hero tales from american history-第8部分

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nd　that　he　was　a　born　fighter；　otherwise；　he　never　would　have　been　a　great　commander。　A　man　who　lacks　the　fondness　for　fighting；　the　eager　desire　to　punish　his　adversary；　and　the　willingness　to　suffer　punishment　in　return；　may　be　a　great　organizer；　like　McClellan；　but　can　never　become　a　great　general　or　win　great　victories。　There　are；　however；　plenty　of　men　who；　though　they　possess　these　fine　manly　traits；　yet　lack　the　head　to　command　an　army；　but　Wayne　had　not　only　the　heart　and　the　hand　but　the　head　likewise。　No　man　could　dare　as　greatly　as　he　did　without　incurring　the　risk　of　an　occasional　check；　but　he　was　an　able　and　bold　tactician；　a　vigilant　and　cautious　leader；　well　fitted　to　bear　the　terrible　burden　of　responsibility　which　rests　upon　a　commander…in…chief。

Of　course；　at　times　he　had　some　rather　severe　lessons。　Quite　early　in　his　career；　just　after　the　battle　of　the　Brandywine；　when　he　was　set　to　watch　the　enemy；　he　was　surprised　at　night　by　the　British　general　Grey；　a　redoubtable　fighter；　who　attacked　him　with　the　bayonet；　killed　a　number　of　his　men；　and　forced　him　to　fall　back　some　distance　from　the　field　of　action。　This　mortifying　experience　had　no　effect　whatever　on　Wayne's　courage　or　self…reliance；　but　it　did　give　him　a　valuable　lesson　in　caution。　He　showed　what　he　had　learned　by　the　skill　with　which；　many　years　later；　he　conducted　the　famous　campaign　in　which　he　overthrew　the　Northwestern　Indians　at　the　Fight　of　the　Fallen　Timbers。

Wayne's　favorite　weapon　was　the　bayonet；　and；　like　Scott　he　taught　his　troops；　until　they　were　able　in　the　shock　of　hand…to…hand　conflict　to　overthrow　the　renowned　British　infantry；　who　have　always　justly　prided　themselves　on　their　prowess　with　cold　steel。　At　the　battle　of　Germantown　it　was　Wayne's　troops　who；　falling　on　with　the　bayonet；　drove　the　Hessians　and　the　British　light　infantry；　and　only　retreated　under　orders　when　the　attack　had　failed　elsewhere。　At　Monmouth　it　was　Wayne　and　his　Continentals　who　first　checked　the　British　advance　by　repulsing　the　bayonet　charge　of　the　guards　and　grenadiers。

Washington；　a　true　leader　of　men；　was　prompt　to　recognize　in　Wayne　a　soldier　to　whom　could　be　intrusted　any　especially　difficult　enterprise　which　called　for　the　exercise　alike　of　intelligence　and　of　cool　daring。　In　the　summer　of　1780　he　was　very　anxious　to　capture　the　British　fort　at　Stony　Point；　which　commanded　the　Hudson。　It　was　impracticable　to　attack　it　by　regular　siege　while　the　British　frigates　lay　in　the　river；　and　the　defenses　ere　so　strong　that　open　assault　by　daylight　was　equally　out　of　the　question。　Accordingly　Washington　suggested　to　Wayne　that　he　try　a　night　attack。　Wayne　eagerly　caught　at　the　idea。　It　was　exactly　the　kind　of　enterprise　in　which　he　delighted。　The　fort　was　on　a　rocky　promontory；　surrounded　on　three　sides　by　water；　and　on　the　fourth　by　a　neck　of　land；　which　was　for　the　most　part　mere　morass。　It　was　across　this　neck　of　land　that　any　attacking　column　had　to　move。　The　garrison　was　six　hundred　strong。　To　deliver　the　assault　Wayne　took　nine　hundred　men。　The　American　army　was　camped　about　fourteen　miles　from　Stony　Point。　One　July　afternoon　Wayne　started；　and　led　his　troops　in　single　file　along　the　narrow　rocky　roads；　reaching　the　hills　on　the　mainland　near　the　fort　after　nightfall。　He　divided　his　force　into　two　columns；　to　advance　one　along　each　side　of　the　neck；　detaching　two　companies　of　North　Carolina　troops　to　move　in　between　the　two　columns　and　make　a　false　attack。　The　rest　of　the　force　consisted　of　New　Englanders；　Pennsylvanians；　and　Virginians。　Each　attacking　column　was　divided　into　three　parts；　a　forlorn　hope　of　twenty　men　leading；　which　was　followed　by　an　advance　guard　of　one　hundred　and　twenty；　and　then　by　the　main　body。　At　the　time　commanding　officers　still　carried　spontoons；　and　other　old…time　weapons；　and　Wayne；　who　himself　led　the　right　column；　directed　its　movements　spear　in　hand。　It　was　nearly　midnight　when　the　Americans　began　to　press　along　the　causeways　toward　the　fort。　Before　they　were　near　the　walls　they　were　discovered；　and　the　British　opened　a　heavy　fire　of　great　guns　and　musketry；　to　which　the　Carolinians；　who　were　advancing　between　the　two　columns；　responded　in　their　turn；　according　to　orders；　but　the　men　in　the　columns　were　forbidden　to　fire。　Wayne　had　warned　them　that　their　work　must　be　done　with　the　bayonet；　and　their　muskets　were　not　even　loaded。　Moreover；　so　strict　was　the　discipline　that　no　one　was　allowed　to　leave　the　ranks；　and　when　one　of　the　men　did　so　an　officer　promptly　ran　him　through　the　body。

