Various

“ Take a boy of eighteen, inspire him with enthusiasm, and however fragile in form, he will outstrip, both on the march and in the field, the less impressible men with twice his physical strength. I have seen trudging in the ranks of Lee's army striplings whose equipments almost outweighed their delicate bodies. But they straggled less, were sick less, and were foremost in the fight. When the hour of battle came their faces brightened with a beautiful light, a smile would play over their features, and their disposition to cheer and charge became irrepressible. ”

“ The few officers left commanded, begged, and entreated the men to stand firm; but they, who had faced death upon a hundred fields, were now so mad with fear that they were incapable of obedience. George, who had managed to have General Braddock carried to the rear with the aid of Dr. Craik, had got another horse, and riding from one end of the bloody field to the other, did all that mortal man could do to rally the panic-stricken men, but it was in vain. ”

“ He rode by General Braddock's side, and was by far the most conspicuous figure there for grace and nobility. His illness seemed to have departed in a night, and he was the same erect, soldierly form, fairly dwarfing every one contrasted with him. As the General and his first aide rode together, General Braddock said, confidently:
"Colonel Washington, in spite of your warning, see how far we have come upon our way without disaster. The danger of an attack by Indians is now passed, and we have but to march a few miles more and glory is ours." ”

“ My scouts know nothing of this country hereabouts. I have a mind to send you with them on the enemy's track to bring me news of their movements. Knowing the country and the people, you may gain intelligence where they would fail. You can serve me well if you are faithful; and if you are not—well, you deal with Santa Anna!"
"I'll take the job, and the punishment too if I fail," cried John, eagerly. ”

“ Much has been recently said and written about the resources of the nation in the event of war, the fighting capacity of our army and navy, and the character of recruits who would constitute the new army that must be speedily organized should a conflict result from present complications. The valor of the veterans who participated in our civil war has been often dwelt on, but nowhere have I seen any calculation based on the intrepidity and wild courage of the small boy—an element that constitutes a more important factor in every successful campaign than most people imagine. ”

“ Can you think what it is to watch a General, brave but obstinate and blind to the last degree, rushing upon disaster? Upon my soul, sir, those English officers think, I verily believe, that the Indians are formed into regiments and battalions, with a general staff and a commissary, and God knows what!" And George raved a while longer before he left to ride back to Winchester, with Billy riding after him. ”

“ And along this open space marched, in exquisite precision, two thousand of England's crack troops—cavalry, infantry, and artillery—and a thousand bronzed Virginian soldiery, to the music of the fife and drum. Often in after-years George Washington was heard to say that the most beautiful sight his eyes ever rested on was the sight of Braddock's army at sunrise on that day of blood. Officers and men were in the highest spirits ”

“ How, or when, or where he could not guess, unless it had fallen from his belt when his horse jumped the creek. He was at the mercy of his foe, and well he knew that foe would have no mercy.
Now Texas had other peculiarities besides his fiendish temper. One was a great dislike to being followed too closely. The sound of hoofs clattering close behind him rasped his nerves, and he generally let it be known. John saw that his savage temper was rising now. ”

“ When he said, in describing the terrible story of the 9th of July, "The officers in general behaved with incomparable bravery, for which they suffered, upwards of sixty being killed or wounded," a kind of groan ran through the great assemblage; and when he added, in a voice shaken with emotion, "The Virginia companies behaved like men and died like soldiers; for, I believe, out of three companies on the ground that day scarce thirty men were left alive," sobs were heard, and many persons, both men and women, burst into tears. ”

“ Captain Vanbraam told him much of this one night when he rode from Alexandria to spend the night with George.
"General Braddock is a great, bluff, brave, foolish, hard-drinking, hard-driving Irishman. He does not understand the temper of our soldiers, and has not the remotest conception of Indian fighting, which our enemies have been clever enough to adopt. I foresee nothing but disaster if he carries out the campaign on his present lines. There is but one good sign. He has heard of you, Colonel Washington, and seems to have been impressed by the devotion of your men to you. ”

“ His quick temper seemed to have been utterly subdued. Betty alone spoke to him of the change she saw.
"I think, dear Betty," he answered, gently, "that no one can go through a campaign such as I have seen without being changed and softened by it. And then I foresee a terrible war with France and discord with the mother-country. We are upon the threshold of great events, depend upon it, of which no man can see the outcome."
The winter was passed in hard work at Mount Vernon. Only by ceaseless labor could George control his restlessness. ”

