THE CENTRE REPORTER, CENTRE HALL. PA. 0/d Glory "Fir ere’ el cf wr (ie £ 1; Ph $bits § atl FT LIT 2 AS EEN PETER CANE VOORT By ELMO SCOTT WATSON NE hundred and fifty years ago the United States had arrived at a eru- clal moment in its struggle for inde- pendence from the mother country. Despite Washington's brilliant tories at Princeton and Trenton, which had retrieved the earlier dis- asters in the campaign of 1776 and which had ralsed the hopes of the patriots for the ultimate success of thelr cause, the year 1777 opened with the promise that the demsive vie. struggle ahead. For one thing, the British had realized by this time that In Washington they had to deal with ¢ master strategist and that in the Continental army which he led they were no longer dealing with an “undisciplined rabble of farmers” So the hull. dog qualities of the Briton which are brought out best by defeat began to and the dritish ministry began to make adequate prepagations for the stern task ahead. The first evidence of Great Britain's determination to strike a telling blow at her rebellions colonies was to plan a campaign which would split the colonies In two and isolate New England, which it looked upon as the head of the rebellion, wns yet themselves assert The plan, as conceived was a sound one with every promise of success, The natural af operation to bring abont this split was goute between Lakes Champlain and George and the Hudson river. Gen. John Burgoyne was to start from Canada and come south via Champlain and George while Lord Howe, who then held New York, was to proceed up the Hudson and meet Wim at Albany. A third foree, starting from Conada, was to move from Oswego on Lake Ontario, proceed down the Mohawk river, ravage the rich Interior of New York aud with the stores thus accumulated supply Bargoyne's and Howe's forces when the three armies met at Albany. Out on the western frontier, where the ¢ity of Rome. N. Y.. now stands, there was situated a fort which was destined to play an important part in the breaking up of the British campaign and where one of the most dramatic events of the Revolution was to take place, Originally it was known as Fort Stanwix, built hy colonial troops fn 1758 ns a protection for thw western frontier against the French and Indians and named for Gen. John Stanwix, a gallant Irishman, who had served In the French and Indian wars, After the menace of the French and Indians had been removed. Fort Stanwix was allowed to fall into a state of dilapldation, its wooden bulld- fhgs and stockade rotted to the ground and its earthworks almost leveled by the elements, Early fn 1776 Gen. Philip Schuyler, commander of the American forces In the north, ordered Colonel Dayton to occupy this important plate, which guarded the western gateway to the Mohawk valley, and to rebuild the fort, Dayton set about to do this and gave the new fort the name of Fort Schuyler, in honor of his commander, In the meantime the British expedition which was to sweep through the Mohawk valley was under way. It was commanded by Col. Barry St Leger, who started at the same time that Bur- goyne started south, St. Leger ascended the St, Lawrence, landed at Oswego about the middle of July, 1777, and set out for Fort Schuyler. Meanwhile that nost had been garrisoned by troops commanded by Col. Peter Gansevoort, an officer fn th» New York line, who hand served with Armold and Montgomery before Quebec and who had heen ordered there to finish the work of repatring the fort started by Dayton. He was later Joined by Col. Marinus Willett, an able officer whose Inter services were brilliant, On August 2 Lieut, Col, Mellon, bringing with him 200 men of the Ninth Masstchusetts regiment end two bateaux of provisions, arrived at the fort and line the 7 (Fort Sranwrx Banr EEL oy Dnowns Seowem By Prwswsset Boo i396 om Ex reanarion Ao. Yl Cid fo the Pliwinfot 8 Soke fo fe - to reinforce Gansevoort and Willett had a force of about T40 men The fort August by St. Leger's army of now and on 3 the post was surrout 1,700 reg s, According to the tradition accepted, with Mellon's that on June 14, 1777. the Continental congress had adopted a whereby the flag of the United States was to be composed of thirteen alternate red blue field upon which appeared 13 stars, arrival St. Leger had sent a formal demand to Gansevoort for the surrender of The reply was an emphatic refusal and to add point to the refusal a new flag which had been hastily contrived was run up to the top of the mast and a cannon that had the enemy's camp was fired, This flag is described in Colonel Willett's diary as follows: “The necessity of hav- ing a flag had, upon the arrival of the enemy, taxed the invention of the garrison a little, and a decent one wns contrived, The white stripes were cut out of an ammunition shirt, the blue out of the camliet cloak taken from the enemy at Peekskill, while