40 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



INSCRIPTION IN A HERMITAGE. 

 Beneath this stony roof recliiiM, 

 I sooth to peace my pensive mind : 

 And while, to shade my lowly cave, 

 Embow'ring elms their umbrage wave ; 

 And while the maple dish is mine, 

 The beechen cup, unstain'd with wine ; 

 1 scorn the gay licentious crowd, 

 Nor heed the toys that deck the proud. 



Within my limits lone and still. 

 The blackbird pipes in artless trill ; 

 Fast by my couch, congenial guest, 

 The wren has wove her mossy nest ; 

 From busy scenes and brighter skies. 

 To lurk with innocence, she flies; 

 Here hopes in safe repose to dwell, 

 Nor aught suspects the sylvan cell. 

 At morn I take my custom'd round. 

 To mark how buds yon shrubby mound ; 

 And ev'ry opening primrose count 

 That trimly paints my blooming mount: 

 Or o'er the sculptures, quaint and rude, 

 That grace my gloomy solitude, 

 I teach in winding wreaths to stray 

 Fantastic ivy's gadding spray. 



At. eve Tvithin yon studious nook, 



I ope my brass embossed book, 



Pourtray'd with many a holy deed 



Of martyrs, crown'd with heavenly meed : 



Then, as ray taper waxes dim. 



Chant, ere I sleep, my measur'd hymn ; 



And, at the close, the gleams behold 



Of parting wings bedropt with gold. 



While such pure joys my bliss create, 

 Who but would smile at guilty state ? 

 Who but would wish his holy lot 

 In calm Oblivion's humble grot ? 

 Who but would cast his pomp away. 

 To take ray staff and amice gray ; 

 And to the world's tumultuous stage 

 Prefer the blameless hermitage ! 



From the Providence Journal. 



B.ATTLE OF BENNINGTON. 



The following account of the bMttte of Ben- 

 nington, is extiMCted from Tlincher's Journal. 

 As the battle was one of the most sanguinary and 

 decisive that was fought during our revolution, 

 the narrative of it must be interesting to every 

 description of readers. The account is not, 

 however, so precise and distinct as could be 

 wished, but it has the happy effect of introducing 

 the reader to a knowledge of the slate of our 

 soldiery, at that eventful period. ^ 



" It was a providential circumstance that Gen. 

 Stark, was at or near Bennington, with about 

 eight hundred New England militia, part of 

 whom being from the New Hampshire grants, 

 were called Green Mountain boys. He ad- 

 vanced towards the enemy to reconnoitre their 

 position, and some skirmishing ensued, in which 

 thirty of them, with two Indian chiefs wore 

 killed and wounded, with little loss on our side. 

 Col. Baum, alarmed at his situation, despatched 

 a messenger to Burgoyne for a reinforcement. 

 The 15th being a very rainy day, there was only 

 some skirmishing in small parties. On the 16th 

 Genera! Stark, assisted by Col. Warner, ma- 

 tured his arrangements for battle — he divided 

 Jiis troops into three divisions, and ordered 

 Colonel Nichols, with two hundred and fifty 



men, to gain the rear of the left wing of the 

 enemy, and Col. Hendrick, the rear of their 

 right wing, with three huntlred men, while he 

 attacked their front. — The Indians alarmed at 

 ihe appearance of being surrounded endeavored 

 to make their escape in a single tile between 

 the two parties, with their horrid yells and jing- 

 ling of cow-bells. The flanking parties ap- 

 proaching each other in their rear, and Gen. 

