Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-08-18

I Noiseless and swift the fearless patriot
kept on their way, when lotaas they cam
TO the marsh5 they saw only smooth shee
! l.of Water-thei tide was UP flooding tn
whole grourldl2 the brave fellows paused
moment as thissnew and une expected sobsta
tcle crossed their path, but al the stern tfor
wards Of theirlsaders; they boldly plangee
lin. and without drum or bugle note t
Lcheer their steady courage, moved in deat
Esilenee- Straight on the palisades. I The nois.
fhadinow alarmed the; sentinels, and the
rapid discharge,of fheirr muskets through
the gleom,a was follosNeds lights, moving
about nEepE Ind hflrrf
fedshouts of HTo arms ito armsi'' and the
Fierce roll Of drums, rousing up the garri.
som from its dream of security. The next
monaentthe dark rock was one mass oi
! flame, as the artillery and musketry open
| ed along its sides, shedding alurid light on
the scountenances Of the men below, anc
"Aduancsw rung instartling accents along
/ the ranks. sd. st.- .,
| The ramparts were alive with soldiers,
and amid shouts and hurried words of, com
mand, the frey torrent from the summit
kept rolling on those devoted men. The
water around them was driven into spray
by the grape shot and balls that fell in an
incessant shower, while the kissing, burst.
ing shells, traversing the air in every di-
rection, added uncomfortable terror. to the
scene. Yet those forlorn hopes toiled Wig
orously On and heaved away at the abbatis
to open cape for the column, that, with
out returning shot, stood and crumbled
under the fire, waiting with fixed bayonets
to rush to the assault. At the head of one
ofthese was Wayne, chafng like lion
the tolls, at the obstacles that arrested his
progress The forlorn hope in front of
him worked steadily on, in the very blaze
of the batteries, and the rapid blows of their
axes were heard in the intervals 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 unharmed.
Yet still their axes fell steadily and stout
until an opening was made for the column
to pass, and then the shout of Wayne
was heard above the din and tumult sum-
moning his followers on. With fixed bay
onets they marched sternly through the por-
tails made at such sacrifice, and pressed
furiously forward-through the morass-
over every obstacle-upt to the very mouths
OF the cannon, and up the rocky acclivity,
they stormed on, crushing everything in
sheir passage. Towering at the head of
his shattered column, pointing still onward
and upward with their, glittering bayonet
and sending his thrilling shouts back over
his followers, Wayne strobe steadily up the
height, till at length struck in the head by
musket ball, he fell backward amid the
ranks. Instantly rising on his knee, he
cried out:
"March on! Garry me into the fort, for
[ will die at the head of my column!''
And those heroes put their brave arms
around him, and bore him onward. Not a
shot was fired, but taking the rapid volleys
on their unshrinking breasts, the bayonets
glittering in the flash of the enemy's guns,
they kept on over the living and the dead,
shifting down the veteran troop 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 obstacles, had achieved the
same triumph. At the sight of each other,
one loud shout shook the heights and rolled
down the bleeding lne-was again sent
back till the heavens rang with the wild
huzzas, and then the flag of freedom went
up and faunted proudly away on the mid
night air. The thick volumes of smoke
that lay around that rock, slowly lifted and
rolled up the Hudson, the stars appeared
once more in the sky, and oil was over.
The lordly river went sweeping by as it
had done during the deadly strife that cast
such baleful light on its bosom, and dark
ness and death-like silence shrouoed the
shores. Mournfully and slow those forlorn
hopes and their brave companions who had
fallen in the assault, were brought up from
their CORY beds and conveyed to the grave.
Wayne's wound proved not to be severe
the ball having only grazed the skull for
two inches, and he lived to wear the laurels
q grateful nation placed upon his brow.
The country rung with his name, and Con-
gress presented him with gold medal.
The whole plan of the assault was most
skilfully laid, and the bearing of Wayne
throughout was gallant in the extreme.
He chose the post of danger at the head of
his column, and led his men where even
the brayest might shrink to follow, and
when struck and apparently dying, heroic
ally demanded to be carried forward, that
he might die in the arms of victory, or be
left where the last stand was made. His
troops were worthy of such a leader, and
more gallant officers never led men into
battle.
Women STRONGER THAN OxEN.-1t is
related of a certian New England divine
who fourished not many years ago, and
whose matrimonial relations are supposed
not to have been of the most agreeable
kind. that one Sabbath morning, while
reading to his congregation the parable of
the supper, in Luke XIV, in which occurs
this passage-"And another said, have
bought five yoke of oxen, and go to prove
them; pray thee have me excused; and
another said, | have married ma wife.