White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-08-27


the success Of the attack in the other, proceed
ed in considerable degree from his conduct
and management"
Acc ing to the story, as it has been dug
out OF musty old records by Mr.. Fitzgerald,
Sergeant Churchill first attracted the attention
of his superior officers for his daring in leading
dangerous raid inside the British lines before
dawn on November %, 1880. He again dis
played outstanding valor in another hazardous
raid right under the noses of the British on
October 3, 1881. Both raids were planned and
directed by Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge of the
Second Continental dragons, chief of Wash
ington's intelligence service.
Major Tallmadge had received information
concerning huge supply of hay-several hun
dred tons of it-that had been stored for winter
forage in building at Coram, on the north
shore Of Long Island. Hay in that day of cav
airy supremacy. was one of the important sup
plies of warfare. Major Tallamdge relayed the
information direct to General Washington, with
an astounding plan for attempting not only to
destroy the forage, but to storm fertilization
which protected it. The intrepid major was
authorized to make the attempt
Late on the blustery afternoon of November
81, 1880, detachment of half hundred dis
mounted dragons of the Second Continental
embarked in whaleboats at Fairfield, Conn.,, and
20 miles away, with Major Tallmadge in COM
mand. They landed about eight o'clock in the
evening and deciding that it was too late to
attempt march on the fort they pulled their
boats out of sight and camped for the night
All the next day they huddled in the woods,
trying to keep warm, and when night came they
set out at rapid pace for the fort. BY three
o'clock in the morning they arrived undiscov-
cred, within two miles of Fort st. George Here
they halted for final orders
Major Tallmadge divided his force into three
groups, each assigned to storm a particular
blockhouse. Sixteen of the most daring men,
bers were picked for the assault on the main
blockhouse and Sergeant Churchill was put in
command of this group Just before dawn the
three detachments moved toward the fort, TAX
ing different routes to minimize the chances of
discovery and to enable them to launch con-
certed attacks from three different points.
The British sentinels seem to have been Sleep
ing at their posts for they. did not discover the
attackers until Churchill and his men were less
than 80 feet away and sprinting toward the
wallis They Immediately gave the alarm. but
by this time the Americans had swarmed over
the WALL crossed the ditch and were inside the
stockade, where they opened fire on the British
soldiers as they came tumbling out of their bar
racks.
"The other two attacking parties had expended
their energies in getting inside the defenses and
two blOckhouses still remained to be taken"
writes Mr.. Fitzgerald in an account of this bat
tle which appeared in the magazine of the
Daughters of the American Revolution several
years ago. "a brisk fire was beginning to pour
upon the Americans from these two houses but
battering parties beat in the doors and inside
Of 10 more minutes Tallmadge's men had pos
session of the entire works.
1.-THE growing light now showed a British
supply schooner at anchor close to the shore
near the fort. detachment captured her with
ridiculous ease. The rapidity of the attack had
protected the attackers and they had not lost
man, and only one Of them was wounded The
British loss was several killed and wounded and
most of the latter MORALLY hurt
1.-THE fort and the schooner were set on fire
and the prisoners. over 30 in number were
started back toward the boats under guard
Leaving a small force to see to it that the fort
was completely destroyed, Tallnadge marched
with the rest toward Coram.
1.-THE few sentries found there fled and the
hay was pulled loose and set on fire. Over 300
tons went up in rolling clouds of smoke and as
soon as the fire was going beyond all hope of
extingushment, Tamadge and his hay burners
started back toward their boats
"The party of Americans reached their hidden
boats late in the afternoon after one or two
brief skirmshes with the pursuers. and the force
succeeded in getting away from shore without
casualties. They arrived back at Fairfield be-
fore midnight"
That was the first of the affairs which won
for Churchill the Purple Heart decoration. The
next was in the following October when Wash
ington made plans for destroying Fort Slongo,
located on the north shore of Long Island. north
east of Brooklyn. Again Major Tamadge Sc
cured the necessary exact information which
led to the attack on this post The attacking
party consisted Of 100 men from the Fifth Con-
nectcut regiment and the Second Continental