The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-08-23

But the limit of human endurance
had for the time been reached and the
shattered column is compelled to fail
back. Their task, however, Is not yet
half finished.
AS LORD Sterling looked across the
salt meadows la the scene of his last
struggle at Buckles Barracks aud saw
the demoIaiZed MASSES of his fugitive
soldiers crowdlug the narrow cause
way over Freek's mllIpond, or strug-
CLING thr ugh the muddy tide stream,
he felt how precious their lives were 10
their couuiry's cause, and he deter
mined to again nerve himself for a
struggle that could only end III u sacrl-
flee.
Ouce more he called upon the sur
yivors of the last desperate charge, and
once more the young heroes responded
10 the rallying cry of the noble COM
uIander.
How sadly Sterling must have look
ed upon theni-many scarcely more
than boys in years, so young, so fear
less, and to face again The death deal
lug hail. With "a few quick commands
Sterling reforms them and again faces
the enemy aud prepares to charge.
General Washington and others VIII o
had been watching the previous des-
perate fight, now supposed that Sterling
and his troops would surrender i'll Il
body, but rs the Maryianders, with
fixed Oayonets, rushed 10 the charge
upon the overw helmlug force opposed
to them, Washington wrung his hands,
eXclaiming, Great God. " hat brave
fellows | must this day losen,
THE DEATH GRAPPLE
1t was indeed desperate fight
And now Smallwood's Macarunis
showed their metal. The inlpetuous-
ness OF the charge carried them over
every obstacle quite close 10 the house.
The gunners were bayOuelted at their
cannon, aud their supports are shot
down; the red and the blue are clinch-
ed in death-Srapple. CORVALLIS
seemed about to abandon his position,
but the CALLING ire from the interior of
the house, and from the adjacent high
ground, and the arrival of the Hessians
who were now approaching, again
compelled them to fall back. Three
times more the survivors rallied,
throwing themselves upon the con-
stantlY Increasing ranks of the enemy,
but the unequal contest could not last
much longer. y few minutes more of
the murderous fire and $50 of the best
youth of MARYLAND were either prls-
oners IN the hands Of the English or ~
ing side 10y side in the mass of dead
and dying. Their purpose had been
accomplished and the flying army was
nd ian
Amid the carnage Lord Sterling was
left almost alone, and scorning to sur
render to Il British subject, he sought
the Hessian General, De Hester, and
only to him did he yield his sword.
Three companies, or little over one
hundred men, cut their way through
the crowded ranks of the enemy and
maintained their order until they
reached the marsh, where from the ma
ture OF the ground they broke aud es-
capped rs quickly as possible to the
creek. They swan the creek, bring
ing with them twenty eight prisoners
and their tattered standards
The loss of the Maryland troops in
this bloody struggle of Long Island
was simply murderous. From sunrise
until the last gun was fired they were
hotly engaged, and when the rest of
the American forces had fled they,
numbering less than 400 men, held
$500 of the enemy at bay. Nearly half
their force was annihi!ated.
England may boast of her Blenheim
Loulsburg, Quebec, Trafalgar and
Waterloo; France of her Austeritz,
Marengo, Jena, Friedland and Wag-
ram; Germany of her Rossback, Lissa,
Minden, Sadowa and Sedan, but no.
where on the worlds most bloody
fields of military conflict, was there
displayed a more sublime and desper-
ate courage, than was shown by Ma
ryland's stern battalion on that ever
memorable 9th of August, l776, and
10 this day the visitor to Brookly
Will be shown the spot where half of
the Maryland regiment stemmed the
advance OF the whole left wing of the
British army when no other troops
We're left upon the field, and where
the best blood of the State drenched
the soil Of Long Island in the defence
Of their rights and liberty.
Let the memorial shaft that is erect
ed 10 their memory be ever an object
pf pride TO the citizens of that State
pa Maryland-whose part in that ever
memorable struggle of eight years for
Freedom, was second TO none in the old
thirteen colonies, and who to-day oc-
cupy the same position in the grand
and glorious galaxy of our forty -four
sovereign commonwealth.