Following Mad Anthony : or, The drums of Germantown

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CteJ^Z

Copyright N°

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Chapter I

“ Sing it again ! Yes, give us the rebel song once more. It’s the best one I’ve heard since I landed in this blasted country. Come, my young fellow, sing it and sing it through.”

“ Yes, let's have it ! It would hang some people, but we’ll see that it brings you no harm.”

Thereupon a young fellow of perhaps seventeen, tall and as straight as an Indian arrow, stepped forward and sang in clear tones as follows :

“ He rides like the wind in its fury and might,

He stops for a moment the foemen to fight,

The men of King George doth encumber the plain,

For they fall like the leaves before Anthony Wayne — Hurrah for Mad Anthony Wayne I

“ He’s mighty and free and he fears not a crown,

He forces the fortress, he storms thro’ the town,

And the king on his throne now is mourning his slain Who lie in the path of Mad Anthony Wayne —

Hurrah for Mad Anthony Wayne !

“ Then drink to the health of this warrior so bold,

Whose deeds thro’ the years will forever be told,

The British turn fighting, they charge but in vain,

O’er the fighting and fallen sweeps Anthony Wayne — Hurrah for Mad Anthony Wayne ! ”

It was a strange time and place for a song like that.

Philadelphia had fallen into the hands of the British. The battle of Brandywine had witnessed the repulse of the Americans, and Lord Howe had taken possession of the city.

There his redcoats revelled and carried matters with a high hand.

No longer was the city under the rule of “ Old Put ” who had attempted to keep the British out, and who had ruled the loyalist Quakers with a rod of iron.

“ Old Put ” was the man for the place and he would have stretched a few necks but for the lenient qualities of Washington, with the result that so long as the Americans held the city, that long did the Quakers foster the spirit of love for the king.

Now, however, the tide had turned, the enemy held Philadelphia,, but Washington was just a few miles outside watching his opportunity, which was soon to come.

The song echoed through a large, high-ceiled room, tenanted by six British officers and the young singer.

They had been having a merry time, bottles and glasses were on the table and, from the hue of the cloth, a good deal of wine had been spilled.

The youth was an excellent singer and his voice went to every part of the room while the officers leaned back in their seats and listened.

This youth, whose name was Ben Markley, delighted to sing the rebel song.

He threw all his soul into it for he was rebel himself — rebel to the core — and it pleased him to throw the hot verses of the ballad into the teeth of the enemy.

“ By Jove ! that's rebel for you ! ” cried one of the redcoats as the last word fell from the singer's lips. “ It's all I can do to listen to it. I trust we soon shall meet this famous Mad Anthony Wayne — this warrior drover — as he is called. He should adorn the first tree we encounter, eh, boy ? ”

Young Markley’s face flushed, but he kept back the reply that leaped unbidden to his tongue.

“ You don't answer me. Come, sirrah, don’t hold back on account of your surroundings. Speak your mind, no matter if we are the men of King George.”

“ Then, let me say that you will have a good time catching Mad Anthony.”

“ Hear that prophecy, will you, men ? ” laughed the speaker in red. “ He thinks we will never get hold of this rebel general, but he will see differently in a few days.”

Ben Markley looked away.

“ Come, boys ! A toast to the king ! And, by the way, we will have our young guest drink the same.”

“ Not I ! ” cried Markley. “ I was not brought here, I trust, to be thus humiliated.”

“ Humiliated ! Just hear him ! Why, it's the highest honor that can be conferred upon any one. 4 The health of the king.’ ” And all rose to their feet with glasses poised in their hands.

“ Pick up your glass ; it’s full ! ” roared the leader of the merry set to the boy. “You’ll get out of this in a moment and ”

“ But I cannot, sir," broke in young Markley. “ I cannot drink the health of your king. He is not mine ”

“ Not yours ? By thunder, sir, you shall drink for those words. Not your king, eh ? We'll see about that.”

Every eye was fastened upon the youth.

But he stood his ground like a hero and did not wince.

“ Pick up your glass and drink ! ” cried the officer again. “ Now or never ! ”

“ Let it be never.”

The youth spoke calmly.

“ The next thing we know you’ll be sneaking behind the heels of this rebel general. Mad Anthony Wayne, eh ? It’s a good name surely, for, from what I’ve heard of him, he must be crazy.”

“ Not quite as crazy as you think,” smiled young Markley. “ Wayne is a good fighter and on several occasions has made your men show him their backs.”

JO

“ This is worse than ever. Now, young sir, you shall drink to the king."

