The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-07-27
RATTLE OF LuNDY's LANE.

/ tuTiiifuE uCNOuit VI tut lltItOIdDic Ohttic VI
Lund's Lane, Upper Canada ,hirty-eight years
ago. wherein our counrymen assailed on their
own ground far superior forcc of British reg
uars, and proved, both IN giving and receiving
a succession of desperate. bayonet-charges.
that the American blood If Bunker Hill and
Bennington flowed through the veins of no de-
generate sons. A thousand battles have been
fought with far superior forcee: but we hesitate
not tn say that in dauntless courage and hero
c steadiness none of them surpassed that of
Lundys Lane wherein Winfield Scott freshly
endearcd himself tn his countrymen and re-
ceived wounds whereof he will carry tho
scars to his grave. But let n hear Mr., Sill
mans narrative. mainly founded or the per SON
account of an actor in the fray, Major, since
deceased:
"Far different music has rcsoundcd through
these continuous woods thnn the wild birds
carol, the hum of insects anl the wr,ipg of
tho breeze thatlnow 50 gently grcels our ear.
AT yonder white hcuse, snd The Major, as
General Scot. nlakpq forward movement
with his, brira,le IN tie afternoon of the 25'h
of July. 1914. came ~ view OF Il We saw The
courtyard filed wth British Officers, their
horses held by orderes and servants IL a'ten-
dance. As soon Us we became visible to them,
their buoles s,unaed 10 saddle. and in /. few
moments they were mornted and disappeared
tllt NOouS Ut gdil'p tWcuty Uu-
| giles ringing the alarm from different parts of
the forest. All vanished rs if swallowed by
tho earth, save an elegant veteran officer, who
rcigned up just out of musket shot, and took
| u leisurely survey of our numbers. Having
apparently satisfied himself of our force, he
raised the plumed hat from his head, and bow
lag gracefully to our cortegc, put spurs TO his
horse and disappeared with tlferest. from the
occupant of the house we gathered that we
were about mile distant from strong body
of the enemy, posted on the rising ground just
just beyond the woods in our front. General
Scott, turning to me, said, BE kind enough,
sir, to return tn Major General Brown;
] inform him that have fallen in with the enc
my's adv'nce, posted force at Lundys Lane,
and that in one half hour, shall have joined
| battle Order up Ripley with the second
| brigade direct Porter to get his volunteers
| imm cdately under arms was the brief reply
of the Major General tn my message, and the
aids we're Instantly i'm their saddles conveying
the orders. AS l salloped back through the
woods. continued the Major, the csnnon shot
screaming by me, tearing the trees and send
ing the rail fences into the air in their course.
warned me that the contest had begun. But
we are on the battle ground. There. upon
the verge of the sloping hill. and through the
graveyard. was drawn up tho Brlteh inrc un-
der General Rail. in force three times greater
thnn our brigade. his right covered by a rowcr-
ful battery of nine pieces of artillery, two Of
them brass twcnty-fours.
The Eierenth and 7Soenty second regiments
first leaving the wood. dcploycd upon the open
ground with tho GOODNESS and regularity of
review. and were soon engaged furiously in uc-
'ion: the fire from tho enemy's line md from
the batteries. which completely commanded
| tho POSITION, opening upon them with tremen-
dou- effect TOwson. having hurried up with
his euns on the left, in vain endeavorod TO
attain sufficient elevation TO return the fire of
their battery. Tho destruction on orr side
was very great. The two regiments fought
with consunn'e bravery. Severely cut up,
their ammunition exhausted and their officers
nearly all of them killed or wounded, they
were Withdrawn from action, the few officers
remaining unhurt throwing themselves into the
Ninth, which now came into action, led By the
gallant Colonel Leavenworth.
The orant Of tho battle now camo upon
them, and they alone sustained it for some
time, fighting with unfinching bravery, until
their numhors were reduced to ono half by
the fire of the enemy. At this juncture, Gen.
Scott gallnped up with The intention of charg
ing the hill: but finding them so much weaker
altered his intention. cntreating them to hold
their ground until the rcinforcements. which
were fastening on. should como to their assis
tance A momeniary cessation of the action
ensued while additional forces hurried up io the
aid of eacharmy Ripleys brigade, Hs. artillery,
Porter's volunteers. on the part, of tho Ameff-
cans, under Major General Brown: and
strong reinforcement under General Drum
mond to that Of the British. Hindmnn's ar
tillery was attached to that OF Townson. and
soon made Itself heard. Porter's brigade de-
ployed on the left. while Ripley formed on the
skirts of tho wood TO the right of Scots brig
ade. The engagement was soon renewed.
with augmented vigor; General Drummond
taking command in person. with his fresh
troops in the front line Of the encmy. Coloncj
Jessup. who had at tho commencement of
the action been opposed. after gallant con-
test. in turning the eft flank o; tho enemy.
and came in upnn his reserve "hur'hcned with
prisoners making himself visible to his own
army. amid the darkness in n blaze of fire.
destroying all before him The feht rarel
for some time with great fury, bu' il became
apparrni, uselessly to the Amcrcaus If he
enemy retained position ~ the battery, rani-
festy the kew of the posi- ion.
wcs standing a. the side of Co nrl Miller.
said the Major when General B ow. ode up
and inquired, whe'htr he could storm tie bat
iery with his rccimcn, while G neral Hi ley
support 4 I'm with The younpcrr reg iment, the
Tirrnty tsrd Miller, amid the nproar nd
confosion. deliberately surveyed the position,
then quietly turning, with infinite GOODNESS,
replied, 'fH try SIR" think see him now, as
drawing up his qig' ntic figure to its full height
he turned 10 his regiment drilled to the pre-
cision of piece of mechanism, hear his deep
zones Twenfy .frst-attenfion! form into
column; ddrance up the hill TO storm the battery
deiirer your fire al the porf-ights Of the arfi.
fe,ymen. and carry The guns at the point Of the
bGyonei. Support arms--doubie qnick-march!'
Machinery could not have moved with more
compactness than that gallant regiment follow
cd the fearless stride of its leader Supper,
ted by the Tcenty- third, the dark mass moved
up the hill like the body, the lurid light gilt
tering on their bayonets, as the combined FIRE
of tho enemy's artillery and infantry opened
murderouslx npnn them. They finched not