The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-06-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the MassilliOn, (ohio) Gazette
RETURN Of THE CAPTIVE.

circumstance" about it, extremely captiva-
ting to the young and ardent, who have on
ly had an opportunity of seeing it in its
holiday dress. Could it always exhibit it
self in pageantry and parade, it would be
indeed a glorious if not a useful art; but
there is an under current Of misery in its
actions and results, never seen by the ro-
mantle, that strips from its adventurous
tinsel, and presents it naked, the fruitful pa
rent of pain and degradation. The victori-
GUS general, surrounded by his gaily deco
rated staff, with highly disciplined and
tasteful uniformed line of soldiers in his
front, presents very different aspect from
that which must have met the eye when
surveying the carnage on the eve of the
battle of Waterloo.
Our citizens yesterday morning were in
troduced TO the acquaintance of John Wood,
a man whose tale Of sorrow could not fail
of interesting the heart, however callous, or
however prone to incredulity. meagre
sketch can only be given now. The ample
history of his misfortunes may hereafter be
presented to the woodland, if given by a
master hand, will command the interest,
and enlist the sympathy of the public,
when the mawkish productions of fiction,
which now cumber our bookstores and in
suit our taste, shall have become despised
and forgotten.
In the war of 1912, John Wood, now
fifty years old, was young and industrious
farmer in Bracklen county, Kentucky. He
was the husband of young and interesting
woman, and the father of two infant chill
dren. He was living in happiness on a
farm, which he had earned by his industry,
when the gallant Captain Butler, (who af-
forwards fell at the capture of the British
batteries at Fort Meigs) raised his flag, and
solicited the hardy Kentuckians of Bracken
county, to enroll themselves among the de-
tenders of their country. John Wood was
one of the number. He suffered all the
privations to which the chivalric army of
the north west was exposed, during the
disastrous campaign which resulted in the
defeat of Winchester at the River Raisin.
By good fortune he escaped the tomakawk
Of the savage allies of Great Britain, and
was sent prisoner of war to Quebec. He
was next, with other American prisoners,
despatched in a transport to Plymouth, in
England. From Plymouth; accompanied
by crowd of fellow prisoners, he was a.
bout to be transferred to Dartmoor-that
we'll remembered scene of British cruelty
and British cowardice-when he found an
opportunity to elude his guards and make
his escape. He wandered through the
country, stealing through byways, until he
found himself at Bristol Hunger compel
led him to enter grocery, the head quar-
tiers of British press gang. Here he was
pressed, and despite his protestations that
he was 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
hurried on board His Magesty's frigate
Sea Horse, then the flag ship of the cele-
brated Sir Peter Parker, and compelled to
bear arms against his own counrymen.
On board the Sea Horse were several
other Americans, who, like Wood, had fall
len victims to the Bhritish system ofimpress-
ment. They determined on desertion; and
when laying in the Port of ST. Johns, they
succeeded in securing boat, during an ex-
tremely dark night, and attempted to reach
the eastern shore of the state of Maine.
They were instantly pursued, and were
obliged to desert their boat, on the shore of
New Brunswick, and seek safety in the
woods. After wandering about for two
days, exhausted with cold and hunger, and
fatigue, they were apprehended by party