Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-06-12


Silertly these devoted bands submitted 10 the
desperate measures, and fixing piece Of white
paper IN their caps, to distinguish them from the
enemy, gsllantiy moved forward at the low word
OF command. AT midnight the two columns,
headed BY their forlorn hopes, came in sigh, Of
the fortress, along whose dark ramparts, the
sentinel was lazily ueading his accustomed
round, while the deep 'all's.well' fell family on
the listening ear. Grim and still the huge black
rock oomed up against the sky, soon to shake
With its own thunder, and stand blazing volca.
no in the midnight heavens. Noiseless and swift
the fearless patriots kept on their way, when 10
as they came TO the marsh, they saw only
smooth sheet OF water.-the tide was up, hood.
ing the whole ground. The brave fellows pau.
sed moment, as this new and unexpected obsta.
Gle crossed their path, but, at the stern forward,
of their leaders, they boldly plunged in, and
without drum or bugle note TO cheer their stea.
dy courage, moved in dead silence straight on
the palisades. The noise had now alarmed the
sen:neis, and the rapid discharge Of their nns.
kets through the gloom, was followed BY lights,
moving swiftly about upon the ramparts, and
hurried shouts of 40 arms ! 10 arms - and the
fierce roll OF drums, rousing up the garrison from
its dream OF security The next moment, that
dark rock was one mass of flame, as the artillery
and musketry opened along its sides, shedding
lurid light on the countenances Of the men below
and 'aorauce ! adrancc = rung in startling &C.
cents along the ranks
The ramrat.s were alive with soldiers. and
amid shouts and hurried words Of command. the
fiery torrent from the summit kept rolling on
driven into spray by the grape shot and balls that
fell Ia an Incesssn. shower, while the kissing.
bursting Shells uaversing the air in every direc.
ton, added inconceivable terror to the scene.
Yet those forlorn hopes foiied vigorously on, and
heaved away at the abattis to open gap for the
cruhbled under the hre, waiting with fixed bay
onrts 10 rush TO the assault. At the head of one
of these was Wayne, ebahng like a lion in the
tolls at the obstacles that arrested his progress
The forlorn hope in front of him worked steadi-
ly on in the very blaze OF the batteries, and the
tdplU DlOWe OF tnelT axes were uedTu IN tne III
tervas of the thunder of artillery that shook the
midnight air, while one after another dropped
dead in his footsteps, till out of the twenty that
started, only three stood mp unharmed Yet still
their axes fell steady and strong until an opening
was made, through which the columns could pass
and then the shont Of Wayne was heared above
the din and tnmnlt, summoning his followers on
With hked bayonets they marched sternly thru
the portals made at such a noble sacrifice, and
pressed furiously forwaId-through the niofass
over every obstacle-up TO the very mouths
of the cannon, and up the rocky ACTIVITY, they
stormed on, crushing everything in their passage,
Towering at the head Of his shattered column,
pointing still onward and upward with his gilt.
tering blade, and sending his thrilling shout back
over his followers, Wayne strobe steadily mp the
height, till a, length. struck in the head by a
musket. ball, he fell backward amid the rsnks
Instantly rising on one knee. he cried out
"March on! Garry me into the fort, for will
die at the head Of my column !" And those he.
roes put their brave arms asound him and bore
him onward
Net a shot was fired, but taking the rapid vol.
leys on their unshrinking breasts, their bayonets
giitterins in the fash of the enemy's guns, they
kept on over the living and dead. shifting down
the veteran ranks that threw themselves in vain
valor before them, till they reached the centre
Of the fort, where they met the other column
which, over the same obe'arles, had achieved the
same triumph. At the sight Of each other, one
loud shout shook the heights and rolled down the
vens rung with the wild huzzas and then the 6ae
of freedom went u? and Haunted proudly away
on the midnight air. The ihickIvolumes Of smoke
that lay around that rock, slowly lifted and roll
led up the Hudson, the stars appeared once more
in the sky, and all was over The Iordly river
ly strife that cast such baleful light on its bo
som, and darkness and death like silence shroud
ed the shores Morunfully and slow those for
.lorn hopes and their brave companions who hat
fallen in the assault, were brought up from theii
CORY beds and conveyed TO the grave.
| "Wayhe's wound proved not to be severe--tht
ball having only grazed the skull fot two inche,
and he lived to wear the laurels grateful nstior
placed on his brow. The country rung with hi,
name, and Congress presented him with golt
medal. The whole plan of the assault was mos
tskifuiiy laid and the bearing Of Wayne through
Pout gallant in the extreme. He chose the pos
Fof danger at the head of his column, and led hi
men where even the bravest might shrink to FOL
fiow, and when struck and apparently 6ying, he