Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-20

guardian of the fort his two stout com
} panions sprang from the gloom ant
! seized and gagged the soldier. Th,
silence Of the sentinel near the cause
way was secured in the same manner
and up to past midnight the garrison
was slnmbering, without suspicion o
danger nigh.
THE SURPRISE.
So, soon as the tide had ebbed d,
was supposed sufficiently to allow Q
passage by the causeway and along
the beach, the two columns which had
marched side by side in platoons sep
arated, tho right diverglng southward
for the purpose of crossing the morass
and striking the beach which extended
along the southern and southwestern
shores of tho peninsula. At the same
time the left column moved toward the
causeway, which Colonel Buffers regi-
ment instantly passed in water two
feet deep, and at the foot of the slope
diverged to the left and secured a
picket guard. AT the same time the
column on the southern side in the wa
ter knee-deep (ior the tide was not
yet DOWN and reached the beach. Be.
fore doIng 50 they were discovered and
fired upon by picket guard. This
aroused the garrison and they flew to
arms. The assalling column was now
directed under the fort 1t closed in
solid order and pressed up the steep
hillside in the face Of tempest from
muskets and artillery-the missiles
from the latter doing very little harm,
for they passed over the heads of the
assailing force. At the same time
Major Murfree, of the left column, had
made feint against the fort on the
northwest side with his North Carroll.
mans, but this did not weaken the re-
sistence to an advance of the right
column which was gallantly struggling
with the halfremoved abatts part
way up the bill to gain the sally-port
Of the fort. Every ledge of rocks
above the ascending column were sur
rounded with British infantry who,
with taunts and imprecations, poured
down an incessant storm Of bullets.
But not patriot faltered. Steadily,
and as silently as on the night march
from the walnut tree, the soldiers fol-
lowed Wayne, who, with q spear IN
hand, directed every movement, as
inch by inch they approached the
breastworks and pushed back the foe.
Not gun was fred by the patriots.
They turned the abattis, pushed on to.
ward the breastworks, cut and tore
away the palisades and cleared the
cheudur de.trise at the sally-port.
Within the inner abattis a flying
bullet had struck Wayne a glancing
blow on the head and stunned him. He
fell upon bis knees. His two aides
(Fishbourne and Archer partially
raised him to bis feet. In a moment
be recovered full consciousness and re.
quested his aids to carry him within
the works where, in case his wound
should prove mortal, he desired to die.
But the hurt was not severe. The
troops dashed forward with fixed bay
onets--the main column following the
advance closely. The charge was led
by Lieutenant Colonel De Fleury, fol-
lowed by Febiger's regiment The
ramparts were carried De Fleury
seized the colors of the fort with his
own hands, and his assailing column
entered the works in triumph, shout
ing the significant watchword "The
forts our own' De Fleury, Lieut..
Knox, Sergeant Baker, of the Virginia
line bleeding from four wounds), Ser.
geant Spencer, OF the same line with
two wounds) and Sergeant Dunlop, of
the Pennsylvania line (also twice
wounded), were the first five to enter
the works and win the reward offered
by Wayne. In his order OF battle, the
General had engaged TO reward the
five men who should first enter the
works with promotion, honorable men
tion, and with $500, s400, $500, 5000
500 respectively.
"rHE FORTS OUR OWN"
Almost ut the moment when De
Fleury entered the fort Lieutenant
Gibbon with the assailing party OF the
left, closely followed by Major Stewart,
burst in on the opposite side. The
terrified garrison, perceiving resistance
to be useless, surrendered Immediately,
the men, especially the "Loyal Ameri
cans" falling on their knees and cry
ing out piteously; "Mercy ! Mercy,
doar Americans p To the honor of
the conquerors, it is asserted that not
man of the garrison was injured af,
ter they ceased TO resist and begged for
quarter Major Hull and Wayne's
aides carried the bleeding General into
the fort, whore he heartily joined in
the shouts of triumph by the victors,
and soon afterward, with vigorous
hand, wrote the following despatch to
Washington
srosY PoIST, 10th July, l779--2 O'Clock, A. NJ
DEAR GENERAL; The tort aud garrison, with
Colonel johnson, are ours.
Our officers and men behaved like men who are
determined to be free. Yours, most sincerely,
dfNL NAsHN0rON Ahrf WAYNE.
The victory was complete. The
British ships lying on the Hudson,
near Stony Point, hastily slipped their
cables and fed down the river; and at
dawn the next morning the guns Of
the fort, manned by the handful of
artillerymen who accompanied Wayne
were turned upon Fort Fayette, on
Verplanck's Point opposite, command
cd by Lieutenant Colonel Webster. A
cannonade was kept up lazily during
the day. General Robert Howe had
been ordered TO attack that fort stimuli.
taneously with the assault on Stony
Point but through mlsconception
the movement was delayed and the
fort was saved TO the British by time,
ly reinforcement to the garrison sent
up the river by Sir Henry Chnton. In
winning this brilliant victory Wayne
lost fifteen killed and eighty three
wounded. The British had sixty
slain and Lieutenan tColonel Johnston
and FIVE hundred and forty three Off
GERS and men were made prisoners Of
war
Washington perceived the danger
of an attempt to hold tho fort at Stony
Point with so few men as could then
be spared from the army, and he or.
dered the ordnance and stores TO be
removed 10 West Point, the military
works to be destroyed and the place to
be evacuated by the Americans. This
was accomplished on the nights of the
18th and 18th, or twenty-four hours
after the'capture. A large portion OF
the ordnance was placed upon galley
to be conveyed TO West Point. While
off the eastern side Of the Donderberg
a shot fiom the British sloop Of war
"vulture," which had ventured near
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