The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-02
GOSSIP OF ADAY.
Fort that it is Proposed
10 Mark With Cannon.
Novel Methc,' Jsed to Compel
the Raising of a Siege.
why Cuba is Not Free-The Diiler'
encs in Co,or Of Cigar Smoke.


ssA dny or two ago writes corIo
spondcnt OF TIE Ncws, ho,ivV' -,
,,,n,,r.nhtc ,iiSpatch % - daily f@ic
fho Statement that a patriotic society IN
Rome New York, had voted 10 app! W
tb. war dcrartment for Tour cannon
with which 10 mark the TOUR corncrN W
Fort Stanwix in that city. Inc ulsli"h
went on to say that tort SlhhNlA N"n
ono that never surrendered ana tufGnNI
that it was the ono from which thc llrsu
An,erlcan flag as adopted by congress
nontel. | was curious after fcauIhg lliH
10 find out something about the tort WIN
s,ich a splendid history but my sehItu
for information was ulaNallihg LOT III Vno
books | consulted found no reference %
q Fort Stanwix | did run across Inc
nnme of a General John StanwiX, put as
ho was "A British commander, ~ dlun
seofn 10 me az though the palflotN F''lio
~ Rome would care much about 50 mart
ing a place named after nm oiilccr IN Ine
army that fought against thelr lorG,n'n, ,, w
ers. | slou!d esteem IL ihNuf u Onc
Grss,rcr will give me some further light
ON the matter
Tbere ,ynsa Fort Stanwix once, but after
17.1 Us name was changed and from that
,inc II was known as Fort schuyler
Had the correspondent been aware oi tnls
fact he could easily have obtained the IN
formation he desired in any reliable ms
tors or encyclopedia IL was IN l'Is .nno
iiriradier General SranwiX OF the Brltlsh
army while returning from Oswego WIN
!, dctnch,ntnt OF trOCrs constructor TORT
on ths Mohawk river, at the site OF the
yrescnt city Of Rome. In honor Oi IT'S
constructor and "rst commander 1t was
called Fort Stnnwix When the hcNolu-
tion,iry ,ynr broke out this fort was ON
tLn western border of civilization, and
stood as "A SORT OF barrier against the
fribs Of the Six Nations. In the SUM
mer of mi it was occupied by a silail
hand Of patriots under command OF
Colonel Gnnsvoort and this mcagcr gar
r;s,u was reinforced by a regiment COM
,n,,,,lrd Inv Colonel Marinus Willett.
General Burgoyne had sent Colonel St.
Lager with force made up OF Cana
dinns. Tories and Indians To penetrate
the Mohawk valley and To make his way
to Albany, where he was TO reJoin neneral
Burgoync 1T Legcr In carrying out
his instructions appeared before Lon. y,
Stnnwix on August !, llfh lie had as
subordinate officers Colonels johnson,
Claus and Butler, wMile Brandt com
manded the Indians.
After st Legcr had begun the siege,
Colonel Willctt left them Mt night 10y
stealth, with message To den. schuyler,
then cncalnpcd near the mouth OF tht
Mohawk. asking him 10 send relief to th'
hexieued garrison Schuyler called coun
sol Of his officers, the majority OF whom
were opposed 10 sending any troops TO th'
assistance OF Fort Stanwix az they az
not believe IL safe TO reduce their strength
when Burgoyne was approaching them
SCHUYLER was set upon sending assistance
however. and il j. said bS became so angry
at hearing one Of his officers mutter III
wants 70 weaken the army that he Dl
through the stem ~ the pipe he was sinok
ing. He declared he would take the entire
rp.ponsibility on himself Of sending assist
ance and called for "A volunteer brlgadiel
10 command the expedition. General
Arnold promptly responded and AT noor
the following day force ~ 80 volunteer
under Arnold was on its way IT, th'
assistance of the beleagucrcd garrison
When Arnold reached Fort Dayton III
lardoncd young Tory prisoner con
deinncd TO death, on condition that ~
should 90 into the camp Of ~. legcr In
dians with "A friendly Oneida Indian
represent that the approaching force o
Americans was very strong in number
and equipment and thus frighten tn
Indians away.
The pardoncd Tory kept his word
Before starting several shots were Hires
through his clothing, the more readily Z,
iniprcss the Indians, and almost out ~
breath ne, VITA his Oneida companion
dashed into the camp Oi the Indians
They told of "a terrible iig ht they bal jus
hnd with the Americans who were thel
decarsi, AZ numerous ~ The leaves -
the trees. Tie indiHns were Immediate,
Alarmed and ilcd ycrV'ipitately toward 30
western wilderness and they were quicki,
ftilnwcd Iiy the Canadians and fDric
who nadc "A race ~ it toward psEeR''
I 1luf ended the siege ~ Fort -ianwlx
hut from that day the place was talic'
Fort Schuyhr in honor ~ tie GENERA
who had responded 10 tifc cnll fUr assiNt
arIe 80 nobly As tofbis ~ { tCiBg ih
first on which the American neg was nis
played, after it, adoption. tBgFc can d
no question. On August 3 i1ss wLei
~. legcr appeared with bis army 90
GARRISON had 30 flag but one was ir
lrovised in accordance wits flle ECt
rassed 4 short time before iy C0rgres-
SHEETS were cut up GO maize the whit
stripes. bits " scarlet cigfa -cfEna ~
the red sirlpes. while rhe blue nE.d ua
inuhe from a cip1k Jsipngirg - laTtgU
-wartwunt Inus wns rllle ihr lrs
American ilsg that wsls efeT urilT-ed Q
the Drccze.
a grnfl,annn who j. fhf faigtiy nnlrer.
ant with IutHn IIst ~ lDN wl9 80
,cIisidcralie iinic was njgLrltr gl fh
island tells the Gussipcr thnt ifti Cab
and Porto RIco might have herp ffr
when all the rest ~ the rnlisl rue es
si1ns won their libcsiy. Rad ID u0t born q,
the fact ths;. when the iu-ursEcfi0r
lrokc out in Mexico and tho yruaiacc.
Ccntr.l and south America ~ mar
r iug fled flom the continent 60 ID
lslnnn mat they outnumic cred toe until
population ard thus held the Quecn
the Antilles for Spain. since issD not
decade has passed, during which an insu
rcctiOn, great or small has not broken o
either In Cuba or Porto Rico.
"D0ynu ever notice. asked Gig