The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-19

man in Bridgeton, Me-, an aged vet
eran of the war of 1912-15, an honest,
truthful, excellent man, over whose
honored grave the grass has waved for
many day.
And yet it seems only recently that
listened to his narrative of personal ex-
periences and observations in connec-
ton with one of the most remarkable
and important military events in Amer
ican history. 1t was the battle of Platts-
burg, N. Y, fought in September, 1914,
between $4,000 of Wellington's troops,
under Sir George Provost, the governor
general of Canada, and about one-third
of that number of Americans, chiefly
raw militia, with few regulars, led by
General Macomb, and constituting all
the available forces in that immediate
region. The fight eliminated in stimuli
taneous land and naval engagement.
The British feet was commanded by
Captain Downie; the American feet by
Commodore Macdonough, and by so
simple and pivotal procedure as the
swinging round of Macdonough's flag
feet was captured, and the appalling
power welded by the combined land
and naval forces of great nation was
shattered in a moment.
Before taking up Private Caswell's
narrative, brief glance at the military
situation is necessary for clear under
standing of the matter.
Late in August, General lizard, who
had succeeded General Hampton in
command of the right wing of the
American army, was ordered to leave
Plattsburg, with the most of his troops,
and go to the relief of General Brown,
beleaguered at that time in Fort Erie, ON
the Niagara frontier. This he did, leav-
ing General Macomb at Plattsburg
with only 1 500 effective men, and cheer
fully predicting that the place and its
garrison would soon be in the hands of
the enemyl
But Macomb was not the kind Of
man to give up before the battle was on,
as the event signally proved.
Neither was Macdonough, who lay
ready with his hastily prerared-almost
mprovised-feet to dispute the passage
of the British feet into Plattsburg bay.
The news of the advance from Canada
of Prevost's magnificent army, and the
well equipped British feet having pene-
trated the adjacent districts, the militia
poured into Plattsburg. AS fast as they
arrived they were placed under the i'm
mediate command of General Mooers,
whose force, when complete, was in all
about 5000 men.
General Macomb stationed his troops
on the south bank of the river Saranac,
on the peninsula formed by the bend of
that stream as it empties into Burling-
ton (Plattsburg) bay. Having strength
ened his position by three redoubts and
two blockhouses, and made every other
preparation feasible in so short a time
and under such pressing circumstances,
he posted bodies of militia at different
points on the route by which the enemy
was expected, and quietly awaited the
progress of events.
The 9th day of September. 1914, will
ever be memorable in Plattsburg his
tory. On that day there suddenly ap-
peared the advance guard of the British
army. 1t marched in two columns
along the roads from the north.
Some of the militia now adopted the
Concord-Lexington mode of warfare,
firing from ambush, and harassing the
invaders in every practicable manner, but
still the majestic body moved on. Not
until it had arrived within short dis
tance of the village was any serious
show of resistance made by the Ameri-
cans. This was by a detachment of
light artillery, which Macomb had sent
out, and which fred and retreated alter