400 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

seemed to be no distinction of party or situation in life. Citizens of every political party vied with each other only in their efforts to protect the city from invasion by the common enemy, and met on the ground of self-defence, as on a common platform. That the city must be gallantly defended was the universal opinion, and every individual felt it necessary to spare no pains, or no means within his power, to defeat any hostile attempt. The rich and the poor proffered their services and mingled their labors on the same works in the purest spirit of patriotic emulation. Those who, from any cause, were unable to give their personal labor to the common cause, voluntarily and liberally contributed of their means for the employment of substitutes, while many both gave and worked. Even women and schoolboys(1) caught the inspiration of the hour, and con-

1 Furman’s MS. contains the following reminiscence of “The jaunt of the Students of ÔColumbia AcademyÕ in Bergen, New Jersey, to work in the fortifications in the town of Brooklyn, on Long Island.”

1814. “During this summer, actuated by the spirit of patriotism and a desire to serve our country at this critical juncture of the war between the United States arid Great Britain, several of us students signed a paper tendering our services to the Committee of Defence, in the city of New York, and asked permission to contribute our small assistance to raise the fortifications on the Heights of Brooklyn, in order to repel the enemy, should lie attempt to land. We then painted a flag with the following inscription, ‘Volunteers of Columbia Academy.’ The next morning we arose, and while the stars were in the sky, took up our line of march for Brooklyn Heights, the Academy bell ringing to a merry tune. In passing through Paulus Hook (Jersey City), we were saluted by the women with “God bless you, boys!’—the spirit of our Revolutionary sires seems to have pervaded the bosoms of all. We crossed the Paulus Hook ferry free of ferriage; when we got to the Fulton ferry, we each received a ticket, valued at two cents, from an agent of the Corporation of the City of New York, to recross the ferry with. We reached the Brooklyn shore quite early in the morning, and marched along directly through the town, in company with a large body of brewers from New York, to Fort Greene, where we were detached by the Superintendent, Mr. (Robert) Nicholls, to clear the easterly part of the fort of small round stones, and to carry dirt in small wheelbarrows to raise a step to enable the infantry to fire over the top of the wall. We worked till dinner-time, when we broke off; ate our dinner and commenced work again, and continued until four o'clock in the afternoon, when we stopped and commenced our return march to Bergen. When we reached Paulus Hook it was almost dusk. In travelling up the road to our place of destination, we met a gentleman in his horse and chair going to Paulus Hook; his horse appeared frightened at our flag. We offered to lower it; but he said, ‘Never mind, boys; here (throwing some money to our standard-bearer), treat your company.’ When we arrived at Coulters, we laid out our new friend's donation in refreshments—some cakes-and continued on to the Academy. We formed a ring on the square formed by the meeting of the streets at the side of the Academy, gave three cheers for our safe return home, dismissed, got our supper, went to bed, and soon were lulled to sleep without rocking. I feel a pride, which every free