Ben Markley did not move.

He merely looked into the flushed face of the speaker and then for a moment down at the glass.

“ All ready now," cried the toast-master of the little board. “ All ready, I say. Here’s to King George ! May he live to see every rebel in North America dangling from the trees of the forests."

This sentiment was received with yells of delight and glasses were placed at every pair of lips but one.

Ben Markley did not touch his goblet.

“ You carried out your words, I see ! " roared the officer who had taken the matter of Ben’s drinking into his own hands.

“ I could not help doing so."

“ And you will not drink to the king ? "

“ I dare not."

“ Come, that is no excuse. I will not listen to any excuses. You must."

A defiant look came into the youth’s eyes at this.

The other officers saw that their companion was il overheated with wine and did not care to have him embroiled in any way with the young rebel.

The hour was late, for the clocks of old Philadelphia had just tolled off the hour of midnight, and the sentries in the streets below had proclaimed in loud tones, “ All is well."

Ben Markley evidently saw that he was in for trouble with the Britisher, for he stepped back and seemed to brace himself against the wall.

They had picked him up on the street under pretense that he was wanted for a certain purpose when, in fact, they wanted him to sing the song he could sing so well.

Now that he had sung it for them they pretended that he had insulted the king, and wanted to show him how mean a British soldier could be.

The drunken officer looked down the table at their enforced guest, but the boy did not show any signs of fear.

In another moment he turned half-way round and looked toward the door.

“ Don’t let him out, Markern ! ” shouted the officer.

“ He shall not quit this room till he admits that he has insulted the king and makes ample apologies.”

At the same time the officer left his chair and came round the table.

Ben Markley watched him keenly.

“ Here !” cried the soldier. “ I’ll wring your young rebel neck unless you act right. Come, confess that you’ve insulted the king or I’ll carry out my threat.”

He was almost within arm’s reach of the youth and the others were enjoying the scene.

Ben watched the soldier with a good deal of interest, for he felt that in a short time he would have to measure arms with him.

“ You won't, eh ? ” cried the tipsy redcoat. “ Why don’t you go to your rebel general since you think so much of him ? ”

" I may join him soon.”

“ But not until we have dealt with you,” was the reply.

The following moment the officer made a pass at the youth, but missed him and sprawled on the floor.

J 3

His companions set up a loud laugh and gathered round him.

Ben Markley looked on without sympathy.

As the fallen officer staggered to his feet he let out a mad oath and laid his hand on his sword.

His eyes seemed to flash fire.

“ Come, Nolan ”

“ Let me alone. I’m capable of dealing with this young rebel and I intend showing him that he has no right to insult the king of England.”

“ Of course he has no right, but we ”

“ Silence ! ” cried the drunken officer as he struck the table with his fist. “ Now, young sir, apologize to me or, by my life ! I’ll show you what an officer of His Majesty’s army can do when he dons his fighting garments.”

As Ben remained silent the soldier came once more at him and then they met.

It was not the youth’s intention to injure the man, but as he came at him so furiously he was forced to throw out his fist and to strike in self-defense.

This he did as well as he could, and, so well was it

H done, that the soldier measured his length on the floor under a chair.

Silence fell over the little crowd at this and Ben looked up and down the table wondering what would come next.

“ Kill the rebel ! ” shouted a large man at one end of the table.

“ Break his head against the wall ! "

“ Come, gentlemen," said one more moderate than the others. “ Our comrade provoked the youth. He is a little too far gone with wine to-night to listen to a rebel song with calmness. Pick him up there one of you and "

“ And take it out of the young rebel’s hide the next moment ? ”

“ We’ll talk about that later."

Some one stooped and pulled the stricken officer to his feet. He looked around with a stare and indications of a pair of black eyes already in sight.

It was -seen that the young patriot was amused by the officer’s appearance. He just couldn’t help it for the sight was quite comical.

*5

“ Lemme at him,” cried the defeated one as he tried to free himself from his comrade’s grasp to get at Ben Markley. “Jus’ lemme show him that he can't insult King George, that he can’t refuse to drink to his health after singing a rebel song.”

But he was held back against his protestations and Ben was caught by the arm and pulled down along the table.

“ Get out of here at once,” said a voice at his ear. “ You won’t be safe in this room in five minutes. I’ll show you the door.”

Young Markley was escorted to the door by the officer who held his arm in his grip. “ Now get away as soon as possible. You can go to your General Wayne, or to the devil, for all we care, but see that you don’t sing that rebel song too often.”

