Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-07-01
arJgeG Gale.
From the Dollar Newspaper.
The "Siver Chain"
i Tale Of West Point.
BY s. S FISHER.
CHAPTER
BY s. s. FISHER.

CHAPTER l.
The moon, that crewhie peeped above the east
Is drowned in darkness, and the night comes down
Dense, wild and stormy-(I L. Donnelly
A plunge, deep and sullen. into the
dark waters of the Hudson. and. a mo-
ment after, the head of swimmer. ad-
vancing rapidly towards the middle of the
! river, fine head. toO-when it could be
seen, which in addition to its being mid
night, she gloomy sky and drizzling clouds.
by interccpting and appropriating to
themselves the light of heavens luminar-
les, now rendered impossible-a head
from which grew thick masses of cluster
ing hair, now thrown back all dark and
dripping from the late plunge, exposing
to the air high and manly forehead well
relieved by the piercing and almost black
eyes that sparkle beneath it, while some.
what Roman nose, a pleasing mouth, and
well rounded chin, completed the list Of
features. Ii truth, there were few hand
somer young men to be found in the high
lands than Marion Harvey, the youth now
butfetlng the waves with vigor that in the
absence of all other evidence, gave ample
proof of his strength and activity. He
was young farmer. who, having celebra-
ted his twentieth birthday. now aided in
tllling his fathers lands, in the neighbor-
hood of West Point, near what is at pres
ent known as the village of Buttermilk
Falls Celebrated among the men of that
region for his excellence in manly sports.
especially those in which the river bore
part as In skating. boating and among
the fair sex particularly admired for his
handsome face and figure, his kind heart
and unassuming demeanor made him the
favOrite of all
L have mentioned West Point and the
Highlands. portion of our country ia
mlliar to all, and for threefold reason.
Its river scene is one of the most mag
hiticeut that America can produce; it was
the spot on which was planned aud near
ly accomplished an act of treachery which
has stamped the projectors uame with inn
pcrishable infamy and it is now the To-
cation Of Il military school that has given
US some of our bravest officers 1t is
most justly celebrated The reader if lie
have ever sailed upon the Hudson must
remember the feeling nearly akin to awe
felt by him. when, after rounding the
point called Authouy's Nose. his vessel
entered the straight reach of waters some
five miles long. running direct to West
Point by which apparently his further
progress was rendered impossible Over
hanging mountains lowered above him on
every side. or receding, rank by rank
seemed a vast battalion Of gigantic war
riors. whose long shadows clothed the no
bic river with the first mantle Of prema-
tare night
As West Point is now, so it was in
1879. the period of my narrative At
that time. 1t was the head quarters of the
northern division Of the American army.
though. as Washington was then absent
1t was only nomiually so. It was forti-
fed with great care, the more so as the
British held Stony aud Ferplanck's
points. but ten miles below which gave
them ample opportunities for occasional
sorties upcu the Highlands Upon the
extremity Of the promontory, looking
from one side towards Newburg and from
the other directly down the river stood
Fort Clinton. whose position is now marx
ed by some low mounds of earth. and by
the beautiful monument to koSiusko -
Farther back, upon the summit Of steep
aud lofty hill was Fort Putnam. or as
they call it now, Old Fort Put" still the
admiration of every one who journeys
within view of its time bleached walls
These. with Fort Willis, Webb, and a
host of others. which lined the neighbor-
ing heights, completely commanded the
river, which. for defence, and to prevent
the passage of the enemy's vessels. was
crossed at its narrowest portion, that is
to say, the point, by an immense, massive
iron chain, whose links seemed to defy the
power Of man to attempt their destruc-
ton.
At this particular time, the post was
under the command of Col Blenham an
officer who had risen from the ranks,
bluff, brave man, not at all proud, but pos
sessing and displaying a most profound
contempt for any person or thing uncon-
nected with the army. This was his
weakest point 4 kind and good com
mander. he was much loved by his sol
diers; but, as his failing unfortunately
led him to entertain z very poor opinion
of the country people, which be was not
scrupulous of showing, he was IN conse-
quence very unpopular with the unmili-
tarv portion of the community Not
withstanding this, however the young men
of the noighborhood often sought oppor-
tunities of visiting the fort; though it is
shrewdly suspected, not so much for the
purpose of inspecting the implements Of
war as of taking their chance of getting
a peep at the Colonel's daughter, Mary
Blenham-a pretty girl of seventeen, who,
without in the least seeking the honor
had turned the heads of all the young of,
fcers in the fort and Of nearly half of the
! highlanders Foremost among all was a
Young soldier. who had lately joined the
army as a volunteer. who came from one
/ of the New England States, and called
/ himself Dorias Wilson which euphonious
name had been BY common consent. abre-
viaied to plain Dor Wilson, By which
\ be was now altogether known. The Col
onel had at once taken a great fancy to
/ him: for. besides being tolerable good
/ looking, he had learned the various eyo-
4 lutfons and manoeuyres Of the camp and
Z l. r-,,pj NTH q celebrity and cor