4
THJi.SU.NDAl- Oii.fctiO;NlA, PO!MLAMJ, 3IAKC11 13, iiUO.
Serjeant
MSB
BY RICHARD SPILLANE.
NTO the history of every, nation there
Is -woven the etory of some one sol
dier of low rank -whose valor and
. -whose patriotism have, thrilled the souls
of men. France, with Its glorious La
tour, undoubtedly leads the world. Ahun
'..dred poets have sung and as many biog
; raphers have written of his deeds, but
-. time does not wither nor oft telling- stale
the beauty of the tale. Centuries hence
Its appeal will be as strong as It Is to
:' day for It has for Its essence three ele
ments heroism, simplicity and love of
country without which life would be bar
? ren and governments could not endure.
A generous, kindly spirit was Latour
fl'Auvergne. The blood of one of tha
greatest nobles of France flowed In his
veins, but never did he show envy or
malice because the bar sinister robbed
him of title or empty honors. Of a war
rior race, he proved himself the warrior
, supreme. He was nearly 60 years old
when France entered upon that period
or blood and struggle almost without
parallel In the history of the -world. To
him country meant more than King. In
the army of the Alps, in the days of tha
Directory, he fought as grenadier. Col
umns might bo shattered, Generals might
make mistakes, but Latour and his gren
tdlers never wore known to fail. With
Word or bayonet he led his men. No
task was too desperate, no charge ' too
hazardous for him. Soon the army rang
with stories of his bravery. He was the
first to enter Chambery, sword in hand.
, In battle he was all that was gallant.
In victory he was all that was magnani
.. mous, tender and humane. He lived a
life of Spartan simplicity. No soldier
could go hungry while he had a crust of
broad: no wounded enemy uncovered
while he had a blankot he could call his
own. Promotion was offered to him a
Limes, out every time he declined.
He wonld be a captain nothing more.
Dead on trie Field of Honor.
His example was an inspiration to the
loldiers of France. Men craved to serve
under the banner of Latour. The grena
dier developed Into the flower of the
army. When he was cent to the Pyr
enees he commanded 8000 men, but still
he wore the uniform of a captain. So
great a dread did the enemy have of
the bayonets of Latour"s Grenadiers that
the corps got the name of the "infernal
column."
- From the army of the Pyrenees Napo
leon sent him to the army of the Rhine,
and. unable to get him to accept regular
promotion, gave to him the title of -The
First Grenadier of France." A wonderful
leader he proved himself time and time
again, but at Oberhausen, In Bavaria, on
June 27. 1800. in the hour of victory, he
was killed. Never to simple soldier was
shown greater honor than to Latour
dAuvergne. The whole army of France
mourned for him three days, and every
soldier set aside one day's pay to buy a
golden urn to hold his noble heart. His
Bword was sent to the Church of the In
valides to be treasured as one of the
priceless glories of France, and then by
order of Napoleon, who knew how to do
things well, there was Inaugurated a cus
tom that continued to the close of the
empire.. At the muster roll of his regi
ment each morning the name of Latour
was called and the oldest . sergeant
stepped forward and answered: "Mort au
champ d'honneur" (Dead on the field of
honor).
America had Its prototype of Latour
1 Auvergne in William Jasper. The
same chivalrous spirit, the same rugged
simplicity, the same magnificent brav
ery that Latour displayed characterized
Sergeant Jasper. What does it matter
if the American soldier appeared upon
a smaller stage and before a smaller
-fcudienco? What does It matter if he
neither could read nor write? Valor
patriotism and modesty are qualities
of the heart. What does it matter that
the place of his- birth is in doubt and
that his grave Is unmarked? His fame
Is none the less secure.
Out of obscurity William Jasper lift
ed himself on the 28th of June in that
vivid year of 1776. A British fleet was
attacking Charleston, S. C. It was the
first big engagement of theRevolution
ary War. To dispute the passage o
the British ships the Americans had
constructed a fort on Sullivan Island.
