Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-05-08

MEMORY OF Col. B1GELow.-After the British
evacuated Rhode Island, Col. Bigelow moves on
with his regiment, and the next we hear of him he
is at "Yerplanks Point,'' The American army was
at this time very much divided. The great object of
the commandment chief was to annoy the British
forces as much possible, and think that it is
not saying too much of Col Bigelow that no Col
onel in the whole American army was better quail
fed for that service. His whole life had been and
at this time devoted to his country's cause. He
had left Worcester and all its pleasant associations
with determination to free the colonies from the
mother country, or die in the attempt. He seemed
to feel that the whole responsibility of the strength
rested on him Always ready to obey orders cheer
fully from superior officers, and never wanting in
| energy to execute them. The deep SHOWS OF Quebec
had not cooled his ardor The fetid stencil of an
English prison ship could not abate his love of lib
| erty and country. The blood and carnage of Sara
| toga and of Monmouth, had given him confidence
| The blood-sained soil of Valley Forge had enured
him to hardships to which others would have yielded
| The news of the bloody butchery at Wyoming had
aroused his iron its utmost tension against
tories, and in this condition he ordered with his
regiment to Robinson's Farms, Nj. Here he breaks
up a "nest" of tories who supplying the Eng
fish with hay, grain and other things necessary for
their army. An anecdote of this bloodless battle
was related to the writer by of Col. Bigelow's
men, who was present at the time The English had
sent a company of men to guard their teams while
removing the hay they receiving from their
friends the tories, when Col. Bigelow up with
his regiment and ordered them to diSperse, The
tories insolent; the English captain refused to
go until the hay went with them. Upon this Col.
Bigelow ordered part of his men to fire upon
than nc % ToI
men, from Worcester, who had just Joined the regi-
ment, and, we are sorry to say, was a coward, ex-
claimed at the top of his voice, 'Tn the name of
God, why don't Col. Bigeow order to retreat?n
This man in after life received pension from gov
eminent, and died respected few years since in
this city. His children now living here, and
therefore we shall not call his name. He was
always afraid of the smell of gunpowder. Colonel
Bigeow is now ordered to Peekskil This is atown
on the Hudson, forty-siX miles north of New York,
and one hundred and six miles south of Albany.
Here he frightened the tories, and drove the British
down the river to New FORK Col. Bigelow is again
at Verplank and Stony Point, guarding the pass
called Kings Ferry Gen. Clinton moves upon
them with the British army, and Commodore Collier
with the British squadrons ascends the river; the
British storm the fort named the Fort of Lafayette
at Verplanks; the fortress had to surrender but not
until Col. Bigelow showed them the points of their
bayones. 1t said of this conflict that Col Big
Glow ordered his to draw their charge and to
approach the enemy with fixed bayonets, while he
himself laid aside his sword and took musket from
sick soldier, and with it fought like tiger
than man. This fort, being overpowered by the
enemy, at length gave way and surrendered at dis
cretion. The policy OF the English is now to
sumo the of devastation, and the army is order
ed into South Carolina. Gen Gates is ordered to
the command of the southern army.