Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-07-06
From the -Ner England ReUieW'
THE STORNED FORT.

1AAD ~ OA$-t1 Ia 4 ~ ~ =
Bat take sodger from his hill,
Clap in his cheek the hifihland gill;
Say, such is royal Gorge's will,
And there's the foe
He has nae thought but how to kill
.Twa at ablow.'-Burns.
The glories of 4 beautiful oriental
sunset were falling over the wide
Ganges, and lending a softer tint to
the dark foliage Of the juneles Of its
chores, touching here and there the
dim tower Of some heather temple
with finger Of gold: and, above paint
ing the sky with colorlng, richer than
thato the golden Heaven ofMlahomet.
The British fleet, as it lay with ITS dark
batteries fiowniny upon the walls of
Mayapore, and still rocking with the
s,no..s Of its artillery. was motionless as
the CLASSY elements upon which 1t res
led, each mast and spar, casting ITS dis
:,nct and tapering shadow far away to
the eastward.
Give! said Admiral Watson as he
withdrew the glass from his eye,
through which he had been surveying
the fortress and battered walls Of May
aporc, these black scoundrels are still
busy and numerous. Our artillery
has shaken their walls somewhat, but
So long as they receive no considerable
corporal injury, they will hold out
against US. And see, they are swarm
ing like bees, upon yonder eminence.
And we are likely to feel their
stings, said Colonel Give, as a shower
Of musket balls swept past them, and
four Of the ships company fell at their
feet. What shall be done Admiral.
Before reply could be made, a SAL
lor by the name of Strachm, staggered
forward and confronted the two off.
GERS.
Why Colonel III tell you what's to
be done. Take dozen on us, and
board 'em. D-n my eyes if !
couldn't do it myself.
In ordinary cases, such an address
from common sailor would have
been replied to by a round dozen Of
lashes from boatswain's mate; but
the oddity Of the proposal-the queer
look and tone Of the drunken seaman,
forced a smile upon the weather beat
en- severity Of the Admiral's counte-
nance, as he ordered the fellow back
to bis post.
Whether the Admiral took his hint
from the sailors advice, or otherwise
We know not, but he actually ordered
preparations to be made for storming
the enemy's works. Col. Give, at the
head Of some hundred soldie RS, landed
below the town, under cover Of the
darkness with orders to remain quiet
until about day break, and then make
p vigorous attack upon the fortress.
About ten O'Clock that evening, a
solitary figure in the garb Of British
tar, the circumrygations of whose mo-
ton gave evidence that arrack punch
had by no means improved the awk-
wardness Of his legs, was seen working
his way towards the enemy's fortifca-
tioBs. vcering now to the right. and
then to the left, like boat rowing a.
gainst shifting winds and eddies. II
was no other than Strachm himself,
evidently too mut h elated by the infu-
encc Of grog to reason coolly on any
thing. lnscnsible to fear. bu. with no
very definite purpose in his mind. he
onward until he found him
under the walls Of Bourgee
Fort, strong fertilization defending
the town Of Mayapore. Strachm, af-
ter vainly endeavoring to press onward
and thereby bringing his head several
times in rough contact with the wall.
looked upward and began to realize
his situation. The wall at this point
bad been greatly exposed to the cannon
Of the British fleet, and huge breach
had been laid open, just before the
spot where Strachm as standing. par
TALLY revealed by the lamps and torch
IS which flashed a Wild light from the
interior cfthe fortress. The drunken
sailor looked at it with as much cool
ness as his iDebriation would admit
OF. Burns says somewhere in bis
Tam O'Shanter,
WI openny we fear no evil,
Wi usque baugh we face the devil
and the conduct Of Straofim certainly
verifes his assertion. Bestowing "a
hearty curse upon his Admiral for a
!alel iubber, and a coward. he clam
berej up the breach and mounted upon
tho haStinD Several darL vis,oeJ in