The fort was a crude affair of palmetto
logs and sand bags, and only the front
of it was completed. On Long Island,
just below Sullivan Island, the British
had landed a large force of troops,
commanded by Sir Henry Clinton,
which were to cross to Sullivan Island
and attack the fort on the side and
rear. To oppose Clinton 400 or 500
Americans, mostly picked riflemen, un
der Colonel Thompson and General
Muhlenberg, were stationed at the east
end of Sullivan Island.
If Clinton's force effected a landing
the fort was doomed. If the British
chips passed the fort and took a posi
tion off the western end of Sullivan
Island the ships would be out of danger
and the garrison would be helpless, for
the fort was open on that side.
Only Moultrie Knew.
General Charles Lee, who had been
sent by Washington to command the
troops defending the southern seaboard,
thought it folly to expose the men in
the fort to the fire of the British ships.
He believed the cannon balls of the
"warships would make 6hort work of
the rude defenses and he feared the
whole garrison would be slaughtered
or captured if the ships passed the
fort. Colonel William Moultrie, who
was in charge of the fort, did not have
Lee's military experience, but he knew
more about the resisting force of sand
and palmetto, and he also had no end
of faith in the fighting qualities of
the men with him. The ships of the
British were of the best of the time.
They threw a weight of metal suffi
cient to crumble any ordinary fort. The
troops under Clinton were British regu
lars classed as the best fighting men
of the world. . The American fort, hast
ily put up, only half finished and de
fended by men whose experience in
warfare was confined principally to
Indian warfare, seemed but a scant
shield for the city. There was some
hope that the marksmen under Thomp
son and Muhlenberg might hold Clin
ton's men back for a time, but this was
a hope only.
On balcony, on roof and in church
steeple the people of Charleston gath
ered to witness so much of the contest
as they could. Above Fort Sullivan
they could see the new South Carolina
flag of Independence. It had a blue
body and in an upper corner was a
crescent. The Stars and Stripes had
not come into service at that time. So
long as the people could see the flag
on Fort Sullivan Charleston was safe.
With beating hearts the watchers
saw the stately warships form in line
of battle and move upon the fort. The
Active, Bristol, Experiment and- Sole
bay led. Then came the Actaeon.
Sphinx. Syren, Thunderbomb, Ranger
and Friendship. They saw the flag
ship of the commodore. Sir Peter Par
ker, come abreast of the fort, and
then It seemed In an instant as if fort
and ships were turned into volcanos.
Flashes and roars, thunderous crashes
and great volumes of smoke followed
each other at Intervals of only a few
seconds. Soon the smoke obscured
most of the view and they could see
nly- tha FlaiBof ln.rtxnndeiic and th.
topmasts of the warships. How the
tide or battle went they could not telh
but they watched the flag. Hour after
hour they heard the thunder of the
guns. So long as It lasted the "city
was safe, but they relied more on the
flag above the fort. Once in a while
a cloud of smoke would hide it from
view, but not for long.
Higher and higher rose the spirits
of the watchers as the hours passed.
Suddenly at the height of their joy the
flag went down. From housetop and
belfry went forth the cry that the fort
had fallen. It was taken up and car
ried throughout the city. A sort of
panic possessed many of- the people.
The thing they feared and expected
had happened and now that it had
come to pass they were at a loss what
to do. Some made hasty preparations
to leave the city. Others ran about
aimlessly. To those who were alarmed
the fact that the thunder of the guns
continued increased their fright at
first, but then perplexed them. Why
was the cannonading kept up If the
fort had surrendered? Were the
British so merciless as to continue the
slaughter? Then there came the sug
gestion that maybe tha fort had not
surrendered; maybe the fight still was
on. While they were In doubt there
came first from one steeple and then
another a cheer that told its own
story, a cheer that brought joy to the
hearts of many who had been In -despair.
The Flag of Independence was
floating once more above the fort.
It was not until late that night, for
the battle lasted until nearly 9 o'clock,
that they heard the story of how the
flagstaff, which had been the mast of
a schooner, had been struck by a can
non ball and riven. The flag itself had
fallen outside the fort. Working one
of the guns along with Marion and his
men was Sergeant Jasper. He had
been one of the first to volunteer when.
there was a call to arms. He was only
26.
As the flag fell he looked dlsmaped.
