Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1848-04-05

The shouts that shook the midnight bay
Are SILENT but some signs of fray
That strands of strife NAV bear.
Bron's Bride Of Abydos, Canto III, XVI.
"THs adventure gained me some reputation,
but brought with 1t no comfort, / loatbed the
war, and all its concomitants. The thought
that in defence of my own life, might be COM
PEELED to take that of some of my nearest rela
lives and former friends, was poison to nv mind.
IN fact, it was soon known, that the very man,
whom had shot through the body, was cous-
IN of my wife for whom l had always held
very sincere regard. Under this state of feel
1ngs, was offered the command of an armed
vessel, which the Commodore of the station had
resolved to equip to cruise in the Sound AS
IBIS setvice would constantly expose me to sim
domests conflicts, promptly declined the
0mmIssion. My wife was now near her third
confinement her health was delicate, and she
begged me to remain at home. /, therefore,
gave the command of the sloop to Johnson, the
mate, who, in general, had given me satisfac-
elOn: and whose good conduct on the night of
the action, had won him additional regard and
ne performed several trips very punctually.-
But on subsequent voyage, having received
considerable sum Of money upon my order, on
the Quarter-naster, in New York he took on
board two men, avowedly as passengers; and
coming too off Huntington Bay, upon some
frivolous errand, he sent his boat and all hands
on shore; and soon making sail for the opposite
coast, he Joined the adverse party. He receiv-
ed much praise .or his exploit from the revolu-
tlonists; and to show the greater zeal for the
recently adopted cause, he offered to head an
expedition, the object OF which was to take me
prisoner. 4 crew Of five men were mustered;
and the commander being well acquainted with
the avenues of approach 80 my residence, where
he was well ss ured he would find me they
landed short distance down the bay and pass
ing through the woods, part of which stretched
up to the garden-fence in rear EFF my dwelling.
they concealed themselves until star lit night
had fairly set in. My wife was then in labor:
and l. in extreme anxiety for the result, was
not. as usual, on the alert; when Mungo, my
honest black, came into the room, exclaiming,
Save yourself, master! the house is surround
ed! three men an front. and two in the rear -
We must settle these two, and make for the
wood No time was to be lost, my pistols
were always ready, and at hand. Mungo seiz-
ing his gun, threw open the back door; and be-
fore the man who beseiged it, had time to throw
up his gun, shot him dead; and springing over
the body, cesde for the foot of the garden. The
cttcr m1n discharged his piece at me without
It. Mungo's gun. which, had it exploded,
- cd have prevented the discharge, was now
~cssssobed; and the b1tt coming in fair contact
with tire temple of his adversary, sent him
breathless to the ground. Dropping the wea-
por, Mungo was soon at my heels: AT this in
stant, had gotAbreast of an enormous aspara-
gus bed; then grown up rankly, and run to seed,
when, spraining my ankle, felt myself unable
to proceed Casting my hat as far down the
path as Icould hur! it, ordered Mungo to keep
on; and aingiag myself sidewise into the mid
die of the bed, lay perdu. TIE volley of our
a1versaries whistled past U.s. as | cast myself
an; and one of them, exclaiming, talbot has
got it | saw him fall Pull after the negro,
/ see his white shirt = they all came rushing
onward. Not fnding the body they expected,
two of them continued the pursuit, while the
third repeated tell you, Talbot is down !!
He must be hereabouts.' .He may be HIT said
one, but he can't be there: here is his hat, and
he must have gone ahead This satisfied the
doubter, and on they all secured aftef Mungo.
While this coloquy was going on, you may be
assured that was not perfectly at my ease; and
was not little grati6ed, when | heard the bu-
gle of the hussars, who had been reused by the
firing, sound boot and saddler and shortly after,
heard the tramp of their horses, as they were
pricking down the road. They had approached
near enough to render longer conceament I'M
necessary; and limped back to the house, as
one of the men who had dismounted, and pro-
cured light from within, held 1t to the face of
the man had killed. 1t was Johnson, my re-
negado mate, who did not long enjoy the fruits
of his treachery. The other, whose skull the
musket of Mungo had fractured, was one of his
comrades, by whose assistance he had carried
off my vessel. He was taken to the hospital,
>.syaeye he was recognized as deserter from the
regiment. He was sure of death now any way:
and the blow of Mungo was so well laid on,
that the Provost Marshal was spared the neces-
cary duty. will not pretend that regretted
having sent my quondam mate to his account:
fIe died just death, FROM the hand which had
relieved his djstresses and whose charities he
was requiting with the blacklist ingratitude.-
His blood was upon his own head, and the inflic-
ton of his punishment sits lightly on my con-
science. l was greatly rejoiced, after some
time had elapsed, by the return of Mungo, who
had, after hot chace, lodged the enemy.
'Whle these alarming incidents were occur
ring, my wife had borne me son; but the poor
fellow had reaped the fruits of his mothers anx-
iety for the whole period of her CESSATION, and
seemed too frail to afford hope of his surviving.
For many months the lamp of life seemed flick
ering in its socket. and more than once its feeble
light was supposed to be extinguished for ever
But mysterious Providence wilied it otherwise.
He fingered on, while my two eldest were sue
cessively taken away. You know, Harry, the
New England superstition in regard to precoci-
~ of talents, and that it is almost proverbial
there, that children of the brightest intellect are
doomed to early death. l was ever sceptical
on that head and when my mother, as was
fondlIng my first-born, child of uncommon
promise, looking sadly at me, would exclaim:-
INV son, do not root your heart too deeply in
that child; it will never see its third birthday
could hardly believe, so healthy and vigorous
il seemed, that her prediction would be accom-
plished. But SO it was; my son, in the bloom
of health, without any formed disease, sudden
Nv wasted and died. And his little sister, il