 Stark, making a bold and furious onset in front, 

 a general and close conflict ensued, and con- 

 tinued with more or less severity for about two 

 hours. Though Col. Baum had nearly twice 

 their numbers, and was defended by breast 

 works, the force opposed them proved irresisti- 

 ble, forcing their breast works at the muzzle of 

 their guns, and obliging them to ground their 

 arms and surrender at discretion, so that the yic- 

 tory on our part was complete. We took two 

 pieces of brass cannon, and a number of priso- 

 ners, baggage, &,c. This was no sooner accom- 

 plished than Col. Breyman, with one thousand 

 German troops, arrived with two field pieces, 

 to reinforce Col. Baum, who had just been de- 

 feated. Gen. Stark's troops were now scatter- 

 ed, some attending the wounded, some guarding 

 the prisoners, and still more in pursuit of plun- 

 der — and all exhausted by extreme hunger and 

 fatigue. At this critical moment Col. Warners 

 regiment arrived and the other troops being 

 rallied the whole was ordered to advance.— 

 A tield piece had been taken from Baum in the 

 forenoon and Stark ordered it to be drawn to 

 the scene ef action, but his men having never 

 seen a cannon knew not how to load it, the Gen 

 eral dismounted and taught them by loading it 

 himself. An action soon commenced, and prov 

 ed warm and desperate, in which both sides dis 

 played the most daring bravery, till night ap- 

 proached when the enemy yielded a second time 

 in one day to their yankee conquerors. The 

 German troops being totally routed, availed 

 themselves" of the darkness to effect their re- 

 treat. The whole number of killed, wounded 

 and prisoners, was nine hundred and thirty-four, 

 including one hundred and fifty-seven tories — 

 of this number, six hundred aud fifty-four are 

 prisoners. Col. Baum rece.ved a mortal wound, 

 of which he died. Besides the above, one thou- 

 sand stand of arms, four brass field pieces, two 

 hundred and fifty dragoon swords, eight loads of 

 baggage, and twenty horses fell into our hands. 

 The loss on our side, was not more than one 

 ' hundred in the whole." 



ANECDOTE— Selected from Thacher's Journal. 



" General Washington seldom smiles; I never 

 saw him laugh but once; it was after the pre- 

 i liminarics of peace were signed, and at a Yankee 

 story told by Dr. Thomas. There is not, per- 

 haps, another man who can boast of exciting 

 laughter in general Washington." 



This is a mistake. Another gentleman who 

 was often near his person during the revolu- 

 tionary war, in important public functions, and 

 who was then and is, one of the greatest wits of 

 the age, excited him to laughter, almost at will, 

 and that by original pleasantry much superior 

 to the aiicienl story of Dr. Thomas. 



The adieu between General Washington and 

 the principal officers of the army, who met 

 at a tavern, to take a final leave of him after the 

 war, exhibits him in a mood that exalts his char- 

 acter as much as the grave e(|uanimity which 



he displayed in battle and in the midst of th' 

 most complicated difficulties and dangers. 



" Filling a glass ; he turned to the officers an 

 said — • With a heart full of love and gratitude 

 I now take leave of you. I most devoutly vvis 

 that your latter days may be as prosperous an 

 happy as your former ones have been glorioii 

 and honorable.' Having drank he added — ' 

 cannot go to each of you to take my leave, bt 

 shall be obliged to you if each of you, wi 

 come and take me by the hand,' — Genera 

 Knox being nearest, turned to him. Incapahl 

 of utterance, Washington, in tears, grasped h 

 hand, embraced and kissed him. In the sam 

 affectionate manner, he took leave of each su( 

 ceeding officer. In every eye was the tear ( 

 sensibility, and not a word was articulated to it 

 terrupt the tenderness of the scene." 



PATRICK HENRY. 

 When Patrick ffenry, who gave the first inr 

 pulse to the ball of the American revolution, ii 

 troduced his celebrated resolution on the stam 

 act into the House of Burgesses of Virgini 

 (May 1705,) he exclaimed, when descanting o 

 the tyranny of the obnoxious act, " Cesar ha 

 his Brutus; Charles the First his Cromwell 

 and George the III" — ("Treason!" cried tb 

 speaker; "treason, treason!" echoed froi 

 every part of the house.) — It was one of thos 

 trying moments which are decisive of chara( 

 ter. Henry faultered not for an instant; bt 

 fixing on the speaker an eye flashing with fir 

 continued, '•• may profit by their example. If th) 

 be treason make the most of it." 



Percy Anecdotes. 



A man without money is a body without a soi 

 — a walking death — a spectre that frighlet 

 every one. His countenance is sorrowful, an 

 his conversation languishing and tedious. If b 

 calls upon an acquaintance he never fimls hii 

 at home, and if he opens his mouth to speak, h 

 is interrupted every moment, so that he m.iy ni 

 have a chance to finish his discourse; which, 

 is feared, will end with his asking for mone; 

 He is avoided like a person infected with dii 

 ease, and is regarded as an incumbrance to th 

 earth. Want wakes him up in the morning, an 

 misery accompanies him to his bed at night.- 

 The ladies discover that he is an awkward boob; 

 — landlords believe that he lives upon air, am 

 if he wants any thing of a tradesman, he is ask 

 ed for cash before delivery. 



A Repartee. — While Napoleon was yet a sub 

 allern in the array, a Russian officer with mud 

 sell-sufficiency remarked, " that his countlj 

 fought for glory, and the French for gain.'V 

 " You are perfectly right," answered N.ipol* 

 on, " for every one fights for that which hi 

 does not possess." 



TERMS OF THE FARMER. 



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