The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-23


s'Mebbe you IiS'r to me neI' timer
Count d'Estaing was at first SO sure
of his ability to capture Savannah that
he undertook to convince the British
commander by argument (before resort
ing to arms that resistance would be
worse than unavailing. Indeed the brave
and brilliant Frenchman seemed to feel
that the mere prestige of his name and
the known valor of his troops would be
sufficient to make the gates of the town
fly open to him. When he found that
the plucky garrison would certainly
fight him to the last moment he made
ready to reduce the place by siege; but
soon enough he discovered that the
works, although not formidable from an
engineering point of view, were suff-
GENTLY strong to render them very hard
to reduce by the batteries at his COM
mand. At this point Gen. Lincoln
could not aid him much, having no eff
fective guns Nothing was left but to
take the lines by storm, and this was
agreed upon between the French and
the American commanders.
The British were aware of what had
been determined on by the allied forces.
Maynard, now promoted to captaincy,
had managed to ascertain through spies
that preparations for an assault all along
the line had been going on during the
night. He was in command of two
companies, stationed really outside the
works, but protected by the loop of
canebrake and wooded swamp through
which Grampus had led Rose. Little
did he dream that Miss Fenwicke was
so near him while he was maturing his
plans for Distinguishing himself by tax
ing the enemy in the flank whenever they
should attempt to charge past the swamp
where he lay in ambush. He was a
good soldier enough, and he was cum
ming as well as daring. Two heavy
pistols hung at his side and his sword
was unusually long to suit his stature
and great strength. He was ready when
at last, just at daybreak, the grand
charge took place, and right stubbornly
did he meet 1t.
Prescott, now a brave major, led the
storming column that was to attempt
the line in the rear of the swamp, and
SO it happened that the rivals met in the
full flood of the battle. With such vigor
and swiftness did the little body of
Americans come down upon their an.
tagonists that it was scarcely breath be-
tween the start and the crash of their as
sault. Firing as they sped forward, sc
accurate was their aim that Maynard
men We're thrown into confusion and
broke badly. This apparent success was
bad for Prescott and his command, fol
deeming themselves victorious they
yelled vigorously and swept on beyond
the swamp, unaware of the battery plant
ed there with curtains of earthworks
fianking it and manned with double
line of men.
A roar of artillery and close, deadly
volley of musketry did the work. 1t wa.
useless for Prescott to wave his SWORD
and rave at his flying men. They wer'
now as wildly scared and as thoroughly
beaten as moment before they hat
been enthusiastically victorious. There
was nothing for him to do but to Fl,
with them and try to get them back t.
their senses, but the farther they ran tn,
more they scattered themselves and tn
more unmanageable they became. Be
fore they had reiterated beyond tn
swamp they were badly cut up, ant
every man was seeking his own safety il
his own way. Indeed it was so all alon,
the line. The French Jared even wors
than the Americans, Count d'EstainI
himself receiving wound, which seem
to have made him in great hurry t
raise the siege and re-embark. TIL,
charge while it lasted, however, was on
of the most bold and even desperate tina
was made during the Revolutionar,
struggle. Viewed through mere de
scriptions it loses most of its tragic pict
uresqueness, because the whole affai
took place in fat and badly draine
area, where the mere matter of insecur
footing for the storming party hindere
more than the earthworks and guns Q
the enemy.
At certain point near the little loo
of swamp woods Prescott, as he ran bac
after vainly trying to rally his men
heard a cry that brought him to a shor
halt as if bullet had struck him.
Wayne! Wayne!" it called forth
with such strong, clear, beseeching az
cent that it thrilled him almost pair
fully.
He stood still amid the awful din G
the fight tnat rolled to the right and t
the left of him, and listened and gaze,
searchingly around.
Wayne! Lieutenant Prescott! Her,
for heavens sake Gomez
Quickly turning to where the CT
seemed to rise, he saw Rose strugglin
in the arms of Maynard, who had chance
to find her and was trying to bear he
to place of safety.
The surprise of this discovery Nigh
have been greater had Prescotts min
been less burdened with the terrible loa
Of personal responsibility for his littl
command. 1t is doubtless true, how
ever, that the stimulus of great excit'
ment made his vision quicker and cleare
By the broadening gray light of day an
by the lurid flashes of the guns and {
the flaming missiles launched by bot
armies he recognized Rose Instant,
When did lover ever fail to recognize h
mistress at a glance? The voice of itse
was sufficient, but there was the pal
beautiful face, with its aureole of shil
ing hair, and with its eyes, like no 9TH
eyes to him, flaming in passionate el
treaty. A single second he stood, the