Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1861-12-03
gelerted sflisrellann.
T H z COFF IN .
a SEA SKETCH.

hai not only Iald claim To ali that portion
of Maine lying east of the Penobscot but
Admiral Griffith and Sir John Sherbrcok
the latter being then the Governor of
Nova Scotia had been sent with a heavy
force to take possession. and had occupied
the town of Castine which now commanded
the entrance to the Penobscot river
Shortly before the arrival of the English
Squadron, Commodore Samuel Tucker
had been sent around to Penobscot Bay
to protect the American coasters there
and while the British sailed up to Castine
he Law with his vessel at ThomaStown
1t was schooner that the Commodore
commanded, but she WAS a heavy one
well armed and manned; and that she car
ried the true Yankee grit upon her decks
the enemy had received, for them too
many proofs. On the morning of the 2Sth
of August, messenger came down from
Belfast with the intelligence that the Brit
ish frigate was coming from Castine to
take him. Tucker knew that the British
feared him, and that Sir John Sherbrook
had offered a large reward for his capture
When the Commodore received the in
telligence, his vessel was lying ut one of
the low wharyes, where he would have To
wait nearly two hours for the ebb tide to
set him off; but he FASTENED to have very
I thing prepared to gct off as soon as l.oss-
bic, for he had no desire to meet the frig-
ate
The schooners keel had Just cleared
from the mud, and one Of the men had
been sent upon the wharf to east off the
bowlIne, when wagon, drawn bv one
J horse, came rattling 10 the spot The dri-
yer, rough looking countrvman, got up
on the wharf and then assisted a middle
aged lady from the vehicle The lady's
first inquiry was for Commodore Tucker
lie W 5 pointed out to her, and she stepped
upon the vessels deck and approached
him
Commodore" she asked, when do you
sail from here (?
Right Of, as soon as possible, mad
am"
Oh, then, know You will be kind to
me. the lady urged in persuasive tones.
My husband died yesterday and / wish
to carry his corpse to Wisca>set, where
we belong and where his parents will take
care of it.
But, my good woman, shant 90 to
Wiscassct-
If YOU only land me at the mouth of
the Sheepscut viii ask no more | can
easily find a boat to take me up.
Where Is the bodv?' asked Tucker
In the wagon. returned the lady at
thn earao time raising the corner or her
shawl to wipe away the gathering tears
have small sum Of money with me,
sir and YOU shall be paid for your trou-
BILE
Tut tut, woman. If | accommodate
YOU. there won be any pay about it
The kind hearted old Commodore was
not the man to refuse a favor and though
he liked not the bother Of takins the wo-
man ana her strange accompanimC mt on
board. Vet he could not refuse; and when
he told her he would do as she requested
she thanked him with many tears in her
eyes
Some Of the men were sent upon the
wharf to bring the body on l0ard \ long
buffalo robe was lifted off BY the man
who drove the wagon. and beneath it APP
pcared neat black coffin. Some words
were passed by the seamen as they bore
the body on board, which went to show
pretty plainly that the affair did not suit
them 1t may have been but pre- oludicc
on their part but Yet seamen should be
allowed a prejudice once in while, when
We consider the many stern realities they
have to encounter.
Hush. my good men said the Commo-
dore, a. he heard their murmurcd remon-
stranccS. suppose some of You were to
die, away from home-would YOU not wish
that your last remains might be carried
home to your parents2 Come, hurry now
The men said no more and ere long the
coffin was placed in the hold and the wo-
man was shown to the cabin. In less than
half an hour tn schooner was cleared
from the wharf and standing ont from the
bay The wind was light from the east
ward but Tucker had no fear of the frig-
ate now that he was once out of the bay.
In the evening the lady passenger came
on deck and the Commodore assured her
that be would be able to land her carly
the next morning. She expressed her
gratitude and satisfaction, and remarked
that before she retired She would like t.
( see that her husband : corpse was safe
This was, of course. granted, and one of
the men lifted of the hatch that She i4ht
20 down into the hold
/ II declare, muttered Daniel Carter. an
. old sailor who had the wheel " she takes
on DIRE fully.
\ es, poor thing. responded Tucker,
as he heard the woman ,obs and groanS.
We notice what an eve she got?
continued Carter
No, said the Commodore. "oulv that
it was swollen with tears
VI ~ Is tlAt littN >liFil'- tEttu-Ai- u ilGti
she stood here looking at the compass,
Tucker smiled at the man quaint ear
nestncss. and without further remark he
went down into the cabin
. When the woman came up from the
hold, she looked about the deck Of the
schooner for a few moments. and then
went aft. There was something in her
eountenance that puzzled Carter He
had been one Of those that had objected
to the coffin being brought on board. and
hence was not predisposed TO look very
tayorably upon it, owner. The woman
eve ran over the schooner deck with
strange quickncss, and Garter eyed her
sharply. Soon she went to the taffran,
and looked into the stern boat, and then
she came and stood by the pinnacle
again.
Look out, or you'll .iibe the boom, ut
tered the passenger.
Carter started and found that the main
sail was shiverin. He gave the helm
+ couple of strokes aport. and then cast his
eyes again upon the woman. whose fca-
lures were lighted by the pinnacle lamp
Thankee, ma am, said Dan "Ha,
hold on why. bless my soul there's u big
spider on your hair. No-not there