The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-31
sTORMING OF STONY POINT.

The night had already settled
down gloomy and forbidding, on the
evening Of the 18th of July, 1770
when the advancing column of lit.
tie army whose uniform betokened
il to be American emerged from q
thick wood on the shore of the Hud.
son, and in an instant the whole
dim and shadowy prospect, disclos'
cd to them along the bank of the
river, opened to the sight. Far away
lay Ncrplank's Point, now buried in
Il mass of shadow, while on the
hither side of the river, dark, gloomy
and frowning, rose up the craggy
heights of Stony Point. Washed on
three sides by the Hudson, and pro
tected on the other, except along a
narrow road, by morass, the fort
was deemed one of the most i'm
pregnable upon the river, and its
capture regarded as almost impossi-
Bile. Yet to achieve that gallant pur-
pose this little army was now upon
its march.
\ turn in the road soon hid them
from the river, and, after a silent
march of some minutes duration,
they arrived within mile and a
half of the enemy's line, and halt
ing at the command of their officer,
| formed into columns for the attack.
Beginning again their march, they
soon reached the marshy ground at
the base of the hill.
Hist !" said the low voice of the
general from the front, 1--WE are nigh
enough now-HALT."
The order passed in u whisper
down the line, and the column
paused on the edge of the morass.
1t was Il moment of suspense and
peril. Every man felt that in a few
minutes the fate of their hazardous
enterprise would be determined, and
that they would either be cold in
death, or the American flag waving
in triumph over the dark promon-
tory ahead, now scarcely discernible
through the thick gloom Of mid
night. Yet not lip quivered, nor a
cheek blanched in that crisis. About
twenty PAGES in front of the column
had halted the forlorn hope of one
hundred and fifty men, with un-
loaded pieces and bayonets fixed,
while farther on smaller group of
shadowy forms could be seen
through the obscurity, accoutred
with axes, to cut through the abattis.
Each man had piece Of white pa
per in his hat, to distinguish him
from the foe in the approaching
melee. The pause was but momen-
tary. The general had already re-
connoitercd approaches to the still
silent promontory, and, waving his
sword on high, he gave the order.
In another instant the dark, massive
/ column was moving steadily to the
attack.
1t was thrilling moment, during
which that devoted band crossed
rapidly over the marsh. AS yet the
enemy had not discovered them
Even the hearts of the oldest veter.
ans trembled with the eagerness O.
that moment of suspense. Already
had the foremost of the pioneers
reached the abattis, and the quick
rapid blows of their axes rung upor
the night, when, suddenly, a shour
of alarm broke from the fort, the
gun of Il sentry flashed through the
gloom, and in an instant all wat
uproar and confusion within the
astonished fortification. Not {
moment was to be lost.
advance advance " shouted
! Wayne, as he pressed rapidly OF
toward the abattis, followed il
death-like silence by his indomita
BILE troops.
''To armsw came borne on the
night breeze from the fort-"to arms
to arms" and then followed the
quick roll of the drum. In an in.
slant the enemy were at their posts
and the gallant Continentals still
maintained their silent but steady
march a fire, such as only despera.
ton could produce, burst from every
embrasurc of the fort. The incessant
rattle of the musketry, the roar Of
the artillery, the crashing of the
shot, and the lurid light flung over
the scene by the explosion of the
shells, and streams of fire pouring
from the fort, formed Il picture
which no pen can describe. Yet
amid it all the daring assailants
steadily advanced, not trigger had
been pulled in their ranks. Faithful
to the commands of their brave
general, though trembling in
every limb with eagerness, they
kept their silent march, amid the
fiery tenlpcst. as il imnelled hv snmn