Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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18 attack the Americans in open field. The contest becomes fierce and destructive. The American artillery is pouring a murderous fire upon the enemy when there into the field the British cavalry followed by a body of infantry. S imultaneously they charge the Repub- licans and break theirranks. Lee brings off his troops in admirable order, while Washington engages the enemy with fresh forces. Theaction now becomes gen- The British attack the Americans again and again but are repeatedly driven back. Wayne, who is pouring a de- structive fire from an eminence in a near- by orchard, stands between them and victory. Colonel Monckton, perceiving this, resolves to drive him from his posi- tion. Forming his troops into a solid column, and with all the regularity of a to the rushes eral. corps on parade, he advances charge. In silence Wayne’s troops await him. Not a rifle cracks. The men are watching and waiting and On, Only a few rods remain between them and the Americans. Suddenly, seven hundred muskets crack viciously; seven hundred bullets whistle angrily. A great cloud of smoke goes up. A great sheet of flame flashes, and lo! scarcely a British officer is standing. Among the fallen is the brave Monck- ton. Over his dead body, maddened by the sight of his blood, the British fight with the energy of despair. But human endurance can not stand the iron storm that is poured into their faces. They are forced to give way, and night merci- fully ends the contest. About twelve o’clock there is a slight stir in the British camp and the enemy steals away under the cover of darkness. Was it possible for. the Americans to have won a decisive victory at the battle of Monmouth? No. Why? Because sullen obeying orders. on they come! THr SENIOR ANNUAL. of Clinton? Because of Monckton? Be- cause of those brave men who fought over his body? No. tecause of Lee, | who let ambition master patriotism, jeal- ousy conquer principle, and who almost led the American army into everlasting disgrace. D. A. R. Prize Essay. This essay was written by Miss Nellie Sweeney, 03, and received first prize, a ten dollar gold piece, in the annual com- petition of High School students held by the Daughters of the American Revolu- tion. Nathan Hale. In the first sad days of the Revolu- tionary war, when the news of the bat- tle at Lexington was being carried from village to village, an excitement was as these little towns had In New Lon- dou, a picturesque New England village, created such never before experienced. men with pale, anxious faces gathered in the town hall to discuss the news and to decide upon a course of action. Sev- eral grave, elderly men had spoken when the young schoolmaster stepped to the platform and delivered a stirring appeal. He was a commanding figure, over six feet in height, with a perfectly propor- His ‘face, which was of unusual beauty, was all aglow, and. as he ended with the words, ‘‘Let us march immediately and never lay down our arms until we have our independence,’’ he looked like a young god come to in- spire the weary, depressed men with fresh hope and cuurage. This eloquent speaker is Nathan Hale, whose young life is destined to have an untimely end. Nathan Hale was born on the sixth of June, 1755, in the town of Coventry, Connecticut. A pale, sickly boy, his parents never expected to see him reach tioned form

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL. 17 D. A. R. Prize Oration. This oration was written by Roy Lewis Bielby, ’02, first prize, a ten dollar gold piece, in the an- nual competition of High School stu- dents held by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Battle of Monmouth. There is no alternative. Clinton must fight. The American troops, vigilant and received aud wary, surround him on all sides. To escape is impossible, and he betakes himself to a strongly fortified position near Monmouth Court House. June 28, 1778, is the Christian Sab- bath. The sky is cloudless over the plains of Monmouth when the morning dawns and the sun comes up with all the fervor of the summer solstice. It is the sultriest day of the year; not a zephyr moves the leaves; nature smiles in her beautiful garments of flowers and foliage; and the birds carol with delight in the fulness of loveand harmony. Manalone is the discordant note in the universal melody. He alone disturbs the chaste worship of the hour, which ascends au- dibly from the groves, the streams, the meadows and the woodlands. On‘this calm Sabbath morning twenty thousand men gird on the implements of hellish war to maim and destroy—to sully the green grass and fragrant flowers with human blood. The hot forenoon is nearly worn away before a decisive movement is made. At eleven o’clock General Clinton, fearing that the Americans are about to capture his baggage, vigorously attacks the forces of Wayne and Lee. Lee immedi- atelyorders a general retreat. The re- treat turns into a panic, and the Repub- licans flee precipitately over the broken country. The heat isintense and many soldiers fall prostrate and are trampled to death by the mad