Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-10

| ready laugn that raced In us season what was called Indian summer, k.s cause the Indian then took advantage ! of the last pleasant weather to make raids. Such pioneers could speak light ly even of powwowing time, the first pleasant February days, when savages held councils before descending on the settlements.
 Major Croghan and watched the barley from one of the blockhouses that bastioned the place. Before 1t ended Shawanoe sprang out of ra- vine and snatched the ensign's sword He gave it back reluctantly. and the British flag bearer hurried the Amer 1can within the gates.
 ! General Proctor regretted that so fine young man as Major Croghan should fall into the hands of savageS who were not to be restrained.
 When this fort is taken" said Cro- ghan on hearing the message, there ! will be nobody left in it to kill" British gaaboats drawn up on the Sandusky river and howitzer on the shore opened fire and cannonaded all uay with the poor execution of long range artillery. The northwestern an gle of the fort was their target. Cro- 1 ghan foresaw that the enemy's inten- ton was to make a breach and enter there. When night came again his one pounder was moved with much la bor from that angle into the southwest blockhouse as noiselessly as possible. He masked the embrasure and had the piece loaded with double charge of slugs and grapeshot and half charge I of powder. Perhaps the British thought him unprovided with any heavy artillery.
 They were busy themselves bringing three of the intellectual 6 pounders and the howitzer under darkness with in 250 yards of the fort, giving back ground of woods to their battery. About dawn we saw what they had been doing. They concentrf$cd on the northwest angle, and still Aghan re- piled only with muskets, waiting for them to storm. @ So 1t went on all day, the gun proof blockhouse enduring its bombardment and smoke thickening until 1t filled the stockade as water fills well and settled like fog between us and the en- emy. An attack was made on the -sOuI00Ah 0ASAS " WAOA S S9c SsStAA4A0As was masked. 34s4ss{sa. s.ay '"This is nothing but "a feint," Cro- l ghan said to the younger officers ! While that corner replied with mus ketry he kept sharp lookout for the safety of the northwest blockhouse.
 One soldier was brought down the ladder and carried through the murky I pail to the surgeon, who could do noth- ing for him. Another turned from a loophoIe with blood upon him, laugh ing at his mishap, for the grotesque- ness and inconvenience of wound are sometimes more swiftly felt than it's ] pain. He came back presently with his shoulder bandaged and resumed his place at the loophole.
 The exhilaration of that powder att mosphere and its heat made soldiers throw off their coats, as if the ex- I banding human body was not to be confined in wrappingg.
 " Tn such twilight of war the twilight Of nature overlook Iis3 Another feiHt was made to draw attention from a heavy force of assailants creeping within twenty paces, under cover of smoke, to surprise the northwest block house.
 Musketry was directed against them. They hesitated. The commander led a charge and himself sprang first into the ditch. We saw the flne fellows leap- ing to carry the blockhouse, every man sdetermtned to be hrst in making a breach, They nlled the ditch. N
 This was the instant for which Gro ghan had waited. He opened the port hole and unmasked his exactly trained cannon. 1t enhladed the assailants, sweeping them at distance of thirty feet; slugs and grapeshot missed, spreading fan rays of death! By the !, flash of the reloaded 6 pounder we saw the trench hlled with dead and wounded.
 The besiegers turned
 Croghan's sweating gunnerSswabbed and loaded and fired, roaring like lions.
 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 chatter of arms and a thump- ing of the earth: the strain of men tug ging cannon ropes; the swift with drawal of routed force.
 Two thousand more Indians, ap- preaching under Tecumseh, were turn ed back by refugees.
 Croghan remarked as we listened to the uproar. "Fort Stephenson can hard ly be called untenable against heavy artillery"
 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 com plete Croghan had water let down in buckets to relieve their thirst and or. dered trench cut under the pickets of the stockade. Through this the poor wretches who were able to crawl came fin and surrendered themselves and had their wounds dressed.
 By 8 o'clock in the morning not q British uniform glimmered red through the dawn. The noise of retreat ended Pistols and muslets strewed the ground. Even sail boat was aban doned on the river holding military stores and the clothing of officers.
 ''They thought General Harrison was comlng,'' laughed Croghan as he sal a2