I40 JUSTIN MORGAN 



Early that summer, when the feehng of victory was 

 running high, the American Sloop of War, ''Growler," 

 was captured by the British gun-boats on the Upper 

 Lake. The Americans equipped a small fleet and drove 

 the enemy back into Canada. 



The State Militia, stationed at Plattsburg, was ordered 

 home in November, by Governor Chittenden, but most 

 of the officers remained. The privates — from the first, 

 unwilling to enlist — were glad enough to return to their 

 families who needed them sorely. They would much 

 rather chop and dig at home, they said, having found 

 nothing to do in Plattsburg but repair the barracks. 



Every day Captain or Mistress Dulaney rode Morgan 

 out for exercise, and he enjoyed the easy, pleasant life 

 with its military atmosphere. His lady visited him 

 every morning early and gave him many delicious mor- 

 sels of food, and the old horse seemed to grow younger 

 day by day. She talked to him of all sorts of interesting 

 things in tones, so wonderfully sweet, the birds in the 

 Green Mountains would have died of envy, could they 

 have heard them. 



Sometimes errands with Captain Dulaney were of 

 great secrecy and importance. One night quite late they 

 went away toward the North and passed the night at a 

 barn, watching a suspicious locality. As they were 

 about to start homeward, the Captain searched carefully 

 and found a furled flag, lying on a beam. He took it 

 down and unrolled it, looking for secret signs, but the 

 flag was right enough. It was made of the finest linen, 

 home-spun, and was fifteen feet long by four wide. In 

 its centre was an eagle perched on a rock, bearing in its 

 talons a shield with thirteen stripes and some arrows. 

 In his beak was a pine sprig, and over the eagle was 

 painted "Independence Forever." The word "Swan- 

 ton" was painted on it in another hand. 



