The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-31
Stony Point.

Stony Point, a strong fort Oh the
Hudson river, was stormed and taken,
during the war of the Revolution, by
twelve hundred men, under the COM
mand of Gen. Wayne, a brave Pennsyl-
vania soldier. Twelve O'clock was the
time for the actual charge to begin. TO
reach the Point within assaulting dis
tanoe 1t was necessary to GROSS the In
teryening marsh as qnickly as possible.
Here there was an unexpected OBJ
stacle in the overflow of the tide, and
twenty minutes were lost--valuable
time just then, but fortunately not fatal
loss. AS the two columns neared the
onemy, Murfree and his North Caroli-
mans, by previous instructions, took
position directly in front Of the British
works, and opened rapid and centin-
uous fire, for the purpose Of drawing at
tention to themselves, while the storm
right and left. This ruse contributed
largely to the nights success. I'M
mediately there Is hot work In pro-
gress. The hoped-for surprise is out Of
the question, for the enemy's pickets
haYe given the alarm. In ten minutes
every man Of the garrison Is up, COM
pletely dressed, and at his proper sta
ton. If the fort is to be taken now,
only hard fighting can do it. Mean
while mighty courage and resolution
seem to urge on the American infantry
with an irresistible momentum. The
valient Wayne, determined to share
the perils as we'll as the glories of the
enterprise, leads the right column,
spear in hand. Not man falters. AS
they approach the two formidable lines
Of abatls which stretched across tho
Point in front of the main works, the
fire from the enemy's musketry be-
comes "tremendoAs and incessant." "
Although on account Of the darkness
much of its effect is lost, men neverthe-
less here and there begin to fall in the
ranks of the light infantry. Lieut..
Colonel Hay, of Pennsylvania" "bravely
fighting at tho head of his battalion,"
Is wounded in the thigh. Captain
Ezra Selden, of Lyme, handsome
young officer, fresh from Yale College
at the opening of the war, but now a
veteran Of four campaigns, anu belong
Ing to Colonel Starts First Connecticut
receives we'll nigh fatal wound in the
side. Though weak from loss Of blood
he makes his way into the fort. A
shot breaks the standard of Meigs' reg
iment, but Ensign Ichabod Spencer
tears the colors off, winds them round
his arm, and keeps charging on. Out
Of twenty Of one of the advance parties,
seventeen are either killed or wounded
But on, on, the two columns 60. The
ascent is rocky, even precipiteus. 1t
takes time to open a passage through
the distractions, and men continue to
fall. At the second abatls, Wayne re-
ceives a flesh wound In the head.
Thinking 1t fatal at the moment, he
calls on his own aids, Captains Fish
born ana Archer, to carry him along,
that he may die in the fort. In five
minutes more the work is done. The
head of the right column reaches the
sally-port Of the main fort first, and
the head man in it Is Dc Fleury. '"Ihe
forts our own I" he shouts and then
strikes the enemy's colors with his own
hands. Right after him, spreading
along and climbing over the parapet,
follow the forlorn hope and the main
column. Lieutenant Knox is the Sec
ond man in. Sergeant Baker, of Vir-
ginia, wounded four times during the
assault, is the third. Sergeant Spencer
from the same State, Is the fourth,
with two wounds. Wounded twice
also is Sergeant Dunlap, of Pennsylva-
MIA, the fifth man over the works. The
rest camo swarming in. On the other
side the left column appears at nearly
the same time. ''The forts our own! -
resounds from every quarter. The
Americans dash in among the aston
ished British, and ply the bayonet
with terrible energy, driving them into
the corners of the work, and compelling
their instant surrender.
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