Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THER BATTLE. 19 In approaching the énemy, Colonel Z. Butler (who ifs said to have been a distant relative of the British colonel,) sent for- ward four of his officers to select the spot, and mark off the ground on which to form an order of battle. On coming up, the column deployed to the left, and by direction each com- pany took its station, and then advanced in line to its proper position, when it halted. Every thing was judiciously dis- posed, and conducted in a strictly military manner. , “Men, yonder is the enemy,” said Colonel Butler. “ The fate of your friends tells us what we have to expect if defeated. We come out to fight, not only for liberty, but for life itself, and what is dearer, to preserve our homes from conflagration ; our women and children from the tomahawk. Stand firm the first shock, and the Indians will give way. Every man to his duty !”’ The injunction to “stand firm the first shock,” was fre- quently repeated by the officers. Colonel Butler ordered his men to fire, and at each discharge to advance a step. About four o’clock in the afternoon, the battle began, For a while the advantage was with the patriots. Their steady fire told, and in the open ground, under the skillful generalship of Colonel Z. Butler; who was a Revolutionary offi- cer, the British line was driven back in spite of all their officers could do to prevent it. The Indians, in accordance with their invariable custom, were concealed in bushes, from which they poured in a galling flank fire. The patriots stood up nobly to their perilous work, but it was not long before the over- whelming number of the enemy developed itself. The Indians completely outflanked theleft, and the wing was thrown into confusion. An order for this wing ‘to wheel back so as to: present their front to the enemy was mistaken for an order to retreat. The savages, charging in a body at the critical moment, with their horrid yells, threw the whole left into utter confusion. Colonel Z. Butler seeing the panic, threw himself recklessly between the lines. ‘“ Don’t leave me, my children, and the victory is ours !’ Too late! Every captain that led a company into action was slain. Individually, the men fought like heroes, and it would require a volume to give the recorded instances of valor. A portion of the Indian flanking party got between 2 connicloooks. coma