rush of their fel- Still on, rushes the silent, struggling mass of humanity. Not a sound is heard, but an occasional musket shot and the shouts of the pursuing This disgraceful flight must be lows. on, enemy. stopped or the American army is dis- honored forever. O, that Washington were only here! But look! over yonder hill comes a rider upon a foaming black steed. Galloping to the head of the retreat he orders a halt. Spurring on his horse, he rushes into the midst of confusion and soon rallies a part of the troops. He orders Oswald, who commands the American artillery, to place his batteries on a nearby hill and open fire upon the pursuing British: The order is instantly obeyed, and there pours down the hill- side such a murderous storm of grape shot and cannon balls that the enemy is driven back. Washington seems every- where present. There, as the battle smoke rolls away, he is seen rushing into the very midst of the iron storm; away yonder, urging his men on to victory. His voice fills the fugitives with a new hope, a new courage. It is a voice of faith to the despairing soldiers. The whole patriot army, which half an hour before had been on the verge of destruc- tion, panic stricken, without order, is now drawn up in battle array with a bold and well arranged front. Placing Lee in command of the organ- ized front, Washington quickly brings the main army into martial order. Lord Stirling is directed to command the left and General Greene secures an advan- tageous position on Stirling’s right. Suddenly the British batteries open | fire. Our cannon make answer to theirs. The battle has begun. Down the hill- side charge a party of rebels upon Lee’s right. It is forcedtogiveway. Out of the woods rush a party of British and

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his tenth year, but as he grew older his health improved and his athletic feats became the wonder and admiration of his companions. It father's wish that Nathan should become a min- was his ister, so Reverend Joseph Huntington prepared the lad for Yale. Our young hero thoroughly enjoyed his college life. was engaged with William Robinson and Ezra Sampson in a syllogistic dispute followed by a debate. Question ‘‘Whether the education of thedaughters be not, without any just reason, more neglected than that of the sons.’’ A classmate, James Hillhouse, wrote ‘‘Hale triumphed and most ably did he advo cate the cause of the daughters.’’ After graduating he taught school at East Hadley, and now, at the beginning of the Revolution, we find him engaged in the same occupation at New London. But Nathan Hale was not content to remain in a quiet village when his coun- try needed him. Enrolling himself as a volunteer he was soon made lieutenant in Colonel Charles Webb’s regiment. He was then ordered to Cambridge, where, after participating in the siege of Boston, he was made captain in January, nA ii, At his graduation he Soon after he went to New York where, early in September, he captured at mid- night, with the aid of a few picked men, a supply vessel which was anchored in the East River under the protection of the guns of the British “‘Asia.’’ The stores of provisions from the prize were distributed among his hungry fellow soldiers. He was now made captain of the Con- necticut Rangers, a corps known as Congress’s, were commanded by Thomas Knowlton. General Washington, after the defeat at Long Island, applied to Knowlton for man-of-war THE SENIOR ANNUAL. 19 enter the British lines and procure intelligence. With- out a moment’s hesitation Captain Hale volunteered to perform this service. At the house of Robert Murray on the In- cleberg (now Murray Hill in New York city) where Washington had his head- quarters for a while retreating towards Harlem Heights, instructions on duty from the a discreet officer to time he received com- mander-in-chief. Disguised as a schoolmaster and loy- alist he visited all the British camps on Long Island and in New York, openly making observations, drawings and mem- oranda of the fortifications. He then started on his dangerous jour- ney back to the American lines. He re- turned safely to the point where a boat was to take him to the Connecticut shore, but the one which he signaled proved to be from a British man-of-war, and he Still the brave young officer did not give up hope, but answered the questions put to him with such apparent frankness that he might have been released had he not been rec- ognized by some Tory relative ‘and re- ported as a rebel officer. This led to his examination and the plans were found on his person. He was then taken before General Howe, to whom he openly avowed his mission. Without even a form of trial, Howe handed the prisoner over to Provost- Marshal Cunningham to be hanged. Captain Hale was confined in a green- house over night. His requests for a Bible and the attendance of a chaplain were roughly refused. A humane offi- cer, who superintended the execution, was at once arrested. | procured him some writing material, but the tender letters of farewell which he wrote to his mother, betrothed and sis- ters, were destroyed before his eyes by the brutal Cunningham, so that, as he