He had been one of those to raise it
that morning. Then the look of dis
may faded and one of resolution took
its place. The Are of the British was
incessant. A hail of shot was passing
over striking the fort. " That mattered
little to Jasper. He leaped on the para
pet and walked nearly its whole
length before he reached the spot
where the flag had fallen. Picking
up the standard he fastened It to a
sponge staff and then set the staff
firmly upon a bastion. The flag wav
ing once more, he jumped within the
fort. That was all.
Walking into the jaws of "death to
save the flag was not the whole serv
ice Jasper rendered. Above all other
things, his service was in typifying at
that moment the spirit of the Ameri
can people. Such an act at such a
time and under such conditions means
more than any ordinary deed of valor.
The Vanquished Fleet.
It was a wonderful story the people
of Charleston got piecemeal that night.
The ,Britlsh fleet that had advanced so
proudly to blow the crude fort off the
face of the earth had retired shattered
and beaten. The Commodore was
wounded, Captain Morris of the British
was mortally wounded., 40 -dead- and 70
wounded, was the story of the flagship.
With the Experiment the tale was as
bad, almost, for 23 dead and 76 wound
ed was the tally. With the other ves
sels the casualties were light compare
atively, but all suffered. Three that
tried to get past the fort to sweep it
from the west grounded on a shoal, and
one of the three, the ' Actaeon, was
burned by the British to save it from
capture.
And General Clinton, with Lord Corn
wallis and his troops, fared almost as
badly. The sharpshooters -t the east
ern end of tne island had waited pa
tiently until the flatbpats bearing the
British regulars got well within range
and then opened fire. 'Twas useless to
attempt a landing under such a fusil
lade. Several times the British at
tempted it. Each time they were driven
back. Finding It was but a -useless
slaughter, Clinton gave It up.
Sad indeed was the procession that
left Charleston harbor the day after
the battle. Of the fleet scarcely a ves
sel but was injured. Of the army which
was to overrun the Southern colonies,
it had been defeated, if not disgraced,
by volunteers. And of Moultrie's men
only 10 were killed and 22 wounded.
More than a thousand shot were picked
up about the fort. Hundreds of shells
that came Into the fort fell into a moat
in the middle of the works, the water
of which extinguished the fuses be
fore the fire reached the powder. The
palmetto logs had proved admirable
for defense. The cannon balis sank
into their soft, spongy pulp and re
mained there. They sent out no splin
ters, either.
Like Latour.
As the vanquished flett sailed away
and all Charleston rejoiced, poor Jas
per and some others among the de
fenders found it more difficult to face
a grateful people than a hostile foe.
To Jasper the Governor of the State,
John Rutledge, afterward Chief Jus
tice of the United States, presented his
handsome sword and thanked him in
the name of his. country. A Lieuten
ant's commission, too, was offered to
him. Neither sword nor commission
would he take. "I am but a Sergeant."
he declared. "I am not fit to keep of
ficers' company."
Sergeant he was and sergeant he would
remain. No argument could alter his de
termination. To keep him busy and give
ample opportunity to him to exercise his
keen wits a roving commission was given
to him. As there was more activity in
Georgia than about Charleston, he went
there, and many are the exploits with
which he Is credited by tradition. As hu
mane as be was brave, it is said he never
injured an enemy unnecessarily, but a
story of distress or of wrong -would stir
him to great emotion. One of the best
stories about his doings while an Inde
pendent rover Is connected with a tale of
distress. The British had a camp at Eb
enezer, Ga.. and had taken a prisoner
named Jones there preparatory to send
ing him to 6avannah for trial. Jones had
been a loyalist and then had turned Con
tinental, a capital crime In the eyes of
the British. The night of the capture
Jones' wife sent word to Jasper, begging
him to save her husband's life. When
the message reached Jasper he had only
one companion. Sergeant Newton. He
knew Jones and such other prisoners as
were sent to Savannah would be under
heavy guard, but he and Newton started
at once. Savannah was In possession of
the British. A few miles out from the
city on the road from Ebenezer there was
a spring at which Jasper knew the guard
and the prisoners would halt. For this
point Jasper and Newton made all speed.
Once there they hid In the bushes.
