Page:Harris Dickson--The unpopular history of the United States.djvu/55

 the “nobility of the cause of freedom,” “come on boys,” all that sort of thing. Nobody disputed a word he said. “Yep, it’s a bully good cause; everybody ought to be free. But ’t ain’t my business to fight no more than that other fellow’s.” They left it pretty much to George.

Now if you’ve got it well planted in your head, the kind of militia we used during the Revolution, I’ll tell you what they did—just a few things.

At Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill they fought like thunderation, on the independent plan. But volunteers and militia are always shortwinded. After that most of ’em sat down for a spell to stretch out and talk it over.

At Quebec, when their terms were expiring, they got so fidgety to go home and look after the crops that they caused the loss of the expedition and the death of General Montgomery.

They scattered on Long Island before Lord Howe like leaves before the wind.