The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-02-22

Orders were then issued to Commodore Pat
terson, directing him carry out the directions of
the Secretary of War. He at that time comman-
ded the American futilla lying in Mobile Bay.and
instantly issued an rder to Lieut.. Loomis to as
cend the ArpaIachicola River with two gun boa is
..to seizs the people in B:ounts Fort. deliver them
to their owners, and destroy the Fort.''
zyOn the morning of the 18th Sept, A. D. 1876, a
spectator might have several individuals stand
ing upon the walls OF that fortress watching with
intense interest the approach Of two small vessels
that were slowly ascending the river, nder full
spread Canvass by the aid of light southern breeze
They were in sight at early dawn. but it was ten
o'clock when they furled their sails and cast
ehor opposite The Fort, aad some four or Eve hun
dred yars:s distant from it. s..- s... sE ~r
A boat was lowered, and soon midshipman and
twelve men were observed making for the shore.
They were met at the wafer's edge by some half
dozen of the principal men in the Fort and their
errand demanded. s-=4.a .-.--. .-....s..s 1t.
The young officer told them he was sent to
make demand of the Fort, and that it's inmates
were TO be given up TO the shareholders then on
board the gun boat, who claimed them as fugitive
~
the mdslIipman and his men returned to the gnn-
boats and Informed Lieut.. Loomis of the answer
sae had received. aa 81 ,.se ss-' zvl-z
As the eolored men entered the Fort they rela-
ted to their companions the demand that had been
made. Great was the CONSERVATION manifested
by tie females, and even n portion of the serner
sex appeared to be distressed at their situation.-
This was obsetvedb by an old patriarch, who had
drunk the bitter cup of servitude one who lore on
his person the visible marks of the thong. as well
as the brand of his master, upon his shoulder
He saw his friends faltered, and he spoke cheer
fully to them. He, assured them that they were
safe from the cannon shot of the enemy-that
there were not men enough on board the vessels TO
storm their Fort and finally closed with the en-
phatic declaration" Gsrene elibertyorgiremedeahl
| This saying was repeated by many agonized faith
ers and mothers on that bloody day. 8 as..-.
cannonade was soon commenced upon the Fort.
but without much apparent effect. The shots
were harmless; they penetrated the earth of which
the walls were composed and were there buried,
without further injury. Some two hours were
thus spent without injurng any person in the Fort.
They then. commenced throwing bombs. The
bursting of these shells had more effect. There
was no shelter from these fatal messages. Moth
ers gathered their little, ones around ihem and
pressed their babes to their bosoms, expio-
sion after another warned them oftheir imminent
danger. By these exp sions some were occa-
-sionally wounded and groans of the dying were
heard in various parts of the fortress. - ;ess
Do you ask why these mothers and children
were thus butehered in cold blood! answer, they
were slain for adhering 10 the doctrine. that .'a
men are endowed by their Creator with the in
atienaJfe right 10 ery,y liberty. Holding TO this
doctrine of Hancock and of Jefferson the power
,nf the nation was arrnyed against them, and our
army employed TO deprive them of life.
= The bombardment was continued some hours
with but little effect so far as the assailants ceud
discover. The day was passing away. Lieut.
Loomis called council of officers and put to them
the question, uhH further shaf6e done2 An un:
under officer suggested the proprieiy of firing
'.llot shot at the magazine The proposition was
agreed to. The furnaces were heated, balls were
prepared, and the canonade was resumed. The
occupants of the Furt felt reIieveJby the change
They could hear the deep humming sound of the
cannon bnlls. to which they had become accus:om
ed in the early part of the day, and some mad.
themselves merry at the supposed folly of the as
saiants. They knew not that the shots were
heated and were therefore unconscious of the dan
7 ger which threatened them. q =
The sun was now rapidly descending in tht
west. The tall pinesand spruce threw their shad
ows over the fortifca.ion. The roar Of the can
non, the sighing of the shot, the groans Of the
, | Ill tl,a H., eb.Ja Of oh
} all conspired to render the scene of intense
gloom. They longed for the approaching night te
close around them in order that they might bury
the dead, and fee to the wilderness for safety.
Sud lenly a startling phenomena presented itsei
to their as,onished view. The heavy embark.
meut and tmbers protecting the magazine appear.
ed to rise from the earth the next instant the
dreadful explosion overwhelmed them and the
next found t,oo hundred and seuenfy parents ane
children in the immediate presence Of a holy God
mnking their appeal for retrbutive justice upor
the government. who had mul dered ihen and the
freemen of the north who sustained such unutter,
able crimes F.~rf s.-et- -7 2i
Many were crushed by the falIirg earth, ant
the timbers; many We're entirely buried in the ru
ins.. Some were horribly mangled by the'frag
ments of timber and the explosion of charged
shells that were in the magazine Limbs were
torn from the bodies to which they had been at
tached. Mothers and babes lay beside each other
wrapped in that sleep which knows no waking
The sun had set and the twilight of evening wal
closing around them, when some sixty sailors, uu
der the officer second 10 command, landed, and
without opposition entered the Fort. The veter
an sailors, accustomed to blood and carnage, wer'
horror stricken as they viewed the scene before
them. Fhsy~were accompanied. however oy
some twenty Shareholders, all ankle us Tor lhe''
prey. These payed little attention 10 'he ueaf
and diving. but anxiously seized upon the living
and e,s,snpp the fetters upon their limbs; hurried
,,an, from, The Fort. and instantly commenced
,,a;, rs,nrn towards the frontier of Georgia.
s,ms fifteen persons in the fort survived the ter
,,.;.,, aud thav NOW sleeu in seryile