There were loud voices behind Ben which told him that the redcoats were getting angry as they gathered round the victim of his fist, and he saw that it behooved him to get as far from the party as. possible.

Therefore he looked up into his benefactor’s face as i6 he reached the threshold and a moment later he had stepped out into the night.

The door closed behind him with a bang.

As the young patriot moved down the street he broke into a light laugh :

“ They would have me sing the rebel song and then they got mad about it,” he said to himself. " That’s just the way with those redcoats. But half of them were drunk back there and that accounts in a great measure for their action. Now I will have something to write to Captain Lowry of Washington’s army, and I hope the letter will reach him. My Lord Howe is carrying on with a high hand here and should be curbed.”

With this the youth turned a corner, nearly running into a couple of hilarious fellows on their way home, and in another moment he too had disappeared.

Chapter II

In another part of the city, now under British rule, and at the same time that witnessed some of the events of -the preceding chapter, a man who wore the garb of his religion paced the floor like a man under excitement.

He was large and strong.

His smooth face was indicative of power and concentration and his hands, which were large and scrupulously clean, he rubbed together with manifest impatience.

Every now and then he looked toward the door as if he expected to see it fly open and admit some one.

Nearly everybody in Philadelphia knew Thomas Ferguson, the rich Quaker.

The man was childless, but had a niece who dwelt with him in the fine mansion that stood a little way back of the street, with a grove of elegant trees in its i8 front. Nothing had ever stood between Thomas Ferguson and his desires, so far as money was concerned.

He had all that wealth could buy and all the human heart could wish for.

In years he was not much past fifty and bid fair to reach the allotted threescore and ten.

While he wore the garb of his sect he was not altogether a man of peace.

He had given Putnam a good deal of trouble during that commander’s rule in the city, and it was his boast that he was the first to welcome Cornwallis when he reached the city after the battle of the Brandywine.

Thomas Ferguson was loyal to the king, and on several occasions had given freely of his wealth to assist the cause.

As he paced the room he now and then smiled to himself.

But at the same time he did not forget to watch the door, for he was expecting a visitor, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour.

The last rebel soldier had been driven from the city

*9 and Master Ferguson was wont to say that Philadelphia had seen the last of the Continentals.

At last he caught the sound of footsteps beyond the door and paused.

Some one was on the other side.

Suddenly the door opened and a man who looked like a person of importance stood before Ferguson.

The Tory Quaker held out his hand and welcomed his visitor most cordially.

Then he led his caller to a large armchair with cushioned sides and back and bade him be seated.

“ Well,” began Ferguson, “ and how goes it, my dear general ? ”

“ Everything is more than passing fair,” was the reply, and the speaker smiled in Ferguson’s face. “We cannot hope to meet these audacious rebels very soon, for after the whipping we gave them at the Brandywine they keep their distance.”

General Huston was one of the youngest brigadiers in the British army, a great favorite with Lord Howe, and trusted by Cornwallis.

It was a late hour for the transaction of any sort of business, but he had come to the home of Thomas Ferguson, and it was natural that something of the highest importance had guided his feet thither, else he had remained away.

“ I am glad to hear you say that everything is progressing at a satisfactory rate,” answered Ferguson. “ We must reach out and show these rebels that they are not feared by the king's men. My Lord Cornwallis assured me but to-day that this thing would be done, but, as you know, while we are inactive here, Washington and his rabble may try their hand at a little surprise like they did at Trenton.”

The other laughed.

“ The same conditions, my dear Thomas, cannot obtain the second time.”

“ I'm glad to hear you say this,” returned Ferguson. “ That was a bad affair at Trenton — bad for us, I mean. Who ever heard of such audacity ? Here’s a man with a ragamuffin army half frozen and stretched for miles along the Delaware in the dead of winter. His sentries die on their posts and when they march the snow becomes red with their blood. But this same commander, I say, crosses the river at the dead of night and falls upon our post at Trenton, kills its commander, and takes nearly the whole outfit prisoners. Who ever heard of such a thing, I should like to know?”

“ It was a terrible blow, that's a fact,” admitted Huston. “ You see it was one of those surprises that no one ever dreamed of.”

“ No one but the rebel Washington.”

“ That is true.”

“ Well, and why don't we teach him a lesson?”

“ I think we did that at Brandywine. And we’ve driven the rebel congress out of this city, and it is now in our hands. We have full possession.”

“ That is right, but if we don’t look after this same Washington he’ll be hammering at the gates of Philadelphia.”

“ That can never be ! ” smiled the officer. “ But let us come to the other matter, Friend Thomas.”

