Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-25

ne resumed with bitter emotion, Gle the
victim of my ambition, and Of the ayarce OF
my sovereign" Thus perished the bravest OF
those foreign mercenares which the British
King had allied to his standard and thus fell
one who in the cause Of liberty would have
risen to the highest rank of honor and fame ;
his remains were buried upon the spot but
now alas hear it, Americans, and blush for
your cCnntrymen, they have been all disinter.
red, and the bones occupy prominent places in
the cabinet Of some antiquarian whose hands
should have withered ere they had touched the
sacred relic
The attack on Fort Milllin now demands
our attention, and with the recountal of its
stirring incidents we shall close cur presen t
chapter. General history is silent as to many
ct its occurrences, but we have deved into
less superficial Mines and trust to display all
their depths, thus hidden from universal ac-
cess. Scarcely had the echos of the first Hes.
sian gun at Fort Mercer awakened its wild
responses from the Pennsylvania hills, than
the British vessels which had passed the che-
caur de friSc at BIingSport advanced and
opened their fire upon Fort Mlfin This for
tihcatiOn was defended by about four hundred
men, under the command Of Lieut. Col. Saml
Smith, distinguished officer Of the Maryland
line. As we before stated, its merit consisted
in its strength, as the works had not been con-
structed with much attention to symmetry or
regularity BY sinking these numerous CHE
raur de friSs in the river, the chaunel had
been SO altered, that although the lower line
Of barrcades was passed. yet the two largest
Of the British ships Augusta and Merlin, ran
aground aud remained perfectly immovabIe in
the tenacious mud. The American galIeys
did such execution upon these and the remain
ing vessels that q decisive attack was post
ponrd uati the following day, when Fort
Mjtllin was expected to capjtuate, after a few
well directed shots profoundly were the enc
my mistaken in the courage aud perseverance
Of their gallant foes. Early next morning the
battle was renewed and sharp action main
tanned with the American gunboats and gal.
leys al the same time that a heavy cannonade
poured lis terrars into the little fort. The
British commander used every endeavor 20
circumycuJ Lieut. CoIoael Smith hy introduc-
ing floating batteries into the narrow chan
nils which separated Fort MliIn from the
Pennsylvania shore {; but, these attempts, the
llttcr's intrepdjty alike rendered abOrtive AID
his brave resistance materially aided the aO-
tj.la in their gallant and successful efforts at
reyu'slng the enemy.
Such vas the deadly FIRE iuce5saut,g main
tained shat the British ships were obliged to
give way, and i0atei slowly down the river
The Augusta and Merlin were still aground.
every hope of their being set ahoat 10y the in
fax of the tide, having passed away. The
former of the two was finally struck by a red
hot shot, and set on fire : in an instant all on
board was fearful confusion. The flames
spread with great rapjditv, and were gradually
approaching The ships magazine \ majority
Of the crew Escaped from the dcyouriug cle-
ment but few still remained, among whom
was the chaplain and several officers aud sail
ors before they could leave, the vessel blew
up with 4 tremendous explosion, and all on
board persisted with her The Merlin met
with somewhat similar fate having been
aban I0ncd by her crew, she was set on fire,
and finally blew az. The ytssels remaining
retrcated down the river, passed the clsraur
lie trisc at BiiijuGSport and for Il time Fort
MIilliu was safe and the Delaware friendly
stream But her waters were net destined to
remain long undisturhed ; conflict more gal
lautIy heroic than that which distinguished the
succeeding campaign against Fort Mfl n, it is
~.
Cen Howe Immediately commenced the con,
struction Of works on Province Island, point
between Fort Mhn and the mainland, by
means Of which he expected to finally and ef-
ftcEualIy rcduce the chiyaIric citadel thus ren-
dcrug himself master Of the river and its nav
igation Smith, the American officer in com
maud, was harraSsed beyond measure by the
constant fire to which his comparatively un-
protected fortress was exposed from the first
until the sixteenth Of November, an almost
incessant cannonade was sustained by the de-
voted garrison. Washington used every en-
dcayOr in his power to procure relief and rein
forcements for the gallant defenders on the
Delaware, bat all attempts were in vain ; an
order forwarded to Gen. Gates for the pur-
pose OF efiecting this object, was disregarded
bV the latter in the sublimated intensity of
his presumption, and the commander in-chief
was obliged to await the progress of events
with anxious and painful sOlicitude General
Varnum was, however. dispatched to Red
Bank, in order to render any assistance that
exigencies might require.
The tenth of November was ushered in by
a simultaneous attack upon Fort Mit1lin, from
The entire range Of batteries erected on Pro-
vince Island, as also from British ships in the
river. The Notifications on the land side were
five in number and mounted respectively,
eighteen, twenty and thirty four pound
ers those on the water consisted of a large
floating battery, containing twenty-five TWEEN
ty-four Founders this latter approached with
in forty yards of the fort, and opened a dead
" FIRE upon the stockade3 and rampartS be-
sides sufficient, it might reasonably be
supposed to utterly annihiIate the garrison at
were six other vessels farther
out in the stream, so situated as to lombard
the interior and level the parapets. Although
,.raot I,--oc ,,.,ro e,cF,rod on thic dow nv