Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-08-03

! effective fire from the French and Amer
ican batteries continued to keep the
British gunners very quiet, and worl
! on the second line went on two days
longer without many casualties. Il
had been observed, however, that the
new parallel would not form a su ffici
emily compact investment unless it was
extended on the right to the river bank
But here there was serious obstacle
for the ground near the river was occu.
pied by two outer British redoubts
which must first be taken. The reso
luton to storm them was accordingly
formed the moment the necessity was
obvious, and the capture of the two
forts stands out as the incident which
more than any other marked the energy
of the siege, and which, upon his own
admission, hastened the surrender OF
CORVALLIS. We have no great" as
sault here, no storming of the Malakoff
or Redan but the work was done 50
well, was so highly praised at the time,
and was, moreover, the last piece OF
fighting on the part of any of Wash
ington's troops, that some of its details
may be recalled.
The assault was assigned to the
choice corps of the allied army, the
work upon the right, on the high bank
of the York, to the American light in.
fantry, the other, nearly a quarter of a
mile to the left, to the French chas-
seurs and grenadiers. The martial
pride of these soldiers, excited by what
amounted to friendly challenge to do
their best, carried them along to COM
plete success, both redoubts being gal
lantly taken at the same moment. The
time selected was the night of the l4th.
On the side of the French, the storm
ing party was composed of four hum
dred men, the grenadiers and chasseurs
of the regiments Gatencis and Royal
DeuxpOnts. The work they were to
take was bastion redoubt, standing
directly across the road from York
town to the Moore house below, and
was held by lieutenant-colonel and
about hundred and twenty men. Col
onel William Deuxponts, brave, en-
thusiastic spirit in the French army,
commanded the detachment with
Lieutenant-C Colonel Baron de PEstrads,
an officer of forty years. service, as
second. AS the detachment moved
out into position, everybody wished
Denxponts success and glory, and ex-
pressed regrets at not being able to go
with him. "That moment,n he writes
in his journal, seemed to me very
sweet, and was very elevating to the
soul and animating to the courage.
My brother, especially, my brother
and l never shall forget it-gave me
marks of tenderness which penetra-
ted to the bottom of my heart" At
the given signal-the firing of six
shells-about eight O'Clock, the force
advanced in columns by platoons, tie
first fifty chasseurs carrying fascines to
fill the ditch, and eight carrying lad
ders. Two trusty sergeants, who with
Deuxponts and L'Estrade had previ-
ously reconnoitrcd the ground with
great care, led the way. The second
battalion of the Gatenois regiment, un-
der Count de Rostaing, remained in
reserve, Baron de Viomenil command
ing the entire force. Deuxponts NOV
ed on silently, when, at hundred and
twenty PAGES from the redoubt, Hes
sian sentinel discovered them. over
da? Who goes there ?" he shouted.
No answer coming, the enemy instant
ly opened fire. Unluckily the strong
abatis twenty-five PAGES in front of the
fort stopped the French several min
utes, and there they lost many men
but the Obstructions once cleared, the
chasseurs dashed on and began mount
ing the parapet. The first to reach the
top was the Chevalier De Lameth, but
receiving point-blank discharge from
the Hessian infantry, he fell back shot
through both knees. L'Estrade while
climbing was tumbled into the ditch
by soldier falling from above him.
Rising badly bruised he scolded the
man roundly for making such bur Cling
work of it. Deuxponts also fell, when
young Lieutenant De Severgne, of the
chasseurs, pulled him up the parapet,
to be fatally wounded in doing SO.
Finding the French actually on the
edges of their redoubt, the enemy
charged upon them, but Deuxponts or
dered his men to fire and countercharge,
which had the desired effect. The Hes
slams threw down their arms, and the
French raised the shout of "Vive lie
roi" over their achievement. They
had carried the work in half an hour,
with the loss of fifteen killed and seven
ty-seven wounded, the enemy losing
eighteen killed and about fifty priso-
ners. For his conduct on this occasion
Deuxponts received the title of Cheva-
lier in the military order of st. Louis
as special distinction, In his journal
he has this appreciative word for his
comrades with troops so good, so
brave and so disciplined as those l
have the honor to lead against the ene-
my, one can undertake anything and
be sure of succeeding, if the impossible
ity of it has not been proved. / owe
them the happiest day of my life, and
certainly the recollection of it will nev-
er be effaced from my mind"
At the other redoubt the success of
the Americans was equally brilliant.
The praise bestowed by La Fayette
upon his light-infantry, that they were
equal to the best troops in the world,
proved to be well grounded Viomenil
believed he was adding to the compli-
ment when he referred to them as be-
having on this occasion like grenadiers
accustomed to difficult things These
llght-lnfantry troops in truth were most
of them, both officers and men, not on
ly veterans of the war, but the choicest
in the army, half of them, in addition
to previous service, having just COM
pleted the campaign in Virginia under
La Fayette. Upon the present occa-
sion the battalions selected for the as