Allegheny Episodes / Folk Lore and Legends Collected in Northern and Western Pennsylvania

by Henry W. Shoemaker

Forbes himself, being a younger son, was not a man of property, and Pittencrief House, his birth-place, was already occupied by an older brother, from whom, so Dr. Burd S. Patterson tells us, all who claim relationship to him are descended.

The General was carried in a hammock, with frequent stops, from Harris’ Ferry to Fort Duquesne, and back again, borne by four stalwart Highlanders, in their picturesque native costumes, wearing the tartan of the Forbes clan. The deerstalker, MacCochran, was the major domo, and even above the chief of staff and Brigade Surgeon, gave the orders to halt when the General’s lean weazened face indicated an over-plussage of fatigue.

It was late in the afternoon as the returning army had neared the summit of Rea’s Hill; the pipers were playing gaily Blaz Sron, to cheer foot soldiers and wagoners up the steep, rocky, uneven grade, with the General in the van. The ascent was a hard one, and the ailing commander-in-chief was shaken about considerably, so much so that MacCochran was glad to note the little stone house, where he might give him his much needed rest.

Old Andrew McCreath and his wife, a North of Ireland couple, the former a noted hunter, occupied the house; their son was serving in the Pennsylvania Regiment, which formed a part of General Forbes’ expeditionary forces. The old folks were by the roadside, having heard the bagpipes at a great distance, eager to see the visitors, and catch a glimpse of their hero son. They were surprised and pleased when MacCochran signalled the halt in front of their door, which meant that the entire procession would bivouac for the night in the immediate vicinity. There were several good springs of mountain water, so all could await the General’s pleasure.

Permission was asked to make the house “general headquarters[headquarters]” for the night, which, of course, was quickly given, as the old couple were honored to have such a distinguished visitor. There was a great couch, or what we would today call a “Davenport” in front of the fire, and there the General was laid, the room dark, save for the ruddy glow of the roaring fire, which illuminated every nook and corner, and made it at once as cheerful as it was warm and comfortable.

The General’s eyes were wide open, and he gazed about the room, while his faithful domestics watched him to anticipate every wish. When he was ill he excluded his Staff, but kept his servants with him, and they, with McCreath and his wife, stood in the corners of the room, back of the couch, waiting for his commands.

The piper asked if he could liven his master with a “wee tune or two,” but the General shook his head; his sandy locks had become untied, and flapped about his bony face; he made a motion with his hand that indicated that he wanted to be alone, to try and get some sleep. McCreath and his wife, and their stalwart son, the other bearers of the hammock and litters, and the surgeon of the expedition, Major McLanahan, who had slipped into the room, withdrew, leaving the piper and MacCochran standing in the corner back of the couch, to aid the General should he become violently ill in his sleep.

The General dozed, and the bodyguard became very tired, for they had had a hard march, and sank down on the floor, with their backs to the wall. All was still, save for the tramp, tramp of the sentry outside the window, or the crackle of some giant bonfire in the general campground, or the barking of some camp follower’s dog. The fire had died down a little, but threw great fitful shadows, like a pall, over the sleeping General, and caused an exaggerated shadow of his bold profile to appear on the wall.

All at once, without the slightest warning, he jumped to his feet, with the elasticity of a youth, and arms outstretched, seemed to rush towards the fire. He might have tripped over the pile of cord wood, and fallen in face foremost, had not the ever watchful piper and MacCochran, springing forward, caught him simultaneously in their strong arms. They did not find him excited, or his mind wandering, like a man suddenly aroused from slumbers. On the contrary, he was strangely calm. He whispered in MacCochran’s ear:

“Andy, I have seen my lady of Dunkerck. She came out of the ashes towards me. I rushed forward to greet her, and she went back into the hearth and was gone.”