the red stripes were made of different pieces of stuff procured from one and another of the garrison” But this historic event ix only one of the several which took place at Fort Schuyler, or Fort Stan- wix, as it Is so often called. At the approach of St. Leger, General Schuyler had ealled out the Tryon county militia under the command of the veteran Gen. Nicholas Herkimer, who with an army of some S00 men was on the way to Fort Schuyler. Near Oriskany creek, eight miles from the fort, Herkimer halted and sent messengers to Gansevoort, requesting him to fire three guns immediately upon thelr arrival. Gansevoort was then to make a sortle against the enemy and Herkimer would advance and try to break through the enemy to join him and thus ralse the siege, The plan was an excellent one, but unfortunate. ly it was upset by the Impatience of the miNtia, and especially some of Herkimer's officers, who demanded to be led against the enemy at once, The general pleaded with them in vain to wait until the guns of Fort Schuyler announced that Gansevoort would support their movement, But they insisted on rushing forward to thelr own destruction for they fell into an ambuseade pre. sSOme British and Indians, is now generally the Tories which supplies came news Second resolution and white stripes and a Upon his the post, been leveled at KOON The author of this article, Eimo Scott Watson, is a well.known writer on the history of the United States, particularly #hat of the American frontier, and he has made a special study of the thrilling and romantic Revolutionary war period in the famous Mohawk valley of New York. In pre. paring this article, which deals with an incident In that period, he has drawn upon the most authentic sources of information available in order to present here an accurate account of the events recorded. Read it and you can tell your children on Flag day the story of the historic occasion, “When Kimo Scott Watson Old Glory First Faced the Enemy,” an army of British and Indians one August day 150 years ago on the old New York frontier, : irge paar their number littie Battie of Oriskany. In the midst of the battle gers reached Gansevoort, tant then realized for what it and meant He in 24) picked men [eger's camp, st with firing immediately } Willett ampeded a part force of under upon St force heavy losses, cuptured twenty loads of plunder, five British flags to the fort without losing a man, These flags were hoisted on the flagstaff of Fort Schuyler under the new flag ns a further gesture of defiance to the enemy. [It that—for {t a prophecy of the ultimate triumph of the cause for which that flag stood. wagon and returned was more than was also St. Leger continued the siege, but could accom pligh little against the (anse voort and Willett, Colonel Willett had volunteered for the duty of making his way through the gnemy lines and carrying news of the fort's condition to Schuyler. That general immediately dispatched rig. Gen. Benedict Arnold with a foree of 1.200 men to raise the siege. By this time the Indians, dismayed by their loses at Oriskany (for St, Leger's allies had suffered as heavily in that engagement as had Herkimer's men) and fright. ened at the reports of the strength of Arnold's force, which was moving against them, got out of hand and finally deserted St. Leger in a body. That commander realized that he was np against a hopeless proposition. So he ralsed the siege of Fort Schuyler and retreated precipitately Ko Fort Schuyler is more than a landmark where Old Glory first flew in the face of the ene my. It was the first Americgn victory in the decisive campaign of the war, St. Leger's failure was the first blow struck at the success of the British plan. Thegecond came at Bennington, Vt, on August 18 when Gen, John Stark and his Green Mountain Boys won their victory over the Hes slang whom Burgoyne had sent to that place to capture a store of supplies, By this time Burgoyne wae in a predicament. The British ministry, after laying Its ambitious plan, by some strange blind. ness to the necessity of assuring absolute co- operation of all units in It, had failed to notify Howe of his part. So he did nothing while Bar- goyne hoped In vain for help from that quarter, Fate held In store for Burgoyne Saratoga and surrender! This year marks the one hundred fiftieth anni versary of those stirring events which made world history. New York is planning to celebrate thelr anniversary with sesquicentennial celebrations which will have nation-wide Interest because they were events of vital importance to the whole na- tion. No doubt the most important of those cele- brations will be the one which will be held near Saratoga on the anmiversary of Burgoyne's sur render. But on August 3 there will be one which will commemorate one of the most dramatic events In all American history, It will take place where Fort Schuyler once stood and it will com. memorate the day on which Old Glory first faced the enemy. So Flag day this year has a particular significance, not only because June 14 marks the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as our national emblem. hut because It foreshadows the anniversary some glx weeks Inter of the day when Americans first fought In defense of that emblem and the prin. ciples for which It stands, stout defense of MISFORTUNE Tramp (trying to arouse sympathy) ~] was in the San Francisco earth- quake, Hardbolled what of that? “I was shot up In the World war” “So was 1.” “I was run over by an automobile, “That so?” “And I've had to live with my moth- er-in-law gince I was married” “Great heavens! 