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marksmen stepped forward, and asked leave to bring him down. Ferguson per. emptorily refused; but ne went to the skirt oi the wood. and. showing himself. incnaeed the Americans with several ri. iiess wiiie ne called 10 him, and made slgns for him b come in. The mounted oilcer saw his enemies, drew lis s.rein. and sat looking at them astentircly. for t few moments.

 A sergeant now offered to. hit the 1orses without injuring the rider. But Ferguson still withheld his consent. :,f- lhrmlng, that 1t was Washington recon noltering and that lie would not be the instrument of placing the life Of 50 srreat 2 man i'll jeopardy, by so unfair means. The horseman turned, and rode slowly away. When the British army reached Philadelphia, MT. De LanceY ssss pro noted to majority, in another corps. and Ferguson, not long after, went to the South, where he was killed, at Kings mountain. To the last moment Mai. Ferguson, maintained that the officer whose life he had spared was Washing- ton; and thatitispr probable that the story in circulation has proceeded from this opinion. But oil the other hand, Mr. i3cLancey, ,to whom the person of Wash ington was necessarily so we'll known. constantly affirmed that his commarder was mistaken. ] have often heard MT. De Lancey relate these cireumstatces and though lle never Iretended to be sure of the person of the unknown horse- man fl was his opinion, from some par ticulars of dress and stature that it was thc Count Pulaski.

 Though m css:so1 .llsc .tlsc f |. individual whom he spared, the merit of Maj. Ferguson is not al all diminished hy q knowledge of the truth. cor- rect the mistake, only because the ac- count Is at variance with the probable situation of Washington, at so irnpor- tant moment; and because every cir cumsfanee connected witI, sife public or private history of that ilustrous mat.. iaas great interest, not only with his own but the whole civilized world.

 Very truly yours,

 J. FENIM0KE COOPER.