Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-05-23
.riowe's Memoirs Of Eminent American Me-

and that was, the want Of qnid Of tobacco
You shall hear. A brother OF Captain Bushnell
whose mind was as ingenious as that Of the in.
ventor. was fixed upon to go down in the ina.
chine but he was taken sick the day before
the attempt was to be made, and the trouble now
was to find substitute. At lenght sergeant
in Connecticut regiment from New London,
volunteered for the service.
The mans name was Abiiah Shpman, bet.
ter known among his comrades as Long Bge'
He was an amphibious kind of fellow-had
been in early life sailor, engaged in carrying
stock or horses to the West Indies, and was
what would be termed queer fish, He stood
six feet two inches, and was remarkably lean
and bony, and full ofdry wit or humor in his
remarks. Fear formed no part Of his compost.
ton, and his chieffauits were rather too strong
liking for ST. Croix rum and tobacco. .Bige
was taken by General Putnam and Bushnell to
inspect the machine. After full inspection
the only remark he made was this:
Its all right, guess! But tell ye what,
Gin'ral, if that'ere thing is to be my coffin this
hitch, there'll be some trouble to get me out on
resurrection mornn.'
Yes replied Putnam; but sergeant, you
can send the Eagle up first, to clear the way,
you know
Before daylight, on q morning in July, the
sergeant was put on board the torpedo on the
North River side, preparatory to being pulled
off into the stream, from, whence he ives TO drop
down with the tide. and get unde: the bottom
Of the Eagle. Putnam, Bushnell, General
Heath, Colonel Knowlton, Burr, and a large
number Of officers accompanied him to the
shore. The undertaking was extremely hazar.
dous, and required great skill in the manage.
ment Of the machine. Ifthe sergeant could
strike the ship, and attach the magazine to any
portion Of her bottom, her destruction was inc.
vitable, beyond doubt. But to do this, great
skill, caution and judgment was needed
Every thing was now ready -'Bige had got
aboard his 'tarnal mud turkle,' sshe styled the
machine, and was about TO enter the aperture to
screw himself in the sir.tight room or hole,
when Of sudden he ran up and exclaimed
Thunder aud marinspikes who's got chaw
o. tobacco! This old quid won't last no how =
and he threw il away.
A general laugh took place at the oddty of
the sergeant's appeal, a. such junctute, when
the serious attention Of all was riveted upon the
machine and it's operator, about to depart on so
dangerous service. Inquiries passed round for
tobocco, but not even a bit of pigtail could be
raised among the group. Daybreak too, was
not far off, and it was necessary that 'Bige
should move Immediately.
.Ah! sergeant. you see how it is. said Put
nam, I'VE continental officers are too poor even
to raise tobacco plug. Push of, my fine
fellow. and tomorrow some of the Southern
officers shall supply you with keg Of old Vir-
ginian.'
TOO bad!' answered 'Bige despondingly,
but mind. Gin'ral. if the old turkle doesn't do
her duty it's oil on account'o' my going to
sea without tobacco-mind tell ye,'
The machine was towed into the stream
cast off, and 'Bige and his eternal mud turkle'
hour and more did the officers wait upon tire ex.
treme point ofthe Battery, expecting momently
to see toe Eagle ascend into the air. When
day broke. suspense gave way to fear Nothing
was to be seen of the torpedo, and the officers
began to mourn 'Bige as one to be reported a.
mong the 'missing'st the next call of his regi.
mental muster roil
Putnam had been examining the vicinity Of
the Eagle with his glass. when he suddenly ex.
claimed--'There he isr-Sure enough. the
top of the machine was left ofthe Eagle. 1t
was observed from the ships deck, for volley
Of musketry was fired into it, and down below
popped the turklc, 'Bige evidently not liking
this species of recognition. Barges were now
sent of The shore to pick him up, and the Ea.
gle was observed to be getting under way in
great hast. The sergeant was taken up near
Governors Island, after having cast Off his ma.
chine, which being set to run about an hour, ex-
ploded with tremendous force, throwing up the
water in every direction. The Eagle up an
| chor, followed by the Asia, Chatham and sever.
al other men.of.wari and such rapid 'gi,ten
down TO New York bay was never seen before
or since. Lord Howe thought young hell
had broken loose under charge Of the Yankees,
and il is fac, no less strange then true, that
until the morning ofshe battle Of Long Island.
not an English vessel ventured from Staten Is-
land up the bay 'Bige. on landing, gave the
following account of his perilous journey uader
watey.