Middletown transcript., 1876-08-19

PoAsS was sAOAS SVsoAAy 0VAVosVNs -
be was assigned by the Allied Powe
captive to st. Helena. While theI
he made the prediction that if eve
Russia should gain possession Of Cor
stantinople the Russian Empire woul
then become supreme. The BIRTHS
Empire, with its vast population {
Is nearly $50. 1000, 900, would then be
p thing Of the past.
e G.. BROOKE DoaaETr.
/, Richmond, Va, 1875.
). LORD STIRLING AT THE BATTLE Ol
LONG ISLAND.
The situation was terrible, but Stir
/ ling did not lose in any least degree hi
self-possession. His titular lordshil
: might be denied him by English peers
but be would prove this day that be wa
one of natures noblemen. He saw tha
if be could not drive CORVALLIS bacl
beyond the Porte Road, or at least hold
him where he was, his whole command
would suffer death or capture. He re.
, solved upon costly sacrifice, if haply
one more costly might be prevented
Changing his front and taking with him
less than 800 Of the Maryland regiment,
he ordered the remainder of it and all
his other troops to retreat across the
marsh and creek, which the rising tide
was making moment less and less pas
sable. He knew the quality of the
young men whom be had chosen for a
perilous duty They were indeed young,
hardly more than boys, sons Of the "iirst
families" of Maryland. bright, ardent
spirits, eager to do something for lib
erty; eager, too, to win distinction for
themselves and for their beloved State.
Stirling invited them to no hardship
which he did not mean to share. TAX
ing his place at their head, he led them
rapidly along the Gowanus Road, which
made quite sharp bend three or four
hundred yards from the Cortelyou house,
and till they reached this point the steep
roadside with its brambly hedge con-
cealed them from the enemy. Turning
this bend, they came at once upon their
advance guard and with impetuous
courage drove them back upon the
house. Whereupon CORVALLIS brought
two feld-pieces into position at the cor
ner of the house, from whose doors and
windows his grenadiers poured steady
fire, while from the adjacent hills the
Hessian riAemen sent many a messenger
of death The slender column was
lessened every second. At last it halted,
closed up its ranks as the 6eld-pieces
thinned them out with grape and canis-
ter, stood for moment, and then sui
lenly withdrew beyond the bend in the
road.
Looking across the marshes and the
mill-dams, Stirling saw hundreds Of his
men in full retreat. Once more be
called upon the remnant of his chosen
band to interpose themselves between |
these fugitives and the advancing foe
once more he found them ready; once
more, turning the bend, they encoun-
tered the same dreadful fire of rifles,
musketry, and cannon; once more they
drove back the advanced guard quite
to the house this time, reached the house
themselves, drove the gunners from their
pieces, seized them for moment, and
then reeled again under the inoessant
firing from the house, and again slowly
retreated. Again, again, and yet again,
this little band Of heroes, smaller every
time, rallied around their leader, and
with him
"Into the jaws of death,
Into the mouth of hell"
After the fifth encounter there were too
few remaining to make another rally
and, indeed, it was not needed.
The vicarious sacrifice had done its
work. The fugitives had nearly all es-
,aped. Two hundred and ffty-six
Killed, wounded and missing, were re-
ported by the colonel Of the regiment.
the prisoners were few. Of ,
he whole number the tradition is that ,
nearly all were killed outright or pierced .
With mortal wounds. Considering what :
he prisoners were obliged to suffer, the ,
Ortune Of the dead was happiest. Their .
nangled forms were gathered up by :
riendly hands, and laid to rest under a :
title mound, which, only. few years. ;
go, was visible in the vicinity Of
Seventh Street and Third Avenue. Now
y the grading of these streets, it has :
een hidden. But the old Cortelyou .
ouse, which still stands at the junction
{ Third Street and Fifth Avenue, Is q !
ude and crumbling monument, better
han any that could be cast in bronze or :.
arved in marble, of the heroism that >,
wayed back and forth before its vene- !
able walls on that eventful day. A !
seble remnant Of the regiment struggled
cross the creek, bearing their tattered u
olors with them. Stirling, unable to T"
o more, but disdaining to surrender to :,
D English officer, spurred away across :,
lie hills until he found De Heister, and =
j him be gave his sword.-JoHN W. =, :"
HADwIcK, in Ha'per's Magazine for =, "
august. 4
A TIMELY RESURRECTION. ol
The Sacramento (Cal. Record Union fr
July 13 says: The conductor Of one ~
the Central Pacific passenger trains, it
l,:lo .ocl~:c~ 49,. ....-A1-