The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-08-20

the fort was at his post, and these
were Kentucky sharpshoosers. They
instantly poured upon the sssail-
ants such shower Of rifle balls, sent
with fatal precision, that the British
line was thrown into momentary confu-
sion. Theysquickly rallied. The axmen
hraveIy pushed forward over the gIacis,
and ieaped into the ditch to assail the
pickets. Lieut-Col. Short was at the
head Of the gallant party, and when a
sufficient number of men were in the
ditch behind him he shouted, Cut
away the pickets, my brave boys, and
show the damned Yankees no quar-
teri Now was the moment for the
voice of the unsupported six-pounder
to be heard. The masked port flew
open instantly. The gun spoke with
terrific effect. Slugs and grapeshot
streamed along the ditch overlooking
with human life and spread terrible
havoc there. Few escaped. A similar
attempt was made by the second col
umn of the storming party, when an
other discharge from the six-pounder
and a destructive volley of rifie-balls
ended the contest. Brevet Lieut.-Col.
Short and Lieut.. Gordon, of the 41st
regiment, Laussaussiege, of the Indian
department and 25 privates were left
dead in the ditch, and 26 of the wound
ed were made prisoners. Capt. Dixon
and Capt. Muir, and Lieut.. Mcintyre, of
the. 41st regiment, were slightly
wounded and escaped. A precipitate
and confused retreat Immediately fol-
lowed this repulse. Warburton and
his grenadiers did not reach the south
front of the fort until after the disas-
ter. They were asSailed with destruc-
tive volley from Hunters Corps, and
fed for shelter to the adjacent woods.
The Siege Raised.
"The whole loss of the garrison was
one man killed and seven slightly
wounded. The loss of the British in
killed and wounded, according to the
most careful estimates, was 100. The
cowardly Indians, as usual when there
was open fighting or great guns to face.
kept themselves out of harms way in
a ravine near by, and the whole battle
was fought by the small British force,
who behaved most CALAMITY. During
the night Proctor sent Indians to
gather up the dead and wounded and
at O'Clock in the morning the in
vaders sailed down the Sandusky, leav-
ing behind them vessel containing
clothing and military stores. At about
the same hour the gallant Maj. Croghan
wrote hurried note to Gen. Harrison
informing him of his victory and the
retreat of Proctor.
1.-The assault lasted only about half
an hour. The dark storm-cloud in the
west passed northward, the setting sun
beamed out with peculiar splendor, a
gentle breeze from the southwest bore
the smoke of battle far away over the
forest toward Lake Erie, and in the
lovely twilight of that memorable Sab
bath evening the brave young Croghan
addressed his gallant little band with
elOuuent words of praiSe and grateful
thanksgiving. AS the night and ST.
lence deepened, and the groans of the
wounded in the ditch fell upon his ears,
his generous heart beat with sympathy.
Buckets filled with water were let
down by ropes from the outside of the
pickets; and as the gates of the fort
could not be opened with safety during
the night, he made a communication
with the ditch by means of trench,