DIVINE PROTECTION
Dinah W. Goff --CONTINUED -- 5
One morning a most outrageous party advanced
towards the house, yelling and roaring like savages,
evidently with some wicked design; but two young
men who looked serious again interposed in your behalf,
and would not allow them to enter. Thus were the
words of David fulfilled: "The wrath of man shall
praise thee; the remainder of wrath thou wilt
restrain."
A young man, who, with his mother, kept a
neighbouring public-house, used at that time often
to walk into our drawing-room, lay his sword on the
table, and amuse me and my young cousin by giving
us his finely decorated hat to admire. One after-
noon he tried to prevail on us two to go with him
to the camp, saying, it was an interesting sight
such as we might never have an opportunity again
to see. We were then sixteen and fourteen years
of age; and on my saying I did not think my mother
would permit us to go, he desired us not to tell
her, and promised to bring us safely back. My
mother ever watchful, was at this moment crossing
the hall; and seeing us together, she came forward
and inquired what he was saying. When we told her,
she asked him how he dared to request the child-
ren to go to such a place? She them reasoned with
us on the impropriety of listening to such invita-
tions, saying, she should never have expected to
see us again if we had once gone.
Three or four hundred English troops, accom-
panied by Hompesch’s German hussars, at length
landed at Duncannon Fort; this was announced by
the firing of cannon early in the morning. On
my mother’s entering my room, I expressed much
pleasure at the intelligence, when she replied,
"My dear, we must rejoice with trembling; having
much to dread from their being strangers, and
we know not what may be permitted: we have only
to place our trust and confidence in Him who hath
hitherto preserved us!" This little army formed an
encampment on my late uncle Cesar Sutton’s lawn at
Longgrague, about two miles from us. The next day,
whilst we were sitting at dinner, one of the ser-
vants said the rebel forces were coming from Wexford
in thousands, intending to surround the English
encampment. The royal troops, commanded by General
Moore, having had previous information, were, however,
on the alert, and met them on the road near our
house. We counted twenty-four pieces of cannon
belonging to the rebels which passed our entrance.
A dreadful scene, partly in our view, was now en-
acted, and lasted for three hours; the firing was
awfull. Having closed the doors and windows in the
lower part of the house as much as possible, we all
retired to an upper room, and there remained in a
state of fearful suspense. It was a terrible sight,
and deeply affected us, the cannon balls falling
thickly about the house. On one of my sisters
raising the window to look out, a ball whizzed by
her head; and this; with many others, we after-
wards found. At length, seeing the poor deluded
people running in all directions, we learned that
they were routed.
Two soon came to the house to have their wounds
dressed, which my sister Arabella did as well as
she could; one had a ball in the cap of his knee,
and both bled profusely: they expressed much thank-
fulness, and hoped they might soon be able again
to fight for their freedom. A fine young man coming,
who had received a severe wound in his side and
shoulder, my dear mother used means to relieve him,
and dressed him comfortably in clean linen, while
he frequently exclaimed, "Do, ma’am, try to stop
the blood. I don’t mind the pain, so that I may but
fight for my liberty." Observing him in danger from
the great injury, she spoke to him in a very serious
strain, and also recommended his going to the Wexford
Infirmary. We heard afterwards that he died on the
way a few hours after he left us. This battle was
at Goff’s Bridge, on the 20th of Sixth Month.
Several hundreds of the insurgents were killed, but
not many of the military.
Soon after the firing had ceased, we observed
two of the cavalry moving slowly and suspiciously
up our avenue; on which my father went down to
the hail door, and advanced with a smiling counte-
nance and extended arms to meet them. One, who
was a German, at once embraced him, saying, in
broken English, "You be Friend--no enemy, no enemy;"
and gave him a the kiss of peace; adding, "We
have Friends in Germany." We got them eggs, milk,
bread, &c., to refresh them, after the excessive
fatigue and excitement which it was obvious they
had suffered.
The evening before this engagement, one of
my sisters, passing through the servants’ hall,
observed the coachman leaning on his arm, appar-
ently much distressed. When she requested to know
the cause, he hesitated and said he would not tell
her; but on her entreating him, and adding that
she should like to know the worst, he said that he
had heard it planned at the camp, that, if they
conquered the royalists, we were all to be murdered,
and the generals were to take possession of our
house. He then added, weeping, "Oh, our plans are
too wicked for the Lord to prosper them!" My sister
remarked that we trusted in a Power stronger than
man, and able to protect us in the midst of danger;
or to that effect.
During the night following this battle, our
house was surrounded by Hompesch’s cavalry, who
slept on the lawn wrapped up in their grey coats.
The next morning twenty or thirty of the officers
breakfasted with us, and told us that we had had
a marvellous escape on the previous day; the cannon
having been placed on the bridge, and pointed
against the house to batter it down; even the
match was lighted, when a gentleman, who knew my
father and us, came forward, and told them the
house was "inhabited by a loyal Quaker and his
family." They had previously supposed it must be
a rendezvous of rebels, and feared, from its
commanding position, that they themselves might
have been fired upon from it. Some of the officers,
being refreshed by their meal, even shed tears when
they reflected on the danger we had been in.
My cousins Richard and Ann Goff of Hopefield,
near Horetown, had been observed by "the United Men"
to persevere in walking to Forrest Meeting whilst
the country was in a state of rebellion; and were
apprized that, if they continued this practice, and
refused to unite in the Roman Catholic forms of
worship, they should be put to death, and their
house burned. This threat brought them under deep
mental exercise, accompanied with fervent prayers
that they might be enabled to come to a right de-
cision; and, collecting their large family together,
in humble confidence that best direction might be
mercifully afforded, after a season of solemn re-
tirement, they laid the matter before their child-
ren. On this memorable occasion, the noble and
Intrepid language of Fade Goff, their eldest son,
then about seventeen years of age, is worthy of
being recorded. "Father,"t said he, "rejoice
that we are found worthy to suffer." His parents
were deeply affected, and their minds became so
much strengthened, that next morning, rising before
daybreak, they all proceeded to the meeting, and
were enabled to continue to attend Divine worship
without molestation; expressing thankfulness in
thus being permitted to accomplish what they con-
sidered their religious duty.
David Sands and his companion attended that
meeting, and, returning to Horetown, were joy-
fully received by us: my dear mother saying that
his visit reminded her of the good Samaritan pour-
ing oil into our wounded minds. The three families
now occupying our house all assembled with him on
this solemn occasion, and his communication was
truly impressive and consoling, inducing tenderness
in all present. He first alluded to the deep trials
we had suffered; then to the Infinite mercy which
had brought the family through them; and afterwards
offered a solemn tribute of thanksgiving and praise
to the great Preserver of men, whose power had been
so remarkably displayed for our protection, when
surrounded by danger on every hand. It was indeed
a memorable visit, for which thankfulness prevailed
to Him from whom all consolation is derived. The
Roman Catholic family had never before heard these
plain truths so declared, nor witnessed anything of
the kind; but they all united in prayer on their
knees, and the mother said, "I never heard such a
minister as that gentleman: he must be an angel
from Heaven sent to you!"
QUEST, P.O. Box 82, Bellefonte PA 16823
E-mail: quest@quaker.org