Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

17799

[ocr errors]

The troops were landed early on Monday morning, July thofe under Tryon at Eaft-Haven, and thofe under Garth at Weft-Haven. The laft marched for New-Haven, which they entered between twelve and one, after being much haraffed and galled on their way by the militia,

July

7.

The town was delivered

and others who joined them.
up to promifcuous plunder, a few inftances of protec-
tion excepted. Whigs and tories, indifcriminately though
not univerfally, had their money, plate, rings and other
articles taken from them; and much of their furniture,
which could not be carried off, was wantonly deftroyed
-all the Weft India goods and provifions were served
the fame. In fuch scenes of confufion, individuals could
not escape perfonal abuse. The militia were collecting
in fuch a manner, and the foldiers had got fo difordered
by liquor; that the next morning the troops made a
fudden retreat, without tarrying either to execute the
original defign of burning the town, or even to fire a
fingle house in it. When they had provided for their
own fafety, they ventured to burn fome ftores on the
long wharf. At Eaft-Haven, where Tryon commanded
in perfon, feveral dwelling houfes were burnt, the cattle
alfo were wantonly killed in the adjoining fields. By
the afternoon, the militia became fo numerous, and
crowded fo clofe upon him, that he retreated on board
the fleet, which in the evening failed for Fairfield. There
the troops landed about three o'clock on Wednesday
afternoon. As they anchored off the town in the morn-
ing the militia had fome little time for collecting. Gov.
Tryon fent by a flag to col. Whiting, who commanded
them, the addrefs; and gave him an hour's time to.
confider, and to answer fo as to fave the town. The

colonel replied in behalf of the Connecticut inhabitants, 1779. "The flames have now preceded their answer to your flag, and they will perfift to oppofe to the utmost, that power which is exerted against injured innocence;" dated 7th July, fun-fet. That night and the next morning, they plundered and laid the town in afhes, burning the meeting-house, episcopal church, and the buildings in general, to the compafs of two miles round, fo as to reach Green-farms, though not Greenfield. On the Thursday they retreated to their fhipping, the militia becoming more numerous than at New-Haven. They croffed the Sound to the fhore of Long Island; and from thence failed afterward to Norwalk, whofe fate was fimilar to that of Fairfield. The numbers killed and wounded on each fide during thefe ravages were inconfiderable. But the conflagration lift ftands thus-burnt at Norwalk 2 houfes of public worship, 80 dwelling houses, 87 barns, 22 ftores, 17 fhops, 4 mills and 5 veffels at Fairfield 2 houses of public worship, 82 dwelling houses, 55 barns, 15 ftores and 15 fhops-at Green-farms houfe of worship, 15 dwelling houses, 11 barns and feveral ftores-befide the ftores burnt at New-Haven and the houfes at East-Haven. The prevailing humanity of my countrymen, will not relish these depredations in their genuine appearance, the accounts therefore transmitted or published, must be dressed up fo as to make them palatable with the public: but be asfured, that the burnings were defigned, and without fufficient provocation, both as to private and public buildings; fome of the latter, and many of the former, were to my knowledge not near to, but even at a confiderable diftance from other edifices.That gen, Tryon

1779. was not averfe to engaging in fuch a fervice as Lee

[merged small][ocr errors]

mentioned the cabinet to have determined upon, is inferred from the animofity he has to those who are attached to the American cause. He was however stopped from all further progress, by an order from Sir H. Clinton for the return of the fleet and troops. Some real or expected movement in the American army might produce fuch an order.

[ocr errors]

No fooner did gen. Wafhington obferve how Sir H. Clinton had ftrengthened the posts of Stoney-point and Verplank, than he entertained the defign of attacking them. Toward the end of June, he ordered that a trufty intelligent perfon fhould be employed to go into the works of the firft: and on the 8th of July, he was informed by a deferter, that there was a fandy beach, on the fouth fide of it, running along the flank of the works, and only obstructed by a flight abbatis, which might afford an easy and safe approach to a body of troops. He formed plans for attacking both posts at the fame inftant; the executions of which were intrusted with gen. Wayne and gen. Howe. All the Maffachufetts light infantry marched from Weft-point under lieut. col. Hull, in the morning of the 15th, and joined Wayne at Sandy-beach, 14 miles from Stoney-point. The general moved off the ground at twelve o'clock. The roads being exceedingly bad and narrow, and the troops having to pafs over high mountains, through difficult defiles and deep moraffes, were obliged to move in fingle files the greatest part of the way. This and the great heat of the day, occafioned fuch delay, that it was eight in the evening ere the van arrived within a mile and a half of the enemy, where the men formed

[ocr errors]

into columns, and remained till feveral of the principal 1779. officers, with gen. Wayne, returned from reconnoitring the works. At half after eleven o'clock, the whole moved forward, the van of the right confifting of 150 volunteers, under lieut. col. Fleury, the van of the left, confifting of 100 volunteers, under major Stewart, each with unloaded mufkets and fixed bayonets, preceded by a brave and determined officer, with twenty picked men, to remove the abbatis and other obstructions. The last and the overflowing of the morafs in front, by the tide, prevented the affault's commencing till about 20 minutes after twelve. Previous to it, Wayne placed himself at 16. the head of the right column, and gave the troops the most pointed orders not to fire on any account, but place their whole dependence on the bayonet, which order was faithfully obeyed. Such was the ardor of the troops, that, in the face of a moft tremendous and inceffant fire of mufketry, and from cannon loaded with grape fhot, they forced their way at the point of the bayonet, through every obftacle, and both columns met in the centre of the enemy's works nearly at the fame inftant. Fleury ftruck their standard with his own hand. Notwithstanding the provocations given by the plunderings and burnings at New Haven, East Haven, Fairfield and Green-farms, of which they had heard, fuch was the humanity of the continental foldiers, that they fcorned to take the lives of the foe calling for mercy, fo that there were but few of the enemy killed upon the occa→ fion. Great is the triumph of the Americans upon the fuccefs of this enterprife; and juftly, for it would have done honor to the most veteran troops. Wayne had but 15 killed, and 83 wounded, not above 30 of whom

1779- will be finally loft to the service. The general himself received a flight wound in the head with a musket ball; but it did not prevent his going on with the troops; and he is not included in the wounded. The enemy had only 63 killed. Lieut. col. Johnson, who commanded the fort, with other officers and privates, amounting to 543, were made prisoners.

The attack upon Verplank, intrusted with gen. Howe, miscarried partly through delays occafioned by high winds, which prevented the timely transportation of artillery; but chiefly through the troops neglecting to take axes with them. The enemy, upon their approach, broke down all the bridges, and thereby cut off the 'communication by land. Before Howe could receive the means for conftructing temporary bridges, Sir H. Clinton marched up troops fufficient to save the place. Gen. Washington not being in fufficient force to hold poffeffion of Stoney-Point, refolved upon the removal of the cannon and ftores, and upon the destruction of the works; which were accomplished with all dispatch. About a week before, a certain officer, whose station gave him the opportunity of catching deferters from the American camp, was fo enraged at their being very numerous, that he informed the general he would cut off the head of the next that fell into his hands: the general wrote immediately, and prohibited fuch execution; but it had taken place ere the letter was received, and the head was forwarded to gen. Washington. He was shocked at receiving it, and also greatly alarmed from an apprehenfion of its exciting a general disgust and uneafinefs among the people at large, fhould it be known. Express orders were given to the officer to conduct him

« ForrigeFortsett »