Middletown transcript., 1873-06-14

-uis so'u'eTs snoutlog 10 one another,
Remember Pdoii but they met men
Of the same stslwart race and the British
advance. with ten-fold their number 10
front Of them. knowing well the impor-
tance Of time. maintained to the full the
ancient reputation Of their arms. Forced
back upon Musgrave. after half an hour
hard fighting. the latter also soon yielded
ground, but flung himself into the stone
mansion Of Judge Chew. barricading its
lower doors and windows. aud keeping up
. heavy fire from the second story, the
roof, and the outbuilding.. while the rem.
nsnt Of the light infautry. pursued re-
mor.ely by Wayne's mad1encd soldierv.
aed down the road toward the main body
To add to the difficulties Of tho assail-
aIts, 4 heavy mist had arisen. which. COM
bncd with the smoke Of the battle, rem
dsred all objects obscure at the distance Of
a few yards. and prevented the command
ers from knowing the position of their va.
rious corps aud regiments.
Wayne had pressed on after the British
down the main road toward tho market.
house; but when Ccnway's corps came up.
il halted and joined those who were en-
gagged in the assault upon Musgrave.
At this moment up rode Sullivan, at the
head Of his brigade, and with him the
Commanderin.Chief and his staff. with
Gen Knox, Of the artillery.
What is ,hist' asked WashiI gton.
He might well ask, for nothing could
be seen, though the bullets were whis,iny
all around them, aud return fire. accom-
panied with shouts. could be heard from
the other side Of tho stone wall which lin.
ed the road
Au officer Of Couway's brigade answer.
ed, "A party Of British have thrown them.
selves into large stone house. about n
hundred yards from the road, and We are
trying to iislodgo them"
wait a moment till | bring nv can
non,' said Gen Knox. very corpulcnt
but wlihal active man, With Al animated
rcsulute face
This is madness - broke in ono Of
Washingtons aids a small handsome and
fiery young man, called n, ,hn, day hy
some The lirlc lion" but afterwards
known rs one Of the wisrs, of statesmen
and uhrst OF inancicrs - Hamilton the I'm
mortal
81, would be madness to leave a fort in
our rear 10 cot cf our line Of cnmmuni.
cation. replied Knox That is against
one Of the frs, ma,ms Of military sci.
cnce
"A fort" echoed Hamilton disdainful.
ly. d" Leave a regimen, here to watch
them. and drive them back il thev aiicppt
mlschi,f-bu, our time j, too precious 10
waste in baitcring down houses :"
Yes, but who knows that the British
are not marching up through the fields on
the other side. and in force, to their sup.
port, interposed Sullivan They wo1ld
take us then in flank and rear"
4 turned to the commander. Per.
hnps, said he. while we stand here con.
sldering. an earnest attack will capture
the house. and settle the question to rensc
all Of us We have to decide at n venture.
Tor We can see nothing in this mist. Ma.
jor White. cannot you take a party, and
force the main door -
''Or fire the doors aud shutters 2" sup.
ges'ed Hamilton
Major White. rsputcd to be the hand
soonest man in the army, as he had been
previously in the ballroom. of Philadel.
phia, smiled proudly as he answered
II will try, General
Knox rode of rapidly, twi,hstanding.
TO bring up his cannon
Major White dashed against the door
it was already ridiled with muskct bul.
lets. but it had been strongly barricaded
aud his men dropped off rapidly bsncaih
the constant fire from the upper Windows
Then hc had some pieces of rails and
other light STUFF collected, and dartcd for
ward again alone, with facot Of these. a
bundle Of straw, and a lighted torch -
Sheltered under the eornice OF the door
way, while his men poured n steady rain
OF balls into the upper windows he might
have succeeded but sho, from cellar
window struck him, and h- staggered back
of the steps. and fell mor,nlly wounded
upon the ground
by this time Knox had got field piece
in position but hi. heaviest guns we're
six Founders, and while the ILLS wen,
through the walls of the house. they made
no opening by which foe could enter.
a half hour had been wasted. Wash.
ington had sat quietly upon hi. horse. lis
lening to the reports his aids brough, him
seemingly unconscious Of the storm Of bul.
lets raging around. until. in compliance
With General Sullivan's repeated impor,u.
mites, he shifted his position a little out
Of the range Of the heaviest fire.
Hamilton was right" said he. a,
length, "as he 10 apt TO be. But. as We
have rcmaincd this long. suppose We try
a summons to surrender Gcn.ral"--,o
Sullivan-"havc a parley beaten. and )
flag OF truce sent in."
Unfortunate order. The American ad
vance, while this attack was going on. had
dashed against the British centre. but had
been met by . determined resistance -
Waync had penetrated to the Marke,
Square; Greene. with the leh wing, had
forced bis way nearly to the snms point