Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-24

we should come 10 anchor III Inc ody |" oto.e'
tar. He was clumsy old fellow, and had 100
lishly taken hold Of some nine thread ra'iine
stuff, tina, was rove in The gangwuy, TO keep the
Young REFERS from falling overheard; but his
weigh, tore of the thin piece OF board to which
i, wa. attached, and down he fell into the waves.
The cry of man overheard! man over
board! was Immediately passed fore and af',
and great was the CONSERVATION of all hands, as,
looking over the buIwarks, they could but jus,
discern the poor old sailors gray head, already
far as,ern, & the sea rolling between, hall mast
high I, was lucky thing for Simmons that
Fred Gerard had the morning watch that day;
and it would have done his old heart good, near
" suffoc a,rd as he must have been, could he
have seen with what promptness his preserver
backed the yards, hove :he vessel 10, cleared a
way the stern boat, and, giving the trumpet to
another lieutenant, whom the cry had brought
on deck, jumped, himself, ,he first man. into he
Jolly boat, and pulled an oar most Justify to his
rescue.
But I am wan dering from my subject.
meant 10 speak IF the burial Of Gerard, and he
cause which lei 10 his death; not OF his nau,i-
cal skill aud noble promptness OF daring in
proper cause.
TIL short time before his death, there was
not, in all The squadron, gayer hearted and
happier fellow than Fred Gerard. He was a
tall. well bull man; and his countenance had
received from his exposure in different parts OF
the world, dark tinge, that rather added to,
than diminished, his beauty. A sabre cut over
the left eye, which had been given him in
personal recsn,re with a celebrated Wesi In
dia pirate, whom he had singly met and SUBJ
dued, impaired more military air to his cx'
preston, wirhou, importing the effect OF his
l. 4 f., r,,,a l. l.it
home on his last cruize -
"Ah! little thought he twas his Lat! A"
he had married beautiful girl, to whom h.
had been long aud frr'enlly aitach.d l. was
stolen match, and I, and our chaplai', who
united them, were the only ones on his cart,
privy TO il. How beautifully her dcIcete While
complexion contras,ed with his as hey Joiued
hands before our nautical parsou, who, by he
way, was more skilled in the MISERY Of lob
scOuse and sea pie, than in the ceremonies APP
pertaining 10 his clerical character. .iawever,
:he sacred rite was pronounced, thc inaudIGe
whisper OF assen, passed her trembling lips,
and the lovely Jane Dayton becam tie bride
OF Fred. He looked, alongside of The timid
and blushing creature, like 4 lofty and stately
frigate conveying Baltimore clipper; AID he
would have been fully as promDl and Efficient
as any If our frigates have ever been III sup
porting the dignity If the American Gag
Jus, before We left Gibraltar 10 run down the
Coat OF Africa, on our homeward bound pas.
sag, vessel arrived, bringing letters to most
OF the officers Of the squadron. Fred, among
Others, received a packet, which, as was always
his custom, he retired to his a,e.room 10 pc.
ruse. In Two Or three hours afier, when sup
per was prepared in the wardroom the steward
knocked at his door 10 Gull him, aud, mol re
ceiriug any answer, opened it-when there
poor Fred was seen, lying stretched on the
fror, which was crimson with his blood. In
his hand, tightly grasprd, was the letter he had
been p rusiDg. and glance al thi. imm- diaie-
" explained all His jane was dead She
had expired in giving Dir h TO child; and the
shock Of the intelligence had proved more than
Fred. could bear. He had END, avoured 10 sup>
press bi. agonY, SO as 10 give n" audible inli-
NATION Of Il, and in the struggle OF his feel
ings bloJdvessel had bee ONE ru2tured, and
he had sunk tanning on the deck. Medical
assistance was, OF course, Immediately admi.
mis-, er-d and il had the IF, 10 produce
partial r. storaion. F!e1's body recovered
but his mind never did lie was no more the
gay, cheerful fellow he had been; a h. avy de-
spondency se,'led on his spirits, which soon
look me form oil nasty consumption and IN
jus, two MN hs and three days after he receiv.
ed the intelligence Of his wies death, he breath.
ed his last.
The word had been passed, when the men
were tur0ed 10, at one hell in The forenoon
watch, fot all HANDS to prepare themselves for
muster, or, in other phrase. for the ships crew
to dress themselves in their hes, apparel; and
when the quarter master struck five bells, that
is, al half past ten o'clock, an order was sent
up from the cabin Tor The ooa'swam TO call ali
hands to bury the dead. Scarcely had The deep
sepulchral voices Of himself and mates reyer-
berated through the ship, before every soul on
board was on me main deck, gathered together
in compact e, CUP, JUS forward OF he main
mast, anxious TO show all The respect in their
power TO their deceased off, er. The chreks
Of many a',ugged tar that day wee wet wi b
drops of real so,rsw for the fate of poor Fred,
who was always the favori,e of the crew. in
whatever ship he sailed. The body wrapped
up in tarred hammock, and enclosed in a cof
I'm, which rho carpenter had hastily construct
ed, and over which an American ensign was
Al h. H., 4