Canton herald. (Canton, Miss.) 1837-1839, 1838-06-06

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8u living 90 happiness Of 81 afa
ahlabbtb felfnadbg Industry
eheaiha rl.aufCapilln iluHea tdhu
afterwards lrl 70 csc capture IT ihe
British hatiefIes8tfmf NeiRsJHiaei
Dis ilae, and solicited 'he hgfdy Zen.
furkians pf llwckrn county to enrol
themselves among lhc defenders of
their country 1oha wood was one
Uf tha number 10 suffered alI Inc
W,1ii1us to which the cmyalrlc army
el Che northwest Vus exposed, duflnt
hcds1slruua eaHpotfuW hlrhtcsmtrd
TT the drlcut Of Wmch5 Ter nc the
River Eal,In. ~ good fortune hr
escaped the tom1hnwk Of the savage
a.Ilcsoi Great Braln-aud was sent
aprisoucr Of war toQucbrc.
lie was next, with other American
prisoners. despatched in a transport
10 Plymouth, in England. From pIy.
mouth, accompanied by a crowd Of
fellow prisoners. hc was about 10 be
transferred to Dartmoor-thut well
remembered scene Of British cruelty
and BrltlshCoWardco-When he found
an opportunity to cmde his guards
and make his escape. lie wandered
through the country. stealing through
by-Ways, until he found himself at
Bristol. Hunger compelled him to
enter grocery, the head quarters Of
a British press gang. Here he was
pressed, and despite his protcstations
that he was a citizen of the United
States and fugitive prisoner of war,
facts which might have been easily
proven by reference to the military
authorities at Plymouth, he was bur.
ricd on board His Majcsty's. frigate
Sea Horse, then the flag ship of the
celebrated Sir Peter Parker, and com
PEELED to bear arms against his own
countrymea.
On board the Sea Horse were sew
eraI other Americans, who like Wood
had fallen victims to the British sys-
tenn Of impressment They deter
mined on desertion; and, when lying
in the port of st. Johns, succeeded in
securing beat, during an extremely
dark night, and Attempted to reach
the eastern coast ofthc state of Maine.
They were instantly pursued, and
were obliged to desert their boats, on
the shore Of New Brunswick, and seek
safety in the woods. After wander
ing about for two days, exhausted
with hunger, and cold, and fatigue,
they were apprehended by party of
British soldiers, and again transferred
to the Sea Horse. The punishment
that followed this act of desertion was
inflicted with all that ingenious refine
ment of cruelty for which the British
navy is so celebrated.
The Sea Horse, attached TO the
squadron under Admiral Cockburn.
was shortly afterwards ordered into
the Chesapeake, and took an active
part in the robbing, burning and muir
dering of the de(enceless inhabitants
of the coast. Mr.. Wood and the
impressed Americans were never per-
mitted to leave their vessel. He was
on board on the night when Sir Peter
Parker met his fate on shore. A few
days subsequent to this event, he in
company with seven other impressed
Americans, attempted an escape in
broad day light, by boldly jumping
into boat along side, and pulling
rapidly for the shore. One Of the
number was shot by the sentinel on
duty. The others reached the beach,
but were apprehended, Immediately
on landing, by a party of marauders
belonging to the Sea Horse.
BY order Of Admiral Cockburn they
were sent in irons to Nova Scotia,
where, after undergoing the formality
of mock trial, they were sentenced
to be shot. The sentence, however,
was eommuted to serrice for lie, in
his Brittanic Majesty's army in the
East Indies. They were accordingly
shipped to England, and thence with
a regiment of newly levied recruits,
despatched to Calcutta. For twenty
one years, Mr.. Wood served as a pri-
vate soldier in the East India service;
L., q, t,,t q,