Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-05-28

only by two or three hired men"
Are you sure there are no soldiers
there ?" was Gext asked.
Certainly l am" replied Lawrence,
"f for it's scarcely three hours since | re-
turned from the landing, and the only
persons there were those | have men
toned"
swell, my man, you must 60 aboard
with us, and pilot US to the place. And,
mind We, if you have lied to us, we will
hang you to the first tree there"
have no objection to pilot you, gem
tlemen," returned the tavern-keeper.-
Z" But that is scarcely necessary, as there
is water enough all the way to the landing
to float the largest vessel in your fleet You
have only to sail up the South Branch, and
the stores you are in search of are on the
first firm ground you will reach"
Satisfied with these words, the officers
returned to the schooner. But to prevent
the escape Of the landlord, in case he had
deceived them, they took with them his
boats. and proceeded on their way.
Lawrence had answered truly, so far as
he knew. But the attack upon Sackets
Harbor had aroused the country, and every
man capable of bearing arms was on the
alert.
The progress of the British feet had been
watched from all the headlands and when
it was seen to steer towards the mouth of
Sandy Creek, feet horsemen were sent out
to spread the alarm. Bodies of militia, on
their way to the harbor, turned back at the
tidings, and FASTENED toward the threat
ened point.
Colonel Ackley, Of Ellisburgh, with his
men, and small force of Seneca Indians,
being nearest to the place, arrived at the
landing while the British Sfficers were in
dulging in their grog and buster at the
beach; and taking their position so as not
to attract attention, the Americans awaited
the arrival of the schooner.
Ackley and his militia took possession of
the store house and the timber in the vicin-
ity, while tue Senecas crossed the creek,
and secreted themselves in the high grass
of the marsh a little below so that the at
lacking party would be taken in front and
flank
The creek of this point was about fifty
| yards wide, with low, marshy banks, ex-
cept at the landing, which was on the right
bank, about half u mile above the conflu,
enca Ofthe two branches.
Having reached the mouth of South
Sandy, the bend in this stream making
| the light breeze unfavorable, boats were
ordered ahead to tow the vessel toward the
| landing.
So confident was the officer in command
that no attempt would be made to prevent
his landing, that he did not even take the
usual precaution to send boats in advance
| to reconnoitre.
In order to facilitate the towing of the
vessel against the current, her sails were
| lowered, and she came w slowly toward
the firm ground, where she had arrived be-
| fore her commander had any suspicion Of
the trap into which he was running
Even the Indians lay quietly in their am
! bush, awaiting the precOncerted signal Of
attack.
As the schooner hove in sight, her decks
were discovered to be full of troors for,
beside the regular crew, she carried large
| numbers of the soldiers Of Sir George Pro-
vost that had been distributed through the
| fleet The vessel also carried four carrou-
AIDES, two In the bows, and the others amid.
| ship.
Slowly and noiselessly she passed to her
| berth, and the lines were sent on shore, and
made fast to trees. Already had a number
of red coats leaped to the shore, when the
signal of opening the fle Of musketry and
rifles upon them was given, and a deadly
| discharge was poured from the windows OF
the storehouse and the surrounding thicket
| This firing was instantly responded to by
the Indians upon the farther side of the
creek, who filled the air with their fierce
war-whoOps, and rained destructive fire
| upon the enemy.
The young lieuter ant in command of the
vessel, brave but evidently imprudent
othcer, was seen to fall az he was urging
his men to the shore. This event seemed
to throw his crew into confusion, ard 70,
several minutes they were shot down with.
out returning a shot.
Each officer, now endeavoring to take the
Command, aud one, lieutenant of the lane
troops, who, among others, had reached the
shore, sprang back to the deck of the
schooner, and catching up burning mattel
applied 1t to one of the guns, which, being
charged with grape shot, and directed to,
wards the thicket, where were portion Of
our men, did some execution, killing ont
man and wounding others.
The report of the carronade seemed Il
recall the scattered senses of the sailors anC
redco0ts, and they returned to the vessel
aid with their comrades who had remained
on board, now opened upon the Americans
The four guns were also brought to bear
and their deadly missiles Missed fercel,
through the timber, where their effects arr
to be seen to this day. But their range wa
too high to do much other execution
1t became an object with the American
to silence these guns. Good marksmel
were therefore selected, whose orders wer
to watch the guaners and shoot them dowI
at their pieces. These men carried to thu
fight the rifles they were accustomed t,
using at home. They made it their boas
that they never shot squirrel only through
the head, always taking sight at the eye o
the game. Though none Of them had eve
had occasion to try their skill upon mel
before, they were cool as well as courage
Gus, and every shot told. No sooner dit
one of the enemy approach gun with mattel
In hand, than he fell to the deck with riff
ball through his heart.
Man after man fell in this way, till nine
teen of them had fallen at the breeches @
the guns, and others refused the dangerou
duty.
The young officer who had applied tn
first match, and who appeared to have tax
en- command, seeing that his men hun
back from the pieces, snatched linstoc
from the deck, and advancing to one of th
guns, was just in the act of touching tn
printing, when, dropping the staff suddenl
from his hand, he fell lifeless to the deck.
His body was afterwards examined, an
over the region of the heart were found min
. rifle ball holes, all within a compass tina
; could be covered with the hand.
The enemy now bethougbt them of en-
E deavorlng to retreat from this deadly fire b
cutting their lines and letting the schoone
drop down on the stream, below the fri
ground, and out Of the reach of the Amer
! cans.
AT first she fell slowly from the landing
TIL, passing gu. Into the current she woui
soon have got beyond the range of the mi
litia. But in their haste to depart, order
we're given to hoist up their sails, wher
the breeze striking upon them, threw tn