part of which was glass, might be opened by their watchmen whenever they thought proper, and was actually opened at seasons of peculiar darkness and silence. At the exterior doors of the entries, sentinels were also stationed, as were others in the body of the fort, and at the quarters of General Campbell. At the guard house a strong guard was daily mounted. Several sentinels were stationed on the walls of the fort, and a complete line occupied them by night. Without the ditch, glacis and abattis, another complete set of soldiers patroled through the night, and a piquet guard was placed in or near the isthmus leading from the fort to the main land. Notwithstanding all these fearful obstacles to success, they resolved to make the perilous attempt.

"The room in which they were confined, was railed with boards. One of these they determined to cut off so as to make a hole large enough to pass through, and then to creep along till they should come to the next or middle entry; and there lower themselves down into this entry by a blanket. If they should not be discovered, the passage to the walls of the fort was easy. In the evening, after the sentinels had seen the prisoners retired to bed, General Wadsworth got up, and standing in a chair attempted to cut with his knife, the intended opening, but soon found it impracticable. The next day, by giving a soldier a dollar they procured a gimblet. With this instrument, they proceeded cautiously and as silently as possible to separate the board, and in order to conceal every appearance from their servants and from the officers, their visitors, they carefully covered the gimblet holes with chewed bread. At the end of three weeks, their labors were so far completed, that it only remained to cut with a knife the parts which were left to hold the piece in

its place. When their preparations were finished, they learned that the privateer in which they were to embark, was daily expected.

"In the evening of the 18th of June, a very severe storm of rain, with great darkness and almost incessant lightning came on. This the prisoners considered as the propitious moment. Having extinguished their lights, they began to cut the corners of the board, and in less than an hour the intended opening was completed. The noise which the operation occasioned, was drowned by the rain falling on the roof. Major Benton first ascended to the ceiling, and pressed himself through the opening. General Wadsworth next, having put the corner of his blanket through the hole and made it fast by a strong wooden skewer, attempted to make his way through, standing on a chair below, but it was with extreme difficulty that he at length effected it, and reached the middle entry. From this he passed through the door which he found open, and made his way to the wall of the fort, and had to encounter the greatest difficulty before he could ascend to the top. He had now to creep along the top of the fort between the sentry boxes, at the very moment when the relief was shifting sentinels, but the falling of the heavy rain kept the sentinels within their boxes, and favored his escape. Having now fastened his blanket round a picket at the top, he let himself down through the chevaux de frise to the ground, and, in a manner astonishing to himself, made his way into the open field. Here he was obliged to grope his way among rocks, stumps and brush in the darkness of night, till he reached the cove. Happily the tide had ebbed, and he was enabled to cross the water, which was about a mile in breadth, and not more than three feet deep.

"About two o'clock in the morning, General Wadsworth found himself a mile and a half from the fort, and he proceeded through a thick wood and brush to the Penobscot river, and, after passing some distance along the shore, being seven miles from the fort, to his unspeakable joy, he saw his friend Benton advancing towards him. Major Benton had been obliged to encounter in his course, equal difficulties with his companion, and such were the incredible perils, dangers and obstructions, which they surmounted, that their escape may be considered almost miraculous.

"It was now necessary that they should cross the Penobscot river, and very fortunately they discovered a canoe with oars on the shore suited to their purpose. While on the river, they discovered a barge with a party of the British from the fort, in pursuit of them, but by taking an oblique course, and plying their oars to the utmost, they happily eluded the eyes of their pursuers, and arrived safe on the western shore. After having wandered in the wilderness for several days and nights, exposed to extreme fatigue and cold, and with no other food than a little dry bread and meat, which they brought in their pockets from the fort, they reached the settlements on the river St. George, and no further difficulties attended their return to their respective families."

GALLANT ENTERPRISE OF MAJOR BARTON.

In the latter part of 1776, Major General Lee, during Washington's retreat through the Jerseys, unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy, and was conveyed with triumph into New

York. This circumstance, at the darkest era of our revolutionary contest, greatly depressed the spirits of the Americans, particularly as there was no prisoner in their hands for whom he could be exchanged.

Under these circumstances many enterprises were projected to capture some English officer of equal rank, by which means an exchange could be effected, but it was reserved for Major Barton of the Rhode Island line, to successfully plan and accomplish this purpose.

Shortly after the capture of Lee, the British took possession of the islands of Rhode Islaud, Canonicut and Prudence, in Narragansett Bay. Major Barton was, at this time, attached to a regiment, under command of Colonel Stanton, that was stationed at Tiverton, on the eastern shore of the Bay. From this place, he anxiously watched an opportunity to effect the object he had at heart. In June 1777, he learned from a prisoner, that General Richard Prescott had established his head-quarters on the west side of Rhode Island, and the prisoner gave a minute description of the house. This account was, a few days after, confirmed by a deserter from the British ranks. Conceiving the favorable opportunity now afforded, he began to make preparations for the execution of his design. But there were serious obstacles in the way. The enterprize proposed was hazardous to the extreme, and its failure liable to bring upon it, condemnation as rash and foolhardy; but then again, if successful, an enviable and honorable renown would be the reward of those concerned. He communicated his designs to Col. Stanton, his superior officer, who gave it his commendation, and permitted him to select from his regiment such men and officers as he desired to assist him in the attack. From an apprehension that his design might become

known to the enemy, he did not make a selection of the necessary number of men until the last moment, and then with a desire that he might be accompanied only by volunteers, he ordered his whole company upon parade, and in a brief speech stated that he wished to obtain forty volunteers for an expedition of great hazard, and all that wished to accompany him, should signify it by stepping from the ranks. Without one exception, the whole regiment advanced. He now found it necessary to make the selection himself, and he did so, choosing those whose courage and fidelity were tested. Several officers had personaly volunteered, but not one of the party, save Barton himself, knew of the object in view, but all trusted to the honor and courage of their leader Some delay was experienced in procuring boats, but on the 4th of July 1777, they embarked from Tiverton for Bristol. In crossing Mount Hope Bay, they suffered from a severe storm, but they arrived at Bristol at midnight. On the morning of the 5th, the Major, with his officers, went over to Hog Island for the purpose of reconnoitering the position of the enemy. Here he revealed the object of the expedition, and his plan for its accomplishment.

It was not until the evening of the 5th, that the party again embarked. Crossing Narragansett Bay, they landed on Warwick Neck, but were here detained by a severe storm which retarded their plans considerably. On the 9th, however, it became clear, and they prepared once more to sail, with the intention of proceeding directly to Rhode Island. Some hours after the set of sun, all was still, and the darkness affording them a protection from observation, the little squadron shot out from the land, and proceeded noiselessly and cautiously on its course. This was a very hazardous part of the enterprise, as there was great danger of being discovered by some of the ships of war that lay near the