The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1859-11-17
4 q III VI ACD ONOUG GLE.
THE PRESS GANGS VICTIM

ir
Va, entered the rort of Iivernoo1 81. :,
cargo one was commanded by Capt. William
Dfowh' anG his hrst mate was Tom Macdon-
ough true hearted yankee sailor, who bo;Ioa
from somewhere in the little State of Dela,voro
After the brig had been duly entered at the
Custom House she was soon cleared of her car.
go, and within one week from the time of her
arrival, she was loaded for home
One pleasant evening-the one preceedipp
.he Jay on which she was to sail-Tom Mac
donough took stroll mp town. He had been
d. WORK al day in arranging the cargo, and
having merely started out for stroll he had
not Thought it worth vile to change his dress,
lie had been up as far as the Exchange. and
was returning by the way of the docks, when
he was accosted by man who appeared to be
a citizen.
GOOD evening, stranger"
Inc same to YOU" returned Tom, never
once mistr"sting there was harm in the wav.
| 10 you belong to any Of the vessels in the
river 2" asked the other as he cast scrut,niz.
ing glance over the somewhat rough babili.
ments of the American sailor.
n.
| "No-noi that won't do'
"What won't do ?" asked Tom. NOT n little
amazed at The remark
- Know you" returned the stranger
You are & descrtcr from the frigate."
AS he spoke, he placed small whistle TO his
mouth, and III a moment after its sbriIl nota h od
cut the air six marines came rushing out of a
oil
the stranger, thcp seized hold upon Tom. and
maze MN prisoner. In vainit was that Tom
protested thai he was second in command of
the Sarah; aud in vain he threatened vengence
But against the power of six stout fellows he
could make no effectual resistance, and so he
was taken along to the naval landing where five
other priSoneFs--all victims of the press gang
--were awaiting their embarkation. boat
was IN waiting, i'll command of lieutenant. and
into 1t was Tom, with the rest of the unfortunate
seamen, unceIim0niously hurried, and in less
than half an hour he found himself on board an
English trigate which lay at the mouth of the
river.
"a fine set Of men," said the English captain
as he ran his eye over the stalwart forms of the
impressed seamen They will just fill up the
list of ouI main topmen."
Are you the commander of this frigate ~
asked Tom addressing the man who had inst
spoken.
/ Captain DOME, at your service" replied the
commander , with mock gravity
'Then sir, Of you demand my immediate re-
lease, am second in command of an American
orlg, now ready for sea, and no power in Eng
land can legally detain me-"
That won't go down, youngster," returned
the captain, with sheer "you are little too
young for such an Office. The King needs men,
and you must take your chance with the rest },
do you mean to say that am to be detained
ON board your ship2'
Certainly"
Then, Sir" replied Tom, while his eyes
flashed fire, ''you will do it at your peril. AL
ready have your people run up a heavy reckon.
lng' and the day shall yet come when your
hlng will have TO settle it. l am exempt by
your own laws from ilnpressment, and YOU know
| it
The captain showed little anger as our he
70 spoke; but turning to one of his lieutenants.
he said:
Mr. Monson, have these mems names enter
ed and then station and mess them, and with
out further remark he walked off to his cabin
In moment TOMS mind was made up, and
without resistance or remark of any kind, he
allowed his name to be entered upon the purs-
er's books, and his station and mess assigned to
| rt,
served out to him, aud he was directed to "turn
In, as soon as possible. The frigate was well
guarded by sentries, there being l on the poop, /
at each gangway, one on the forecastle, and one
IN the bowsprit, besides those who were station
ed at various posts below so that no further
notice was taken of the new corners after thew
had received their bedding, excepting to give
the sentinels additional caution with regard to
watching we'll that no one left the ship unless he
was passed by the officer of the deck.
TOMS hammock was already cleared, and
having hung it up, he turned into it without
undressing. The night was warm and sultry,
and as a means of giving circulation of fresh
air, the gun deck ports were lowered, and from
the place in which our hero swung he could look
out upon the water, rs it sparkled beneath the
beams of the bright moon. Tom lay quiet I'M
til midnight; but as yet he could think of no
means of escape. Shortly after that hour had
passed, he heard the relief guard called, and in
some ten minutes the corporal Of the first guard
came down upon the gun deck and unlashed the
hammock which hung next to his own which
operation being performed he proceeded to I'M
dress himself, hanging his clothes as he did SO
upon the clews Of his hammock. The four
hours duty had given the corporal an excellent
appetite for sleep, and in less than five minutes
after he had touched his mattress, he began to
snore.
"Now or never" thought Tom, "is my chance;"
and with this idea in his mind he slipped quiet
ly out from his hammock, and proceeded to
divest himself of his clothes, which being &C
compished, he very unceremoniously substitu-
ted those of the snoring corporal, i'll his place,
and then sat down upon the breeching gun to
further mediate upon his plans,
One bell struck, and the sentines passed the
usual calls we'll" Then Tom heard the cor
poral, as he started to go his rounds, and ere
long he descended the main hatch ladder, to
visit the post below. No sooner had the main
officer passed beg ond the galley, than our hero
sprang up the ladder and gained the spar
The officer of the deck was aft upon the star
board side tie se4trieS were walking their
posts with regular tread, while the old quarter
master stood upon the poop, with night glass
under his arm The sentries performed their
walk upon the gang boards, raised even with
the bottom Of the hammock 1lettin gs, and run
ninp forward from the ladders. Th3 starboard
gangway was shaded from the light of the moon