The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-05-15
Incidents of the Revolution.
sronnrSc or STONY POINT ny GENERAL WAY,

lNCluentS OF lne ReVOiutlOn,
sroRMING or STONY POINT BY GENERAL WAYNE.
No officer during the revolution more often
secured the public commendatiun of Washington
than General Wayne At the battle of Mon
mouth, IN lis official account to Congress he said
the catalogue Of officers who have distinguished
themselves in this days transactions, is too long
to admit of partlcularizns indyduals-all the
artillery, both officers and men, were distinguished
1 III most remarkable manner ! cannot howcv.
er bare mentioning General WAYNE, whose
! good conduct and bravery through the whole
action deserves particular commendaton.
july 1873, Washington in person reconnoiter-
ed stony Point aud determined to carry it by the
/ hayonet This, Il is well know, was a strong
| iurt, protected on one side by the Hudson, and
considered by the enemy as impregnable against
the Americans. The garrison contained five
/ hundred and forty men, who were all taken pris.
oncrs, incuding GS killed. The americans had
fifteen killed, and eighty three wounded WAYNE
received musket ball in his head rs he was en-.
terng the fort which he supposed mortal
Raising his voice be said, Garry me on. nv
brave men, aud let me die at the head Of the
column"
! AS soon as this bold measure was settled in
the mind Of Washington, Wayne was the nia,ffto
carry it into execution, The details Of the plan
were Of course, left to him, under general in
slruc'lons from the Commander in. Chief WAYNE
paraded his men fourteen miles from the forte, at
dark and ordered any .nan TO walk in front who
was not ready to take his life in his hand and fol
/ low him
upto that moment not n man had SUSPICION
J OF what the movement was to be and every
one kept his post. The order was to march in
prrtcctsience; loud word in the ranks was or
dcred to be punished with instant death. IT, this
order the detachment was marched up in sight Of
the fort in midnight darkness. Wayne then
marched through the ranks and explained what
was to be done His rewards on this occasion
were as follows; To the first man who entered
the font, $500 the second : 400; the third 1900 {.
the fourth 600 and a promise (which was af
forwards readily confirmed by Washington to
divide among the officers and men the value of
all the property found in the fort. ard further
that any officer or man who might perform any,
! particular act Of bravery his name should be
announced to the commander. .in.chicf
| The men knew their commander; he had long
before been by his soldiers familiarity commis
stoned as " Mad Anthony.' The font was rcarh
ed at ten o'clock at night, after n severe march
through bad roads, over high mountains and
through narrow dctilcs Much Of the march was
necessarily performed IN single file Half past
eleven o'clock was the hour and moment 10 ad-
vance The whole baud IN solemn silence moved
forward, one luuGrcd aud fifty volunteers, the
van OF the right led on with unloaded muskets
and fixed bayonets, under Lieut.. Col. Fleury,
these were preceded by twenty picked men,
headed by brave officer, to remove all obstruc.
tons. The van Of the left, led by Major Stew.
art, consisted Of one hundred volunteers precc.
ded 10y the same precautions and in the same
order At twelve o'clock the assault was to be.
gin, on the right and left at the same moment
Neither the deep morsss in front nor the formil-
able l ensnchmeGis e. NJ Of the British appeared in
ants who advanced under the most incesSant
ana tremendous fire oI musEctry aud cannon
loaded with grape, forcing their wav at the point
OF the tayunct, and without firing gun.
When Wayne fell momcntarv halt ensuel -
lie columns reeled under the terrible FIRE uf the
British cannon, whose igltenings alone in the
darkness Of the night, enabled the Amerscars to
distinguish friend. from foes A, this critical
momeuta voice rose from the ranks, Remcm
Der lcdyard! (tle commander Of fort Girls.
world, who was mUrdcrd 10y the British after his
surrender 1t which the columns Instantly al.
r'nccd, and carried every thing before them -
Co'. i.cury rushed up and struck the English
I!ag IN the font, when the firing Of the enemy
ceased. An imporing souad was now heard
from the yanguished to the yictors, Remember
You are American These words turned the
American bayOnets towards Heaven, and every
man was spared who ceased to resist The Brit
i>h probably expected no quarter, rs, on u pre-.
vlous occasion, 10 which alIusion is made they
granted the Americans no quarter. As before
observed, General Wayne fell at the head Of the
hrst column, fortunately, his wound only prostra.
/ ted him, and he was so far recovered from the
blow, as To be able to write Washington as fol-
lows, as soon US the fort surrendered:
"SToNY PoiNr,
O'clock, \, M,'July 10, 1870.
DEAR GENrUAL-The American fag waves
here Yours truly,
ANTHONY WAYNE"
The following day, Wayne had so far recover.
ed A. togive Washington a full and clear account
of the battle. Full justice wa. done to all his
officers and men, Washington at ouco dispatch.
ed Wayne's letter TO Congress, and wrote as fol
lows:
"To the crccmicms he WAYNE has descry.
edly bestowed upon his officers aud men, il Le
comes my duty to add, that his own conduct,
throughout the whole of this nrduous enterprise
merits the warmes, appreciation Of Congress- Iu
a critical moment Of tho assault, he received q
Hcsh wound in the head with q mu.ket bail, but
aedleading on his mea with unshaken frm
ness
Every officer who was in thi, engagement.
was ever afterwards considered As being a man
whose personal bravery was placed beyond CUES,
ton The two standards taken, were sent 10