News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-12-04

and battles that showed the highest ca
pacity, and suggest that with ample re-
sources and a chance to force the fighting,
Washington might have won all mankind
over to the view expressed by Frederick
the Great, who called him the greatest
general in the world.' One such affair was
the capture Of Stony Point, on the Hudson,
the night of July Is, 1779.
The year was one of great trial for the
patriots. Provost was ravaging South
arolina with his Indians and Tory allies;
Mathews was raiding southeast Virginia,
laying waste to whole counties, and Gov
ernor Tryon, of New York and Connecti-
cut, Ieisurely rocked in an easy chair while
the towns of the revolutionists melted
away before the British torch Washing
toms army lay Mt the Highlands, weak in
men and resources and hampered by the
ca balls at the sts1t Of nmeuC, and only
able to keep up communications with dis
tant sections, without attempting grand
campaigns In order TO divide the patriots
Sir Henry Clinton moved up the hudson,
and seized and fortified Stony Point as
measure to cut New England off from the
middle and southern colonies. The posi-
tion was high bluff or promontory, sur
rounded by water at times, and in dry
times connected with the mainland by
narrow causeway over a swamp. 1t was
600 men, enough on level ground to with
stand 5000, but in such a fortress presum-
ably able to keep at bay all that could be
brought against them. But Washington,
weak as he was in men, determined to
make the attempt, counting ON boldness
rather than numbers He chose for leader
Mad" Anthony Wayne, whose deeds at
the Brandywine and Monmouth were an
earnest of the stuff that was in him. When
told that lie had been selected to storm the
strongest fortress in America he declared
to his chief 81 will storm hell if you will
only plan it,"
Great caution was necessary, for the
plaeewas but forty-two miles from Clln-
tons base at New York, and the Hudson
was open to him to send up re-enforce-
ments in case he should suspect move
ment against Stony Point. Wayne had
1900 men, and the day before the attack,
which was to be at night, he was at Sandy
Beach, fourteen miles from the fort. The
intervening distance was over rocks,
through swamps and through forest clog.
ged with fallen trees. The column moved
in Indian file, and after q tedious march,
i'll fitting for the eve of such an undertake
ing, it arrived before dark within Il mile
and u half of the scene. At this stage
stratagem must come in, for an open attack
on the fortress baforn them would be fool,
hardy, Wavne and his officers personally
roconnoitarrd and tbav found n negro who
bad the nriviIeoa of entering the fort at
night with the password to sell fruit and
otbar IaIicanias II vas decided to make
Nc - n, t1 silence the outer sentinels. So
tbo' 'oc "a C.orrieoT ebo,,Id NOT h. rot under
or,,., l,ofo,.o tho otta,I- yvas under yvav
Nc storr,ino, coIumn was divided into
~, ro,ties ri7bt and left and each was
r,.ocadad bv n bodv of Dicl1ed men with
nnIooded muskets and fixed bayonets
I;a,,+ Co, Da I11o,,,,,god one advance body
I l-lc" ~; cte,--rt ~, otho- Tbase Iyart
ooodnJ .Iiu -J ~, forIor "a mes of twenty mer