Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-04-22
force, he will blow Us out of the water,
| nd ln,inh "a IL n Gn.,i,a.I. n-s-. ~

I iolCCS hC VIII UiOW US OuL vi lte WdlcI,
and laugh at us afterwards
Every rag of canvass was packed
on the brig, and It was evident the Cap
tain of the Indiaman did not like. her
appearance, for he tackled the ship and
stood off the Southwest. The Wander
er rapidly gained upon the chase, and
was fast closing on the weather quar-
ter, when Capt. Wilcox fred gun to
windward and hoisted American col
arsl The ship replied By showing ths
'EDgtish ensign, and taking Ia her cour.
ses and top gallant sails, and was evil
dently preparing for brush. Not a
shot, however, was fired until the
Wanderer'was within hail, when Capt.
Wilcox sprung upon gun near the
gang.way, with speaking trumpet in
his hands. He was fine looking fel-
low, possessing a dignified exterior,
and had voice like the famous STEM
tor OF old.
"First division, there" shouted he,
''see all ready to fire." and then direct
ing his trumpet towards the hugh ship,
with heavy cannon .protruding from
her massy side, he had the cool impu.
dedce to add in a loud and impera-
tive tone-."Ship ahoy! haul down
your colors, and lay your main top
sail to the mast, or I'll give you whole
broadsidep Then turning to his crew,
"Stand by, my boys! Take good aimr'
Then in his loud tone to the English
man, "Haul down your flag, | say, this
minute, or I'll blow you sky high"
This threat produced the desired ef>
feet. The British ensign came futter>
ing to the deck, and the heavy main
yard of the East lndiaman was reluc-
tanlly braced round, the helm was put
hard down, and the ship was laid 10,
with her main topsail to the mast, nav.
ing struck 10 the U. S. letter ofmarque
Wanderer.
CaptainWilcox sent his first officer
on board accompanied by his clerk, in
officers uniform, with orders 10 send
on board the brig the captain Of the
ship, with his papers, and as many 0
his crew as the boat could convey. The
ship proved to be the Alnwick Castle
Captain Henderson, Of $50 tons, o
Bristol, bound to the Isle of France
with cargo of stores, provisions, &C..
of no use TO the crew OF the priyateer
The ship mounted l6 eighteen pound
carronades. and was manned bv crew
Of forty men, all told.
The guns were all double shotted
with round and grape, and one broad
side, we'll directed, would have made
fearful work with the Wanderer, and
decided the contest against her. Bul
Capt. Henderson was accompanied by
his wife. young and beautiful woman
to whom he had been married but a
few months. And TO this circumstance
must be ascribed his reluctance to
engage in a desperate contest with a
vessel apparently well fitted for fighting
and evidently his superior. With heavy
heart he handed the officer his papers,
and assisted his wife into the boat; and
with a greater part of the crew they
were soon on board the Wanderer.-
The men were placed in irons for
greater security, and temporarily stow.
ed away beneath the "quakers' in the
waist.
Captain Wilcox soon ascertained by
examining the ships papers that he had
captured prize of little value. He
could not spare men enough to navi-
gate her into an American port; her
cargo consisted of bulky articles, which
could not be transferred to the brig,
and he issued orders to take out every
man, with all their baggage, and set the
vessel on fire. 1t was then that Cap
tain Henderson ventured to remon-
strate in gentIemanly manner against
such a summary disposition of proper
ty, I'M which he was directly interested,
for he was part owner of the ship and
cargo. He suggested that by burning
the ship, his ruin would be effectualIy
sealed, without any benefit to his cap.
tors, and that by restoring the ship and
cargo to the legitimate proprietors,
Capt. Wilcox would perform noble
and magnanimous act, which would
meet the approval of all good men, and
which would be in accordance with the
dictates of benevolence and justice.
This was a view OF the matter which
was altogether new to the generous
hearted Yankee. There was force in
the reason of the EngIishman, and his
feelings responded to the argument set
forth. He felt that it ,Oas but little bet
ter than piracy to set fire 10 and de.
stroy property belonging to private and
deserving individuals, when far away
upon the ocean. But it is uncertain
what would have been tile result, had
he not at that moment caught the eye
of the beautiful and accomplished Mrs.
Henderson. She was sad-but charm.
ino in her sadness-and addressed the