“He could not do that, but he supplied them with provisions and then marched them to Princeton, where he heard their demands and referred them to the civil authority of Pennsylvania.
“In the mean time the British general, Sir Henry Clinton, heard the story of the revolt, and not understanding the spirit and motives of the troops, sent a British sergeant and a New Jersey Tory named Ogden, with a written offer to them that if they would lay down their arms and march to New York they should receive in hard cash the money owed them by the American Congress, be well clothed, and have free pardon for having fought against the King of England; and not be required to fight on his side and against their country, unless they chose to do so of their own accord.”
Ethel looked intensely interested. “And did they do it?” she asked half breathlessly.
“No, indeed,” replied Mrs. Weston; “they were not fighting for money, but for liberty, their homes, their wives and little ones; but the money Congress owed them, the food and clothes, were necessary even to keep them alive, so that they felt justified in using their weapons in redressing their grievances while still looking with horror upon the armed oppressors of their country, and feeling that they would rather die than prove traitors to her. ‘See, comrades,’ one of them said to the others, ‘he takes us for traitors. Let us show him that America can furnish but one Arnold, and that America has no truer friends than ourselves.’
“The others approved his sentiments. They immediately seized Clinton’s spies and papers and took them to General Wayne, stipulating that the men should not be executed till their own affairs with Congress were settled, and that if their complaints were not attended to the prisoners should be delivered up to them again when they demanded them.”
“Did Congress do what they asked of them?” inquired Ethel.
“Yes; then the spies were executed, and the reward which it appears had been offered for their apprehension, would have been given to the men who had seized them, but the brave, patriotic fellows refused to accept it, poor as they were, saying that necessity had forced them to demand justice from Congress, but they wanted no reward for doing their duty to their bleeding country.”
“I like them for that!” exclaimed Ethel, “and I don’t think they were at all to blame for making that Congress pay them what they had earned by working and fighting so long and so hard.”
“No, nor do I,” returned Mrs. Weston, “and I am proud to own them as my countrymen.”
“It is a very interesting story; thank you for telling it to me, Mrs. Weston,” said Ethel. “I’d like to know more about that good General Washington and that war. All the English people didn’t want the Americans abused so, did they?”