The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-04-04
An Army Moving Oh skates.

during the famous expedition of Louis
XIV. this sort of loconotion was used
against the Dutch themselves in one OF
the most curious and daring exploits re-
corded in history. When the States sued
for peace, the terms offered by the pride
OF LOUIS was SO monstr0us that they, the
people, tore open their sluices and laid
their country under water The frost
alter time, however, rendered this un-
avallIng, and at length General Luxem-
borough, one dark and freezing night.
mounted l2,GOo men on skates, and sent
them over the ice from Utrecht TO surprise
the Hague The result is given as follows
from a writer who takes his facts from
a French historian: when they left
Utrecht it was clear frosty weather, and
the effect Of the moon and stars upon the
even sheet OF Ice, over which they swept
like breeze, was truly magical By de-
grees as they advanced the visible horison
OF the earth was obscured by vapor, aud
they could see nothing around, above or
beneath them, but a circular expanse OF
ice, bounded at The edge by thick grey
clouds, and canOpicd by the starry curtain
OF the sky. The strange groaning sound
which ever and anon doomed along the
frozen wilderness had at first something
ineXrres-edly terrific TO the Imagination,
and as 1t died htiully away in the d!stance,
the space surrounding them seemed ex
tended almost to inhuity
The sky was at length gradually cover
ed by the yapors rising, as If .rora the
edges OF the earth a vail OF hazy while
oSerspread the heavens aud o5scureQ the
stars, and dim round spot OF watery
brightness was the only indication Of the
sight OF the moon, Icy which they could
not steer their course. \ rapid thaw had
come on, their skates sunk deeper into
the Ice at every sweep ana at last the
water gathering upon the surface, it was
agitateu 10y the night wind that had now
risen, assumed the appearance Of a sea.
he wind increased; the SKY grew biacker
and biacker; their footing became more
sponSy and Insecure and the ice groaned
and Cracked beneath them they plunged
almost to the knee. Every one locke
upon himself as lost and the horrors OF a
fate hitherto untold In history, appearing
10 belong neither to the fortunes Of the
land nor Of the sea, appalled, the boldest
Imagination.
At length a FAINT, twinhiing light APP
peared Ia the distance, sometimes seen
and sometimes lost III the varying atmos-
phere; and they had the satisfaction, such
a. Il was, OF ~ least knowing the relative
bearing OF the place on which they were.
about To perish The light proceeded
from 4 strony fort IN the enemy > hands
lnIprs gnab!c without cannon. and what
added bitterness to their misery. was the
knowledge that beyond this Tort was Il
dixie, Whica IN all probability afforded "A
path, however narrow and muddy, by
which they could have returned TO L
trecnt. Ihe fort, however, was the gate
TO TINS avenue OF safety, and even il they
had possessed the requisite meahs OF siege.
II 1t was defended for a single day, they
would be either swallowed up by water
IN The tinuance of the thaw. or perish
mlse'ably through cold and fatigue But
aGythlA. WAS better than iuactl0n
Ine water increasing iusedulou-ly around
them was a deadiIer enemy than stone
walls or cannon shot: and they deter
mined at least to make a rush upon the
Immosable masonry of the tort. and pro-
yoke the fire OF its defenders 1t Is !mpos-
sibie TO account for the result II may
nave been the sight of 50 large body OF
men rushing IN upon them. and as If from
the open sea, their numbers mu.tiplied
and even their individual forms distorted
and magniiied in the mist, struck panic
terror into the hearts of the garrison,
while this may have increased by the
shouts OF courage or despair, that came
booming widely over the icy waste, and
mingling like the voices ot demons with
the rising wind But however this was,
the gates OF the fort opened at their ap-
proach and the hapless and half frozen
adveuturers rushed IN without sirik ing
blow.