Hessians,' to destroy some salt-works at Horseneck, and attack an American detachment under General Putnam, at Greenwich, in Connecticut. The Americans were dispersed [March 26], and Putnam barely escaped capture by some dragoons. He rallied his troops at Stamford, pursued the British on their return toward New York the same evening, recaptured a quantity of plunder in their possession, and took thirty-eight of them prisoners. 2 3 On the 9th of May, Sir George Collier entered Hampton Roads, with a small fleet, bearing General Mathews, with land troops, destined to ravage the country in that vicinity. They spread desolation on both sides of the Elizabeth River, from the Roads to Norfolk and Portsmouth. After destroying a vast amount of property, they withdrew; and at the close of the month, the same vessels and the same troops were up the Hudson River, assisting Sir Henry Clinton in the capture of the fortress at Stony Point, and also the small fort on Verplanck's Point, opposite. Both of these posts fell into the power of the British, after a spirited resistance; the first on the 31st of May, and the latter on the 1st of June. These achievements accomplished, Collier, with a band of twenty-five hundred marauders, under Governor Tryon, sailed on the night of the 4th of July [1779], for the shores of Connecticut, to plunder and destroy the towns on the coast. They plundered New Haven on the 5th, laid East Haven in ashes on the 6th, destroyed Fairfield in the same way on the 8th, and burned and plundered Norwalk on the 12th. Not content with this wanton destruction of property, the invaders insulted and cruelly abused the defenseless inhabitants. While Norwalk was burning, Tryon sat in a rocking-chair, upon an eminence near by, and viewed the scene with great complacency, and apparent pleasure-a puny imitation of Nero, who fiddled while Rome was blazing. The Hessian mercenaries generally accompanied these expeditions, for, unlike the British soldiers, they were ever eager to apply the torch and abuse the inhabitants. They were the fit instruments for such a warfare. When Tryon (whom the English people abhorred for his wrong-doings in America), had completed the destruction of these pleasant villages, he boasted of his ex * On this occasion he performed the feat, so often related, of descending a steep hill on horseback, making his way, as common history asserts, down a flight of stone steps, which had been constructed for the convenience of people who had to ascend this hill to a church on its summit. The whole matter is an exaggeration. An eye-witness of the event says that Putnam pursued a zig-zag course down the hill, and only descended four or five of the steps near the bottom. The feat was not at all extraordinary when we consider that a troop of dragoons, with loaded pistols, were at his heels. These, however, dared not follow the general. In 1825, when a company of horsemen were escorting La Fayette-the "Nation's Guest"-along the road at that place, some of them went down the same declivity on horseback. The stone steps are now [1867] visible in some places, among the shrubbery and overlying sod. 3 Page 69. This is a body of water at the conjunction of the James and Elizabeth Rivers, and communicating with the sea. It is one of the most spacious harbors in the world. The village of Hampton lies upon its northern border. See page 243. 4 Alluding to these outrages of Tryon, and the burning of Kingston [page 283] by Vaughan, Trumbull, in his M'Fingal, says: "Behold, like whelps of British lion, Our warriors, Clinton, Vaughan, and Tryon, March forth, with patriotic joy, To ravish, plunder, and destroy. Great generals! Foremost in their nation- treme clemency in leaving a single house standing on the New England coast. While these marauding forays were in progress, the Americans were not idle. They were preparing to strike the enemy heavy and unexpected blows. Only three days after the destruction of Norwalk [July 15], General Anthony Wayne was marching secretly to attempt the re-capture of Stony Point, on the Hud son. The fort stood upon a rocky promontory, surrounded by water and a marsh, and was very strong in its position. So secretly was the whole movement conducted, that the British garrison were unsuspicious of danger. At midnight, the little army of patriots STONY POINT. crossed the morass in the rear, and attacked the fort with ball and bayonet, at two separate points, in the face of a heavy cannonade from the aroused garrison. At two o'clock in the morning [July 16, 1779], Wayne, though so badly wounded in the head by a glancing blow of a bullet, as to fall senseless, wrote to Washington, "The fort and garrison, with Colonel Johnson, are ours. Our officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be free." This was considered one of the most brilliant events of the war.' The British lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, about six hundred men; the loss of the Americans was fifteen killed, and eighty-three wounded. The spoils were a large amount of military stores. The post was abandoned by the Americans, for, at that time, troops sufficient to