FOUNDER OF HIS RACE 147 



dom ; but not once did it occur to any of them to doubt 

 the propriety of the strange costumes. 



Fortunate ones had entire buff and blue Continental 

 uniforms, inherited from father or g'randfather or once 

 worn by themselves — which was a proud boast — some 

 were stained darkly, telling the tale of another war. 

 Others had brass buttons hastily sewn on their every- 

 day coats. Still others had but one button — a sort of 

 badge — but these were great treasures, for did they not 

 bear the inscription, "Lang live our President," and did 

 thev not have his initials^G. W. — on them? 



Their arms, when they started out, were as varied as 

 their coats. Hunting knives, long muskets, spears made 

 at the forge, of scraps of iron tied to oak stafifs with raw 

 hide, Indian arrow heads stuck into short hickory han- 

 dles, and such like. 



But after all, the w^onder was that they could get to- 

 gether any sort of suggestive garb, or cared to — New 

 England being in such a fever of dissatisfaction over the 

 w^ar. 



Their mission completed, Lieut. Van Sicklen and Mor- 

 gan returned to Burlington, and the. day following this, 

 Captain Dulaney rode his horse clown to the wharf and, 

 with many other officers, boarded the boat for Platts- 

 burg. 



The leaky old sloop, used to convey Captain Lebbins' 

 "heroes" across, was washed up on Juniper Island in a 

 storm of rain, and great was the anxiety concerning the 

 brave fellows. A life boat was hurriedly manned and 

 sent to their rescue — instead of finding the soldiers per- 

 ishing properly, in true shipwreck fashion, the life-sav- 

 ing party found them celebrating their patriotism with 

 IMedford rum, high and dry on the island ! "The wreck 

 of Juniper Island" was the subject of many a song and 

 story for long years in Randolph. 



