Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-02-19

During the famous expedition Of Louis XIV,
this art of locomotion was used against the
Dutch themselves in one of the most curious and
daring exploits recorded in history.
When the States sued for peace, the terms
offered by the pride OF Louis were so monstrous
that the people tore open their sluices and laid
the country under water. The frost after a time
however, rendered even this unavailing; and at
length General Luxembourg one dark and free
zing night, mounted twelve thousand men on
skates, and sent them over the ice from Utrecht
to surprise the Hague. The result is given as
follows by writer who takes his fact from a
French historian:
"When they left Utrecht, it was clear frosty
weather. and the effect of the moon and stars
upor the even sheet of ice, over which they
swept like breeze, was truly magical. BY de-
grees, as they advanced, the visible horizon of
the earth was ohscured by vapor, and they could
see nothing around, above or beneath them, but
q circular eXpanSe Of ice, bounded at the edge
by thick gray clouds, and canopied by tn star
ry curtain CT the sky. The strange groaning
sound which ever and anon doomed along the
frozen wilderness, had at first something mex
pressibly terrific to the Imagination and as it
died tfully away in the distance, the space sur
rounding them seemed extended almost to in
fnity. The sky at length was gradually COW
cred by the vapors rising il from the edges
of the circle of the earth a veil of dull and ha-
" white overspreud the heavens and obscured
the stars and dun round spot of waterv
brightness was the only indication of the site of
the mooa, by which alone they could now steer
their course. A rapid ,haw had come on; their
skates sunk deeper and deeper into the ice at
every sweep; and at last the water gathering
upon the surface, as it WIS agitaed by the night
wind that had now risen, assumed the appear
ance of a sea. The wind increased the sky
grew blacker and blackcr; their footing became
more spongy and insecure; they plunged al
most to the knee; and the ice groaned and
cracked beneath them. Every one looked up.
on himself as lost and the horrors of fate
hitherto untold in story, and appearing to be-
long neither to the fortunes of the land nor the
sea, appalled, the boldcst imagination.
"At length a faint, twinkling light appeared
in the distance, sometimes seen and sometimes
lost in the varying atmosphere; and they had
the satisfaction, such it was, of Mt least know
ing the relative bearings Of the place on which
they were about 10 perish The light proceed
ed from a strong fort in the enemy's hands, i'm
pregnable without cannoui and what added
bitterness to their misery, was the knowledge
that beyond this fort was dixie, which in all
probability afforded path, however narrow and
muddy, by which they could have returned to
Utrecht. The fort, however, was the gate to
sessed the requisite means of siege, if it was
defended for single day, they would either be
swallowed up by the water, in the continuance
of the thaw, or perish miserably through cold
and fatigue. But anything was better than in
action. The water creeping insidiousy around
them was a deader enemy than stone walls or
cannon-s shot and they determined at least to
make II rush upon the immovable masonry Of
the fort and provoke the fire Of its defenders.
1t is impossible to account for the result 1t
may have been that the sight of so large a body
OF men rushing in upon them, and as If from
the open sea, their numbers multiplied, and even
their individual forms distorted and magnifed
in the mist, struck panic terror into the hearts
of the garrison while this may have been in
creased by the shouts of courage or despair,
booming wildly over the icy waste and mingling
like the voices of demons with the rising wind
But however this was, the gates of the fort
opened at their approach and the hapless and
half-trozen adventures rushed in without stri-
king blow