Memoirs of his own time. With reminiscences of the men and events of the revolution

FEMALE SOCIETY LOVE. 81

But the peril of fine eyes, was not the only one which beset me. During my residence in the State-house, I had contracted an intimacy with the second son of Doctor Thomas Bond, who lived next door ; a connexion Avhich continued for several years. He was perhaps a year older than myself, and had, in like man- ner, abandoned his studies, and prematurely bidden adieu to the college of Princeton. Handsome in his person, in his manner, confident and assured, he had the most lordly contempt for the opinion of the world, that is, the sober world, of any young man I have known ; as well as a precocity in fashionable vices, equalled by few, and certainly exceeded by none. Admiring his talents

DRAMATIC POETRY. 89

The only project I embraced which promised advantage to me in my profession, or indicated a serious design to pursue it, was my joining a society of young men, instituted for the purpose of disputing on given subjects, as well as of reciting passages from the English classics. It chiefly consisted of law students, though there were some among us who were designed for the pulpit; and the members were generally such as had obtained degrees in the seminaries either of Princeton or Philadelphia. The first question in which I was appointed to take a part, was that very hackneyed one, " Whether a public or a private education is to be pre- ferred." There were two on each side ; and our reasonings were reduced to writing and read in full assembly, where the president pro tempore made his decision. I soon discovered that the argu- ments I had to reply to, though proceeding from one of high reputation for scholarship, had been borrowed almost Avord for word from Rollins's belles-lettres. Restrained by delicacy from exposing the plagiarism, I answered them as well as I could from my own resources, and had some allowances made me, since it had become pretty well known, that Rollin was my real antago- nist. In fact, my opponent would hardly have ventured to put himself so much in my power by stealmg from so common a book, had he not calculated pretty largely on my unacquaintance with any books. It next fell to me to propound a question ; and having not long before met with one in a magazine which was suggested as a curious subject of investigation, I submitted it to the assembly. It was, "Whether there be most pleasure in the reception, or communication of knowledge." As proposer of the question I had the choice of my side, as well as the conclusion Qf the argument; and I declared for the "communication." As

VOLUNTEER COMPANIES. 123

* John Cadwalader was, subsequently to this period, appointed Colonel of one of the City Batt^-lions, from which rank he rose to that of Brigadier-General, and was entrusted with the command of the Pennsylvania troops in the Winter cam- paign of '76 and '77. He acted in this command, and as a volunteer, in the Battles of Princeton, Brandy wine, Gcrmantown, Monmouth, and on other occa- sions, and received the thanks of Washington, wiiose confidence and esteem he alvvaj's possessed. He was appointed to command one of the divisions into which the army was separated when Washington determined to attack the enemy at Trenton ; but in consequence of the ice in the river, neither he nor Cccneral Irvine, the commander of another division, could cross the river in time. But, the day after Washington's return, he effected the passage, supposing him still on the Jersey side, and pursued the vanquished enemy to Burlington. In 1778, he was appointed by Congress, General of Cavalry — an appointment which he declined on the score of being more useful in the station which he occnpied. He died Feb. 10, 1786, in the 44th year of his age. — Ency. Amer. — Ed.

BARON WOEDTKE. 139

the concealment of the treasure, so far as might consist with the requisite vigilance. At Princeton, where we dined on the second day of our journey, we thought proper to have our bags brought into our room. The inn-keeper, like the generality of his profes- sion, was loquacious and inquisitive; and being an extremely good whig into the bargain, took the liberty of sounding us re- specting the contents of our bags, of which he had formed a very shrewd guess. We did not think it necessary to deny that they contained money, or to conceal from him the object of our mis- sion, which he was equally desirous of knowing. Upon learning that the destination was Canada, he entered into a dissertation upon our affairs in that quarter, telling us among other things, that the Prussian General, the Baron Woedkie, had been a few days before at his house, on his way to that country. But he reprobated the Baron in very hard terms, repeatedly exclaiming with a most significant emphasis, that he was no general ; and in the sequel, favouring us with his reasons for this opinion, gave us to understand, that he (the Baron) had made his servant grease with a feather a certain part, to which he gave its very coarsest appellation, that had suffered from the friction of riding. Whe- ther our host had become acquainted with this circumstance by looking through a key-hole, or by what other means, we were not informed, but its unlucky effect upon him, convinced me of the justness of the observation, that no man is a hero to his valet de chanibre. This same Baron it was, who, finding liberty, one day, the impassioned theme of some members of Congress and others, exclaimed — Jlh, liber dy is a fine ding ; I likes liber dy ; der koenig von Prusse is a great man for liherdy! and so no doubt lie was, for his own liberty or importance as a member of the Germanic body; and it might puzzle many a flaming demagogue to show a better title to the character.*

SUPERNUMERARY OFFICERS. 319

The bitter animosity of General Lee* to the Commander in Chief after the affair of Monmouth, is well known. There were not wanting a good number, who thought he had been hardly dealt with ; and, with these, added to many that had real or imaginary grounds for discontent, and the still greater number, who already saw in Washington a character and influence, which might give a check to the democratic career they had in contem))lation, he was in hopes of being able to form a party. About this time, being in Philadelphia, I had the pleasure, one day, of meeting my old friend Edwards in the street. He was now the aide-de-camp of General Lee, with the rank of Major. He was lavish in the praise of his General, whom he spoke of as one with whose conversation, abounding with wit and in- struction, I could not but be delighted ; and proposed taking me to dine with him that very day. While we were yet upon his

THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.

THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.

THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.

The Editor is indebted to Mr. Sparks' edition of the " Life and Writings of Washington," for the following interesting par- ticulars concerning General Charles Lee, and the Battle of Monmouth : —

CHARGES AGAINST GENERAL LEE.

The court-martial was convened on the 4th of July, consist- ing of one major-general, four brigadiers, and eight colonels. Lord Stirling was president. The court sat from time to time till the 12th of August, when they declared their opinion, that General Lee was guilty of all the charges, and sentenced him to be suspended from any command in the armies of the United States for the term of twelve months. The testimony of the trial was extremely full, and it exhibits a minute detail of the operations in the battle of Monmouth. Congress approved the sentence of the court-martial, by a vote of thirteen in the affirmative and seven in the negative, and ordered the Proceed- ivgs of the court to be published. — Ed.

LODGING HOUSE SLATE-ROOF HOUSE. 63

might, from the hand of a good delineator, be both curious and amusing. Among these, were persons of distinction, and some of no distinction : many real gentlemen, and some, no doubt, who were merely pretenders to the appellation. Some attended by servants in gay liveries ; some, with servants in plain coats, and some with no servants at all. It was rarely without officers of the British army. It was at diffei ent times, nearly filled by those of the Forty-second or Highland regiment, as also by those of the Royal Irish. Besides these, it sometimes accommodated officers of other armies, and other uniforms. Of this description, was the Baron de Kalb, who visited this country probably about the year 1768 or 1769 ; and who fell a major-general in the army of the United States at the battle of Camden. Though a German by birth, he had belonged to the French service, and had returned to France, after the visit just mentioned. During our revolu- tionary contest, he came to tender us his services, and returned no more. The steady and composed demeanour of the Baron, bespoke the soldier and philosopher ; the man who had calmly estimated life and death, and who, though not prodigal of the one, had no unmanly dread of the other. He was not indeed a young man ; and his behaviour at the time of his death, as 1 have heard it described by Mons. Dubuisson, his aid-de-camp, was exactly conformable to what might have been supposed from his character.*

LADY MOORE. 65

colonics, in order to learn the ])oints in which they were most vulnerable, and how far the seeds of discontent might be sown in tliem towards tlie mother country. He was seized, wliile in the performance of his commission, as a sus- pected person, but escaped detection. He then went to Canada, where he re- mained until its conquest by the British, after which he returned to France. In 1777, during the war of the revolution, he came a second time to the United States, and offered his services to Congress. They were accepted, and he was soon after made a major-general. At first he was placed in tlie northern army, but, when the danger which threatened Charleston from the formidable expedition under Sir Henry Clinton, in 1778, rendered it necessary to reinforce the American troops in the Soutii, a detacliment was sent to them, consisting of the Maryland and Delaware lines, which were put under his command. Before he could arrive, however, at the scene of action. General Lincoln had been made prisoner, and the direction of the whole southern army devolved upon the Baron, until the appoint- ment of General G^tes. On the 15th of August, Gates was defeated near Cam- den by Lord Rawdon, and, in the battle, De Kalb, who commanded the right wing, fell, covered with wounds, while gallantly fighting on foot. A tomb was erected to his memory, by order of Congress, in the cemetery of Camden. — Ency. Amer. — Ed.

GENERAL WILLIAMS COLONEL ALLEN. 243

guislicd himself in the disastrous battle of Camden. Previous to the disband- mcnt of the army, Congress made him a Brigadier-General. He died in 1794. —Ed.

GENERAL MIFFLIN. 299

He settled in Virginia, where, at tlie commencement of the war of the Revolu- tion, he received from Congress the appointment of Adjutant-General, with the rank of Brigadier to the army assembled before Boston in the first campaign. After the capture of Burgoyne, when the popularity of Gates, in consequence of this good fortune, was at its height, " intrigues were commenced for elevating him to the station occupied by Washington, which were as shameful as tiicy were un- successful." How far he was engaged in them it is not now possible to determine. In June, 1730, Gates received the Chief command of the Southern army, and when about to leave Virginia for the south, "his old acquaintance, General Charles Lke, waited on him to take leave, and pressing his hand, bade him bear in mind, that the laurels of the North must not be exchanged for the v\illow of the South." He was defeated by Cornwallis, at the battle of Camden, on the IGth of August. He died on the 10th of April, 1806, in the 78th year of his age." — El).