Evening Star Newspaper, January 25, 1931, Page 72

b2 were sufficient to imsure success against the ‘supposedly large force.” party of Americans reached their hidden ts late in the afternoom, after one or two skirmishes with the pursuers, and the force succeeded in getting away from shore without casualties. They arrived back at Fair- field before midnight. That was the first chapter in the story of Sergt. Churchill’s “conspicuous and singuarly meritorious part” in the “several enterprises” against Long Island forts. The sequel came the following October, when Gen. Washington took wumder comsideration plans for destroying Fort Slongo—a thorn in the side of the rebel army—Ilocated on the secured the imformation which led to the at- tack on the island fort. The imformation was detailed and completfé, including even the exact location of the sentry posts. The attacking party on this occasion con- Mr. Fitzpatrick states, “and at 3 o'clock in the morning the fort was in its hands. “Again Sergt. Churchill was in the van of the first attacking party and again he aequitted himself with the utmost gallantry. The fort was so strong that Tallmadge had advised ‘Trescott not to make a direct attack, but to try to draw off the defenders by & feint. This idea not followed, the attacking force went at with such vigor that the fort was taken without the loss of a single man and only four of the British force were killed before surrendered. ““The report of the affair shows 21 prisoners taken, and the destruction of a goodly quantity artillery anad stores or arms, ammunition and Sm.mwn“mmuewn days later at Yorktown. The citation of the board of awards, dated April 24, among the Washingion papers in the Library Sergt. the assault of the enemy’s left redoubt at York- town, in Virginia, on the evening of October 14, 1781, conducted a forlorm hope with great A “forlorn hope” was just what its name im- plies an attack by an advanece detachment in the face of such intemse artillery fire as to render the undertaking one of almost certain death to its heraic participants. Serget Brown was serving under Lieut. Col. Alexander Hamilton, who had been assigned the task of taking one of two British redoubts that were stubbernly resisting the siege of Yorktown. The other redoubt was to be attacked by allied French troops. The Americans volunteered to storm the outer redoubt, which was close to the river, and the Prench were to attack the inmer redoubt. The doughty sergeant led his “forlorn hope” @t the forefront of the attackers and refused THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUARY 2§ 1931, The rare “Honorary Badge of Military Merit of the Purple Heart,” created by George Washington as a decoration for valor, which is to be revived by the War Department as a special award for meritorious service in time of peace or war. ] a il 4 53 Eaa?g ! £ 2 jces within the immediate knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief, in which the fidelity, il T I+ plete with vital details regarding the British army, was taken down by Lieut. Col. David Humphreys. & “The first four pages .of this report are in Humphreys’ handwriting,” Mr. Fitapatrick says, “and Bissel himself wrote the last three. It 8 a remarkably clear statement of facts; what the sergeant knew from personal observation being distinguished carefully from what was reported to him by others and what was mere heresay. He described the Staten Island forts and gave minute descriptions, with sketches, of the forts in New York and Lomg Island, ‘Washington indossed the report in his own handwriting: “Sergt. Bissel's acct. of the enemys force and works at New Yk. & C.” From his study of the report Mr. Fitzpatrick learned that once Bissel got inside the Britisk lines, he was unable to get out again. Enliste ing with the British army, he served for & whole year in New York City and on Long and Staten Islands. “His life hung by & thread every moment of this time,” Mr. Fitzpatrick points out. “When he first entered New York there was a hot naval press going on and to escape being forced imto the British fleet, Bissel enlisted in Benedict Arnold’s corps. He made notes and kept memo- randa of troop strengths and locations and checked his information, one item against ane other, until he knew, practically, the exact site uation of the British forces and their eondition, “Then the enemy became suspicious of somew thing and an order was issued that any soldief found with written information on him would be treated as a spy. To save his life, Bissel was forced to destroy his precious memoranda, buf he had a good brain and used it to advantage, When