Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-06-30

the mob dispersed. while a few miners VIC
I had not been at the bonfire or had played a
shrewd Ananias game displayed their pa
I pers at the supreme moment. ard the com
missioner and bis police and armed scl-
dierY marched hack 70 camp rejoicing
The miners lost no time in replying 70
I this raid by a declaration Of war The
I lone Exile Of Erin. whom fate had made
the John Hancock q the Declaration Of In
dependence. was elected military dictator.
and for the space 81 f0rty-eight hours more
or les. signed himself Peter Ialor Com
mander in Chief 81 the Diggers Under
Arms An insurgent camp was pitched
on a height overlooking Ballarat, known
A. Eureka Hin. Horses. weapons. ammu-
milton. provisions and even recruits were
impressed by the simple ecict Of Peter
LalOr, etc, and the hill was fortified by
means q narricasie and stOckade com
bined- The work Of intrenching was under
taken ia hurry and every hour added
some new device for obstructing and harass-
ing the enemy's approach. As fast as they
could be procured slabs were imbeided Al
one end stakes were driven, ropes were
stretched. carts and other bulky obstacles
were overturned and toaIl was added earth
embankments. for the diggers hadn't for
gotten their trade. The strangely COM
posite intrenchment enjoyed ephemeral nc
toriety as the Eureka Stockade"
The warlike preparations Of the insur-
gents went ON for two days and three
nights undisturbed BY the government.
The miners gave cut that they would a.
sault the governors camp. but didn't do
il. Their equipment was the weakest part
Of the Instruction. Many hundreds pre-
tended to bear arms. but shooting pieces
were scarce. and the majority had 70 take
up with rude pixies. made at a common
forge and mounted on slaves green from
the bush.
After four days Of the widest excite
nlenf and fatiguing labor-counting iron,
the mass meeting q Nov 24-everything
being ready for the grand struggle. Peter
I4alor's army tsog a notion about mid
night Of Dec 10 20 to sleep. And il was
not a sleeping on arms. either. The men
stood valian1lT to the barricade until mid
night. then made OF 70 tsssn, 10 their
huts. 70 wherever inviting and comfortable
herths could be had OF course not all
were 50 suddenly overcome by drOwsiness
The commander 10 chief" and a handful
Of triIsty fellows. chiefly pikemen. how
ever. remained 10 guard the stockade and
perha;.s give Al alarm Of impending danger
Now the governors troops were real sol
diers-regulars at that, barring few 20
lcemeD. which j. the same thing-and az
half past o'clock on Dec 3. when the
great army Of "Diggers Under Arms
were also under their blankets. the gov
ernor's military underling led out a de
tachmeHt II not quite 80 men and noise
lessly storgned the stoekade on Eureka
Hill General I-aloT and his old guard
were alert, and began TO shoot with such
irons As they possessed. The British bugle
sang cut, Commence firing" and the sol
diers rushed upon and over the barricade.
dropping a score or more Of pikemen be
fore the recall was sounded. The flag Of
defiance 70 colonial tyranny was quickly
hauled down. over 100 prisoners, wounded
and unwO1nded, were taken, and between
30 and 40 dead miners showed what might
have been had not the bulk Of the diggerx
gone TO sleep al a time 50 inopportune for
the future Of the Victorian league.
Ialor escaped, but carried bullet In his
person that cost him an arm and 50 marked
him for life a. the leader Of the Victorian
gold field rebellion There were prosecu-
tons for high treason and all that sort q
thing 5ut no conviction and a general
amnesty resulted. The leader remained
in hiding until the affair cooled down. all
the time Hnrepentant and bewailing the
unfortunate drowsiness Of his army on that
monlentous morning Tie minerE eTentu-
ally sent their hero with the empty sleeve
TO parliament and he served term after
term, landing at last in the speakers chair
Of the Victorian commons. 80 much for
sentiment and that brief night t1ssle In
defense Of the Eureka StOckade.' >
GEORGE /. KfLHER