Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-09
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HlST0Rr
THE HERO OF STONY POINT.

One of the most valuable of the sol- diers of fortune who came to this eoun- try from France shortly after the break ing out of the Revolution was Louis de Fleury, who was a descendant Of ne- ble house in his country. At the time of his arrival in America, at the end of '1776, he was young gay, handsome, bright of eye and sparkling in speech.
 Fleury had come to this country months before Lafayette and was to play part in the gaining of our independence second only to the latter Frenchman. His pro- motion and honors came rapidly. His conduct in the first skirfnish in which he took part earned him the rank of cap+ tain.
 Then, on account of his training ln the French engineering corps. he was placed in charge of the forttticat'on in and around Philadelphia. just then tn important theatre of the war. At the battle of Brandywine x horse was shJt from under him. He vas made a ma5er 1 and won the esteem of Washington. 1 While in charge of Fort Mifffh. near Philadelphia, he held the place for six weeks against odds. and succeeded in sinking the brig August, of sixty-four 1 guns and the Merlin, of twenty-foar. It was not until after he was sevet ely wound that the fort surrendered
 From the neighborhood of Philadelphia his scene of, action was changed to further l north It was not until about the fn:dd ie l of 1779 that F1eury had his great op?tr- tunity. Early in the campaign of that year he had command of regimen of light cavalry, and when Washington proposed the attack on Stony Point to Anthony Wayne | Fleury was one of the men Mad An- 1 thony' selected for the project.
 ! SAriau1S J1ndArta 6y,t i Fleury went to his work with light heart, sure he was going to win. The attack was to be at midnight. July 15. 177s. In unusual darkness wayne's 1 army crept out towards the gloomy stern, frowning heights of Stony
 Point. The main guard of the right
 column was in charge of the French
 the men waded waist high in the tida
 They had not proceeded far when they
 were discovered by the piekets In ar
 instant the alarm was given, and sooI
 the roar of the British cannon
 awakened the echoes of the night No response came from the Ameri
 cans. There's was to be nothing. tha
 night but the bayonet The Ameri
 cans dropped one by one. but on ant up went the vanguard. The right guart led by Fleury, reached the summit frs
 and. rushed through the sallyport of tn
 flag bastion. Fleury was the first mai } in. With such terrible energy did tn invaders plunge in that the English ha,
 no chance to concentrate.
 "The forts our own l' was the CT
 of the Americans. Mercy! Quarter Mercy!" was the answer of the Brit ish. Fleury tore down the Britis
 flag and Stony Point wS~ won.
 Although wounded, Gen Wayne ha . breakfast within the enemies line . and in triumph. Congress awarde
 medals to Wayne, Fleury and Stewart
 In respect to F1eury congress decide
 that the ribbon to which the meda / should be attached should be mad g from the flag that he had captured a l | Stony Point
 When the campaign of 177s ende
 Fleury applied to Gen. Washington te " leave of absence for nine months t
 visit France: He had given thre !. years of service to America, and h s longed to see his native land Tn
 leave was granted. and such mark
 of respect were shown to the ga :. young Frenchman as must have warn ed his heart
 The president of congress wrote to him :" Congress hopes that your own countY
 will show it's appreciation of your merit
 George Washington, on his first n1eetin , with Count de la Luzerne. the Frenc |, minister. gave an account of Fleury's ga bring it to the attention of the king 3 France.
 The French king was delighted vii