The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-11-27
WHOLE No 5el

VI.
"tort' ship, and there's comfort in isht.
ing then.-~lt happened last war, at the
Da'tie OF bladensburg. 1t was on a
ihN:Sdav afternoon, the hottest DAY in
August, that ever was manufactured.
ion know sir, Gen. Wynder was com.
mantler-ln-chief, and he statiosed two
corps of artillery, with six brass six
FOUNDERS, m masked battery. in the
apple orchard, few hundred yards frsm
Tue oridg"-with orders, strange to saw,
| $50 unSerstood,) 10 retreat. and fall
PACK upon the main line, (where Major
refers artillery was, on the hill with
the gallant 9th regiment of Baltimore
'niaEtry volunteers, and other troops. J
so soon as the British should C, oss the
bridge! Thus throwing away, Mr..
Scraggs, the prettiest chance in life, Of
raking EN- with grape" and .,can,st.r.v
as soon as they deploycd on the plain
Indeed
Yes. Well sir, the battery was doing
aneat little business with its round.shot,
tlll the enemy crossed, some on the
bridge, and some by the furdina. (thpit
guns silent all the Will. J. and present
y h"rryng on thanking party of .i.r-
| men, as soon as Gen. %tarsbur;'s two
thousand militia Gin a ravine to the left)
heard the sharp crack of those advanc-
ing British rifles, and saw their barrels
gI'tterlns in the sunbea,ns, they was
throwed INTO panic. and "backrd their
'op-sa'ls, and bolted in heap! D-mn
my eyes if they didn't.
Possible.
True. And suppose their cowardlv
conduct helped to bring the "big SCARF
Gas the Indians say,) over the battery
men: Tor, instead retreating, and form
ing in the rear, they was 50 Inundated,
that they too ran clean out Of the field;
leaving only the line of troops on the
hill, and Commodore Barnev's men
Qrom the hotilla) with our eighteen
Founders, I'm the road leading to Wash
lnston clty,) to fight it out. | was one
lot the Commodore's men-and SILVER
my "top.block," if we didn't serve out a
pretty mess Of eighteen pound cakes for
while. But they spoiled our fun be.
fore long; for they hanked, and raked
the l'ne-tuk number OF prisoners
and then came down on US. AS the
commodore, with handful of sailors,
could no longer ''stem the tide" against
whole regular army, he wore away"
and retreated.
So. " hat then !
Why, to taper down to myself | had
this leg shattered by bail. but mana
ged to crawl into the shade Of some
bushes, where | suffered so much from
thirst, that tainted suppose it waa
while was dead, the retreat took place:
TOR when came to life again, and open.
ed my 'skv-lights,' could see nothing
but cloud of dust, between me and
Washington city.
All What, you were forgotten in
the confusion Z
lsuppose SO. Fumbling in my peck.
cts for tobacky, Git was all gomez
found small lump of saltpetre: O'd
gin my life for jlgger' of even half
and half:) sucked little of that, and
fell asleep and never awoke till about
dusk. just as raised on my elbow,
there stood d-mned red-coat, with his
carbine and fixed baggcnet within few
inches Of progsing my bread baSket.'
All!
Yes. Heavens and earth man, how
was scared at the first glance. But
quick as thought, saw it was life or
death in another second. and sezing the
baggonet with one hand, succeeded in
tuning it little to one side--and bv
giving it a violent wrench at the same
instant, brought the devils-mate of all
EnglShman down on the top of me.
" bile he held on to his gun with his
left hand, laid hold of the other with
my left, and his throat with NV right
and choked him till he fell on the
ground by my side. threw the gun
aside, mounted my brave soldier, and
drawing my knife, as soon as he came
to, | raised it over him; and axed him
whether he had had enough of that sort
of sport, and would surrender as nv
prisoner I'll surrender ses he, spare
my life HE was straggler from a
scouting patty, that vas sent to pick up
'ur stragglers and make them prisoners.
So. What next ! You ran narrow
'isk.
Yes, by blood. Why / was about to
lie his elbows behind his back, with a
tout piece of spun-yarn found in my
pocket: but he begged not to be disgra-
led in that way--and offered to ship me
IN his back, and sail into port with me-.
50 ] mounted him (knife in hard, to
tuard against any tre1chery) and rode
lin into Bladensburg--and delivered
nm over to the authorities. But unon
ccount of the good turn he had just
lone me, and his promising to turn
American, [ bepred him off As soon