grants.”

It was the evening of the 14th August, 1777. The
weather was warm and we were seated in front of my
tent. The party consisted of three persons besides myself,
one of whom, Mr. Dodge, has been duly presented.
The two others were a middle-aged man and a very
young one.

The first was Colonel Waldron, an officer of some
standing in the revolutionary army. I had become accidentally
acquainted with him some three months
previous to the time I write of, and since our first meeting
had been almost constantly associated with him.

The other had been that evening introduced to me by
Waldron for the first time. He was Captain Eliot of the
Continental army; a very young man, apparently, and
of slight figure. In the twilight I had not been able to
observe his features with accuracy.

“Only three months then!” said I to Dodge.

“You have been engaged but three months in the
service of the States?”

“Why I can't say,” said Dodge, “that I have not

[figure description] Page 175.[end figure description]

been a little longer in the States' service. But I have
been only about that period of time in this line.”

“What other line have you been engaged in?”

“Well, I've done a good many chores; privateering,
and one thing and another; but 'tis only lately that I've
tried training.”

“And how came you to enlist in the army?”

“Well, you see,” said Dodge, who was not unwilling
to communicate his adventures. “Well, you see, when
I got back to Penobscot, which was my native place, I
found there warn't much doing—those British cruisers
had knocked up the coasting-trade almighty fast—so as I
had nothing to do, and winter coming, and I had got
pretty much down to heel, and didn't know what to do
for a living, I thought I might as well do a little training.
Well, I came up from Penobscot, and when I got to New-York,
who do you think I met?”

“How the deuce should I know?” I replied.

“Well, I met Bill Stimpson himself. I hadn't seen
him since the day we arrived in Portland Bay from the
“Nancy” privateer. After a little while, I told him I
was going to list in the Continental. `Show!' says he.
`Yes, I be!' says I. `Be you for three years or the
whole war, or less time?' says he. `I guess I shall
come it on the whole war!' says I. `There aint much
business doing in my line now at the East, on account
of them British cruisers, and I don't know what I shall
do.' `You don't know nothing about it,' says he. `Do
tell,' says I. `Why,' says he, `I'm going to do a job of
training myself; but I aint so dreadful stupid as to enlist
the whole war, nor for three years neither, which is about
as foolish. It's a great sight more profitable to go as substitute.
' `I want to know!' says I. `Oh, beyond all

[figure description] Page 176.[end figure description]

comparison!' says he. `Now you recollect Davenport;
he's drafted for six months, and I'm going in his place.
He's just married—foolish cretur—and he offered me
forty dollars Continental money and a suit of clothes from
head to foot, besides board and lodgings for the rest of
the year after the term was out, if I'd go for him. So you
see it's about as good a trade as I can make.' `Well
that beats all,' says I; and the next day, squire, I concluded
I wouldn't go for the whole war, and I found out
a fellow who was drafted for the Jersey militia, and was
very willing to buy a substitute; and made him come
down pretty handsome.”

“Well—well,” said I, “I am sorry you had no more
patriotic motive for joining the banner of Washington.
However, let's hear about the battle?'

“Well, you see, as soon as I had concluded my bargain
with Squire Livermore, I went off with Bill Stimpson
who was to serve in the same regiment. When we got
down to camp, Captain Davis came up to us, and told us—
but I expect I might as well tell you Squire, that if you
want to know about the battle of Trenton, I can't say I
know much about it.”

“Why! you were there?” said I, in surprise.

“No, Squire, I can't say I was, not exactly, for I
didn't arrive in camp till the 30th of December, and
General Washington crossed the Delaware the night of
Christmas day, and fought the battle of Trenton on the
26th. However, I got there on the 30th, and I saw the
Princeton fight, and that was no joke I tell you.”

“Well, let's have it, in as few words as possible!”
said I.

“Well, you see the General went into winter-quarters
at Trenton directly after the action. He tried amazing

[figure description] Page 177.[end figure description]

hard to prevail on the N. England troops, whose term
was out on New Year's day, to continue a little longer.
It was pretty hard work, but at last they concluded to
trade. A considerable number agreed to stay six weeks
longer on condition they should have ten dollars a-piece
bounty money. The enemy was considerable powerful
under Lord Cornwallis at Princeton; and General
Washington, expected that he would come over to Trenton
right away to attack him. Well, you see, the day
after New Year's, they hove in sight, and their van
reached Trenton, though there was many of them left
behind. The General thought it was rather poky waiting,
so he backed out across the Assumpinck Creek, because
they were a little too strong for him; and the next
night, he concluded he would march right away to
Princeton, where there warn't quite so many. Well, we
went away in the night without making any noise at all,
and the next morning about sunrise, we had nearly got
to Princeton. However Bill told me he guessed we
should see the British before we got quite into the town,
and I guessed we should too; and sure enough, when
we were within half a mile of Princeton, there came
three or four regiments right down upon us. However,
I cocked my gun and made ready. Captain Davis sung
out to us as bold as a lion. `Dress,' says he to us, `before
you make ready;' and an English captain sung
out, `We'll dress you soon enough, damn your eyes!'
and then they slapped it right into us without waiting
for us to fire first. Two or three men near me tumbled
right over. Bill said he guessed they was shot. I
guessed they was too. It began to look plaguy pokerish,
and so Bill and I dodged behind a stone wall, and
most of the milishy that was in the van began to back

[figure description] Page 178.[end figure description]

out too. When we got behind the wall, we kept ourselves
pretty snug, loaded up the old fowling-pieces, and
blazed away at the officers as they came along.