1 should say you have met with misfortune! What I do for you?'—Ililinols Farmer Man-—Well—- Jusiness ” ever can Too Hot-Headed Critie—You your hero too hot-headed, I'm afraid. 3udding Author—How do you mean? “Well, he has ua lantern jaw to begin with. And so his whole face lit up! His cheeks flamed, he gave a burning glance, and then, blazing with wrath und bol!‘ng with rage, he administered a scorching rebuke.” have made AT THE SIDE SHOW Visitor—-You say it's perfectly nat- ural for you to eat Glass -Eater- bottle every time 1 was hungry when 1 was a kid glass? Sure—] got a Hymn of Hate A guy 1 hate Is Peter Lumm Who howls at umps . hat big bum?™ Going a Little Too Far Bridesmaid—How did band's friends treat you? Bride—Terribly! Hee all over us! Bridesmaid jut usual thing, your hus- Why, they threw that's quite the isn’t it? dride—Yes, but this rice had sal ready been cooked. Embarrassing Ignorance You didn’t your wife's musical Briggs No; { never can riggs sen to enloy 1 got confused, as usual remember that a cell {2n't something vou eat and a meringue isa't something you play, SOFT JOB “ey “What does he do? “He's employed as panion to Reggie “Soft job” Time traveling com- Sapp.” i Sald her dad to Catherine said the daughter, "Pa, I'm only getting in” She Knew “If 1 stole fifty kisses from you, what kind of larceny would it be?” asked the young man, “1 should call it grand,” sighed the sweet young thing, without a quiver of an eyelash, Confirmation Mr. Meek—My wife says I'm a worm, His Friend—Why do you stand it? Meek--Why, If 1 turned she'd say that proved it. J His Opinion “Do you know,” she said, “you are the very first man to kiss me?” “Then you must have taken a cor- respondence course,” he answered “You certainly don't seem like a be ginner,"—Pearson's Weekly, Knew What Was Coming He—There now, what do you think of it? She-<Well, to tell you the truth He—That's right! Be as nasty as you can!—Stray Stories, Fo ———-——— 0 “Whoever wants Mon- arch Cocoa and a Tee- nie Weenie Peanut Butter sanndwich— e= Every genuine Monarch peciage bears the Lion flead, the oldest trademark in the United States sovering a complete line of the world's finest food products — Coffee, Tes, Cocos, Catsup, Pickles Peanut Butter, Canned Fruits and Vegetables and other superior table speciaitics. MONARCH Quality jor 70 Years Monarch le the only mationally advertised brand of Quatsvy Foop PRopOers scid exclusively through tie sen whe ows and operste thelr ows stures. REID, MURDOCH & CO. Established 1853 Boston New Vork Jacksonville Tampn Los Angeles —-—— tsms Ho A ————— LAUNDRY FOR SALE including valuable real estate holdings «it uated in prominent section of Hussy Eastern Pa ity: set. 26 yra present owner Dow 8 tiring: receipts $60 006 large Income f subrents: real bargain. Price $285.000 ms File 1524 THE APPLE COLE COMPANY : 1002 Transportation Bldg, Detroit, Mich $720 Per Acre Wilh the GREEN PEA SHEL Fon farmers and truckers. Bullard Ma bine Works HFosebor: Not of the Lounge Variety The Philadelphia zoo has received izard 9 feet long, aveighing 7 sald to be 100 years old description, we one of the welll lounge lizards A Large Order “1 can see good In everything “an TO Can you Pathfinder see good in the The occasio n Eye Balsam at night will * ne 543 eliey tired oy wir 3 1 : oo Muny fA man Tete that imagines that “BAYER ASPIRIN’ PROVED SAFE Take without Fear as Told in “Bayer” Fackage Does not affect the Heart Unless you see the “Bayer Cross” on package or on tablets you are not getting the genuine Bayer Aspirin proved safe by millions and prescribed by physicians over iwenty-five years for Colds Neuritis Toothache Neuralgia Headache Lumbago Rheumatism Pain, Pain Each unbroken “Bayer” package coa- tains proven directions. Handy boxes of twelve tablets cost few cents. Drug gists also sell bottles of 24 and 100 Worms cause much distress to children and anxiety to parents, Dr. "s "Dead Shot removes the ealiss with ® single dose. S0c., (of ) od Shot For CLAY Uge RELIEVED BY LEONARD EAR OIL a Polber about * on reguest, A © LEONARD, INC, 70 FIFTH AVE. NX. YL. REMEDY
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers