Connecticut western news., 1881-09-14


 long and scarlet wave. With shouts they rent the air, and through the peaceful fields of ripening maize and yellow rye, over walls and brooks and slowly ascending the rank upland pas ture leading to the fort, on they came yelling like madmen. Twice they were repulsed by the defenders. The fight was most fierce, and many terrible hand-to-hand encounters are chronicled in history. Eyre had fallen, and Major Montgomery was killed. With their two highest officers in command gone the enemy seemed to have become dis heartened and appeared about to re- treat. At this critical juncture the hal yards of the American flag were shot away and it fell futtering to the ground. This accident proved fatal, although the banner was at once mounted on pike pole. Stephen Hampstead, one of the survivors, says in his memoirs "At the moment the flag fell, the enemy supposing it had been struck by it's defenders, rallied again, and, rushing with redoubled impetuosity, carried the southwest bastion by storm. At that time our loss was trifing in number, being seven killed and eighteen wound. ed." The British had lost 193 men :; figures which indicate very forcibly the vigor and fury of the defence. For the sake of England one might we'll wish that this tale ended here. But no :; Connecticut possesses the scene of the most malignant and atrocious massacre of the war.
 THE MASSACRE AT FORT GRIswoLD.
 Entering the fort the Englishmen crossed the parade ground and unbarred the gate. Colonel Ledyard ordered his men to cease firing and assembled them near the gateway. The leader of the invaders approached him and called out, "Who commands this fort ?". Colone Ledyard replied, "I did, sir, but you do now," at the same time stepping for ward and presenting the hilt of his sword. The weapon was thrust back and through him by the hand that re- ceived it, and he fell. The assassin was named Beckwith, renegade colonel from New Jersey. A most disgraceful scene followed. The signal for indis- criminate slaughter had been given. The platoons of soldiery fired volley af ter volley on the defenceless garrison, which stood with grounded arms, and with the bayonet, they killed thrice over those already dead. Blood literally yelled in the grassy area of the parade ground. Out of the 130 men the Brit ish found, scarcely twenty were left able to stand on their feet. The patriots lay in heaps, as brave band as fought Leonidas at Thermopyle, without the uniform of soldiers, but with all the valor of veterans. The enemy continued their firing even after the remnant had retreated into the barrack room, nor did they stop until the fear of blowing up the powder magazine checked the slaughter. After the massacre the Americans were stripped of everything of value and left literally naked in the hot sun. The wounded Englishmen were laid in the shade. Water was re- fused the prisoners and those who could stand were marched to the rlver, while the others were loaded into an ammuni- tion wagon, taken to the brow of the hill, which is very steep and at least one hundred rods in descent, and allowed to ride down. The pain and anguish endured by the mangled wretches as the ponderous vehicle jumped and jos- tied over the rocks and holes were heart rending. When near the river the wagon was arrested by an apple tree, and the shock of this jar hurled the gasping occupants in all directions. By fearful prayers thirty-fve of the in jured men were paroled and allowed to remain in Groton, where even the house in which they lay was set on fire. Their screams and groans of anguish could be heard in New London (the river sepa- rating the town is nearly mile wide), although the latter place was in the height of the confusion which ragged in the burning and sacking of the city by Arnold's men. The last of the enemy embarked for New York about eleven D. m., and no assistance reached the sui fering patriots till the next morning, as it was not known that the Englishmen had left. So horribly mangled were some of the bodies that it was with the greatest difficulty their features could be recognized.
 Following is the testimony of Rufus L. Avery, of Boston, relative to his treatment as @ prisoner "We were marched down to the river and com handed, with the most insulting Ian. guage and in menacing manner, by the officer in charge, to get into the boat by wading off some distance from the shore, which they compelled us to do, although we were weak and wounded After getting on board we rowed to 8 sloop, which was owned by referee tory, and was laying within the feet, whither the commander had fled fol safety. We were put into the hold ot the sloop, which was filled with smoke and the hatchway was covered over tight, so that the prisoners were nearly suffocated and were compelled to beg that their lives might be spared by giv- ing them air to breathe. After remain ing on board of the s1oop short time they were transferred to an eighteen gun brig. Before they were removed their hands were so tightly tied behind them that their shoulders nearly met In this condition they were ordered te get into small boat without aid, which