A Harrow Escape.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1683, 10 July 1875, Page 6 (Supplement)

A Harrow Escape.

A RETOLUTIONARY INCIDENT

Upon one of the lovely farms that lie along j the Delaware dwelt Israil Israel and his i fair young wife, Althea. The blasts of war, which were desolating the land, long delayed to reach their borders, and as yet each true-hearted American, their neighbours, dwelt unmolestod under his own vine and fig tree. It is true that many of the young men, the forward and enterprising, the crossed in love and the bowed down with debt, had enlisted; and their communications, blood-stained from the various battle-fields, awakened sympathy and gladness, by turns, among tneir friends at home. But Mr. Israel felt no call to leave his blooming wife and merry twins, whose voice was his home music for the stern music of the war. He served his country in a more quiet but perhaps equally efficient way, by working sedulously in his vocation, paying the. large taxes incumbent on the war drafts, making an occasional loan to the government from his thriving treasury, nursing up his promising twain whom Povidence had vouchsafed as the fruits of wedded love. But the sounds of strife began to come nearer his district. The defeat upon Long Island, and the dark season that followed, sent many a poor fellow hack to his -neighbourhood, maimed or ragged, or starving, to tell how the heart of the great Washington was nigh despairing at the gloomy prospects ahead, and to ask an alms of the full-handed farmer for God Almighty sake! Such appeals were not suffered to go unheeded. There was bread and to spare in the buttery; there was raiment and to spare in the old clothes press ; there was shelter and to spare in the big gable-roofed house. These were bountifully dispensed to suffering patriots at the hands of the kind-hearted Israel or his affectionate spouse. For Israil Israel was a Free Mason. It is with such as he that our pen is most pleased. There'is a freer flow from its point when it glides upon this topic. Brother Israel was a Free Mas«n. He was what a writer styles * a born Mason; a Mason in the bud and flower; a Mason in the milk and grain ; a Mason in the lint and thread, in the cloth, dye and garment; thoroughly a Mason!' . Therefore the man was liberal—it is one of the virtues of Masonry to be liberal— and patriotic ; the world-wide attachments of the craft do not in the least blunt the delicate home |sympathies which are natural to us all. .... The Masonic lodge in his vicinity acknowledged the superior ability of Mr. Israel, and placed him at the head of the various finance boards and emergency boards which that emergent season demanded. This position necessarily made him the medium of payment for the various Masonic charities of the district. It must be confessed, however—and the circumstance is related not to disparage the brethren, but to show the general state of poverty and distress prevailing— that the drafts drawn upon the lodge, treasurer for the aid of the poor at home and the prisoners in the prison-ship at New York, were usually cashed from the pocket of Mr. Israel himself. Quarterly dues could not be collected to keep pace with the demand. There was too much pressure from without to justify a resort to harsh measures for the collection, so Mr. Israel trusted to the future consideration of his brethren and favoured the orders from his private funds. At the the close of the war, when a general statement of the finances of the lodge was .made there was found to be due to this noble-hearted Mason more than $2,000, in gold and silver. When the suffering parties passed near his door on their disastrous retreat from • Long Island, an opportunity was offered for a liberal display of his disinterestedness; for' though provisions were scarce and commanded a high price in the markets of the country, yet on the personal application of General Washington, Mr. Israel supplied the American .forces with fifty large beeves, contenting himself with a plain commissary's receipt instead of the hard taoney. The war drew further and farther South. Philadelphia was occupied by the British. The surrounding country was daily ravaged for their sustenance. Although the English officers were noted for their prompt payments, and even generosity where their own friends were concerned, yet where the slightest suspicion of a disposition favourable to the patriots existed, woe to that farmer's possessions ! He was well escaped if the foraging parties contented themselves by stripping him of his grain and beeves. An empty roost, a vacant stock-yard, untenanted stalls, were but a light infliction. It was oftener the case that the stalls were fired, the dwelling consumed, and the poor farmer, whose only crime was to love his country better than his country s foes, was left far-off to commence the world anew. While the dark cloud yet rested over the patriot's prospects, tha ♦ Roebuck'frigate, anchored in the Delaware, not-far from Mr. Israel's house, and a detachment was* sent ashore to secure that gentleman, and appropriate 'his cattle. Mr. Israel was easily taken, for he rather put himself in the way of the party, thinking no further evil than that his property would be subject to. a heavy draft. Much to his surprise, the soldiers seized him, bound his hands, and sent him on board the frigate to be tried by court-martial that very day J; All this happened in plain sight of his wife, who stood in the doorway; and no sooner did it pass, than she instantly divined that mischief was brewing.j& To -revent the capture of the stock, she hurried to the yard, turned all the cattle out, and set the dog after them, He soon ran them out deep into the woods. The bqrS es were liberated in the same manner. By this time the detachment came up, and seeing her purpose they_ fired .their muskets at her but without effect. .-, Some harsh language was used, but the TiWlish officer soon came up and ordered his men away, haviog received no instruction? *° damage the property,. and the woman was left to rock her babSs and ponder upon the fate < her ,u\.A then in so dangerous a «ondi_ss 4; 5. Isiel was taken on board fe frigate^ Ms* while The'officers busied about the and *»"e T£;_ t3 be made of him, One fifl dS»^ him, and in a of the savors »w Har fcee, friend, ain't - ■■.'■■'■■■>,;■:■ .T-'.M«i

