The Old Bell of Independence | Page 4

old comrade was
dying, away from his home and friends, and there was our general
kneeling by him, with his face turned towards heaven, looking, I
thought, like an angel's. Well, he prayed for Heaven to have mercy on
the dying man's soul; to pardon his sins; and to take him to Himself:
and then he prayed for us all. Before the prayer was concluded, Josiah's
spirit had fled, and his body was cold and stiff. Washington felt the
brow of the poor fellow, and, seeing that his life was out, gave the men
directions how to dispose of the corpse, and then left us to visit the
other parts of the camp."
"That was, indeed, noble conduct," said young Harmar. "Did he ever
speak to you afterwards about violating the regulations of the army?"
"No," replied Wilson. "He knew that strict discipline could not be, and
should not have been maintained in that camp. He was satisfied if we
were true to the cause amid all our sufferings."
[ Illustration: WASHINGTON'S PRAYER FOR THE DYING
SOLDIER.]
"Praying at the death-bed of a private," mused Smith aloud. "Well, I
might have conjectured what he would do in such a case, from what I
saw of him. I wonder if history ever spoke of a greater and better
man?"
Young Mr. Harmar here felt inclined to launch out into an elaborate
panegyric on the character of Washington, but reflected that it might be
out of place, and therefore contented himself with remarking, "We shall
ne'er look upon his like again."
"He was a dear, good man," remarked Mrs. Harmar.
"Yes," said old Harmar, "General Washington was the main pillar of
the Revolution. As a general, he was vigilant and skilful; but if he had
not been anything more, we might have been defeated and crushed by
the enemy. He had the love and confidence of the men, on account of
his character as a man, and that enabled him to remain firm and full of
hope when his countrymen saw nothing but a gloomy prospect."
THE SPY'S FATE
"Now I'll tell you a story that I have just called to mind," said old
Harmar. "It's of a very different character, though, from the story of

Washington. It's about a spy's fate."
"Where was the scene of it?" inquired Mrs. Harmar.
"Out here on the Schuylkill's banks, just after the British took
possession of this city," replied old Harmar. "There was a man named
James Sykes, who had a lime-kiln on the east bank of the river, and was
manufacturing lime pretty extensively when the enemy came to this
city. While Congress was sitting here, Sykes always professed to be a
warm friend to the colonial cause; but there was always something
suspicious about his movements, and his friends and neighbours did not
put much faith in his professions. He would occasionally be out very
late at night, and sometimes be gone from home for a week, and give
very vague accounts of the business which had occupied him during his
absence. Some of his neighbours suspected that he was acting as one of
Sir William Howe's spies, but they could never get any positive proof
of their suspicions.
"At length the enemy took possession of this city, and then Sykes
began to show that he was not such a very warm friend of the right side.
He went to the head-quarters of the British general frequently, and
seemed to be on the best terms with the enemy. Well, it happened that
one of his old neighbors, named Jones, was the captain of one of the
companies of our line; and he, somehow or other, obtained proof that
Sykes was acting as a spy for the enemy. He informed General Wayne
of the fact, and immediately proposed that he should be allowed to
attempt his capture. Wayne consented, and Captain Jones set about
preparing for the enterprise. Sykes was usually out at his lime-kiln,
with some of his men, during the morning, and, as the guilty are ever
suspicious, he increased the number of his assistants, to ensure himself
against attack. Captain Jones took only twenty men from his company,
and left our camp just before dark. The business was full of danger. The
place where Jones expected to capture the spy was within a mile of a
British out-post; and the greatest secrecy and rapidity of movement was
necessary to prevent surprise by the enemy's scouting parties.
"About daylight, Jones and his party reached the wood near Sykes'
lime-kiln, and halted to reconnoitre. Sykes and four of his men were at
work at that early hour. The lime was burning, and some of the men
were engaged in loading and unloading two carts which stood near the
kiln. Captain Jones' plan was