“You see it warn't possible to take aim in the field,
no way you could fix it, on account of the confusion,
but when we got behind the wall we could take aim as
much as we were a mind to, and 'twasn't reasonable
to be firing away ammunition for nothing. Gunpowder
is plaguy scarce, and it's best to make use of it when
you do fire it off. Well, the militia gave way, and Bill
and I thought it was high time we should get out of the
pickle as well as we could. There was a good many
ugly-looking fellows coming towards us, so I took one
more slap at a regular I saw cutting off to the right, and
then we ran as tight as we could on the road to Trenton.
We met a considerable large body of milishy
about a quarter of a mile from the meeting-house, and
they were cutting off, cause they thought the British a
leetle grain too strong for them. However, General
Mercer came up to them, and said he guessed they'd
better go back and let 'em have it again; and after some
consideration they said they guessed they had. Pretty
soon after that, General Washington came up with the
rear of the army, and he told them they had'nt ought to
run; and we might lick 'em if we were a mind to, just
as well as not. So we all formed a regular column and
went right at 'em. The British line gave way this
time, and then they got it hot and heavy I tell you.
Colonel Mawhood cut his way through our troops and
contrived to save himself, but the others were broken all
to bits. We took three hundred captive, and I guess a
considerable number of them were killed on the spot.

“The next day we went into winter-quarters at

[figure description] Page 179.[end figure description]

Pluckemin. I staid there till my time was up, and just
as I was going away, Deacon Ingersoll of Pluckemin,
asked me if I could make it convenient to serve in place
of his son, Jeroboam, who was poorly in health about
that time. I guessed I could, if he'd make it convenient
to come down pretty well. He guessed he could, and I
thought I might as well go on fighting for another year,
as I had got used to that line of business. Pretty soon
after, our regiment of Jersey troops were ordered to the
north to fight against Burgoyne. And that's all I know
about the battle of Trenton, squire.”

As the respectable Dodge concluded his oration, he
marched off, saying he would see in the morning about
the business I mentioned. I was left alone with my two
companions.

“Now, without any exaggeration,” said Waldron, “it
is of just such stuff that half our troops are made at this
moment. They are brave enough in their way, as you
may judge by Dodge's account of himself, but they are
unwilling to sacrifice gunpowder to discipline; and as
to their patriotism, it is very well till it comes in contact
with profit. You see, this fellow takes up the business
of serving his country, because in the present universal
stoppage of business it is as profitable a job as any he
can get. He finds it, and they all find it, more
to their interest to serve for short periods than for long,
and as long as this infernal system of short enlistment
continues, so long we shall be without an army; and so
long shall we yield to the British.”

“I know no greater proof of Washington's greatness
than this,” said I. “If ever a man was a hero, it is he.
One would think the Devil himself would give up under
such circumstances. His soldiers leaving him at every

[figure description] Page 180.[end figure description]

instant, without even bidding him good-bye. His army
dissolving hourly, like a snowball in Spring; and with
nothing to supply its place but a vote of Congress.”

“And it is for this reason,” said Waldron, “that I
think you have acted wisely in your arrangements. If
every man who possessed the same means had been
equally patriotic, and equally sensible, we should finish
this war in a year. As it is, we must hope. But I have
kept you too long from your couch, Captain Morton; and
it is probable we may have work to morrow.”

“But stay a moment, Colonel Waldron,” said I, “has
that mysterious person made his appearance lately?”

“I have not seen him for a month,” was the answer.
“I have no reason to believe that he is in our camp. If
he should present himself, however, rest assured that I
will immediately inform you of it. Come, Edward.”

The young officer, who had been introduced to me as
Captain Eliot, rose and approached me. His cap was
slouched over his brows, so that I was still unable to distinguish
his features. I extended my hand to both;
they both pressed it warmly.

“I think we shall soon meet again,” said Eliot to
me,—“but here is a paper which concerns yourself. If
I should prove mistaken, it will inform you of many particulars
which concern yourself, and with which you
have been too long unacquainted.”

“Willingly,” said I,—“but stay, you say we shall
meet again, have we not met before? Surely there is
something—”

But they had both gone. I could not divest myself of
the impression that I had heard the young stranger's
soft and gentle voice before.

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