re
were not so many other considerations to render it convincing.]

On Friday, 20th September, (the day before the battle which transmitted
him to his immortal crown,) the colonel drew up his regiment in the
afternoon, and rode through all their ranks, addressing them at once
in the most respectful and animating manner, both as soldiers and as
Christians, to exert themselves courageously in the service of their
country, and to neglect nothing that might have a tendency to prepare
them for whatever might happen. They seemed much affected with the
address, and expressed a very ardent desire of attacking the enemy
immediately--a desire in which he and another very gallant officer of
distinguished rank, dignity, and character, both for bravery and conduct,
would gladly have gratified them, if it had been in their power. He
earnestly pressed it on the commanding officer, as the soldiers were then
in better spirits than it could be supposed they would be after having
passed the night under arms, and as the circumstance of making an attack
would be some encouragement to them, and probably some terror to the
enemy, who would have had the disadvantage of standing on the defence--a
disadvantage with which those wild barbarians, (for such most of them
were) perhaps would have been more struck than better disciplined
troops--especially, too, when they fought against the laws of their
country. He also apprehended that, by marching to meet them, some
advantage might have been secured with regard to the ground, with which,
it is natural to imagine, he must have been perfectly acquainted, as it
lay just at his own door, and he had rode over it many hundred times.
When I mention these things, I do not pretend to be capable of judging
how far this advice was right. A variety of circumstances to me unknown
might make it otherwise. It is certain, however, that it was brave. But
it was overruled in this respect, as it also was in the disposition of
the cannon, which he would have planted in the centre of our small army,
rather than just before his regiment, which was in the right wing, where
he was apprehensive that the horses, which had not been in any previous
engagement, might be thrown into some disorder by the discharge so very
near them. He urged this the more as he thought the attack of the rebels
might probably be made on the centre of the foot, where he knew there
were some brave men, on whose standing he thought, under God, the suc