Evening Star Newspaper, January 25, 1931, Page 71

PART 7, Magasine WASHINGTON, D. C., JANUARY 25, 1931. Features 24 PAGES. Rare Award for A.E.F. H. eroes Need of a Special Badge of Merit for World War Heroes, Stressed by Gen. Pershing, Has - Led to Proposed Revival of “‘Purple Heart Order,” America’s First Military Decoration - Created by Gen. George Washington and Worn by Only Three Men. HE road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is open to gll.” The road to the par- ticular kind of glory to which Gen, Qeorge Washington had reference when he wrote the foregoing words was opened to but three soldiers . during the Revolutionary War, if ex- . isting records are complete, and . mone has trod it since. . 'The way for others to share this . glory—after the lapse of almost 150 years—is about to be opened by the War Department, under a special _ recommendation of the general staff . of the Army. . 'The glory is that provided for in & historic general order creating America’s first military decoration, the Honorary Badge of Military Merit of the Purple Heart. Hallowed Government records show that this coveted decoration - was conferred on a trio of herocic _mon-commissioned officers of the Continental Army for extraordinary deeds of valor. * The proud wearers of the Purple Heart passed into oblivion, and so did the order establishing the deco- ration, although the document, as resurrected some years ago, States clearly the order is “to be consid- ered as a permanent one.” ¢ (X9 PERBAPS no need for inveking the order was felt during the subsequent wars in the early history of our country, and eventually the decoration was almost forgotten. Historians, from time to time, have - found menticn of the badge in pe- rusing Washington’s papers, but the War Department failed to note that suthority still existed for its award. ‘Then came the World War, with military heroism running rampant in America’s modern Army of pa- triots. Valor on a grand scale re- quired recognition on a grand scale. But certain restrictions on the award of congressional medals of honor and distinguished service ecrosses and medals prevented the decoration of many who per- formed acts of fortitude and bravery and trust that were worthy of spe- cial recognition. Gen. Pershing, wholly unaware of the existence of the Purple Heart decoration, tells in his story of the war how he repeatedly sought to have a special award created for the unsung heroes cutside the scope of eongressional medals and distin- guished service crosses. Now that the war is over, however, the general staff has discovered that no good reason exists for withholding of modern awards under the crigin “Purple Heart Order” signed by Gen. Washington on August 2, 1782. Accord- ingly, a recommendation has been made to the Secretary of War that the Revolutionary badge of honor be revived as a reward for “highly meritoricus s°rvices both in peace and war.” It is understood the recommendation will be ap- proved. The general order which is to be dusted off and adapted to the needs of this advanced age describes in detail the design of the quaint badge and how it shall be awarded. It reads: “The general, ever desirous to cherish a vir- tuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on the facings over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding “Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but &lso of extraordinary fidelity and essential serv- doe in any way shall meet with a due reward. Before this favor can be conferred on any man, the particular fact, or facts, on which it is to be grounded must be set forth to the com- mander in chief, accompanied with certificates from the commanding officers of the regiment and brigade to which the candidate for reward belonged, or other incontestable proofs, and upon granting it, the name and regiment of the person with the action so certified are to be enrolled in the book of merit which will be kept at the orderly office, “Men who have merited this last distinction to suffered to pass all guards and sentinels which officers are permitted to do. "nnm-dto'loryhnmupymdn Gen. John J. Pershing, whose repeated recommendations for a spec awarded in exceptional military cases have led to plans for revival of the Purple Heart badge of Revolutionary origin. By Rex free country is thus open to all—this order is also to have retrospect to the earliest stages of the war, and to be considered as a permanent one.” APPARENTLY the only names ever written in the “book of inerit” were those of three Connecticut “non-coms,” Sergt. Elijah Church- ill, of the 2nd Continental Dragoons; Sergt. Daniel Brown of the 5th Connecticut Regiment, and Sergt. Daniel Bissell of the 2nd Connecti- cut Regiment. According to the original citation now pre- served at the Library of Congress, “Sergt. Churchill of the 2nd Regiment of Light Dra- goons, in the several enterprises against Fort St. George and Fort Slongo on Long Island . « + acted a very conspicuous and singularly meritorious part.” It was the opinion of the board of awards “that at tie head of each body of attack he not only acquitted himself with great gallantry, firmness