New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-09

enveloped by y nimbus of sentiment aud romance
and seen through this delusiyc medium 1t has been
glorifed into PROPORTIONS quite too magninoen1 ioi
the realities Of the case. He therefore proceeds 10
dis,ipate the halo and show il up as rather an IN
significant AFFAIR after all. Its bearing upon the
war from military point of view was TRIVIAL OF a-
sOutey NIL 1t was q MINOR exploit OF WayneS'
not to be compared with some other achievements
of his, and although 1t captured the applause
Of the populsce il Ought not to turn tue
head Of judicious historian. An ll-contrived ana
unfinished fertilization, lnadequately manned was
surprised IN tue night by an assault of overwholm
ing numbers. Even then the primary cause OF sue
cess was tho treachery of tho trusted negro. Pom
pey. VINO guided the stormng column and engaged
successive scntlnels IN conversation until they were
oyerpowered and gagged. Colonel Johnson. TOO.
who commanded the garrison. an officer con-
vivlally inclined. and on this particular night was
badly fuddled to which fact the loyal ChIef-Justce
Thomas Jones bears witness in his Revolutionary
81 story. Upon the whole, according to General
De Peyster Americans had better say little about
stony Point except to exscrate Pompey's unfalth-
fulness and they would do we'll also to remember
that hopes OF prIze-money were dancing before the
eyes Of Wayne's COntinentas, and that the thought
of pecuniary ADVANTAGE no doubt stimulated their
patriotic forVOr.
ThIsisa view Of Stony Point with which Mr.. h.
p Johnston, of the College al the City OF New
York, IL moved to state that no does not cordially
concur: and IN tnis We ks issue OF the same New
jersey paper he proceeds bring evidence TO prove
hat not only was the stOrn ming noteworthy OF itself
IA a brilliant stroke of soidicrshIp but that 1t was
= decisive action in the campaign OF the year.
thwarting the DIES qns of the enemy and
totally deranging MS plans, TO say moth
inq of the permanent moral advantages which
ic plainly secured. Mr.. Johnston drops into
statistics to show that General De Peyster unduly
magnifes Wayne'5 force. thus making the disparity
II numbers appear than 1t really was, and he
then visits the Pompelan legend with some highly
destructive criticism 10 Is forclby argued, at least
that in order to save POmpey from dropping clean
out Of History IL must he shown that there were
three OF him one at the head Of each column. and
each one charming sentnels oy his guileful CONVEX
sation. while the gagging process was going on
all along the line. Finally. the camp ca
rousal. in winch Colonel johnson Is made
to figure is collroverted what seems indisputable
testimony TINS asst pulnt of especial interest
1t bears upon the of the loyal Judge
Jones, whose voluminOus and presumably authOri
tative work has recently been published
by the New-York Historical Society. A hasty
glance at this work will convince any one that
Jones possesses IN Astounding measure what
competent authority has pronounced the two most
essential qualifications Of good historian namely
wrath and paruallty II it Is proved that he makes
several conspicuous errors in his statements of fact
regarding this one affair. may NJ not be inferred
that he is also endowed with that fine artistic in
stnct which never allows a good story to be sacr-
feed simply because 1t happens to be untruef