Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-08

dusl<y river, and howitzer on the shore,
opened fire, and cannonaded all day with
the poor execution of long range artillery.
The northwestern angle of the fort was
their target Croghan foresaw that the
enemy's intention was to make a breach
and enter there. When night came again,
his one sixpounder was moved with much
labor from that angle into the southwest
bloclzhouse, as noiselesSly as possible he
masked the embrasure and had the piece
loaded with a double charge Of slugs and
grape shot and half charge of powder.
Perhaps the British thought him unpro-
vided with any heavy artillery.
They were busy themselves, bringing
three of the Intellectual six-pounders and
the howitzer, under darkness, within two
hundred and fifty yards of the fort; CIV
ing a background of woods to their bat
terry. About dawn we saw what they had
been doing. They concentrated on the
northwest angle; and still Croghan re-
piled only with muskets, waiting for them
to storm.
So it went on all day, the gun-proof
blockhouse enduring it's bombardment,
and smoke thickening until 1t filled the
stockade as water fills well, and settled
like fog between US and the enemy. An
attack was made on the southern angle
where the cannon was masked.
This Is nothing but a feint Croghan
said to the younger officers.
While that corner replied with musket-
nv. he kept a sharp lookout for the safety
of the northwest blockhouse.
One soldier was brought down the lad
der and carried through the murlxy pail to
the surgeon, who could do nothing for
him. Another turned from a loophole
with blood upon him, laughing at his
mishap For the grotesqueness and in
convenience Of a wound are sometimes
more swiftly felt than its pain. He came
back presently with his shoulder band
aged and resumed his place at the loop
hole.
The exhilaration of that powder atmos-
phere and its heat made soldiers throw
off their coats, as if the expanding hu-
man body was not to be confined in wrap
pings.
In such twilight Of war the twilight OF
Nature overlook u.s. Another feint was
made to draw attention from heavy
force of assailants creeping within twenty
PAGES, under cover of smoke, TO surprise
the northwest blockhouse.
Musketry was directed against them;
they hesitated. The commander led
charge, and himself sprang first into the
ditch. We saw the fine fellows leaping
to carry the bIockhouse. every man de-
termined to be first in making a breach
They filled the ditch.
This was the instant for which Croghan
had waited. He opened the portfolio and
unmasked his exactly trained cannon.
1t enfiIaded the assailants, sweeping them
at a distance of thirty feet, slugs and
Rrapeshot Kissed, spreading fan rays Of
death! BY the flash of the reloaded six
pounder. we saw the trench filed with
dead and wounded.
The besiegers turned.
Crogan's sweating gunners swabbed and
,--fs.e
The Indians. of whom there were nearly
a thousand. were not in the charge, and
when retreat began they went in panic
We could hear calls and yells, the clatter
of arms, and a humping Of the eartn;
the strain Of men Juggling cannon ropes;
the swift withdrawal Of routed force.
Two thousan1 more Indians approaching
under Tecumseh, were turned back by
refugees.
Croghan remarked. as we listened to
the uproar Fort Stephenson can hardly
be called untenable against heavy artil-
lery.'
Then arose cries in the ditch, which
penetrated to women's ears. Neither side
was able to help the wounded there. But
before the rout was complete, Croghan
had water let down in buckets to relieve
their thirst and ordered a trench cut
under the pickets of the stockade.
Through this the poor wretches who were
able TO crawl came in and surrendered
themselves and had their wounds dressed.
BY three o'clock in the morning not
British uniform glimmered red through
the dawn. The noise OF retreat ended.
Pistols and muskets strewed the ground.
Even a sailboat was abandoned on the riv-
er, holding military stores and the clothing
OF officers.
''They thought General Harrison was
coming laughed Croghan, as he sat
down to early breakfast, having relieved