1' question 'in the man's mouth cannot be j known, but the reader will presently perceive that Mr. Israel's life was involved in the answer. Startled by the inquiry, • but feeling new heart at the very word Mason, Mr. Israel whispered in reply that he was. ' Then,' continued the sailor, hastily, for an officer was approaching, 'you had better tell it, for the officers will hold a lodge in the cabin tonight.' A very few hours sufficed to prepare an ' indictment, summon officers enough for a court-martial, and commence proceedings. Mr. Israel was led across from the forecastle to the cabin, where a speedy trial and a short shrift were in store for the rebel. And the rebel took a glance across the still water to the pretty homestead, which he felt was not long to claim him as its proprietor. The trial was a mere formality. Witnesses testified to anything that was desired of them. The Judge Advocate evidently felt that the whole matter was beneath him. He asked bnt few questions, and those in a careless manner. One witness, as a ! crowning point to his testimony, averred that when Lord Howe sent to purchase his cattle with specie that rebellious individual returned for an answer, ' that he would rather give his cattle to Washington than receive thousands of the British gold !'. ' What have you to say in plea, prisoner?' inquired the senior officer, in the same breath giving a low order to the sergeant, which hurried him on deck, where the rattling of a block, fixed to the yard arm, could be distinctly heard. The rattling ceased. A file of marines marched across the deck. Something there was awful in all this, and Mr. Israel's lips paled as he answered. He made a manly defence, averring his devotion to his country's cause, and maintaining his entire innocence of ever having committed any crime which could merit such hard treatment. He was a plain man ; loved his country ; loved his home ; thought no harm of any one ; and hoped the court would not deprive an innocent man of his life in the very presence of his family and home. At the conclusion of his last remark he ! gave the sign of the brotherhood. A hasty whisper passed among the judges ; an evident interest took the place of their former listlessness. Their haughty bearing was changed; the senior officer ordered the Judge Advocate to recall the witnesses. This being done, the members of the court cross-examined them searchingly. It was not difficult now to sift out of their evidence so much malice and envy that the senior officor dismissed them with a stern rebuke ' for seeking to hurt so honorable a man as Mr. Israel.' The verdict wes unanimous, ' not guilty.' The court being dismissed, Mr Israel was sent on shore in the Captain's barge, and a handsome present sent to his heroic wife, whose coolness, in defending her husband's property, had been reported to the officers. So long as the frigate kept her anchorage there were numerous exhibitions of frienship on the part of her officers, and Mr. Israel made frequent visits to the ship where he had been so lately a prisoner, but where he was now hailed as a brother. It is needles.? to add, no evil of any description was ever inflicted on the fortunate man. The records of Pennsylvania show that Israil. Israel was for many years Grand Master of the State.