The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1866-10-24

found the tower in u perfect condition,
1t had just been vacated by the garrison,
who had heard of the approach OF the
Austrians, and had been seized with a
panic thereat, and had fled, leaving their
arms, consisting of thirty muskels.
La Tour d'Auvergne CRASHED his
teeth with rage as he discovered this
Searching in the building he found
several boxes OF ammunition which the
towards had not destroyed. For mo-
ment he was in despair, but then witt, a
grim sm c he began to fasten the main
door and pile against it such articles as
he could find. .N
Wh4n he had done this he loaded all
the guns he could fud, and placed them,
together with good supply of the am
munltion, under the loop holes that com-
mandcd the road by which the enemy
must advance. e
Then he ale heartily of the provisions
which he had brought with him, and sat
down to wait He had absolutely form
ed the heroic resolution to defend the
tower alone against the enemy,
There were some things III his favor
in such an undertaking. The pass was
steep and narrow,a and the enemys troops
could enter it only in double files, and
in doing this would be fully exposed to
the fire from the tower.
The original garrison of thirty men
could easily hold it against division:
and now one man was about to attempt
to hold 1t against a regiment
It, was dark when La Tour dAuvergne
reached the tower, and he laid in wait
some time for the enemy. They we're
longer in coming than he had expected,
and for time he was stempted to believe
they had abandoned theexpedltion.
About midnight, however, his prac>
ticed ear caught the tramp Of feet
Every moh!cnt the sound came nearer,
and at last he heard them entering the
delile. Immediately he discharged a
couple of muskets into the darkness to
let them know that he knew of their
presence and intentions. and he heard
the quick, short commands of the officers,
and, from the sounds, lie supposed that
the troops were retiring from the pass
Until the morning he was undisturbed.
The Austrian commander, feeling snre
that the garrison had been Informed of
his movement, and was prepared to
receive him, saw that he could not sur-
prise the pest, rs he had hoped to do,
and deemed it prudent to wait until
daylight before making The attack. ~
At sunrise lie summoned the garrison
to surrender a grenadier answered
the summons. .s5,, ms
Say to your commander,' he said, in
reply to the messenger, shat this garri
son will defend this post, to the last ex.
trcmny,'
The officer that had borne the flag of
truce retired, anu ip about ten minutes a
piece of artillery was brought into tho
pass and. opened on the tower, But to
effect this the piece had to be Naced
directly in front Of he,ower, and within
easy musket range Of it. They had
scarcely got the gun in position when a
rapid fire was opened OIL it from the
tower, and continued with such marked
effect that the piece was Withdrawn after
The second discharge, with a loss OF five
men. lssn gWs f5',st. ta,l a,Jt,
tbThis was bad beginning, so haitian
hour after the gun was Withdrawn, the
Austrian colonel ordered an assault.
AS the troops entered the defile they
were received with rapid and accurate
fire, so that when they had passed over
halt the dslarce they had to traverse,
they had lost fifteen men. Dishearten,
ed by this. they returned TO the mouth.
OF the deilc. 'tt = ,a"4l.t 2D'as'
q
|'4Threc more assaults were repused III
this manner, and the enemy by sunset
had lost iortysiive "lner, OF whom ten
we're Killed. n" <
The firing from tho tower had been
rapid and accurate, but the Austrian
commander had noticed this pech'iarity
about lt-every shot seemed to como
from the same placc For a while this
iptrplcsed Hin, bit at last ecane to The
conclusion that there were d number of
'loop.holes close together in the tower, 80
constructed as to command tho rayine
perfectly. iiel' 91a Wml 4oe'iea i1a
AT siniise tlo last assault was made
and repulsed; ahdat darktEe Austrian
cohniander sent a second summons 10
the garrison. 'i Ns'igsNl Liol!a sNb|
tmclhc answer wns,fayorable ~
The gsrrisonoflcred'to surryndet at sunt
! rise thc next morning. IT. allowed 10,
. ~ i. !. i. b.