As they expected, the guard and the
prisoners stopped to slake their thirst and
rest. Eight men made up the guard. Two
of the eight remained with the prisoners
while the other six stacked their muskets
against a tree and proceeded to drink.
Waiting for what they considered the op
portune moment, Jasper and Newton
crept out from the thicket, seized two of
the muskets and shot the two guards
who had been left with the prisoners.
Then they overawed the other six, who
were at the spring.
The prisoners, who were In irons, soon
were freed by Jasper, the guns of the
former guards were put Into their hands,
and from the spring near Savannah the
men who had been the prisoners mardhed
their former guards to the American
camp at Jurysville.
It reads like a romance, ' but It is not
The Bpring Is known today as Jasper's
Spring.
Savannah.
Up and down through Georgia ho
roamed, battling with loyalist or Briton,
fighting the good fight as best he knew,
until what seemed to all to be the great
occasion arose when in October, 1779,
French and Americans combined to wrest
Savannah from the British. For two
years the city had been In possession of
the enemy, and now a French fleet, act
ing in conjunction with General Lincoln's
force, had the British bottled up. The ar
rival of the French fleet had been a sur
prise to the- British, who were 111 pre
pared for serious attack. Had Count
d'Estaing, who commanded the French,
more skill In warfare and less In letter
writing, he could have forced, the British
to surrender. But he wasted most valu
able time. Ho wrote pompous and grand
iloquent manifestoes .to General Prevost,
which the Briti-sh General read carefully,
digested at his leisure and did not an
swer until the last minute, and then in a
spirit to bring another communication
from the Count.
Of course the Count wrote again, for he
dearly loved to use his pen an tell of
his achievements and predict what he was
going to do when he started the works
once more, but while the Count wrote the
British general worked. Whereas the de
fenses of Savannah had only 20 or 30
guns when the French fleet arrived, they
had 100 or more when Count d'Estaing
thought it time to quit writing and begin
fighting. The city, from one that would
have fallen before a well-directed attack,
had been transformed into one that gave
every advantage to the defenders.
The assault was made on October 9 and
the main storming party was directed
against a redoubt on Spring HilL This
storming party was commanded by D'Es
taing in person, assisted by General Lin
coln. Fog and darkness permitted the
allies to get too close to the redoubt be
fore they were discovered, but aa daylight
dawned they were subjected to a frightful
fire." Their ranks were decimated and the
whole force thrown into confusion.
. Twice the allies reached the parapet
and planted1 their standards there. One
of the banners was the Lily of France:
the other was the blue and crescent flag
of Independence which Mrs. Elliott had
given to Moultrie's regiment three days
after the battle of Charleston, and which
Moultrie and all his men- had sworn to
defend to the end. The French standard
had been raised" by one of D'Estaing's
aids, and as he raised it he fell, pierced
by a musket ball. The flag of the Sec
ond Carolina Regiment had been planted
by Lieutenants Hume and Bush. They,
too, fell mortally wounded. The banner
drooped and fell, and Lieutenant Gray,
who next took It upon himself to raise
It, met a like fate.
Savins the Banner.
Few officers of the Carolina regiment
were left. The attack had failed, but the
banner of blue with the liberty crescent
was not to trail in the dust. When Gray
fell, Jasper, who had been sorely wound
ed early in the action, struggled through
the ditch, up the parapet and replaced the
flag where -It had been planted by Lieu
tenant Bush. To touch that flag seemed
to mean death that day, for no sooner
had Jasper set it on the parapet than he
received a second and this time a fatal
wound.
Sutfiering the most agonizing pain from
this econd wound, Jasper held his ban
ner steady for a time, and then, realizing
that It would) fall into the enemy's hands
If it remained there, he summoned all
his waning strength and carried the flag
back to his company. .
"I have got my furlough," ho mur
mured as he was carried dying from the
field.
The banner he died dn saving was cap
New Y
Novel Architectural Scheme in
In Fifth
IN THE new ' Fifth-avenue Baptist
Church, or "Rockefeller's Church," as
It is generally known. New York is
to have a modern skyscraper edifice,
which preserves the spirit of church ar
chitecture. A "peculiar problem confronts
the architect of the modern city church.
