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Hook. As soon as we began our march, four ships came up and anchored near the shore around the Hook. At the same time a number of boats and floating batteries came down from just above New York-the latter run up into the cove opposite the causeway that leads to Bergen. After taking considerable time to see that there was nobody to hurt them, they began a most furious cannonade on our empty works, which continued till they had wearied themselves. In a word, they dared to come much nearer, and displayed the boasted British valor in much brighter colors than ever they had while there remained a single man to oppose them. Meanwhile, our little battalion retreated with drums beating, and colors flying to Bergen, and before night the brave Britons ventured on shore and took possession of our evacuated works, where they have taken every precaution to prevent our formidable detachment from returning, and driving them from a post, which, with so great a display of heroism, they have got possession of.

"The post we now possess covers the Jerseys. Here we are reinforced by a number of regiments-more are daily coming in-the sick are recovering—the troops in high spirits, and we have no fear, but we shall be able to maintain our ground against all the banditti of George the Third."

The subsequent overthrow of the American army dispelled this brave chaplain's immediate hopes, and what become of him in the turbulent events that followed I have been unable to ascertain.

Such waifs, drifting down to us from the past, show us how many valuable incidents respecting the revolutionary war might have been saved from oblivion had efforts been made a half century ago to have collected them together,

CHAPTER XLIII.

MR. MAGOON.

IN the absence of details respecting this noble clergyman, I cannot give a better idea of his patriotic course in the Revolution than by presenting the following extracts from an address delivered by him to Haslett's battalion on its parade in Dover, Delaware, May, 1776. After speaking in general terms of the necessity of public spirit-how it made a people great and prosperous-and showing how righteousness "exalteth a nation" and sin degrades it; and the importance of cherishing good and patriotic sentiments, he turned directly to the soldiers and said: "You love your country, I venture to affirm, and are not strangers to the full meaning of that honorable word. A Roman orator and patriot of celebrated fame mentioning the subject expresses himself thus: 'Our parents are dear, our children are dear, our relations, our near acquaintances, but our country comprehends every endearment and the tender ties and charities of all, for which what good man would hesitate to dare to die.' And doth not the great St. Paul's declaration breathe a like patriotic spirit, 'None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.' It is really grand, it is solemnly pleasing to behold at a perilous, alarming

conjuncture so many stepping forward voluntarily as thousands and thousands in these United Colonies have done, prepared to face any danger, ready to encounter any difficulties, rather than that the free should become enslaved, and the once happy be reduced to wretchedness.

* * * Perhaps never were freemen or patriots or warriors or heroes called forth for nobler purposes than we have now in prospect. We are contending for no other prize than that we may continue to be free, that the fruits of our honest labor may be our own, that we may be delivered from the hands of those who would oppress us-that our civil and religious happiness may be secured, and that we may be able to transmit those blessings on a firm foundation to our children and generations after them. It is not in rebellion, it is not in the violation of the spirit of law and contempt of the constitution, that we arise and join with such amazing unanimity. No, ye illustrious shades of our pious ancestors, and ye martyrs of of whatever age or clime who have shed your tears and your blood for dying freedom! Ye cloud of witnesses with which we are encompassed about, we declare as in your presence, and we declare to the whole earth, that such are not our aims, that our public measures result from a dreadful necessity-that America hath resisted purely on the footing of self-preservation."

The closing sentiment of this address applies with peculiar force to our own times. It lies at the bottom of the terrible uprising of the North to put down the rebellion that threatens the integrity of our government. The President of the United States, every

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officer and every chaplain in the army might say with truth: "It is not in rebellion, it is not in violation of the spirit of law and contempt of the Constitution, that we arise and join with such amazing unanimity. No, ye illustrious shades of our pious ancestors, and ye martyrs of whatever age or clime, who have shed your tears and your blood for dying freedom. Ye cloud of witnesses with which we are encompassed about, we declare as in your presence, and we declare to the whole earth, that such are not our aims-that our public measures result from a dreadful necessity— that America hath resisted purely on the footing of self-preservation."