The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-11-03

.~I 81
i. "Many incidents occurred during til
heat of this rapid and vigorous aciioi
which are well worthy Of notice. Cap
tain Barney, in order thai HE might th'
better see all that was going on and regu
late his movements accordingly, remain
ed Standing upon the .binnacle during llit
whole action, in The most exposed poin
of his quarter deck, particularly to the
fire of the musketry from lhe enemTs tops.
On one occasional ballfpassed through his
hat, just grazing The crown of his head;
another tore off a part of The skirt of bis
coat; seeing himself thus tie aim of /! e
smaIl-arms, he called to Mr. scul, h $
marine officer, (whose men were all Bucks
county riRcmem-who had never before
been on board IA sllip.) and ordered .hinbto
direct his iire into The top from which, he
was 50 much annoyed; The order was
promptly executed, and with such good
aim that every shot brought down its man.:
A few minutes after this one of these
brave fellows, who was much better ac.
quainled with the use Of his rife than with
the ruies of subor,linatinn, called 4oul TO
Captain Barney, with a. a.coolness of tone
and familiarity of manner that epinced
anything but intended disrcspecl:-'Cap-.
lain! do yon see thai fellow. with The lpRite
hat" and firing as he s2okc, Captain
Barney saw the poor fellow wilhihe white
hal' make a spring at least three feet from
the deck, and fall To rise no more. Cap
tainn continued the narksman, that's
the third felLoD Pve made. hop!' It's d
fact, highly in1icanve of the
deliberate GOODNESS Of these Bucks Coun-.
ty men, that every man Of the enemy who
was Killed by the small arms, was found
to have been shot in the head or breast
SO true and deadly was their aim. While.
Captain Barney continued stlading on The
binuacle, he observed one Of his officers,
with the cook SAKE in his hand, IN the very
act of raising it to cleave the head of one
Of his own men, who had deserted his gun.
aud sEuked behind the main.mast;, at lb;s
instant round shot from the enemy struck
the binnacle from under. his feet and he
fell upon the deck; the officer, seeing his
captain fall, and naturally suppusing tlIat
he was. wouGded,, threw down the axe and
ran TO his assistance. but by the time he
reached tho spot Capt. Barney had recov-,
cred his feet, unhurt, and the off Ger very
deliberately picked up the axe again to
execute his purpo:e e upon the head of the
coward: he found him now fighting as bold
aud fearIessly as the brayest of, the crew!
joseph Bedford. brother Of Captain Bar
ney's wife, was a.volunleer in the Hydcr-
Ally, and behaved with great gallaniry; he
was stationed in the main top, and recciY-
ed severe would in the groin, The affect
of which he never, entirely recovered; but
ii is worthy ofremark, as anextraordinary
circumstance, that he did not feel his
wound, or know lha! he was hurt, until he
had descended from the top, upon deck,
after the action was over; hesthen fell, ex-
hausted frcm the loss Of blood, and was
carried below
"I'he action was so vigorously rapid
and short, and its result 50 little expected
on the part of the adversary, that he had
either not lime, or not sufficient presence
of mind to think ofdcstroying his book of
signals; an, oversig hl of which Capt. Bar
ney awaited himself; and it was probably
owing to this circumstance thatlhe frigale
(the Quebec so soon discontinued The
chase and anchored. Immediately after
the aclion, he ordered the British fag to
be rehoisled on board the General Monk,
and his own TO be hauled down on board
the Hvder Ally. The Quebec, therefore,
had goud grounds for believing that his
Majesty's ship had been victorious
In Sermon on the death of William
Henry Harrison, delivered by the Rev.
Jacob +. Pierce, the following incident
connected with our Revolutionary history
is mentioned, to illustrate how deep were
the pinus sentiments Of the patriot fathers
who signed the Declaration of Indepen-
llcnce:
son the ever memorable -4th Ju!y5tr