Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-01-08
For the Tribune Telegraph.
AN INCIDENT
In the Greek War of Independence.
b Y JAS ON &.


ed on a scene scarcely less splendid than that Of
year before, when the allied fleets of England
and France annihilated the Turko-Egyptian
fleet TWAS the Sabbath too, which Christians
are commanded to keep holy, and on which sal
Tors and soldiers leave off work to carry plank.
One hundred French troop-ships and transports
crowded the harbor; outside of them lay five
ships of war of the same nation; then the Brit
sh, fleet, neat and trim, ready to back up with
their iron bulldogs the ten thousand French
troops under General Maison, whose white tents
dotted the plain north of the city. But, as SAID
before, we were Christians, and it being Sunday
we must go to church, and if we had no religion
in our hearts, we at least acknowledged We ought
to have when the church pendant was flying at
the peak of every ship in Navarino bay
| No sooner was church over than the question
arose in hundreds of minds, what nexti Is
Johnny Crapeau going to take the town with his
sogers, or are we to have finger in the pie The
| officers were no less at fault than the men, and
no one seemed to know in hat way the cam
paign was to be conducted. Directly after din
ner, however, part of the mystery was to be
solved. The drums and bugles in the French
camp were heard playing the roll call; crowds
OF men were seen hurrying to the parade ground.
| The drums not only called out the troops but
walked up the Turks and the walls of Navarino
were soon crowded by dusky Egyptians, appa-
rently eagerly gazing on the camp and its busy
| INHABITANTS. AS the column of troops marched
toward the town, the question was, will the Turk
| show fight. 1t was lightly asked, yet how mo-
mentous the answer. Was the measured tread
and martial music of the brigade moving toward
the town to be changed for the turmoil and roar
of the battle1 The town was summoned to sur
render to the three great powers in trust for
Greece. No answer. The scaling ladders were
placed and the troops mounted the wall unresis-
ted. But soldiers could doubtless not go so near
fighting without being excited, and i! appeared
that our crew were placed en- rapport, for they
seemed very anxious to see if not to mix in a
hght but the stern order, &" silence - shouted
from the quarter deck, checked the hurrah about
to burst forth as the English, French, and Rus
sian flags oated ON the breeze from the flag staff
OF Navarino.
The remainder of the day was spent in coniec-
lures about the motives which induced the COM
mandant to give up the town without struggle,
and yet not open the gates. If the common sal.
ler had been asked the reason, he would have
told at once, for Jack Tar has seldom any diff
Guilty in solving any questions of that kind The
Governor knew we could whip him, and vet If
he had opened the gates he would have been be-
headed when he went back to Constantinople
Tired by the discussions and excitement of the
day the last knot of disputants Oh this knotty
subject agreed it was best to retire and sleep over
1t, but on beard of ship of war you may some
times be disappointed about going 10 bed Be-
fore we had time TO turn into our cots we were
suddenly startled by the shrill whistle of the
boatswain and his mates, followed by the cry:
d" All hands up anchor; tumble up; rouse out
show leg and hurry up; rig the.capstan; man
the bars; " were orders that followed each other
in quick succession from thequarter deck ''No-
thing but the topsals and jib, Mr.. King" said
the captain, and run under the Admiral's stern
AYE, aye, sir " and in few minutes we were
gently gliding through the water towards the
Asia. When within a cable S length the stiffness
of the night was broken by the Admiral hailing.
" Wellesley ahoy!' aye, aye, sir Run out
"Aye, aye, sir" And with this very explicit
information of why a seventy four should get I'M
der weigh in the night and cruise about until
daylight, we passed on under easy sail. The
daylight gun was no sooner fred than our cap
tain come from his cabin and ordered a strict look
out to be kept on the flag ship. A brief space
of anxiety followed, and our number flew at the
peak of the Asia and a signal at her main, the
nature of which was soon known by the orders
issued. Hands make SAIL 1t was done
Send up the drummer" and the drummer was
sent BEAT to quarters and quarters were
beat And in about the time it will take to read
this account the executive slept on to the poop
and lifting his cap according to quarterback ct
iquette, reported all right at quarters. Clear
the ship for action; double shot every gun"
How my young heart beat, fer this looked like
war in earnest. The night before our band had
played, The girl left behind me, and whilst
eagerly fulfilling my part in the work before me
l could not help wondering if / should be among
those that would return. But all thought of the
future was soon drowned in the present Crock
cry and cooked hats, belts and boxes tables and
chests and mess-kids were bundled down into
the hold. An uninitiated spectator would have
thought that all was confusion, yet it is a ques-
ton if single pair OF the crockery necessary for
five hundred and fifty men was broken. Every
thing moved like clock work, such was the dis
ciplne of the saucy Wellesley. The ship was
now run into Modon bay and anchored within
mushet shot of the fort, and was Joined BY
French trigate and Russian "A. Springs
put the cables and the broadside brought to
bear on the fort, the sails fured, and we return
cd TO the guns the trigger lines stretched along.
Then We had time to reflect that we lay nnder
ter of guns that if manned by Yankees would
blow us out of the water in ten minutes. The
troops had marched all night and the naval cap
taius landed to hold a counsel with General Mai
son. which it was decided that an attack should
be made on the sea gate. All the boats were
hosted on: and sent on shore for regiment Of
soldiers with which they returned alongside, and
then all the carpenters and armeurers were sent
on board, then our captain in his gig taking COM
mand, they put off for shore. The troops on Ian
ding formed q hollow square. Our captain then
demanded entrance; but the Ulcers first stood on
the wall and looked down on the preparationwith
perfect indifference. " 1t is written is perfect
consolation to Turk, and they doubt began
| to think it was written that their dominion was
at an end in Greece. q" Mr. Douse you must
open these gates;' and Mr.. Douse said, ''Aye,
aye sir, just as If he had the keys in his hand
Indeed he had the keys just by. Picks, crow
bars, eapstan bars, and willing hands responded
to his; Boys, we have got to open those gates
Hammer, drive, punch. hit EN- again, there she
dies, heave together, and they hove together and
the gates were opened. Among the loOkers-on