The Meeker herald., 1896-08-08

set faces, the men stood to their work.
Tho boy officer was everywhere. His
example fired his men. and as We pass
ed from place to place many Il cheer
went up for the young commander.
The Majors Opportunity.
But he well knew the end Ind not
yet come. In the night the British had
dragged three cannon to spot within
$50 yards of the fort. and in the morn
ing light the fire was renewed, but
owing to the vigilance of George Gro
Ehnn produced but little damage.
Four o'clock in the afternoon came.
The British general was becoming des-
perate. His steady fire provoked no
return. He could not see that he had
brought the fort one whit nearer to II
surrender. His Indians We're becoming
discouraged. and something must be
done. The clouds were heavy now ana
the bellowing of the approaching thun-
der increased the confusion. The mo-
ment for which the boy officer had
been waiting had come.
Realizing that the northwest angle
was the weakest spot in his defense.
Mai. Croghan had brought the "Good
Bess" there, silent for long time now.
and loading her with n half charge OF
with shot and slugs. But he had
masked her in such way that her
presence was unknown. There also be
had stationed the Kentucky sharp
shooters, and he knew he could depend
upon them. The decisive moment Tor
which he had been planning had mr.
| rived. Feigning an attack on the south
! ern side, Col. Short suddenly led his
British soldiers in two close columns
against the northwest angle. LeapinS
into the ditch and calling to his men to
follow, the angry colonel shouted:
1--WE the Yankees no quartcr!
"Now! Let them have itv' shouted
the excited boy officer, when he saw
the ditch full and the sAarpshooters
and Good Bcss" spoke together The
masked port flew open, the sluss anu
grapeshot poured into the ditch and
groans and cries arose on every side.
Another column of British advanced
and again the Good Bess 1poke.. This
| was enough. The British turned and
fled and left the colonel, who had cried
out to give the Yankees no quarter,
dying among the dead, and feeDiy
| waving his handkerchief on the end OF
his sword and begging for that mercy
he himself had refused to offer
All night the boy officer stood on the
ramparts and lowered pals of water
to the wounded. He dared not open
the gates for fear Of treachery. but the
| kind hearted young commander dug
trench, by which the wounded were
| brought into the fort.
| What think you were his feelings
next day when he wrote Tippecanoe
! that he had held Fort Stephenson with
| the loss of one man killed and seven
wounded, against the British Proctor,
| who lost in killed and wounded l25!
And what was done for the boy off,
Ger? Gen. Harrison. when he unuer-
stood that escape from Fort Stephen
| son would have been impossible, could
not praise him enough in his dispatch
es. the ladies of Chillicothe gave MIN
n beautiful sword, congress voted him
| the thanks of the nation and twenty
two years later presented him with
gold medal The boy officer was in
deed old enough to command and until
|. his death, which occurred at New Or
! leans in 1910, wherever he went he
| used to hear a song written In LIS
1 honor, one stanza of which was:
sound, oh, sound Columbia's shell!
High the laundering pean raise!
/, Let the echoing bugles swell
Loudly answering sound his praise!
TITS Sandusky's wnrlike boy,
Crowned with victory's trophy
Comes!
High arise ye shouts of joy.
i Sound the trumpets, beat the
drums!'
Philadelphia Inquirer.