Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-04
Ggt fanlilg GirtIe.
For the Monmouth Weekly Herald.
THE MASSACRE.
An Incident Of the Revolution.
BY YOUTH.
1.-THE heavy night hung dark,
The hills and waters DER"

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hoarse wind howled as it swept through
the trees, and swayed to and fro the
mighty old forest giants, causing them to
throw out their massive branches like the
arms Of huge spectres. The rain poured
down in torrents, and the storm swept on
in increasing fury. But let us turn from
the warning elements and look through
the thick darkness upon another scene
The white cone.like tents Of the British
are visible through the gloom, and the
hustle of the camp mingles with the loud
voice of the storm. In the tents are little
groups of soldiers talking over the events
of they day, laughing and jesting, but re
~Iapsing into silence as6 the patrol passes.
while going his nightly rounds. AS the
night advances the lights are extinguished
and the camp becomes gradually wrapt in
silence. and naught is heard save the.oc-
casional neigh of a horse. and the " Ais
we'll" Of the sentinels, which echoes among
the tents and finally dies away in the dark
r~ecesses of the n~eighboring forest. A
glimmering light is still seen from one Of
the largest tents. and General Howe, the
commander Of the British forces, is seated
beside a camp,table which is covered
with important manuscripts, ome Of
which he is engaged in reading. Sudden
" the arras of the tent is drawn aside
and an orderly enters. Two strangers
are without and desire to speak with
you; they are the bearers of important
~news.n admit them" said Howe. In
a moment the two men stood within the
tent, and taking off their hats and shak-
ing the water from their clothes. they
stood in silence before the British Gene
raj. We will not give a detail Of the
conversation that passed within, but the
news impaired by the strangers was i'm
p~ortant. as the reader will hereafter see.
Howe dismissed the two men and sum-
moned his orderly. A few minutes after
the conversation the roll of the r~eyeille
was heard, and soon the drowsy soldiers
we're seen emerging from their quarters,
and were drawn up in serried lines be-
fore the officers tents. A council of war
was held, and General Gray, (the subse-
quent murderer at Tappan, and the plum
derer on the New England coast.) was
dispatched, at the head of two regiments
and a body of light infantry, to steal up
on the camp of the Americans and de
stroy them. He divided his force into
two divisions. and marched with cat-like
stealth and silence through the forest to-
wards the patriot camp.
We will now change the scene and look
upon the American camp, under the com
mand Of General Wayne. He had en-
camped in a secluded spot. away from the
public roads, and about two or three
miles from his foes. Eighteen hundred
and fifty men, under the command of Gen.
Smallwood and Col. Gist, were expected
the next day, and with this reinforce.
ment the object Of Wayne was to annoy
the enemy's rear, and TO attempt to cut
off their baggage train. This was the
position Of Gen. Wayne, with only fifteen
hundred men, IN the night of the goth of
September. He was not discovered BIZ
British sentinels, but his position and
numbers were made known through the
treachery of Tories. as above noticed
by a ~providential circumstance WayneI
had intimations Of this dark act of the
enemy, and though doubling its truth he
neglected no precaution.
The American camp lay wrapt in ST
lence. The whiteness of scattered tents
relieved the dark background, and the
occasional flash of the lurid lightning It'll
up the scene and displayed the forms oil
reclining soldiers with the earth Cor their
beds and the knapsack for their pillows.
Each man. by the orders of his comman-l
der, slept on his arms, with his amunitionI
under his coat to preserve it from the
rain.
The hour of one had arrived, and the
British detachment had succeeded In gain
ing Wayne's left undiscovered. A mum.
Der of the American pickets stationed
near the highway were silently massacred
in the gloom. These being missed by the
~patrolling officer, his suspicious that an
enemy was near were awakened. and he
FASTENED to the tent of Wayne. The
General Immediately paraded his men,
but unfortunately he made the movement
in the light Of his own camp-ires. Bv
the light Of these fires Gray was directed
where to attack with the best chance Of
success. He had given his usual orders
to rush upon the patriots with fixed bav-
onets, without firing a shot. and to gipe
no quarters. In silence. but with the
tiercenoss Of tigers; the enemy ieapedf from
the thick gloom, upon the Americans, who
knew not from what point to expect an
attack. The patriots discharged several
%yolleys, but so sudden and violent was
the onslaught that their column was bro
ken into fragments and they fed in con,
fusion. One hundred and fifty Americans
were killed and wounded, some Of which
were cruelty butchered after ceasing to
resist, and while begging for quarter. A
Hessian sergeant afterwards boasting of
his exploits, exultingfy exclaimed. f" What
a running about barefoot, and half clothed
and in the light of their own camp fires
These showed US where to chase them,
while they could not see US. We killed
hundred Of the rebels with the bay
onct. ! stuck them myself, like so many
pigs, one after another. until the blood
ran out OF the touch-hole Of my musket."
The whole command Of Wayne must
have been killed OF captured but for his
GOODNESS and skill. He rallied a few com
pan~ies.sordered Col. Hampton to wheel
the line, and with the cavalry and a por-
ton Of the infantry CALAMITY covered a
successful retreat. Gray swept the Amer
iean camp, captured between seventy and
oighty men, o large number Of small
arms, two pieces OF cannon, and seight
wagons loaded with baggage and stores,
daod hoa;ac IF & ftvSfLraa truar;oonrI