Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-05-27
Battle of Plattsburgh.

We extract from an article from the pen of |
William WRlcutt, in a number of Whitney's
Republic, the following anecdote Of the battle of
Piattsburgh:
The night preceding the battle was stormy and
dark. The enemy, taking advantage ofthe wealth.
en- advanced in body, and built battery on a
prominent point near the bank Of the Saranac,
and within close muskes shot Of all the Ameri- !
can works--so near, indeed was it, that their
picks could be distinctly heard as they labored
lndustrousy through the night and storm. A
young officer, named McGlassen, proceeded to
the headquarters of Gen. Macomb and stated
the case to him, asking the privilege of taking
the works. The General replied that it was
dangerous undertaking, and that the men could
not be spared as they would be wanted on the
next day. McGassen acknowledged that all
was true the General had stated, but represented
the greater danger of the enemy occupying such
point, and within musket shot of the Gener-
ais own quarters. General Macomb then asked
him how many he wanted, and he replied that
ne would 60 with as many as he could get, but
that he would like one hundred and fifty. Gem
eral Macomb said that one hundred and fftv
could not be spared, but that he might have six.
ty, and McGlassen said he would take the bat
terry with that number. Gen. Macomb then
wrote an order for sixty men.
McGlassen went to his post, showed the order
to the Commander, and called for volunteers,
Hundreds sprang forward, eager to 90, but he
could take no more than sixty, and from the
whole selected that number. He ordered them,
every man, to take the flint from his musket,
and fix the bayonet They then advanced,
crossed the river, noiseessy, and proceeded
quietly through the small wood to the work. At
a certain distance he ordered halt, and pro.
ceeded cautiously alone to secure the sentinel,
after succeeding in which, he returned divided
his little party into two divisions, one of which
he ordered to take crcuitous route. 80 as TO at
tack on the opposite side ; the other he led him.
self, and calling out in laundering voice to
charge on the front and the rear, they rushed
with all the noise possible for few numb er to
make, uPonthe enemy. They were altogether
taken by surprise, and supposing thems elves
surrounded by overwhelming numbers, took to
3 their heels and fed like sheep. In vain their
officers tried to rally -panic-sticken, there
/, was no stopping them ; and even the officers
: were borne along with the afftightened mass
d Without continuing the pursuit, McGassen
n spiked the cannon and returned to The camp,
having accomplished his purpose thoroughly, and
without losing a man.
A gentleman of Plattsburgh, some years ago,
when visiting in Canada, was introduced to an
elderly English officer, and on the officers lear
ming that he was from Plattsburgh, he enquired
if he lived there at the time of the battle, and If
he knew the name of the officer who led the par
ty that stormed the battery on the night of the
;. 10th. The gentleman replied that he was in
9 Plattsburgh at the time Of the battle, and that
the officer who led the storming party he had
= mentioned. was named McGlassen.
Will you be so good as to tell me, ;" said the
officer, " what number oil men he had with him %
About sixty, believe" replied the gentle
men.
The officer looked astonished, and at last said:
" Well sir, was the officer in command of
that battery, and would give more to see Nicolas.
sen than any other man in the world 1t was the
most complete thing" continued he, I" / ever
saw or heard OF, for we were quietly at our posi-
tlons, when the words Charge on the front and
rear !" broke the death-lik stiffness. as if
voice from the air had screamed the words. Nv
men ran like mad. tried my utmost, in the
confusion, to bring them to some order, but with
out success for some tme-but at last found a
body charging in fine style.
r. 81 placed myself at their head, and anxious
8 to repulse the attack, urged them forward with
G all the energy possessed when, taking more
a anxious look at them to see what ones had stood
|. firm in the surprise, behold they were a lot o
Yankees, who had charged up another way, and
n | was leading them Then," said he, " was my
time to run. But l rushed, pell.mell into the
!. woods, over logs into the mud and water; ther
if brought up against tree over stones and int
- holes up and down sometimes on one end ant
sometimes on the other. arrived in camp abou
e the worst bruised, the worst scratched the sores
Il and most frightened individual you ever saw.
/. i" lfy you ever" said he, shaking the gentleman
from Pittsburgh by the hand, " meet Mr.. Nc
,t Glassen, give him my compliments, and tell hin
y that was the most gallant thing ever saw ach
i i leved by any man."