The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-05-10

a stray pig in a strange pen, when I
knew that money was to he made on
blue water if could only reach it.
So one day mustered the crew aft,
and spun off a bit of a speech; told 'em
it was all humbug for us to lie there
doing nothing, and asked 'em if they
would stand by me to the last if l
would try to run the blockade; telling
'em at the same time that intended
to let the craft sink before she should
be captured; that the stars and stripes
should never come down from the
schooner's truck while she foated a.
bove the water.
The crew gave me three cheers, and
that was all the answer that | wanted;
so | gave orders to re-stow the hold,
clean up the arms, and get everything
ready for sea. intended to take the
first nor'-west wind and dark night
and try the run.
didn't have long to wait before the
night and nor'-wester came. 1t was
indeed fine night for my work. The
wind came fitfully off the land in
squalls; the heavy black clouds tum-
bling along between the stars and the
earth, made everything as dark as the
middle of tar-bucket, and the rain
came down as if the caulking of the
sky had all fell out.
Soon after the darkness had got fair
ly settled, | called all hands and reef
ed our sails down snug, then reused up
the anchor and got under weigh. |
set the mainsail, close-reefed fore-top.
sail and jib, and with the wind on my
stabboard quarter, stood down the bay,
steering by compass and soundings.
1t was uncommonly dark, and once
in q while the squalls would sweep
down the bay, bellying out our scant
sails, and bending The creaking spars
over the bows, while the craft quiv.
cred like a dry leaf in the autumnal
blast.
We showed no light. and keep as
quiet as a mouse when the cat is in
the vicinity, as we neared Sandy Hook,
for we knew that the tenders of the
fleet would lay close in under the
, land, SO far as to make a lee, as also to
keep a lookout for coasters. or the
like of us, who might take advantage
ofthe weather, and try to give them
Tie slim.
We kept on very well till clear Of
the point ofthe HooN, and were stretch
ing out over the middle ground in a
little under three fathom soundings
when /, who-w was standing for'ard by
the heel of the bowsprit, with night
glass in my hand, trying to send my
eye ahead into the darkness, suddenly
) caught a glimpse of a dark object
close aboard and directly ahead of US
had scarcely sung out, Hard-a-port
your helm! to the steersman, when luf:
fling up in the wind little, we passed
close alongside of a large schooner,
which was lying-to on the of-shore
tack, with her close-reefed foresail set
As we swept past her, saw at once
that she was man-o'-war and at the
same time her officer of the deck hail.
ed us:
Schooner ahoy! Who are youl-
Heave to or I'll fire into your
Twas so completely thrown aback
by the sudden meeting that forgot to
answer him, and on we swiftly swept
, in darkness without even giving him
light to show where we were. But
he was pretty good at guessing, fol
within four or five minutes shot
came whizzing along, not more than
forty or fifty fathoms to leeward of US
and then we could see the lights CLAN.
cling about urdecks. as all hands were
called, and we knew that he was max.
ing sail in chase.
"Light ho!' sung out a man from
aloft, and then in an instant added
Lights ahead, and on both bows,
SIR
Then before the words were out Of
the top-man's mouth, my first lieuten-
ant sang out from the quarterback
flights on the weather quarter and
beam, Captain Bowlinep
Iclambered aloft and took a look
with my glass, and saw that we were
completely hemmed in. A circle of
lights surrounded us, all of which
knew came from the enemy's shipping,
and to crown the whole, and make a
bad fix worse, the rascal whom | had
passed but a moment before, common
ced throwing up signal rockets to show
where our schooner was.
As my glass swept around that cir
Gle of lights, l thought that Id got my
self in bad scrape, and wished from
the lower-most locker of my heart that
my little craft was back at her old
| anchoraue. Cor tho r,rocnoat af ha I'd