The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1846-02-07

niHht Was intensely cold, the tlect and rain rat.
tied necessarily upon the mems knspsscks; aud
The Wind sbriekod. bowled and fosfed among
The old pine trees with terrific violence. Al
times the snow fell pcrpendicuIarly downwsds
then Il bcat horizontally into cur faces with
furious lmpetuosity, and again IL was whirlcd
wildly on high, eddying round and round, sweep.
ing away on the whIslliog tempes, far down IN
The gloom.
The tramp Of tho men--tho low orders Of the
ofiieers-the occasional attic OF mlsket were |
almost lost IN The shril voice Of The gale, or the
deep sullen roar Of The tortured forest. Even
these sounds al length ceased, and wo continued
to march IN profound silence, increasing as we |
drew nearer the on posts Of the enemy.
The redoubled violence # the gale, though il
added to the sufierngs Of our brave continentals,
was even hailed with Joy, and made us once
more hope for successful surprise.
Nor were our suferings light. Through that
dreadful night nothing but the lofty patriotism
OF freemen could have sus, aimed them. Half
C othed-manv without shoes, whole com panles
without blankets, they yet pressed heavily on
against The storm, though drenched 10 the skp,
rhlveriog at every blast, and too often marking
their footsteps with blood. Old as am now,
the recollection is still vivid 10 my mind. God
forbid that such suffsrines should ever have TO
be endured again.
The dawn at last came; but the storm still
ragged. The trees were borne down with sect
and the slush was ANGLE deep in the roads. The
field that We passed were covered with wet,
spongy snow-and the half buried houses look
ed bleak and desolate in the uncertain morning
| light. II has been my lot TO witness few such
iorboGing scenes. At this instant messenger
dashed furiousy up 10 announce that the ont-
posts of the British were being driven in.
"Fcrward-forward!" cried w ashington him.
self, galloplng up to The head Of the columns
"push on my brave fellows--oN!"
The men started Ike hunters at the cry OF the
pack, as their Generals voice was seconded BY
hasty fire from the rifemen in the van, anG
forgetting every thing but the foe, marched ra
pidly in silent eagerness toward the sound ofthe
conflict. As they emerged from the wood the
scene burst upon them.
The town lay but short distance ahead, just
observable through the twilight. and seemed
buried in repose. ....s.
The streets were wholly deserted, and az yet
the alarm had not reached the man body of the
enemy. single horseman, was seen fleeing
moment through the mist--he was lost behind
a cIump of trees, and then reappeared, dashng
wildly down The main street of the village. u
had no doubt but that he was messenger from
the outposts for . reinforcement, and if suffered
to rally once we knew all hope was gone. To
the forces he had left, we now turned our at,cn |
ton.
The first charge Of our gallant continentals
had driven the outpost in like the shock of an
avalanche. Just aroused from sleep, and taken
by surprise, they did not a, first pre-.
end to make stand, but retreated rapidly in
disorder before our vanguard. A few moments
however, had sufi :ed to recall their reeling fac.
ulties; and perceving the insignificant forces
opposed to them, they halted, hesitated, rallied
poured in heavy fire, and even advanced
cheering TO the onset. At this moment our
main body emerged from the wood, and when
my eye first fell upon the Hessian grenaders,
hey were beginning again to stagger
'On--on-push on, continenials of the -,
shouted the officer in command. I
The men with admirable discipline still for.
bore their shouts, and steadily passed on against
The now flying outposts. In another instant
The Hessians were in full retreat upon The
town.
"By heaven!" calculated an abide camp at
my side as a rolling fire of musketry was all at
once heard a, the distance Of half mile across
the village, "there goes Sulllvan's brigade--the
day is our own"
"Charge that artillery from detachment
from the eastern regiment" shouted the Gene.
raj as the battery of the enemy was seen little
10 the right.
The men leveled their bayonets, marched
steadily up to the very mouth of the cannon, and
before the artillery could bring their pieces to
bear, carried them with cheer. Just then the
surprised enemy was seen endeavoring TO form
in the main street ahead, and the rapidly in.
Al - r. III la
the day in that quarter was fiercey maintained.
A few moments of indecision would ruin US.
Pr ss ou-press on there," shouted the com
mander in.chlef-"cbarge them before they can
me-" The effect was electric
Gallant as they had been before, our brave
troops now seemed to be carried away with
perfect enthusiasm. 'rhe men burst into a
cheer at the sight of their commanders daring,
and dashing rapidlty into the town carried eve
ry thing before them.
The half formed Hessians openeda desoluto-
nv fire, fell in before our impetuous attack, wav
cred broke. and in FIVE minutes were hying pell
nell Though the town-while our troops With
admirable discipline still maintaining their
ranks, pressed steadily up the street, driving the
foe before them. They had scarcely gone a
hundred Yards before the banners Of Sullivan's
brigade were seen floating through the mist
ahead-a cheer burst from eur men, it was an
swered back from our approaching comrades,
and perceiving themselves hemned in on oil
sides, the whole regiment we had routed laid
down ,geir arms. The instant victory was Ourr,
aud the foe having surrendered, every unmanly
exultation had disappeared from the countenan.
ces of our troops. The fortune Of war had
turned against their foe, It was no. the part Of
brave men TO add insult to misfortune.
We wers on the point Of dismoun'ing when