“ It was pleasant to be the centre of all this admiration, but not so pleasant when I turned the admiration into amusement by coasting boldly down a steep hill, making a sharp turn just in time to avoid a deep ditch, and driving full speed into a most unyielding fence. It is peculiarly mortifying to be laughed at by those whom you regard as your social inferiors.
When I arrived in Rangoon, it was just after the "dacoit times." Dacoits are the highway-robbers of India. They work in gangs, and travel over the country plundering, murdering, and sacking and burning the villages in the jungle. ”

“ They reached the Texan camp at sundown, and John disburdened himself of his great news. It was to the effect that Santa Anna had divided his army, part of them to cross the river at a ford several miles below and strike Houston in flank while Santa Anna attacked him in front.
"And they ain't more'n two to one now, General," concluded John, eagerly, "and I know you won't retreat for them."
"Not a step, my boy," replied Houston. "We'll not retreat—we'll fight."
So on April 21 the battle of San Jacinto was fought, and the independence of Texas achieved. ”

“ My purpose is to give some account of the small boy on the battle-field—not in the petty conflicts that occur on the play-ground, but in the fiercer and bloodier clash of arms, where the very souls of grown men were tried, and where they were oftener found wanting than the small boy. ”

“ Your life would not have been spared, as if by a miracle, had not the all-wise Ruler of the heavens and the earth designed that you should fulfil your great destiny; and one day, believe me, you shall be called the prop, the stay, and the glory of your country. ”

“ The black boy seemed able to do altogether without sleep. At every hour of the day and night he was awake and alert, ready to do anything for the poor sufferer. As the days passed on, and George grew steadily worse, the doctor began to look troubled. In his master's presence Billy showed no sign of fear, but he would every day follow Dr. Craik when he left, and ask him, with an ashy face, "Marse doctor, is Marse George gwi' die?"
"I hope not. He is young and strong, and God is good." ”

“ Billy had sense enough to go for Dr. Craik, George's old acquaintance, who had volunteered as surgeon to General Braddock's staff. He was a bright-eyed, determined-looking man, still young, but skilled in his profession. By morning the fever was reduced, and Dr. Craik was giving orders about the treatment as he sat by George's bedside, for the army was to resume its march that day.
"Your attack is sharp," said the doctor, "but you have an iron constitution, and with ordinary care you will soon be well." ”

“ The scouts had their work cut out for them, and were off betimes.
They had traversed a good many miles of country, seeing no signs of the Texans nor hearing anything new of their movements, when at noon they stopped on the bank of a large wooded creek to rest and refresh themselves and their horses. John's mustang was not hobbled like the rest, as he had no fear of its straying, but, to allow it to graze, freely, the bridle had been removed and was looped over the pommel of the saddle.
"Unsaddle, Juan, and let your horse roll," said José Cardenas. "That rests them more than anything else." ”

“ The Virginians alone, cool and determined, fought steadily and sold their lives dearly, although picked off one by one. At last, after hours of panic, flight, and slaughter, George succeeded in bringing off the remnant of the Virginians, and, overtaking the fleeing mob of regular troops some miles from the scene of the conflict, got them across the ford of the Monongahela. They were safe from pursuit, for the handful of Frenchmen could not persuade their Indian allies to leave the plunder of the battle-field for the pursuit of the enemy. ”

“ If he wears his cap-brim backward, smuts his face with sooty fingers or marks the progress of the season with fruit stains on his clothes, whistles from the gallery of the theatre, guys the actors, projects spiral play-bills on the spectators below, tortures the house cat, fights chickens in out-of-the-way places, or burglarizes his sister's safety bank of its pennies, he is condemned and often lashed. ”

“ Meanwhile he learned to know his horse thoroughly. Although Texas certainly deserved the orderly's assertion that he had the worst of tempers, he never showed it to John. There was perfect understanding between horse and rider, and John knew he could rely on Texas in any emergency.
At last, when the scouts brought news that Houston had reached the San Jacinto, and would cross the river and continue his retreat next day, Santa Anna, President of the Mexican Republic and Generalissimo of her armies, felt that his time for action had come, and John Sibley, printer-boy, felt the same. ”

“ Last night he said to me, 'Can you not contrive to get this young Colonel over to see me? I observe one strange thing in these provincial troops: they have exactly the same confidence in Colonel Washington now as before his disastrous campaign, and as a soldier I know there must be some great qualities in a commander when even defeat cannot undo him with his men, for your private soldier is commonly a good military critic ”