Hero Stories from American History Part 24

[Ill.u.s.tration: Daniel Webster]

Every American schoolboy who has had "to speak his piece" knows by heart the famous pa.s.sage from this oration, beginning, "Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation. Heaven has bounteously lengthened out your lives, that you might behold this joyous day."

Mr. Webster's voice was in such good order that fifteen thousand people are said to have been able to hear him.

At the banquet during the same evening, the great orator said, "I shall never desire to behold again the {215} awful spectacle of so many human faces all turned towards me."

Near the end, Lafayette visited Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. The veteran statesman, now eighty-one years old, drove his old-time friend and guest over to a grand banquet at the University of Virginia. James Madison was present. When the students and the great crowd of people saw Washington's friend seated between the two aged statesmen, a shout went up, the like of which, it was said, was never before heard in the Old Dominion.

When Lafayette arrived in America, in August, 1824, he first visited the national capital, and was formally received at the White House by President Monroe and by many of the great men of the country. On his return to Washington in 1825, he was told that Congress had voted him two hundred thousand dollars and two large tracts of land, for his services during the Revolution.

It was now September, and Lafayette had remained in this country much longer than he had expected. The new President, John Quincy Adams, gave him a farewell dinner at the White House, with a large party of notable men. The President's formal farewell to the country's guest is a cla.s.sic in our literature.

Amid the blessings and the prayers of a grateful people, Lafayette sailed for France in the new and beautiful frigate Brandywine, which had been built and named in his honor.

{216} For years afterwards, some people used to tell their children, with a peculiar thrill and feeling of awe, that a beautiful rainbow arched the heavens just before Lafayette landed at Staten Island, and that an equally beautiful symbol of peace spanned the broad ocean, as the steamboat moved slowly down Chesapeake Bay, to take the nation's guest on board the Brandywine.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

CHAPTER I, PAGE 1 THE HERO OF VINCENNES

1. Who was Daniel Boone?

2. When did Boone live?

3. How old was George Rogers Clark at this time?

4. Was Clark brave?

5. Why were the pioneers so long in hearing of the battle of Lexington, which was fought in April?

6. How did Lexington, Kentucky, get its name?

7. What kind of life did the pioneers lead in the wilderness?

8. Did the pioneers have other enemies besides the Indians?

9. Why did Clark go back to Virginia?

10. Who lived north of the Ohio?

11. Why did England try to keep the Americans from going west?

12. Who was Hamilton the "hair buyer"?

13. What made the Indians so hostile to the pioneers?

14. How did Clark plan to defend Kentucky?

15. Where was the Illinois country?

16. Why did Clark go back a second time to Virginia?

17. Did anybody think well of Clark's plan of campaign?

18. How much of an army did Clark have for his campaign?

19. Where did Clark plan to begin his campaign?

20. Why did Clark avoid the Mississippi River?

21. Whom did Clark have as guides?

22. How long a march was it to Kaskaskia?

23. What time of year was it when Clark marched to Kaskaskia?

24. Did Clark have trouble in getting into the town of Kaskaskia?

25. What were the people of Kaskaskia doing?

26. How did Clark introduce himself?

27. Who were the Creoles? (Consult a large dictionary.)

28. Who helped Clark make friends?

29. What sort of man was Clark?

30. What did Hamilton do when he heard of Clark's conquest?

31. Why did not Hamilton march from Vincennes to Kaskaskia?

32. Why did Clark decide to push on to Vincennes?

33. At what time of year did Clark start for Vincennes?

34. What did the little army have for food?

35. What hindered Clark's march?

36. How long did it take to cross the plain of the Wabash River?

37. What is a dugout?