Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-04-05

writes me: Il have often heard
| grandmother and aunt and father re-
count the terrible massacre at Fort
Griswold; l have always understood
| from them that the British were re-
pulsed so successfully that they were
in demoraliZed condition. when the
hag was shot from the pole, which
caused the enemy 10 make desperate
assault" Caleb Avery was one of the
defenders,
That desperate rush gave entrance
at the southwest bastiou, which was
entered through Its embrasure. Soon
the sallyport was forced. The enemy
mounted the south wall Montgomery
was killed while coming through an
cmbrasure and died with the words
Put every man to death. The main
gate had now been opened and the
British were pouring into the fort
The day was lost.
Ledyard ordered his men to throw
down their arms. He himself APP
preached the British leader to sur
render. When within six feet, Brom-
field called out: Who commands
this fort?" 4 did but you do now, -
said Ledyard, pr&enting his sword,
| Bromfeld seized the weapon and
plunged it through Ledyard's heart.
driving it through the body from the
left armpit to the right Capt Young
| Ledyard and many of his companions
rushed again into the thick of the
| fight and died around the body Of
their chief. Maddened by the deter
mined resistance OF so small force,
! by Montgomery death. and by the
havoc made in their ranks, the enemy
proceeded to execute the threat made
| by Eyre before the battle, Platoon
after platoon delivered their fire into
a garrison that had thrown down their
arms. Squad after squad kept pouring
volleyS into the magazine, where
many had fed. till Bromtield called
out: Stop firing; you'll send us all
to hell together" Soldiers in broken
ranks rushed here and there plying
the bayonet on living and dead, Some
they Drained with dubbed muskets,
others they knocked sensless and
stabbed Daniel Stanton helpless
with a bullet wound, received 20 CASH
es with bayonets and cutlasses, The
wounded crying piteously for life We're
murdered in their blood. Park Avery
received a bayonet thrust that carried
away one eye and part of the skull,
| One man ribs were driven from the
bone by the stroke of a musket butt,
BE Jasus, I'll skipper YET" screamed
a Briton as he planted his bayonet in
! Rufus AveLy's breast Charles Ed
ridge, helpless with wounds. saved his
life by giving a gold watch to the
soldier that would transiX him. John
| Daboll, who had been already disabled,
was knocked scnsless by a ruflian who
! was in the act of bayonet.ng him when
British officer drove him off, Ed
/ ward Stanton's left breast was torn
| open by a wound that showed the
heart; but a British officer Of whom
| he asked aid, bound up the wound
with a night-cap that he took from his
! pocket, gave him water, and saved
4 life, Some fought with the desper-
atom Of despair, selling their lives
at fearful price. Others dropped
among the slain and feigned dead.
! Many jumped from the parapets to
meet death in trying to fee. Samuel
! w. Jacques alone escaped unhurt.
! Having killed his antagonist in a
/ hand-t0-hand fight, he leaped from the
walls unseen. But 1T was a source of
grief to him in his last hours that he
Won his freedom by the death of one
so young and beautiful" The enemy
kept saying that they must all die be-
/ fore shutdown; for that was in the
! summons sent to Col, Lcdyard,
But not all were Of this mind After
! the deadly order had been well-nigh
executed, an English officer, who is
said to have entered the fort too late
70 stop the butchery, cried out: My
soul cannot bear such destruction.
Ordering the drums to beat p&rley
he stopped the carnage
stephen Hampstead says: The cru
! city of our enemies cannot be con-
ccived, and our renegade countrymcn
surpassed in this respect # possible
orr British foes We were at least
an hour after the battle within a few
steps of a pump in the garrison, well
supplied with water; and although we
were suffering with thirst, they would
not permit us TO take one drop of il
/ nor give us any themselves Some OF
ON number, who had not been dis
I abled from going to the pump, were re-
pulsed with the bayonet, and not one
drop did taste after the action com
menced, although begging for it after
! was wounded Of all who came near
me"
Eiglty-eight victims of martial
/ law" lay dead upon the ground. Most
! Of those not killed were wounded by
the bayonet. Only six or seven OF the
( garrison had been slain when the fort
was taken. One month later York
town fell but not a BritOn was killed