New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-14

md VI
slaughter Sixty we're found dead IN one sl'e,. Az
another. thirty IIessians buried NJ one Sc'se'
Major Gen. Greene commanded on the iiS" y, " S
four brigades under his immediate eonmsnu 'uhun,
Glover Cornels, and Greenes ,,n ,h;rS ,;ns
but Gen. Naruums perhaps the most "a 'nuu Due
the enemy with desperate courage ana lhcreased.
strength attempted TO assal the redoubt, aud would
have carried il but for the mey alu OF TWO Cohtheh'u
ba,taons d;snatched by Sullivan 10 support his amoss
exhausted troore IL was in repelling these turous,
onsets that The newly.raised black regiment, under
col Greene distinguished itself by deeds of desperate
valor. Posted behind thieket in the valley they
three times drove back the IIessans who charged re-
peaedly down the hill okslodge them and 80 deter
mined were the enemy in these successive charges, that
the day after the battle the Hessl Colonel, upon
whom this duty had devolved appeSto exchange his
lead his regiment again 10 battle, lest his men should
shoot him for having caused them so much loss. !
While this fIirious conflict in progress on the
British left, Gen. Lovels brigade of Massachusetts
militia ordered engage their right and rear,
which was done with complete success. The shpsof.
war also were driven off by the well-served guns OF
two heavy batteries that were brought to bear upon
them. The desperate courage OF the enemy avmieu
them nothing against the equally resolue valor OF tne
Americans They at last gave way, and relreated 10
their fortified camp on Quaker Hill, closely followed
by the vctors who captured Bradys battery upon ,he
HILL Sullivan desired to attack them III their WORKS
but the army had now been for thrty-six hours with
ont rest OF food and continually the march, at labor
OF in battle. The assault therefore abandoned,
and both armies occupied their camps IN the afteroon
although the cannonade continued until night. n
return of the killed wounded, and missing shows the
whole loss of the Americans in the action to be two
hundred and eleven. That of the British was al irsI
supposedto be about seven hundred but was afterward
found TO amount TO one thousand ana tWehiy-turce,
including those taken prisoners.
When we consider that of the five thousand Ameris
cans engaged in this battle only about fifteen hundred
had ever before been in action and that they were o,
posed by veteran troops superior both in numbers and
discipline with degree of obstinacy rarely equailed
in the annals of warfare, we can understand the re-
mark said 10 have been made by Lafayette in speaking
of the battle Rhode Island, that "lt was the best
fought action of the war;"
The troops of Rhode Island were prominen
in the battle yorktown, October 15-l7, HSD
which terminated in the surrender of CORVALLIS,
and which brought the war of the Revolution 10 a
prosperous issue.
Washington, having Unanswered some time near
New ork TO deceive Clinton with the idea OF an at
tack on that city, had suddenly marched with the allied
army the head of Elk River, where fleet OF trans
ports prepared 10 carry them to The scene OF &C
ton The Rhode Island regiment formed part OF tins
force. The French army reen freed by three thousand
from the fleet of Count de erase numbered seven
thousand men, the Continental troops htty-bye hun
dred besides thirty.ive hundred Virginia militia. max
ing sixteen thousand men assembled Tor the siege OF
Yorktown. CORVALLIS, with about half that number,
was strongly lntrenChed within the town, which was
fortified by redoubts thrown mp before it. At the close
of the month. the allies commenced their approaches,
and at the end of week having completed their first
parallel, opened a fire upon the enemy Inc BRUSH
were very active in repairing their works fast as
they damaged by the ceaseess storm OF she'll and
shot which for the next nine days was hurled upon
them night and day. with scarcely an lntcrnlsSl0n
Their own lines were defended by hundred pieces
OF cannon, which dismOunted many OF the guns OF the
besiegers and rendered assault essential IN ORDER TO
silence two of their most effective batteries These
were two very strong retOubts, III advance OF their
principal line from which the British fire was most
CALLING, and which it important for the allies 10 M
clude within their second parallel, now nearly ready
Orders were gwen by Washington to storm these posi-
tions. That the right was assigned to the Amer-
cans under Lafayette and COL Hamilton, the other TO
the French under the Baron NiOmesniI Soon after
! daylight, Washington made short address to the
troops detailed for this pcrous service. Both bodies
! then advanced to the assault The American torlorn
| hope was led by the French Colonel Gimatt. a de-
! tachment Of the Rhode Island regiment, under Capt
Stephen Olney, headed the stormng column They
marched in perfect silence and with unlOaded guns de-
terned 10 carry the works at the point OF the Ddlo-
net The distance was but about four hundred yards
When hall way there the column halted to make the
final disposition for attack. One man from each com
p;ny was detailed for the forl0ln hope. Six or eight
pioneers now led the way as many OF the fororn nope
came next then Col. Gatt, with half dozen volu-
teers preceded the column, which was led by Captain
Oney
The dreadful silence was broken bya heavy dis
charge of the enemys musketry as the asSaants
reached the abais. One wild Euzza burst from their
lines as sword in hand the leaders broke through the
first distractions, and the column, with liked bayonets'
entered at the breach. While the pioneers were at
tempting to cut away the abatls Of the eager as
sailas climbing through IT, entered the ditch Among
these was Olney, who, a. soon as lew on MS men
collected forced his way between the palisades, and
eaping on to the parapet, called out IN voice that
rose above the din of battle Captain Omeys COM
/ panv-fom herol" 4 gun-shot wound in the arm,
bayonet thrust the thigh and another in the abdo-
men, from which the canl proruded 10 that he was
! old IN uTee
he paired the bayonets with the other answered tins
first defiant shout that proclaimed the fall OF lorkown
Olney was borne from the field but not until the regi
ment bad mostly entered the redOnbt and he had d.
rceted them form in order In ten minutes after
the first fire OF the enemy, the fort was taken The
French column met with greater resistance but III hall
hour both OF these strong positions had surrendered.
The bcsegers included the captured redoubts III
! their second parallel which was completed the next
| day. bringing the opposing batteries within musket
range OF each other The walls of Yorktown crunbled
before the terrible fire of the besegert 1be artillery,
under Command of Gen. Knox, served wi b such
precision as TO excite the admiration Of the French
gireers and the establishment they aitcrwaId de-
clared, of the English themselves The british lire
slackened, their ammunition war nearly exhausted ana
their artillery broken and dsuOuntcd a sally was
made during the night and some Of the cannon in the
second parallel spiked. Ii was fierce but fruit
less effort Of despairing Va'Or. CORVALLIS then at
tempted pas the river 10 the opposite post OF Gloces-
ter A p,rv Of the army had already crossed, when
suJlen tempest drove the boats down the stream. A
nl In the storm enabled the scattered forces 10 regain
the bank, and those who had reached GloceSter were
brought back. At daybreak a tremendous irc was
opened along the whole line upon The now ruined
town Further resistance being hopeless, COrnwaihs
proposed captute, and asked twenty hours III
which TO arrange The terms. Washington granted but
two. The articles were signed the same day, ana on
the next the allied armies entered Orktown. On the
following morning. Lord CORVALLIS, with the whole
British amy marched out of the town. and formally
surrendered. The loss OF the allies IN The siege was