In order to economize land, or prevent a
church from being dwarfed among high
buildings, an architect must build up
ward, much as in the case of office build
ings or hotels. The varied activities of
the up-to-date church, again, demand
greatly increased floor space and a mul
4 jrr
4
i i
NEW -V.OClijeiXXX.V liUliICK OX Ill-H AVEXTE.
tured later, in Charleston, when that city
surrendered to the British, and now is
one of the war trophies to be seen in the
British Museum.
Sergeant he was in his first battle and
sergeant he was in his last. Like Latour,
greater honor was shown to him titan to
many a general officer. In the city of
Savannah there is a noble monument per
the New
Avenue.
'Rockefeller" Edifice
tiplication of offices and halls, all of
which must be combined under a single
roof, without, of course, losing the gen
eral spirit of ecclesiastical architecture.
The new; Fifth-avenue "Rockefeller"
Church will occup the site of the present
edifice on the south side of Forty-sixth
street, west of Fifth avenue. The lot Is
100 feet square, a very restricted area for
so Important an edifice. The architect,
W. B. Bosworth, has succeeded so well
In arranging Its proportions, however,
and in breaking up the facade, that tha
height is very deceptive. , The accom
panying Illustration pictures the church
ti&z svs.
petuating his deeds. He Is shown with
the banner held ahigh. There is a Jas
per square namod in his honor, and there
is a Jasper County to testify to the
State's regard.
But South Carolina, the land of his
birth, the state under whose flag he
fought and saving whose colors he died,
has done little In remembrance of her
as it will appear from the top of a Fifth
avenue bus.
The Forty-sixth-street front will be car
ried out In a light stone, with two shades
of marble. The feature of the facade will
be a large gable with rows of arches rest
ing on a series of slender columns. Three
large arched windows will light the main
auditorium. The slender columns carry
the eye from base to the decorations at
the upper roof line, and deceive one as to
the actual height of the building. The
building is In the Italian style of archi
tecture in vogue in Pisa in the tenth cen
tury. The churcn will cost $500,000.
The main auditorium will occupy
practically the entire first- floor and
will have a ceiling nearly seventy feet
In height. Above this in turn will be
three floors, while the roof will be
utilized as a Summer garden and play
ground. The upper floors will be
reached by electric elevators at the
front of the building. Beneath the
main auditorium there will be a base
ment and under this a sub-basement
for the machinery used for heating,
lighting, ventilating, and operating
the elevators.
The method of ventilating the new
church is unique. Fresh air, heated
to the proper temperature, will be
forced through openings in the celling,
while the vitiated air will be drawn
.down under the seats. This is a re
versal of the methods followed in some
halls and theaters of forcing the
heated air upward from under the
seat. It is believed that the great au
ditorium will thus be rendered entire
ly free from draughts. One of the
novelties of the -furniture of the audi
torium will be the special acoustic ap
paratus in the seats for the use of the
deaf.
Above the ceiling of the church prop
er will be found the school floor, arid
above this in turn the classroom floor
and the church social floor. A com
plete flat for the use of the janitor
will be located on the top floor. The
arrangement of the various floors has
been worked out in great detail. In
the auditorium section there will be
a pastor's study, an usher's room and
the choir, and organ loft, with other
retiring rooms.
The' floor above, to be known as
the classroom floor, will have a large
room especially equipped for the young
men's Bible class. This will connect
directly with a large parlor, so that
practically the entire floor may be
thrown into one room. The serving
room on the floor above will be one of
the most novel features of the church.
The equipment makes it possible to
servo dinner to 200 persons in this
room. A library and a room for the
trustees of the church will be located
on .the mezanine floor above.
The upper floors of the new church
suggest a modern office building. The
Immense activity of this church, its
charitable work, and business Interest
will require a surprising number of
offices and assembly rooms of all
kinds. The electric elevators will be
in use every day and all day. A spe
cial telephone central will be required
to attend to the several branch wires
running throughout the building. Jt
Is prophesied by some" that New York,
with its ever increasing population,
will be forced to resort to skyscraper
churches, as it has come to adopt sky
scraper office buildings and hotels,
and that the Fifth Avenue Baptist
Church Is a type of the New York
church of the future. I
As the Whalers View It.
