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

Whilst engaged in admiring and eulogizing
the recent deeds of bravery of our gel.nt Gen.
erals and soldiers in Mexico, it may not be out
of place, or inappropriate to the times, to revive
the remembrance of some of those achievements
which distinguished our revolutionary contest.
and gave to our national galaxy so many bright
and illustrious names. In Ilesdley's lively
work of Washington and his Generals, we find
the following spirited and vigorous description
of one OF the most brilliant victories in the War
of dependence:
SroRhINe OF SroNY PoiSr-" But the most
brilliant action of Wayne's life. and one of the
most Illustrative Of his character. was the s,or.
ming of Stony Point. Washington, at Wsyne's
request, had organized corps of light infentry.
and put him over it, with directions 10 take this
stronghold. This fur'ress was apparently i'm.
pregnable. to any storming party; for. situated
OIL a hill, it was washed BY the Hudson on two
sides; while on the other lay a march which
every tide overhowed. Besides these natural
defencee. a double row of abaitis surrounded
the entire hill. and on the top were high ram.
parts bristling with cannon. Six hundred vete.
ran troops gartisnned this rock sufficient. one
would think, to defend il sgaIns, five times the
number. But it was no common obstacle that
could deter Wayne when his mind was once
made up. and he determined, formidable as j,
was, to execute the task assigned him or perish
in the attempt. Il is said that while conver.
sing with Washington on the proposed exped.
ton, he remarked - General, if you will only
plan, will storm HI
"fle carefully reeonnoilered the ground, and
having ascertained the exact position of things,
formed his plan of attack. On the 18th of July,
! 1879, he started from Sandy Beach, IA miles dis
tant, and at eight in the evening arrived within
a mile and half of the fortress 1t wa, now
twilight; and the mild summer evening with its
cooling breeze stole over the water-the stars
came out one by one On the sky, and the tranquil
river flowed by in majestic silence, and all was
sweet and peaceful. While nature was thus re-
posing in beauty around him, Wayne, with his
strong soul wrought up to the task before him,
stood in the gathering shades OF the evening, and
gazed long and anxiously in the direction Of the
| fort
"over hills, across miorasses, and along the
broken shores OF the Hudson, he had led his little
army noiselessy, in Indian fle, and now waited
for the deepening night to lock his enemies in
siumber. Still undiscovered by the garrison, he
began 10 reconnoitre the works more closely, and
at halfpast eleven, put his columns in motion
He divided his army into two portions. one o.
which was to enter the fortress on the right and
the other on the left In advance of each wen,
a forlorn hope of twenty men to remove the pile.
Of rubbish that were stretched in double rows
round the rock, and placed just were the batter
les could NOW down the assailants fastest. Be
hind these forlorn hopes, marched two compa
MES Of a hundred and fifty men each wayn
knew that everything must rest en- the bayone.
and so he ordered the load Of every musket o
those companies to be drawn, while the first maj
who should take his frem his shoulder, or utte