No　sooner　had　the　British　opened　fire　than　the　charging　columns　broke　into　a　run；　and　in　a　moment　the　forlorn　hopes　plunged　into　the　abattis　of　fallen　timber　which　the　British　had　constructed　just　without　the　walls。　On　the　left；　the　forlorn　hope　was　very　roughly　handled；　no　less　than　seventeen　of　the　twenty　men　being　either　killed　or　wounded；　but　as　the　columns　came　up　both　burst　through　the　down　timber　and　swarmed　up　the　long；　sloping　embankments　of　the　fort。　The　British　fought　well；　cheering　loudly　as　their　volley's　rang；　but　the　Americans　would　not　be　denied；　and　pushed　silently　on　to　end　the　contest　with　the　bayonet。　A　bullet　struck　Wayne　in　the　head。　He　fell；　but　struggled　to　his　feet　and　forward；　two　of　his　officers　supporting　him。　A　rumor　went　among　the　men　that　he　was　dead；　but　it　only　impelled　them　to　charge　home；　more　fiercely　than　ever。

With　a　rush　the　troops　swept　to　the　top　of　the　wall。　A　fierce　but　short　fight　followed　in　the　intense　darkness；　which　was　lit　only　by　the　flashes　from　the　British　muskets。　The　Americans　did　not　fire；　trusting　solely　to　the　bayonet。　The　two　columns　had　kept　almost　equal　pace；　and　they　swept　into　the　fort　from　opposite　sides　at　the　same　moment。　The　three　men　who　first　got　over　the　walls　were　all　wounded；　but　one　of　them　hauled　down　the　British　flag。　The　Americans　had　the　advantage　which　always　comes　from　delivering　an　attack　that　is　thrust　home。　Their　muskets　were　unloaded　and　they　could　not　hesitate；　so；　running　boldly　into　close　quarters；　they　fought　hand　to　hand　with　their　foes　and　speedily　overthrew　them。　For　a　moment　the　bayonets　flashed　and　played；　then　the　British　lines　broke　as　their　assailants　thronged　against　them；　and　the　struggle　was　over。　The　Americans　had　lost　a　hundred　in　killed　and　wounded。　Of　the　British　sixty…three　had　been　slain　and　very　many　wounded；　every　one　of　the　dead　or　disabled　having　suffered　from　the　bayonet。　A　curious　coincidence　was　that　the　number　of　the　dead　happened　to　be　exactly　equal　to　the　number　of　Wayne's　men　who　had　been　killed　in　the　night　attack　by　the　English　general；　Grey。