“ As you wish. I've been waiting on you for some time.”

“ I was delayed a little on my way thither. I had to stop a while on the street and watch a party of our men on their way home from a night of it."

“ That’s what weakens the king’s army in North America," said Ferguson quickly. “ It is drink and carouse all the time. Why, sir, if Washington could line the roads with liquor and see that it flowed like water in the captured cities he could just lie back and bide his time. It would not be long before he could capture a lot of stupid men in red, for drunkenness is the curse of the British army in this land."

The officer admitted that this was true, nor did he seek to excuse thq, prevailing vice.

“ Now, sir/’ he said, turning the subject, “you are ready to talk to me on the other matter ? *'

" Quite ready, general." a< \Vhere is Mistress Ferguson ? "

“ She has retired."

“ I thought ” #

“ That I would keep her up till after our conference ? I did. not see fit to do this for she is a young lady with delicate nerves and I did not think it proper

2 3 to let her hear my decision until to-morrow. I hope you will pardon my action in this regard, general ”

“ I had hoped to meet Mistress Bess/' put in the British officer, “ and I must decline to proceed further until she has been apprised of my visit.”

The proud Quaker bit his lip and looked away for a moment.

“ It shall be as you wish,” he said, turning to his visitor. “But I will not be responsible for the mood in which my niece appears to-night.”

“ Never mind her mood,” laughed the other. “ She has a right to hear your decision, and ”

“ I must say, general, that she has been of late a good deal irf the company of a young lady who remained in the city after General Putnam withdrew his forces.” ' ~ *

“You mean Mistress Beverley, I suppose?”

“ Mistress Priscilla Beve*rley who came to the city after a certain episode that preceded the surprise at Trenton. It seems that this young woman, who is intensely rebel in her beliefs, came into possession of certain papers which are believed to have been stolen from Colonel Rail at Trenton a few days before the surprise. She was then staying at the home of a friend of the king’s, but when he discovered that she had received those papers he promptly shipped her, and had her escorted to one of our camps where she remained until after the battle of Princeton, when she came to this city.”

“ These fair rebels are not dangerous,” laughed General Huston of the king’s army.

“ To my notion they are to be watched,” was the reply. “ As I was saying, Mistress Bess has been of late a good deal in the company of this fair rebel and, as a matter of course — for the minds of girls run in the same channel, you know — she has about turned rebel herself ! ”

“ Not Mistress Ferguson ? ”

“ The same. I could not check her, though I tried. She is not one of these 4 dangerous rebels,’ but she is sprightly and has ideas of her own.”

“ It is not what I expected, after all the care you have taken with her.”

“ These girls get away from the leading strings early in life and form ideas of their own.”

“ But let us test this young lady. I think I am bold enough to tame her.”

Byron Huston crossed his legs and watched Ferguson leave the room.

“ Turned rebel, has she?” he mused aloud. “ That’s a pretty go now, isn’t it? Just to think of the thing. Here is a young lady not quite out of her teens, the niece of the biggest king’s man in Philadelphia, taking sides with the rebel Washington. And I have bargained for her hand. I wonder why the old fellow sent her to bed when he knew I was coming to-night ? She won’t show any of her newly imbibed rebel spirit in my presence, for she might get a calling down. Funny, isn’t it? Well, Master Huston, you can’t fight for the king all the time without making a little love, therefore you are to be excused.”

By this time a young girl had been aroused from her dreams and told to descend, dressed, to the parlor, at once.

She stretched and looked first at the man who stood on the threshold, but said nothing, only nodding obedience.

She hastily dressed herself by the light of several candles and tripped down the stair.

As the door was thrown by her fair hand General Huston fell back with a cry of surprise, for she stood before him in her fresh beauty which, to say the least, was bewildering.

“ I must apologize for having sent for you, Mistress Ferguson,” he said. “ The hour is late, I know, and you have just been disturbed from your ‘ beauty sleep ’ ; however, I trust you will pardon me, but as this is an important affair in which you are deeply interested ”

“ What ! ” exclaimed the fair one. " Has Washington or Wayne surprised some of the king’s outposts ? ”

“ Far from it,” said Huston. “ We are too sharp for these rebels and they have no chance to steal a march on us.”

“ Of which no doubt you are glad, General Huston.”

“ We are quite ready for them no matter at what

2 7 hour they come. There will be no more repetitions of Trenton, I can assure you, Mistress Ferguson. But let us come to more important matters.”

“ I cannot conceive anything that could be of more importance in your mind than the safety of the king’s army.”

