The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-07-03

of fortune and make the attempt. COM
municated my plan to Col. Stanton, the
commanding officer ofthis post. and reques-
ted his permission to put it in execution. He
very readily gave me liberty to go and at
tack the enemy when and where ] pleased.
l then selected several officers in whose a.
bilities aud secresy, from a personal ac.
quaintance, l could colfide. then asked
them if they were willing to go on an enter
prise, bur when, and for what particular en-
terprise, could not then inform them
they all consented to go. The names of
the officers are as follows :-Ebenezer Ad-
ans, Captain of Artillery (; Samuel Philips,
Captain james Potter, Lieut.. Joshua
Bahcock, Lieut.; Andrew Stanton, Ensign;
and John Wilcocks. The next step to be
taken was to procure boats, which was at
tended with some difficulty, as there was
but two at our post however, in two or
three days we obtained five whale boats,
and had them fitted in the best possible mau-
ner.
Having obtained the men and all things
in readiness, we embarked on the 4ih of
July with an intention to proceed to Bristol.
After we got into Mount Hope Bay, there
came on heavy storm Of thunder and rain,
by which | lost sight of all the boats but
one; the two boats which were not separa-
ted, passed on with all speed, and landed at
Bristol at 10 o'clock at night, being the
9th. l went to the commanding officers
quarters, where there was a deserter who
had just made his escape from Rhode-Is-
and, taking him into private room, Iques-
TONED him concerning the enemy's position,
whether there had been any alteration in the
British encampment within a few days; he
said there had not, then asked him where |
the commander-in chief quartered; he very
much surprised me when he answered in
the town of Newport l asked him if ever
he went with such a guard as Sergeant
and ten men TO the West part of the Islrnd
he told me he had not. again asked him
if he knew of such a guard being detached
from the grand parade every morning at
eight o'clock, he said he did. was now
very well convinced that part of what he
said arose from his ignorance ofthe quarters.
AT eight o'clock the other boats joined US;
| then took the officers with me on a small
Island called Hog Isand, in plain sight of
the British encampment and shipping, where
after we had viewed them some time with
glass, thus addressed them: Gentlemen,
the enterprise which have projected, and
which want your assistance to execute is
this to 60 on to the Island of Rhode-Is-
land, surprise General Prescott at his own
quarters, and bring him prisoner to the
main. - The officers who knew nothing OF
my intention, seemed somewhat surprised.
gave them all the intelligence which had
| been obtained, the situation of The house
where the General quartered-the part each
must act-and in short every particular of
the projected enterprise; the officers then
very readily consented to what proposed.
After giving them the most solemn charge
not to communicate TO any one the least
hint of our enterprise, we returned to Bris-
tol, where we stayed till the sixth, at night,
when about o'clock p. M. we embarked,
and crossed Narragansett Bay, landed on
Warwick Neck, from whence we meant to
to take our departure for the Island. On
the seventh the wind came into the ENE, |
which brought on a storm, and retarded the
execution of the plan. On the eighth the
weather was fair, but there were several
new obstacles which bindered our going.
The next day being the 9th the weather
was promising, every thing appeared to in
vite US to the enterprise. The boats we're
now numbered and every ole assigned his
boat and seat; to every boat there was one
commissioned officer, besides one with me-
I directed the commanding officer Of the
post at the shore to keep good look out,
and if he should hear three distinct muskets,
to come on to the North end of Prudence to
take us off, for we had reason to fear that
the men-of-war would send out their boats
and cut US off from the main. We were
now come to our boats, that went in was
posted in the front, with pole about 10
feet long, and an handkerchief tied to the
end, so that my boat nigh, be known from
The others, and that none might 60 before
it. We wen, between the Islands of Pru-
dence and Patience, in order that the ship
ping tha, lsysgainst Hope Island might not
discover us. We rowed under the West
side Of Prudence I'LL we came TO the South
end ~bep we heard the enemy on board