Clayton herald. (Clayton, Del.) 1867-1870, 1869-06-19
cheered and jeered them until they were

out of hearing.
General Ames remained behind to eff
feet an exchange of prisoners. We held
thirteen of his men, and he eleven OF
ours. General Ames proposed to call it
an even thing, since many of his eleven
prisoners were officers, while nearly all
our thirteen captives were privates. A
dispute arising on this point, the two
noble generals came to fisticuf1s, and i'll
the fracas, our brave commander got his
remaining eye badly damaged. This
didn't prevent him from writing gene
raj order the next day, on slate, in
which he complimented the troops on
their heroic behavior.
On the following Wednesday the siege
on that afternoon or the next day that
we lost Fort Slater; but lose it we did,
with much valuable ammunition and
several men. After a series of desperate
assaults, we forced General Ames to ca
pitulate; and he, in turn, made the place
too hot to hold us. So from day to day
the tide Of battle surged to and fro, soiae-
times our arms, and sometimes those of
the enemy.
General Ames handled his men with
great skill; his deadliest foe could not
deny that. Once he out-generaled our
commander in the following manner
He massed his gunners on our left and
opened q brisk fire, under cover ofwhich
single company (siX men) advanced on
that angle of the fort. Our reserves on
the right rushed over to defend the
threatened point. Meanwhile, four co om :
panies of the enemy's scalers made de-
t)u round the foot of the hill. and dash.
ed into Fort Slater without opposition.
At the same moment General Ames'
gunners closed in on our left, and there
we were between two fires. OF course we
had to vacate the fort. A cloud rested
on General Harris military repution
until his superior tactics enabled him to
disposess the enemy.
As the winter wore on, the war-spirit
waxed fiercer and fiercer. AT length the
provision against using heavy substance
in the snow balls was disregarded. A
ball stuck full of sand-bird shot came
tearing into Fort Slater. In retaliation,
General Harris ordered broad side of
shells; i. O.. snow-balls containing mar
bles. After this, both sides never failed
to freeze their ammunition.
1t was no longer child's play 10 march
up to the walls of Fort Slater, nor was
the position of the besieged less perilous.
At every assault three or four boys on
each side were disabled. 1t was not an
unfrequent occurreHce for the combat
ants to hold up flag of truce while they
removed some insensible comrade.
Matters grew worse and worse. Seven
North Enders had been seriously wound
ed, and a dozen Soulful -Enders were re-
ported on the sick list. The selectmen
of the town awoke to the fact of what
was going on, and detailed a posse of po-
lice 10 prevent further disturbance. The
boys at tho foot of the hill, South Enders,
as it happened, finding themselves as
sailed in the rear and OH the flank, turn
ed round and attempted to beat off the
watchmen. In this they were sustained
by numerous volunteers from the fort,
who looked upon the interference as ty
ranical.
The watch were determined fellows,
and charged the boys valiantly, driving
them all into the fort, where we made
common cause, fighting side by side
like the best of friends. In vain the
four guardians of the peace rushed up
| ,fcI, 81,
ing upon us to surrender. They could
not get within ten yards of tho fort, our
fire was so destructive. In one of the
onsets man named Mugridge, more
valorous than his peers, threw himself
upon the parapet, when he was seized
by twenty pairs of hands, and dragged
inside the breastwork, where fifteen
boys sat down on him to keep him quiet.
Perceiving that it was impossible with
their small number to dislodge us, the
watch sent for reinforcements. Their
call was responded to, not only by the
whole constabulary force (eight men)'
but by numerous body of citizens, who
had become alarmed at the prospect of a
riot. This formidable array brought us
to our senses: we began to think that
maybe "discretion was the better part OF
valor." General Harris and General
Ames, with their respective stats, held
a council of war in the hospital, and q
backward movement was decided on.-
So, after one grand farewell volley, we
fled, sliding, jumping, rolling, tumbling
down the quarry at the rear of the fort,
and escaped without losing man.
But we lost Fort Slater forever
Those battle-scarred ramparts were raz
ed to the ground, and humiliating ashes
sprinkled over the historic spot, near
which a solitary, linx-eyed policeman
was seen prowling from time to time du-
ring the remainder of the winter.
The event passed into legend, and
afterwards, when later instances Of
pluck and endurance were spoken Of
the boys would say, "By golly! you
ought to have been at the fights on Slat-
ter's Hill p'-FFom the "Sto1y Of Bao
Boy" IN Our Young Folks.
And what is it, that which constitutes
a true lady? Is it that which we so of
ten hear termed "ladylilSe," when in
| social circles an acknowlpd (bV q few