“ There is, I assure you, Mistress Ferguson ; but I must let your uncle talk.”

Whereupon Thomas Ferguson, putting on a grave face which indicated that he was about to say something of great importance, shifted his position a degree and said :

“ My dear niece, knowing that you have reached that age when you naturally look for a protector not connected with the family, I have taken the liberty of helping you to a conclusion in a little matter which cannot be but of the greatest benefit to you and your future happiness.”

*' For which, my dearest uncle, I thank you,” was the response accompanied by a curtsey. “ I fear I have not deserved this attention on your part, but I shall try to feel grateful.”

“ She’s trying to play a little game of her own,” said Huston to himself. “ That’s easily seen, and she has a mind of her own, I take it, besides.”

Meantime Mistress Bess was waiting.

“ In short, my dear child — I will not keep you in suspense — I have chosen a husband for you ”

" For me ? ” and the next moment the young girl had thrown herself into the Quaker’s arms.

Thomas Ferguson, when in certain company, had discarded the “ thees ” and “ thous ” of his sect, and, only when with such people did he make use of them.

“ A husband for me, my dear uncle ! ” cried Bess. “ How kind and clever you are, to be sure ! I never dreamed of such attention on your part.”

Ferguson gently disengaged the arms which had encircled his neck and held Mistress Bess almost at arm’s length.

“ I am glad you take it all in good part,” he said. “ Life is uncertain during these times of turmoil, and when you have been suitably married off ”

“Just listen to him, General Huston!” broke in the girl. “ Did you ever hear of such kindness on a guardian’s part ? A husband for me ! Don’t you think I am to be congratulated ? ”

Huston could do nothing but bow.

“ Now, since you have taken my action so well, my dear Bess,” said Ferguson, “ let me have the pleasure of introducing you to your future husband.”

As he spoke General Huston rose to his feet and the fair girl was turned about until their eyes met.

“ What joke is this and at this hour ? ” cried the young lady. “ Here I am wakened from my beauty sleep and summoned down-stairs to be told that I am to be married. Then I am told also that my welfare is to be placed in the keeping of my friend, Gen. Byron Huston, of the king’s army. But this is a pretty play, my dear uncle. This ”

“ It is no play, Mistress Bess,” put in the astonished Ferguson. “ I was never so much in earnest in all my life.”

“ Truly, uncle dear ? ”

“ Truly, my child. General Huston has been chosen for your husband, but you are to name the day.”

3°

“ How clever ! ” cried the beauty, clapping her hands. “ Then I will name it at once. General Huston, I become your wife when the king of England proclaims the colonies free and forever independent.” She was at the door with her last word. “ Good-night, dear uncle. Good-night, General Huston ! ” and the next moment she was bounding up the broad staircase again.

Chapter III

The following day a youthful officer who was attached to General Wayne's famous “ Legion ” received a letter which he hastily opened.

It was not very lengthy, but he perused it with a great deal of interest.

As it may have excited the reader’s curiosity we give it in full because it is destined to have a bearing on our story and to throw some light on the particular time of which we write.

The letter was dated at Philadelphia, and ran as follows :

“ My Dear Friend :

“ I trust this will reach you, as I send it by private post, for the enemy is ever watchful here and we dare not excite his curiosity too far. First of all about myself since I saw you last after the hard, hot day at Brandywine. You will remember, my dear captain, that I disappeared after the last charge, for I saw that I might be needed in the city. I effected my escape by dogging the footsteps of the Fortieth Foot,

3^ which suffered so much from Mad Anthony’s spirited attacks that day. They did not discover me and I entered the city with them. I have not been very busy since coming back to Philadelphia, but, at the same time, I haven’t relaxed any of my vigilance. We have succeeded in organizing a secret lodge which is known among us as the True Hearts of Liberty. Thus far the enemy remains unsuspicious regarding our order. We have picked up a good deal of information concerning his numbers and plans, and we hope to do still better in the future.

“ Last night I fell in with a lot of roystering fellows in red who took forcible possession of me, and the first thing I knew I was in their midst in a large room on Race Street where they were having a great time with cards and wine. I did not know for some little while why I had been taken to the room, but when they called upon me to sing * Hurrah for Mad Anthony Wayne ' I suspected the truth. Those fellows, all of whom were more or less tipsy, wanted to hear a real rebel song and, as they had discovered somehow that I could sing it with gusto, they resolved to have me do so. I professed a decided disinclination to sing it, but at the same time I wanted to din it into their ears for old times’ sake. It would be a little revenge after Brandywine, I thought.