The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-07-21
SCOTT CO.. IOWAs I'll URSDAY, JULY 21 1858. VIII
minutes after he touched his ma,r ho ho

.s..s s.- .-....s...S-..-ae- =. s...-
minutes after he touched bis matrass he h
lgan to snore.
NOW or never thought Tom, is r
e chance, and with this idea in his mind ]
slipped quietly out of his own ciotbc
{, winch having accomplished he yerv unce
enormously substituted those of the snorir
corporal in their place, and then sat dow
upon the breech ofa gun to mediate ,f,rtb,
on his plans. S4V - sAN -
| One bell struck and the sentinels n.ss
the usual "alls Well" Then Tom hear
the corporal as ne started to go his round
ana ere long he descended the main-batc
ladder to visit the posts below. No soonr
had the marine officer passed beyond N
saliey than our hero sprang up the ladde
ana gained the spar-deck. The officer q
tle deck was aft, upon the starboard sidl
the sentfies were walking their posts wit
regular tread, while the old quarter-maste
STOOD upon the poop with his night plass IN
der his arm. The sentries performed thei
walk upon gangboards runnino forward from
tne ladders. The larboard ganp-wav WA
shaded from the light ofthe moon bv awninas
ana ans, Walking deliberately up the ladder, Ton
looked over the ship-side.
sentry" said he in a mumblinp sort q
Tone one what boat is that at the boomr'
"lhe second cutter" returned the marine
showing by his manner that he was not sns
pic,ous OF the spurious corporal.
lom Immediately walked aft to where
stood the officer of the deck. and beinr anite
assured by the mistake of the sentrv. he
pulled ms cap down over his eyes, and touch.
ca his VISOR respectfully, remarked:
should like to overhaul that second
cutter sir, for think there is rum aboard
of herr 4i "'o't
Tom knew he was playing desperate
game, but liberty was to be the success, and
he flinched not.
"Ha! the villains" uttered the lieutenant.
up 10 their old tricks again Go, corporal
get down into the boat, and if you do find
rum n IN her, they'll catch it.''
iom started quickly forward, but Just
as he got abreast Of the fore hatchwav, he
saw the simon pure corporal's head raising
above the combings The marine ascend
q no higher, for one blow with his fist,
Iom sent him back from whence he came
ana then sprang quickly out through the
poft upon the swing boom, and having reach
"a the place where the second cutters
painter was made fast, he hauled the boat
up and eaped into her. The flood tide
vas setting up the river very strongly, and
luek as tn 5ught Tom cast off the painter,
md rapidly dropped astern
"Help, help" shouted our hero at the top
'f his voice; "the boats got loose.'
Get out couple of oars, You lubber,'
'ried the officer of the deck, as he jumped
lpon the poop on hearing the cry, where he
lrrived just as the cutter was sweeping past
he quarter. "You can hold her against
be tide
he moment he got them -
'ow.ocks, he commenced pulling for dear
ife, and, to the utter astonishment of the
lieutenant. the boat began to shoot up the
liver. All the sentries on deck were i'm
called upon the poop. and their
muskets were fired at the deserter, but
though two of the balls whistled near the
boat, yet none of them did any harm, and
the next moment Tom heard the third cut
ter called away, but he knew the men We're
all sound asleep in their hammocks, and SO
he felt secure.
1t was ten minutes before the third cut
ter cast off from the ship, and long ere
they reached Ten he had gained the Shore
and was running at remarkable speed
towards the city, where he arrived in safety,
and before two o'clock he was on board OF
his own brig.
The next morning the Sarah dropped
down with the ebb tide, and as she passed
the frigate, Tom saw the second cutter
swinging in her usual place, and as he
gazed upon the proud flag that foated at
the Englishman's peak, he muttered to
himself:
"If live, I'll some day take the pride
from those tyrants.'
How literally was that saying fulfilled!
Tom Macdonough had been Decatur's favor
ite mldshipman at the seige OF Tripoli, and
"wherever Decatur led he dared to follow"
Subsequent to that brilliant chapter in
the page of our history, occurred the event
which is embodied in our sketch; but five
years afterwards, on the llth of Septem-
ber, 1914, Thomas Mcdonough met one
of England's proud fleets on Lake Cham.
plain. At the first broadsde, the British
Commodore, Downie, fell, and at the END
of the fight, which lasted two hours and
twenty minutes, without intermission
Commodore Thomas Macdonough was the
conquerer of Champlain. He had gained
proud vctory-he had indeed humbled
the pride OF the tyrant, and that days achieve
ment forms one of the brightest pages in the
history of America.
Commodore Thomas Macdonough-the
hero of Tripol-the conquerer of Cham
plain. He was a noble and true hearted
man, and terror to the enemies OF his
country. Peace to his ashes, and everlast-
ing honor to his memory.
HEROIC CoSpucr.-Yesterday morning