The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-13
CHARLES ISLAND FIGHT.

Recalled by the Death of MT. George w. Miles, of Milford.
 l The death last Friday of George W.
 Miles, of Milford, recalls to the mind of many the exciting night of April 12,
 1S70 when the Second regiment was
 called to Charles Island, then a famouse
 summer resort The island was the
 property of MT. Miles and was the Mec-
 ca of picnic and excursion parties
 from all points along the shore of
 Lopw Island Sound. There were ample
 facilities at that time for enjoyment
 and pleasure, and there was also an
 immense hotel for those days.
 On the night in question there was a
 good sized riot ih progress and 1t was queled only by the prompt response of
 the regiment Some roughs from New
 York city had made arrangements for
 prize fight to be held there In those
 days such events were considered most
 heinous crimes, and when our local of
 ficers attempted to drive them off they
 were met by derision and rebuffs.
 In an article on the militia in the
 History of New Haven is noted the fol- l lowing "The Second regiment had now
 established reputation second to nona l for promptness in the performance of
 stated military duties and soldierly
 bearing while on parade. Would its
 bearing be as prompt and soldierly in response to sudden call for duty with ball cartridges? If any were in doubt l J J;e-
 peled early in 1870. Proximity to New York, ready means of access, and
 an almost utter absence of local force for the suppression of disorder had for long time rendered the shore towns of
 western Connecticut peculiarly liable to the incursion of the sporting and pu-
 giistic fraternities.
 "The last named species of roughs seemingly one of the undesirable lega- cies left over from the civil war were
 uncommonly numerous and belligerent at that time, and their favorite method of operation was to make sudden and urannounced incursion by raol from New York city, take possession tempo
 rarily of a quiet Connecticut town, car- ry things with high hand so long as they pleased, in defiance of local au- thority, and wind up the raid by taking boisterous possession of whatever rail- way train best suited their convenience in returning to the citysssA local police force or sheriff's posse had no terrors for such a crowd.
 When the sheriff of New Haven county received telegraphic informa- ton from the first selectman of Milford that such a body or rolghs numbering over one hundred, with numerous crowd of hangers on, had taken pos- session of Charles Island In that town, he promptly telegraphed a request tp Governor Jewell for military aid and the governor as promptly transferred the call to Adjutant- General Merwln with power to act. He did's so effective ly that battalion of the Second regi- ment, with the Second Company Cover nors Foot Guards, were almost imme- diately on their way to the scene of the disorder, under the command of Colonel E. E. Bradley and Lieutenant-Colo Stephen R. Smith, General Merwin accompanying the force in per son.
 'At low tide Charles Island is pe- ninsula, jutting out into the Sound from the town of Milford. Not a mo ment was lost by the. military force on its arrival by rail at Milford, nor was any trifling indulged in with blank cartridges. The troops were at once | ordered to load with ball and with Col onel Bradley and Lieutenant-Colonel I Smith in command of the right and ] left wings respectively, the force pushed l forward for the capture of the island | and it's mob of desperadoes. The ! ground marched over by the right wing was such as to bring them into full view of the occupants of the island, who, thinking that was the only force which threatened them, made all haste to escape by way of the submerged | strips of sand connecting the island with the main land
 Just as the mob felt certain of this lane of escape, and as many of them were about to wade ashore upon the main land, Lieutenant-C Colonel Smith, with the left wing, emerged over rising ground which had concealed his ad- vance from view, directly across their path. He at once deployed and ad- at double quick, drove the |. .oughs back through the water to the sland, and in short time was fol- owed by the right wing. The game vas now completely bagged and the roops returned to New Haven with lbout one hundred prisoners, who were marched to the station house and urned over to the custody of the civil authorities.
 "The military feature of the affair vas a model of promptness and ener- ,etic action, which strikingly attested he executive ability of Adjutant-Gene- 1 al Merwin, Colonel Bradley and Lieu enant- Colonel Smith, as well as the rm reliance that might be placed upon he rank and file of the militia in any udden emergency. It taught the baser Iement of the metropolis the whole l