garrison it could not be spared." GENERAL WAYNE. The capture of Stony Point was followed by another brilliant achievement, a month later [August 19], when Major Henry Lee,' at three o'clock in the morning, surprised a British garrison at Paulus' Hook (now Jersey City),' opposite New York, killed thirty soldiers, and took one hundred and sixty pris Wayne was highly complimented by all. General Charles Lee [page 248], who was not on the most friendly terms with Wayne, wrote to him, saying, "I do most seriously declare that your assault of Stony Point is not only the most brilliant, in my opinion, throughout the whole course of the war, on either side, but that it is the most brilliant I am acquainted with in history. The assault of Schiveidnitz, by Marshal Laudon, I think inferior to it." Dr. Rush wrote, saying, "Our streets rang for many days with nothing but the name of General Wayne. You are remembered constantly next to our good and great Washington, over our claret and Madeira. You have established the national character of our country; you have taught our enemies that bravery, humanity, and magnanimity are the national virtues of the Americans." Congress gave him thanks, and a gold medal; and silver medals were awarded to Colonels Stewart and De Fleury, for their gallantry on the occasion. Anthony Wayne was born in Pennsylvania in 1745. He was a professional surveyor, then a provincial legislator, and became a soldier in 1775. He was very active during the whole war; and was efficient in subduing the Indians in the Ohio country, in 1795 [see page 374]. He died at Erie, on his way home, near the close of 1796. 2 After the Americans had captured Stony Point, they turned the cannons upon Fort La Fayette, upon Verplanck's Point, opposite. General Robert Howe [page 292] was directed to attack that post, but on account of some delays, he did not reach there before Sir Henry Clinton sent up relief for the garrison. Note 2, page 133. Note 1, page 94. oners. This gallant act was greatly applauded in the camp, in Congress, and throughout the country, and made the enemy more cautious and circumspect. The hero was honored by Congress with thanks and a gold medal. These and some smaller successes at about this time, elated the Americans; but their joy was soon turned into sorrow, because of disasters in the extreme East. Massachusetts had fitted out almost forty vessels to attempt the seizure of a British post on the Penobscot River. The assailants delayed more than a fortnight after their arrival [July 25] before determining to carry the place by storm. Just as the troops were about to land for the purpose, a British fleet arrived, destroyed the flotilla, took many of the soldiers and sailors prisoners, and drove the remainder into the wilderness [Aug. 13]. These, after great hardships in the forests, reached Boston toward the close of September. Daniel Bome The storm of war was not confined to the Atlantic settlements. It burst over the lofty Alleghanies, and at an early period, even while it was gathering, a low, muttering peal of thunder came from clouds that brooded over the faroff wilderness of the great valleys of the West. Pioneers from the sea-board colonies were there, and they were compelled, almost at the moment of arrival, to wage war with the Indian, and hunt savage men as well as savage beasts. Among the earliest and most renowned of these pioneers, was Daniel Boone, the great "Hunter of Kentucky," of whom Byron wrote, "Of all men, saving Sylla, the man-slayer, Who passes for, in life and death, most lucky, Of the great names which in our faces stare, The General Boone, backwoodsman of Kentucky, He went west of the Blue Ridge as early as 1769, and in 1773, his own and a few other families accompanied him to the paradise lying among the rich valleys south of the Ohio River. From that period until the power of the western Indians (who were continually incited to hostilities by the British and Tories) was broken by George Rogers Clarke, Boone's life was one of almost continual warfare with the children of the forest. Nor did Boone and his companions measure strength with the Indians alone; 1 Don Juan, VIII, lxi. 2 The wife and daughters of Boone were the first white females that set foot in the valleys west of the Alleghanies. Daniel Boone was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1734. While he was a small boy, his parents settled on the Yadkin, in North Carolina. When in the prime of life, he went over the mountains, and became a famous hunter. He planted the first settlement on the Kain-tuck-ee River, yet known as Boonsborough. During the Revolution he fought the Indians bravely, and was a prisoner among them for some time, but escaped. He was active in all matters pertaining to the settlement of Kentucky, until it became an independent State. Yet he was, by the technicalities of law, doomed to be disinherited of every foot of the soil he had helped to redeem from the wilderness, and, at almost eighty years of age, he was trapping beaver upon the Little Osage River, beyond the Mississippi. He died in Missouri, when almost ninety years of age, in September, 1820. |