Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12

there. For six weeks he held the fort.
Three times the commandant and gar.
rison of COO men were relieved but
Fleury refused to retire, He sank two
of Howe's warShips, the big August
OF 6i guns and the Morlin of "a guns.
1t was not until he was severely
wounded on Oct. 16. that the fort was
evacuated. For his valiant defense
Congress appointed him lieutenant
colonel and sent n letter of thanks to
him.
No sooner was he out of the hospital
than he conceived a project for tho
destruction OF the British fleet that
would have startled the world had it
been carried out successfully. There
was n good deal OF Ice in the Delaware
that winter of 1777-S. It was thick along
the shores, but In midstream there was
open water. F'leury proposed to Wash
ington to construct boat mines with
time fuses. These boats could be run
across the ice and then launched to be
carried by the tide or directed by dar-
ing men TO where the warshlpS wero
anchored. He worked out the plan In
such detail that he was confident he
could control the movements Of the
floating mines from shore and his ar
rangement of fuses was so ingenious
that he could timo the explosions al
most to a minute. For a month or
more he gave all his attention to the
development Of this plan. but something
happened to prevent it being carried
out Either the warshlps were moved.
some hint of the project reaching Lord
Howe, or the requisite amount of ma
terial to be used could not be OBJ
tanned. At any rate Fleury was ordered
to the army of the north, the surrender
of Burgoync having led Congress to
consider another invasion of Canada
But the Canadian scheme soon was
given UP and Fleury was brought back
and. like Steuben. assigned to drilling
and instructlng the Continental sol
diers.
No doubt the baron was the better
man for this service. but the soldiers
went gladly to drill with the gay young
Frenchman. while they looked upon the
same work under the baron as a hard
ship. Nothing could dampen the spirits
of Flcury Despite cold and hunger.
raggedness and Illness. he persisted in
being cheerful and in making others
cheerful Some men can do almost as
good work in the camp as in the field.
F'leury was of that kind.
STONY POINT.
AT the opening of the campaign of
117S he was made second In command
of q picked corps Of 900 men. which.
with two pieces of artillery and 80
troopers. practically was the bodyguard
of Washington. Fleury led this body
into action in the battle of Monmouth
Next he was sent to Rhode Island to
meet the Count d'Estaing and the
French fleet. F'leury had far more
sense than the Count and prevailed
upon tho admiral to raise the useless
siege OF Newport. But he could not
infinpncR tba CnI1nf N n tho
where 1t would do the most good, so he
returned somewhat disappointed with
his procrastlnating fellow countryman.
1t was not until the middle of 1879
that F'leury had his great opportunity.
Early In the campaign of that year he
had command OF n regiment of light
cavalry. and when Washington pro-
posed tho attack on Stony Point to
Anthony Wayne and the question of
mon came up. Flcury was one of those
Wayne selected. Tho story OF Stony
Point has been told In this series.
Never were men called upon to take
part I'm a more hazardous undertaking
All were grave and serious-all but
Flcury. The attack was to be at mid
night Fleury had invited the general
to be his guest at supper that evening.
The general delayed and I1eury went
to see what detained him. He found
him writing. 1t was a letter in which
cation of his son and daughter If death
was to be his portion In the attack.
FAME OR FAREWELL.
AS Fleury gay1y chided tho general
on being lax in keeping his appoint
ment Wayne said he had few words
moro to write. And this Is what he
wrote in closing his letter:
IT am called to sup. but where the
breakfast? Either within the encmys
lines in triumph, or in another world
then farewell"
In the dark Of that night OF July Is.
1779 Wayne'S little army crept out
toward tho gloomy. stern, frownIng
heights OF Stony Point. The right
column. consisting OF the forces OF
T'ebiger, Mcigs and Hull, were to scale
the cliffs on tho southern Side OF the
fort The left column, consisting of
Buffers regiment, was TO climb the
northern wall. Tho feint In the center
was to be made by Murfree. Muhlen-
berg, with reserve force of 300 men,
was to cover the retreat In case OF
defeat The vanguard OF the right