The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-12-19

Tedy ffrin, and General WAYNE was sta>
toned about three miles in the rear of
their left wing, near the Pdoi Iduern,
and which place became the theatre of
sanguinary scene, called the
MASSACRE OF PAOLI.
Washington, having decided upon a
doping the offensive, reached Philadel-
phia, where he received reinforcements,
and took the route along the Lancaster
road 10 meet Lord Howe. Meanwhile.
Gen. Wayne, with his division, awaited
in silence, at Paoli for reinforcements 10
be forwarded under Major Smallwood,
and imprudently believing himself secure
from any attack, had not taken all the pre-
cautions necessary at such critical mo-
ment. On the night of the goth of Sep
tember, l777, Major General Grey eau
tiously led band of British and Hessians
with fixed bayonets, into the camp of
Wayne's small force, and commenced a
most terrific slaughter. The Americans
were completely taken by surprise; the
most of them were in sound slumber,
from which they only awoke by the loud
yells of the remorseless Hessians, to find
. a CORY bed. As there was no resistance
indeed, in the hurry, confusion, dark
fence-the cries of the half-naked, unar-
med men, for mercy and quarter, were
perfectly unheeded by men whose trade
termination. Wayne, with some cavalry
galloped 10 the rescue, and endeavored to
stem the torrent, and ultimately succeeded
in drawing off the remnants Of his bri-
gade. That night sleep had been mur-
dered effectually, and morning dawned
on multitude of corpses, bathed in blood;
the earth covered with clotted gore-here
and there horses and riders together pros
trate, and in one red burial blent;' while
the butchers rioted in the success of a
slaughter that had cost them so little At
least one hundred and fifty were massacred
on the spot, and all the camp equipage
| fell into the hands of the British
| Much blame was attached 10 General
! Wayne, for allowing himself 10 be sur
/ prised in this manner, and he demanded a
court-martial, which acquitted him honor
| ably.
A neat marble monument has been erec-
ted on the ground, TO the memory of the
unfortunate patriots who fell on this mel
ancholy 20th of September, l777.
Many accounts have been given Of this
disastrous affair, all of which tend to
| screen our hero from blame. But d re-
| gard for truth constrains us to state, tnat
Anthony Wayne was not only a gallant
! soldier, but gallant man, and instead of
watching over the safety of the troops
| committed to his care, he was fulfilling an
! affair of gallantry, at some distance from
/ the camp, at the time of the assault. His
! torians have treated him with unusual lie.
nifty, for his noble conduct Immediately
afterwards, at the battle of Germantown
and, indeed, he never forgave himself for
! this dereliction OF duty, and it burst from
| his heart, in the midst of his onset at the
storming of Stony Point, when he cried
| out to his men" REMEMBER PAoLI
BOYS ~
This massacre had no other effect than
10 rouse 10 such pitch of frenzy both
General Wayne and his soldiers, that in
the battle of Germantown, fought shortly
after, he and they signalized themselves
themselves.
| But The next exploit of gallantry and
prowess, which shed a lustre on the fame
of our revolutionary army, but especially
on that of General Wayne and his COM
pdtrlOtS iTOiH Il euISylVanla. was tfle Storm
ing of Stony Point, always admitted to
be one of the most brilliant that ever gra.
ced the annals of war.
To Gen. Wayne, who commanded the
light infantry OF the army, the execution
of this Coatp de main was intrusted. Sc
crecy was deemed so much more essential
to success than numbers, that it was
thought unadvisable to ado TO the force
already in the lines. One brigade was
ordered TO commence its march, so as to
reach the scene of action in time to cover
those troops engaged in the attack, in case
of any unlocked for disaster; and Major
Lee, of the light dragons, who had been
eminenlly useful in obtaining the intelli-
gence which led to the enterprise, was
associated with General Wayne, at least
as far as cavalry could be employed in
( such service.
The night of the 18th of July, 1779
was fixed upon for the assault; and it De-
ing suspected that the English garrison
would be more on their guard towards day,
twelve o'clock was the hour chosen for
the attack, Wayne and his comrads in
arms, who had suffered at Paoli, had they
died previous to the attack, would, like
Queen Anne, have been found TO have the
word PAoLI written on their hearts.