“In June, 1775, Congress called for ten companies of riflemen from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland to join the Continental army besieging Boston,” continued the captain. “Morgan was chosen captain of one of the Virginia companies, consisting of ninety-six men, and with it he reached Cambridge about the middle of July.
“A month later eleven hundred hardy men were detached from the army for the service of Arnold in his expedition against Canada, and its riflemen were commanded by Captain Daniel Morgan. We will not now go over the story of that toilsome, perilous and unfortunate expedition. The journey through the wilderness was a terrible one; but our brave men persevered and reached Canada. Morgan and his men were the first to cross the St. Lawrence and reconnoitre the approaches to Quebec, which was too strongly defended to be attacked with any hope of success. But a great attack was made on New Year’s morning, 1776, in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold disabled. Morgan stormed the battery opposed to him, but not being supported, he and his detachment were surrounded and taken prisoners. But General Carleton, admiring Morgan for his bravery, released him on parole and he went home to Virginia.
“Washington earnestly recommended him to Congress as worthy of promotion, and in November they gave him a colonel’s commission. He was duly exchanged and released from parole. He raised a regiment of riflemen and joined the army at Morristown, New Jersey, late in March.
“Morgan’s services in reconnoitring were very great in the skilful campaign of the following June, in which Washington prevented Howe from crossing New Jersey.
“In the following July Burgoyne’s descent into northern New York made it desirable to concentrate as large a body of troops there as possible to oppose him, and on the 16th of August Morgan was sent with his regiment to join the army near Stillwater, of which Gates had lately taken command. His force was five hundred picked riflemen, of whom Washington said that he expected the most eminent service from them; nor was he disappointed. And it is said that when Burgoyne was introduced to Morgan after the battle of Saratoga, he seized him by the hand and exclaimed: ‘My dear sir, you command the finest regiment in the world!’ It was no wonder that Burgoyne thought highly of their skill; for Morgan and his men had played a principal part in the bloody battle of Freeman’s farm, in which Arnold frustrated Burgoyne’s attempt to dislodge the American left wing from Bemis Heights, and their services were quite as great in the final conflict of October 7th, in which the British army was wrecked.”
“Wasn’t it in the battle of Bemis Heights that General Fraser was killed, papa?” asked Elsie.
“Yes,” replied her father. “Morgan’s men were skilful riflemen and one of them shot Fraser. Morgan, seeing that by directing and cheering on the British troops Fraser was doing more than any one else to defeat and slay the Americans, perceived that much of the fate of the battle rested upon him, and that to bring victory to the Americans, who were fighting for freedom, it was necessary that Fraser should be taken away. So, calling a file of his best men around him, he pointed toward the British right and said: ‘That gallant officer is General Fraser. I admire and honor him, but it is necessary that he should die; victory for the enemy depends upon him. Take your station in that clump of bushes and do your duty.’
“Lossing says, ‘Within five minutes Fraser fell mortally wounded, and was carried to the camp by two grenadiers. Shortly before that two rifle balls had struck very near him, one cutting the crupper of his horse, and the other passing through his mane, a little back of his ears. Seeing all that, Fraser’s aid begged him to retire from that place. But Fraser replied, ‘My duty forbids me to fly from danger,’ and the next moment came the shot that killed him.”
“Oh, papa, it was a sad, sad thing to do; a sad thing to order!” exclaimed Elsie. “I don’t see how Morgan could do it.”