The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-07-17
STONY POINT.
The Story OF tho Storming Of the Fast
ness OF tho Hudson by Mad
Anthony Wayne.

Of 1he time nXeQ Tor the assault was til
r night of the 18th of July Starting OF
4 from Sandy Beech, IA miles above StUn
!, Point, at noon on this date, Wayne an
E his 200 infantry took up the line Of marc
over roads and paths so excessively ba
, and narrow that it was eight O'Clock i
1 the evening before the van reached the "
9 cinity ofthe enemy's position. COmpelle
Z to pass ever high mountains, across dee
/ mOrasses and through difficult ravines
the column was stretched out the create
, part of the way in single file, and only N
covered its formation at the final hal
The point where they stopped was nea
the house of one Springfield, mile and
half fOm the British works. and ther
Wayne made his last dispositions for tn
; assault. First he went forward with hi
principal officers and recOnnoitered tn
approach to the fort Returning, he divid
} ed his force into two storming columns
SO far modifying Washington's plan
which proposed but one such column
and arranged all details. 1t is interestin,
to note that one of the last things the bOlC
soldier sat down to do was to write lettel
TO friend, expressing his emotions on the
eve of the desperate work he supposed hi
had in hand, and to request that the edu
cation of his children be provided for. Il
am called to sup" he wrote, "but where tC
breakfast? Either within the enemies
lines in triumph, or in another world"
| The plan as finally decided upon was 10
advance simultaneously on the right and
left, and break through the works from
nearly opposite points. His right column,
which Wayne made the strongest, was
composed of Febiger's Virginia men,
then MeIgs' Connecticut, with Hull's
Massachusetts, following. The left con-
sisted of the Pennsylvanians and Mary
| la,~ Dell .
North CarOlinians in the rear. The final
Instructions to the corps were pcinted
and imperative. Both columns were to
move To the assault with unloaded mus
kets, and do the work with the bayonet
| alone. If any man should attempt to
load his piece on the way he was to be
put to death on the spot. The utmost
silence was to be observed until the par
apet of the main work was gained, when
all, as they entered, were to shout the
watchword of the night.
To distinguish them from the enemy in
the darkness of the night, every soldier
and officer was ordered to fix a piece OF
white paper ''in the most conspicuous
part of his hat or cap" That the main
bodies might meet with as few obstacles
as possible in their forward course, each
was to be preceded by ''forlorn hope"
which was to act as a surprise party; and
still i'm front of this were to be placed 20
volunteers, under u determined officer,
who were tD cut away the abatis. For
the right column the ''fOrlorn hope" con-
sisted of $50 men, under the gallant De
Fleury, and the advance guard of 20.
under Lieutenant Knox, of the Ninth
Pennsylvania; for the left column Major
Steward led the one party, and Lieutenant
Gibbons, of the Sixth Pennsylvania,
the other. These officers had been
assigned to these posts Of honor
either by lot or because Of their
previous knowledge of the ground. Final
ly all things arranged, the whole body
moved forward, at half-past IL O'Clock at
night, with a steadiness and determine
tiOn that augured nothing but success.
As in the case of all military exploits
where victory depends upon precision and
rapidity, the assault which now occurred
space of time. Three quarters of an hour
after midnight and all was over. Even
Cesars condensed dispatch would have
been too long 10 announce the result. The
light infantry came and conquered. They
"saw" nothing: it was dark.
Twelve O'Clock was the time for the
actual charge to begin. To reach the
Point within assaulting distance it was
necessary to cross the intervening marsh
as quickly as possible. Here there was
an unexpected obstacle in the overflow of
the tide, and 20 minutes were lost-valu-
able time Just then, but fortunately not q
fatal loss. As the two columns neared
the enemy, Murfree ard his North Carroll
mans by previous instructions, took posi-
tion directly in front of the British works,
and opened rapid and cautious fire, for
the purpose of drawing attention to them
selves while the stOrming parties moved
silently ON the right and left. This ruse
contributed to the nights success. I'm
mediately there is hot work in progress.
The hoped for surprise is out of the ques-
tion, for the enemy's pickets have given
the alarm. In 10 minutes every man of
the garrison is up, completely dressed,
and at his proper station. If the fort is to
be taken now, only hard fighting can do
it. Meanwhile a mighty courage and
resolution seemed to urge on the Ameri-
can infantry with an irresistible mOmen-
tum The valiant Wayne, determined to
share the perils as we'll as the glOries of
the enterprise, leads the right column,
spear in hand.
AS they approach the two formidable
lines Of abatis which stretched across the
Point in front of the main works, the fire
from the enemy's muskctry becomes tire
mendous and incessant." Although on
account of the darkness much of its effect
is lost, men nevertheless here and there
begin to fall in the ranks of the light in
fantry. Lieutenant Colonel Hay, of Penn
sylvania, "bravely fighting at the head of
his battalion" Is wounded in the thigh.
Captain Ezra Selden, of Lyme, hand
some young officer fresh from Yale Col
lege at the opening of the war, but now a
veteran of four campaigns, and belonging
TO Colonel Starts First Connecticut, re-
,i.rh fnto al in hic side
Though weak from loss of blood. he makes
his way into the fort. A shot breaks the
standard of Meigs' regiment, but Ensign
IchabOd Spencer tears the color of, winds
them round his arm, and keeps charging
ON. Out Of 20 of one of the advance par
ties, II are either killed or wounded. But
on, on, the two columns go. The assent
is rocky, even precipitous. 1t takes time
to open passage through the Obstruc-
tions, and men continue to fall. At the
second abatis Wayne receives a flesh
the moment, he calls on his two aides,
Captains Fishbourn and Archer, to carry
him along tn II 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
first man in it is De Fleury. "The forts
our own" 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 for
lorn hope and the main column. Lieu
tenant Knox is the second man in. Ser
geant Baker, of Virginia. 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 Penn
sylvania, the fifth man over the works.
The rest came swarming in. On the
other side the left column appears at
nearly the same time. 'Thc forts our
own the forts our Own!' resounds from
every quarter The Americans dash in
among the aslonished British, and ply the
bayonct with terrible energy, driving them