New Bedford (Mass.) Mercury.
The faction which is endeavoring to
discredit Dr. Cook's achievement, falls
(back on his lack of elaborate equipment
for a long Arctic sledge Journey. This
will make the Arctic whalemen smile
when they read how Captain George Fred
Tilton walked 2000 miles from Point Bar
row to civilization with little equipment
beyond a few dogs, a sledge and a pock
etful of hard bread. The dogs died, and
the food was soon exhausted, but Tilton
trudged on week after, week through the
Arctic-Winter,, with. an.uverasa of, &JinXrian-Rhapsodi;.',J..
gallant, though humble son. .Maybe torn
day she will. Maybe some day the Second
Carolina will take a leaf out of the book
of Napoleon. Maybe at the muster roll
of the regiment the name of Jasper will
be called and the oldest sergeant in tha
service will step forward and answer,
"Dead on the Field of Honor."
(Copyright. 1910, by Richard Spillans.)
gle frozen fish a day for food. When
the whalemen think of the boat-steerer
who traveled alone over the ice pack
400 or 600 miles from Herschel Island to
Point 'Barrow, likewise In the cold and
darkness of the Arctic Winter, they will
laugh again at the necessity for elab
orate equipment for Arctlo traveling.
And there was Hoxie, who ran away
from a ship within the Arctic circle and
walked to Winnipeg, also in the Winter,
without supplies of any sort. If the
whalemen can do these things, it is not
strange that a professional explorer
should be able to turn the trick.
Waste of American Life.
New York World.
The conference at Atlanta for the erad
ication of the hookworm disease Is inter
esting as an example of the organized
methods which are now-a-days employed
to resist and reduce disease. Within re
cent memory the ravages of the hook
worm parasite were so lightly regarded
and the nature of the disease- so little
understood that it was the subject more
of questionable humor than of serious
Investigation. Today all the resources of
medical science, in conjunction with pub
lic and philanthropic aid, are brought to
bear to combat the disease, which is now
recognized as a cause of mental and phy
sical degeneracy.
How much has been accomplished by
organized effort toward th reduction of
disease and how much remains to be done
were shown by Fa. E. Rlttenhouse. presi
dent of the Provident Savings Life As
surance Society, In his address at the
conference. The death rate of tubercu
losis has been reduced 49 per cent since
1S80 and $8,000,000 is now spent annually
to fight that disease. Yet 130.000 Ameri
can people die from it every year.
The death rate for typhoid fever as- the
result of better sanitation has declined
44 per, cent in the same period. Yet the
disease still claims 22.000 victims an
nually. The diphtheria death rate has
been reduced 80 per cent. Yet the dis
ease causes 20.000 deaths a year. As
against this fa-orable exhibit of the re
sults of preventive medicine the mortal
ity from the degenerative diseases of the
heart, kidneys, arteries and brain has
largely Increased during the last quarter
of a century.
Influence of Environ incut.
Lippincott's.
The parrot which belonged to the
rich malefactor sat In its gilded cage,
contemplating a price-mark which had
not yet been removed. Presently the
magnate approached, and the bird
looked at him. The magnate had been
on the witness-stand that day in an
Important case, and was feeling rather
elated over his successful testimony.
"Hello, Polly," he greeted the bird.
sticking his finger through the bars.
'Hello, ' responded the parrot, ignor
ing the finger.
Does Polly want a cracker?"
The bird cocked its head to one side
Inquiringly. The .magnate laughed at
its manner. Possibly the bird had not
quite understood the question.
Does Polly want a cracker?" he re
peated.
The bird still looked at him with
slanted vision, but made no reply.
"Oho," he laughed. "You re not hun
gry. Have you had your dinner?"
"I don't remember,'" croaked the bird.
and the magnate ordered the butler to
remove it from the premises forthwith.
A Barber Musician.
Puck.
The village cornetist, who made his
living as a barber, was massaging a
patron's face.
"That's a peculiar way of massaging
the nose." remarked the man in the
chair. "Some New York method?"
"That? Oh, no. I was just practis
ing the finsrerin'r of tbB sr.rnnH 1 T.i a