The Dare Boys in Virginia (Illustrated)

“Well, here we are in Virginia,” said Tom Dare. “It is fine, don’t you fellows think? When we left New York, it was cold, with heavy snow on the ground, while here, instead of snow, there are patches of green grass and the weather is warm and nice.”

“It certainly is lots more pleasant here than in New York at this time of the year,” agreed Ben Foster.

“Yes, camp life is much more agreeable in a warm climate than in a region where there is snow and cold weather,” acquiesced Dick Dare.

It was now the middle of the month of December of the year 1780, and the patriot regiment under the command of Colonel Morris had been sent down from the vicinity of New York, by General Washington, to try to hold in check the army of General Arnold, the traitor, who, having tried to deliver his country into the hands of the British, for gold, and failed, had been sent to Virginia, to have charge of the British campaign in that State.

One of the reasons for sending Arnold down there was to get him far enough away from General Washington, so that there would not be much danger of his being captured, an attempt to capture him while he was in New York having been made, but without success.

In Colonel Morris’ regiment, and among the members of the company commanded by Captain Morgan, were three youths of about twenty years, who had done good work for the patriot cause during the years they had been in the patriot army. These youths were Dick and Tom Dare, brothers, and Ben Foster, a neighbor boy--the Dares and Fosters living close together, in New Jersey, a few miles east of Philadelphia--and now that they were here in Virginia, they looked forward to a lively campaign, for the warm, pleasant weather, so different from what they had left up North, would make it possible to move swiftly about the country.

The regiment had gone into camp on the bank of a little stream in the heavy woods, perhaps ten miles from the James River. Colonel Morris did not know the whereabouts of Arnold and his army, but liking this site for an encampment, he had decided to stay till he gained the necessary information.

When we introduce the Dare Boys and Ben Foster to the reader’s notice, it is evening, and the soldiers are engaged in cooking their suppers beside the campfires. It was a lively, picturesque and interesting scene indeed, or would have so looked to anyone viewing such a scene for the first time. But to the soldiers, who had been campaigning four years, no thought of their appearance came to them. Their minds were on the then very essential matter of cooking their supper.

This important task finished finally, the soldiers ate heartily, and then, as was their wont, settled down to enjoy themselves. Those who smoked lighted their pipes, while others sat about in groups and talked of the coming campaign, in which they hoped to be able to make it hot for the traitor, Arnold, and his army of British soldiers and Tories.

Dick, Tom and Ben, and some of the other soldiers, among whom were Tim Murphy and Fritz Schmockenburg, sat in a little group and talked earnestly of their expected encounters with Arnold and his little army, and all were pleased with the outlook. They liked what they had seen of Virginia, and were glad they had come to the South, where suffering from the cold was not a necessary concomitant of camp life.

“I like id down here,” said Fritz, nodding decidedly. “I hobe dot ve sday down here till der war is ended alretty.”

“Sure an’ thot would suit me, too,” said Tim. “Oi’m t’inkin’ thot Virginia is good enough for me.”

“I wonder where Arnold’s army is,” said Tom.

“That is what everybody is wondering, I guess,” said Ben.

“Yes,” said Dick. “We know that Arnold is somewhere in this part of Virginia, but he may be a hundred miles from this spot.”

“Well, when we find out where he is, we’ll make it hot for him,” said Tom.

“Yah, dot is vot ve vill do,” said Fritz.

They continued to talk quite a while, and finally got out their blankets, lay down and were soon sound asleep. They slept splendidly till morning, and then cooked and ate their breakfast, after which for exercise they walked about for a while; of course within the bounds of the camp, after which they again sat down to talk.

While thus engaged, an orderly from Colonel Morris’ tent appeared, and said to Dick Dare:

“You are wanted at the headquarters tent, Dick Dare.”

“All right,” the youth replied. “I’ll go along with you.” He got up and accompanied the orderly, and was soon standing in the tent,