and address, but that the surprise in one instance and the success of the attack in the other, proceeded in a con- siderable degree from his conduct and man- agement.” Historians, intrigued by this imagination- capturing citation, have dug into the glamorous past and patched together a fairly complete story of Sergt. Churchill’s exploits in “the sev- eral enterprises” on Long Island. The most illuminating product of these re- searches is an account prepared some years ago by John C. Fitzpatrick, while he was as< sistant chief of the manuscript division of the Library of Congress. Mr. Fitzpatrick now is affiliated with the George Washington Bicen- tennial Commission. His account was published a decade ago in the official magazine of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sergt. Churchill first attracted the attention Collier. of his superior officers for his daring in leading a dangerous raid inside the British lines before dawn on November 23, 1780. He again dis- played outstanding valor in another hazardous raid right under the noses of the British, on October 3, 1781. Both raijds were planned and directed by Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge of the 2nd Conti- nental Dragoons, chief of Washington’s intelli- gence service. Maj. Tallmadge had received information concerning a huge supply of hay—several hun- dred tons of it—that had been stored for Win- ter forage in a building at Coram, on the north shore of Long Island. Hay, in that day of cav- alry supremacy, was one of the important sup- plies of warfare. ‘Without it an army was seri- ously handicapped. It was a prize worth run- ning great risks to capture. Maj. Tallmadge relayed the information di- rect to Gen. Washington, with- an astounding plan for attempting not only to destroy the forage, but to storm a fortification which pro- tected it. The intrepid major was authorized to make the attempt. The fortification, known as Fort St. George, consisted of three sturdy block houses, sur- rounded by a tall stockade of pointed posts. Outside the stockade there had been dug a deep trench and this, in turn, was guarded by a wall _of earth and stones. Several cannon poked their muzzles menac- ingly through the walls of the block houses, commanding a wide sweep of the shore line which spread out at their feet. A dock for un- loading vessels had been constructed in the shadow of the fort. The town of Coram, with its treasure of hay, was just a short distance away. Late on the blustery afternoon of November 21, 1780, a detachment of half a hundred dis- mounted dragoons of the tinental outfit embarked “fleet” from enemy view. Despite determined efforts of the oarsmen, the wind and current forced the AT SIIRORHNTD § i g moved away toward the fortifica each following a different path & as to be in a position to la concerted attack from several rections.- This strategy, it agreed, would give the impression of & much larger force. A sleepy sentinel at the fort did not discover the attacking parties until Sergt. Churchill and his men were scarcely 50 feet away, running like wild men toward him. He sounded the alarm as the rebels swarmed over the wall, across the ditch and inside the stockade. The ial decoration to be inside the main block house before the enemy could realize what was happening. . MR. FITZGERALD recounts that the “other two attacking par- ties had expended their energies in getting Inside the defenses, and two block houses still remained to be taken.” “A brisk fire was beginning to pour upon the Americans from these two houses,” he relates, “but battering parties beat in the doors and inside of 10 more minutes Tallmadge’s men had possession of the entire works. “The growing light now showed a British _supply schooner at anchor close to the shore, near the fort. A detachment captured her with ridiculous ease. The rapidity of the attack had protected the attackers and they had ndt lost a man, and only one of them was wounded. The British loss was several killed and wounded “and most of the latter were mortally hurt. “The fort and the schooner were set on fire and the prisoners, over 50 in number, were started back toward the boats under a guard. Leaving a small force to see to it that the fort was completely destroyed, Tallmadge marched with the rest toward Coram. “The few sentries found there fled, and the hay was pulled loose and set on fire. Over 300 tons went up in rolling coulds of smoke and as soon as the fire was going beyond all hope of extinguishment, Tallmadge and his hay burne ers started back for their boats. By taking & different road and by rapid . marching, they joined the men they had left at Fort St. George and overtook the prisoners and their guard inside of two hours. ? “It was now broad daylight and the loyalist militia were beginning to swarm in their rear, But the two huge columns of smoke, one at Fort St. George and one at Coram, several miles apart, as well as the unbelievable audacity f a of rebel troops daring to land on Long kept the loyalist militia from approach- t00 near. They could not believe that only small party would dare such a thing, and preferred to wait until their own numbeny