A H L N T E R ' K L I F E I 85 



aaiif^hters ; together summing up one hundred and twenty 

 two descendants, sixty-seven of whom (all good, healthy 

 people) will serve as soldiers for the defence of their 

 country. I hope that whenever it is necessary, in the 

 defence of their native land, to repel any foreign enemy, 

 no matter who they may be, nor whence they come, every 

 man who has one drop of my blood in his veins will never 

 refuse his assistance to drive all enemies from the soil of 

 their and ray beloved country. 



Thus I leave as a legacy to all my relations, the injunc- 

 tion that, above all duties, next to that which they owe 

 their God, they must regard as of paramount importance 

 their duty to their own country ; for I am exceedingly 

 proud of it, and I thank God, from the inmost recesses 

 of my heart, that I can in good faith claim for myself, and 

 for all my descendants, the glorious name of American 

 citizen. My humble prayer is now, and shall ever be, that 

 Divine Providence will at all times so guide the councils 

 of our nation, that all the laws may tend to the preserva- 

 tion of our peaceful habits and fair fame, and to the per- 

 petuation of our equal rights and liberties ; and continue 

 to preserve us from all evils, till this glorious country 

 arrives at its highest glory and renown, and is fully com- 

 petent to enforce every just demand it may have on everr 

 other nation and people. 



Not long after I returned home, a commission as cap- 

 tain came to me from the Governor ; and although I had 

 determined not to accept it, I was urged by my Federal 

 friends to be sworn in, and take the command of the 

 company. I agreed, and received an order from the Colo- 

 nel to call the company together, and have them divided 

 into classes ; so that, i'^ case of necessity, they could be 

 mustered into service oy their numbers, from one to the 

 last number. 



As this order required that I should attend to it in a 

 16* 