There　was　great　rejoicing　among　the　Americans　over　the　successful　issue　of　the　attack。　Wayne　speedily　recovered　from　his　wound；　and　in　the　joy　of　his　victory　it　weighed　but　slightly。　He　had　performed　a　most　notable　feat。　No　night　attack　of　the　kind　was　ever　delivered　with　greater　boldness；　skill；　and　success。　When　the　Revolutionary　War　broke　out　the　American　armies　were　composed　merel　y　of　armed　yeomen；　stalwart　men；　of　good　courage；　and　fairly　proficient　in　the　use　of　their　weapons；　but　entirely　without　the　training　which　alone　could　enable　them　to　withstand　the　attack　of　the　British　regulars　in　the　open；　or　to　deliver　an　attack　themselves。　Washington's　victory　at　Trenton　was　the　first　encounter　which　showed　that　the　Americans　were　to　be　feared　when　they　took　the　offensive。　With　the　exception　of　the　battle　of　Trenton；　and　perhaps　of　Greene's　fight　at　Eutaw　Springs；　Wayne's　feat　was　the　most　successful　illustration　of　daring　and　victorious　attack　by　an　American　army　that　occurred　during　the　war；　and；　unlike　Greene；　who　was　only　able　to　fight　a　drawn　battle；　Wayne's　triumph　was　complete。　At　Monmouth　he　had　shown；　as　he　afterward　showed　against　Cornwallis；　that　his　troops　could　meet　the　renowned　British　regulars　on　even　terms　in　the　open。　At　Stony　Point　he　showed　that　he　could　lead　them　to　a　triumphant　assault　with　the　bayonet　against　regulars　who　held　a　fortified　place　of　strength。　No　American　commander　has　ever　displayed　greater　energy　and　daring；　a　more　resolute　courage；　or　readier　resource；　than　the　chief　of　the　hard…fighting　Revolutionary　generals；　Mad　Anthony　Wayne。



GOUVERNEUR　MORRIS

GOUVERNEUR　MORRIS。　PARIS。　AUGUST　10；　1792。

Justum　et　tenacem　propositi　virum　Non　civium　ardor　prava　jubentium；　　Non　vultus　instantis　tyranni　　　　Mente　quatit　solida；　neque　Auster　Dux　inquieti　turbidus　Hadriae；　Nec　fulminantis　magna　manus　Jovis：　　Si　fractus　illabatur　orbis；　　　　Impavidum　ferient　ruinae。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hor。；　Lib。　III。　Carm。　III。


GOUVERNEUR　MORRIS

The　10th　of　August；　1792；　was　one　of　the　most　memorable　days　of　the　French　Revolution。　It　was　the　day　on　which　the　French　monarchy　received　its　death…blow；　and　was　accompanied　by　fighting　and　bloodshed　which　filled　Paris　with　terror。　In　the　morning　before　daybreak　the　tocsin　had　sounded；　and　not　long　after　the　mob　of　Paris；　headed　by　the　Marseillais；　〃Six　hundred　men　not　afraid　to　die；〃　who　had　been　summoned　there　by　Barbaroux；　were　marching　upon　the　Tuileries。　The　king；　or　rather　the　queen；　had　at　last　determined　to　make　a　stand　and　to　defend　the　throne。　The　Swiss　Guards　were　there　at　the　palace；　well　posted　to　protect　the　inner　court；　and　there；　too；　were　the　National　Guards；　who　were　expected　to　uphold　the　government　and　guard　the　king。　The　tide　of　people　poured　on　through　the　streets；　gathering　strength　as　they　went　the　Marseillais；　the　armed　bands；　the　Sections；　and　a　vast　floating　mob。　The　crowd　drew　nearer　and　nearer；　but　the　squadrons　of　the　National　Guards；　who　were　to　check　the　advance；　did　not　stir。　It　is　not　apparent；　indeed；　that　they　made　any　resistance；　and　the　king　and　his　family　at　eight　o'clock　lost　heart　and　deserted　the　Tuileries；　to　take　refuge　with　the　National　Convention。　The　multitude　then　passed　into　the　court　of　the　Carrousel；　unchecked　by　the　National　Guards；　and　were　face　to　face　with　the　Swiss。　Deserted　by　their　king；　the　Swiss　knew　not　how　to　act；　but　still　stood　their　ground。　There　was　some　parleying；　and　at　last　the　Marseillais　fired　a　cannon。　Then　the　Swiss　fired。　They　were　disciplined　troops；　and　their　fire　was　effective。　There　was　a　heavy　slaughter　and　the　mob　recoiled；　leaving　their　cannon；　whi