Litchfield enquirer., 1850-04-25

arms, to Windmill point, onsthe Canaa;.s. an side. But in the meantime roI1rel Worth and U. S. Marshal Garron ar,;-od at the scene of action, and took. tlS1s .mest energetic measures to suppress .tfe rev. olution, succeeded in frightening some of the soldiers from the contest. On the morning of the 18th, three British armed steamers, (the Experiment, Coburr and ', Traveller commenced throwing bombs and Jiscllarging cannon on the Patriot forces, who had taken possession of the windmill and other large stone buildings In the vicinity of Prescott. Within an hour after the first attack, the action be- came general, and, to use the languaoe of an eye witness, ca llne of fireS biszed along the summit of the hill, in the rear ot where the patriots were posted, for above eighty or hundred rods :; and the crack of rifles and musketry in concert with the believing of cannon, kept up ono continual roar.''
 The scene of fearful sublimity, and the intense anxiety manifested by the thou. sands of spectators who were gathered on both sides of the river. rendered the pe- rlod such as lives in the memory, when the more peaceful and harmor rious trans actions of public nature are lost in the mighty vortex of forgotten deeds. After ten and half hours hard fight ing, the patriots drove the British from their forts with loss of one hundred killed and eighty wounded, while of their own number only five were killed and
 thirteen wounded.
 | Thus closed the drama of the first
 days operations, A consultation was
 held by the patriot officers as to the best mode to be pursued, as it was evident that help from the American shore was out of the question, owing to the vigil ance of Col. Worth.
 The l4th passed, and little was done on either side, except to make prepara- tons for further hostilities. The British,
 however, were reinforced by four hun.
 dred Regulars, with heavy ordnance and
 gunboats from Kingston. This, with
 their volunteer force, swelled their force to a little more than 200O effective and well armed men.
 There were many at Ogdensburg who stood ready to join their companions. with at least a ton of powder and other munitions, but the schooner containing the same was seized by Col. Worth, who threatened to treat as outlaws all who made an attempt to carry such design into execution. On the morning of the 18th, the British commander, Col. Young. sent flag of truce to Col. Won Shouitz demanding him to surrender. "In what character" askedahe, edo you wish us to surrender, as prisoners of an honora. ble warfare ?''
 No replied the messenger, we want you to surrender as rebels
 You may return as soon as you please. rejoined Won Shoultz, we prefer dying with guns in our hands, to such a sur. render.'
 About o'clock signal was given for the British fleet in the river to approach within range of the Windmill, which or. der was promptly obeyed; at the same time a tremendous fire was opened from the musketry on shore, all directed on the Patriot position. The shock was like that of an earthquake, but the exe- cution, comparatively speaking, was small. The Patriots sustained little or no loss. Col. Van Shoultz however. had slim foundation on which to rear his hopes of success; from the fact that his ammunition was fast being exhausted. Could he have been placed in the pos- session of the ammunition which Col. Worth had the day or two previous ta- ken from him, the probability is, that the Patriots would have succeeded in the enterprise.
 The Patriots continued to keep up a we'll directed and effective fire, while the cannon of the enemy belched forth a storm of iron. The range of battle on both sides plainly showed that each dis puted the contest with stern obstinacv. Col. Young, of the British force, finding it matter of impossibility tu dislodge the Patriots by ordinance alone, gave or ders for one thousand infantry with fixed bayonets to make charge upon the windmill, and take no prisoners; but ex- termlnate every man with whom they might come in contact.
 Col. Won Shoultz seeing the move- mert, ordered his men to reserve their fire until they should approach to with in sixty paces of the line. The com mand then being given to "fire." one simultaneous burst went forth, dealing destruction to their formidable foe. The moment that the wind had swept away the smoke, nearly one hundred of the enemy was seen lying dead. or rolling on the earth intense agony.
 No time was lost in reloading; for it was seen that the enemy were rallying again to renew the charge. When they approached to within fifteen paces, an. other volley from the Patriots swept them down like grass before the scythe.as At this discharge nearly one hundred and