The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-11-11
SQUIRRELS.


by the grey and black squirrels. Whole
fields of corn, from five to ten acres, are
wholly destroyed; not an ear left. Dur
ing squirrel hunt of about a week in the
| neighboring towns about Columbus. the
first part of the month, nearly twenty
thousand were killed. Hundreds were
seen every day swimming the Great Mi
ami, Mad river, Scioto, and other streams.
Children from e to 10 years of age,would
wade into the shallow water before the
squirrels reached the shore and killed
them with sticks. Many of them are fat,
and line eating; many families live on
them. Little boys, and some men were
seen with from ten 10 thirty or forty on
their backs. They seemed to be almost
as destructive as the locusts formerly
were in Egypt; and had never been
known so numerous in this section of the
country. is supposed they swim to
ind mast, as nuts were scarce in that
quarter and then attack the cornhelds.-
They would probably occasion scarcity
in many places. However, corn and oats,
through most Of the country, was only
~ cents Fer bushel; and wheat by the
quantity. % TO S7a cents per bushel I;
butter and cheese from 6 to 10 cents Der
pound produce generally in the same
proportion. -
particulars ofthe engagement 6etzoeen
me brig Patriot and a firafe.
From the Louisiana Gazette, Sent. %.
The brig Patriot of New York, Horace
1. Jacobs master, sailed from Port. au .
Prince, for New Orleans on the Goth Au-
gust, and continued on her voyage unin
lerrupted until the 9TH Sept. AT abou,
pm. Ca dead calm) cape Antonio bear.
Ing w. 5. w. z or s miles, when we
discovered schooner at anchor, which
immediately got under way and stood to
wards us-observed her give gun to
leeward and tack to the southward,a lat so
observed her again bearing up for US,
Is sweeps. She was topsail schooner
OF about 60 tons, with a crew of from 45
TO 81 men. Captain Jacobs then tackled
TO the southwark aud eastward, and haul.
ed up the courses, land orderedpre paration
to be made for action, " hich was readily e
unanimously obeyed; the universally
good spirits with which all hands (consis
ling OF ten men and boy,} were truly
conspicuous. When the schooner was
close under the stern, captain Jacobs hail,
ed her, upon which she fired a whole vol.
ley OF musquetry into the brig, and we in
return commenced upon the schooner,
by firing the stern gun, which was under
the direction Of Mr.. Johnson, the chief
mate, which with the musketry, did erea,
execution amongst them. This gun was
however dismounted the third round and
our colours were shot away at the same
time upon which the schooner set I'D
terrible shout to board from the bowspri,
end. Her boarders were covered bv an
abundance Of musketry; but notwithstand
ing the vast superiority, they were very
gallantly repuIsed. She then set fire to
the brig astem, by throwing fired wads in
at the cabin windows and into the stern
boat, which was happily extinguished
without damage. She then made anoth-
er attempt to board, but was equally un
successful.
BY this time her fire considerably aba
ted, and we could perceive an aImos,
clear deck on board of her, and that she
manifested willingness to get clear Of us.
she asked for quarters repeatedly, blu, it
was suspected TO be trick and regarded
as such) 10 get sight of the people and
knock them off-She had much difficult
ty IN getting clear the big as her lib
boom and some Of her ropes forward had
got foul OF tho briggs david and the stern
boats bow Seven men could only be
counted on her with the glass when she
was half a mile of. The briggs rigging
and sails are very much cut uB' Cap
tain Jacobs was wounded in the head
by muSket ball and is supposed to have
fractured his skull flc died of lock.
jaw and violent convuIsive fits on the
night Of The 18th inst. He has left wife
who was on board in the action, to iamepi
his loss he had only been married liz.
tie more than three months.
Mr. Johnson the chief mate, to whom
reference has already been made, is the
only surviving UfFioer OF board the brig
and was wounded in the thigh by mus
ket ball. He is much 10 be praised for
ms good and Persevering conduct. MIR.
J. ID. Walker, Of New York, doing Cd
mates duty, was killed in the action.
The following persons comprising the
crew OF the said brig, TO wit Robert
Greenoh, Thomas Stanley, Robert Minis,
Henry Wilson, alias John Cotton, Henry
Brown, VIM. Brown, and Jerry Dedan,
are deserving Of every encouragement
Tor their intrepid conduct, against so un.
T.