he escaped in 1782 he went at once t0 headquarters.” From the very nature of the exploits which won for . Churchill, Brown and Bissel the Revolution’s only medal of honor, it is clear that the Badge of Merit of the Purple Heart was a rarely bestowed honor. There may have been a few other members of the Continental Army who received the decoration, but # so, the records fail to show it. In reviving it as a modern military award, the War Department intends to uphold its tra= ditional dignity. It will not be distributed promiscuously. Just as Gen. Washington’s board of awards made careful inquiry into the “pretensions of candidates” for the decoration; so the existing board of awards of the geneéral stafl will exercise great care in examining into the qualifications of men recommended for the honeor. - The Purple Heart, it is expected, will by & worthy substitute for decorations heretofore awarded, but which no longer may be given to new candidates from the ranks of World War veterans. “Laye Late” and “Woke Betimes” — By 27 1l/ Rogers USED TO WRITE a good deal about 8 Pepys. One was “Laye late,” and the other was “Woke betimes.” Well I am going to do some of that “Lay lating” and “Woke betimes.” IWH.LSTARTonmyMpwtfmmcm- fornia a couple of weeks ago. The night In fact, I didn't lay hardly at all. I had to catch an aeroplane that was leaving away over in Burbank, Cal. (That’s not Burbank's home, Its Jim Jefiries) and I was away out at my little ranch at Santa Monica, It was leaving aroand Five oclock and you cant do much “Laying Jate” and make that kind of a getaway. My Oldest Son Bill to me, and that meant I had to get up wup. Well, anyhow betimes because I had two the job, and they both went off early. Well 330 A M B diary. Should and got pretty near through # single car. Hollywood is so wild that The Humorist Decides to Pay Closer Attention to Old-Time Writers in Relating His Thrilling Adventures. ing when I am on Plane, or getting on one. I am mighty easy to get sick. Its a big three, Wasp Motored Fokker Plane, Its still dark when I tell the Kid goodbye, and to take good care of my Ponies, and to stay off em, and only play his own. Burbank and Glendale look mighty sparkling like from the early dawn, then out over Los Angeles. Its spread out, well you have to look at it by lights to see how far it is spread out. Then we hit for out over Pomona, and on over through the mountain pass at Banning and the fashionable Palm Springs. Then nothing to see till we hit Phoenix, or near Phoenix where the Irrigation lads start in. Those thousands of flat squares are beautiful from the air. At Phoenix was met by a band of citizens that wanted me to stay over or come back to a big affair where they were going to have 17 rail road presidents at the Fruit Shippers Con- vention, and they was going to have a Golf Game between the seventeen and seventeen vice Presidents were to Caddy for them. That would be nothing new, they have been carrying the Bag for em all the time. But it give Vice Presidents & chance to do something. Then the rest of the Audience was composed of other Vice Presidents. But they did plan on having Corn Sugar Ruling. ‘HE recent ruling of Secretary of Agriculture Hyde that the presence of corn sugar In canned goods as the sweetening agent neeed no longer be specified on the label brings out strikingly the strides which have been made in its manufacture. conservative 5,000,000 bushels ann maximum of 100,000,000 Bushels.’ a great time and I hear they had it. They give me a big box of the finest dates I ever ate, (Smuggled over from California I bet.). Then on down over Tombstone, Ariz., and the next gas stop was Tucson. Another Delegation had some kind of a “Racket” they wanted me ta stop over and enter into. No it was Douglas where this bunch was, It was on the Mexican line. - I wouldent have minded stopping there, Then on to El Paso, had Lunch, changed Pilots, got there sbout 1.30 P M about three ;l‘ay.u ride on the train, then started across €Xas. OW you have started something. Oh Yes I am Jeaving out some of these “Woks Betimes.” I slept all the rest of the way. late” at Big Springs and like to not “Woke times” to see another Deligation, that wanted to draw my attention to a 15 story brick hotel that I would pass over as we passed over the town on leaving. Newspaper man there, and he got everything wrong but the name of the Town and misspelled it. Then to Abiline (Bweet Abiline, My Abiline, in all my dreams). I haven't sung that song since 1920. There I woke betimes and Amon G. Carter had a special Plane to meet me to take me to Pt Worth. For he dident want nice nice Eriitae sf