Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-06-11
" What ship is tina, ?" I mex, ,sksd

the man. The port is now in possession
of His Maiesty's troops, and demand your
surrender. You have fifteen minutes to
deliver your sword in person to the CON-
maDdant Of the castle. On the expiration
OF that time if the summons is not obeyed,
the batteries will be opened upon you"
"Come on board" said and as the
skipper Of the merchant ship and the boats
crew came on deck, / ordered them under
arrest. From these men We learned the
facts, which were these: The little squad
of American men-of war had merely en-
tered the port for supplies, the batteries not
being sufficiently manned to prevent their
entrance. The little garrison had escaped
to the hills till the sailing of the ships
when they again returned and took up their
old quarters. The large merchant ship we
had mistaken In the obscurity of the fog
tor the American frigate. had arrived that
afternoon, having ontsailed the conveyed
squadron Of the British West Indiamen, to
which she belonged.
Wenow perceived that the object or the
British merchantmen was to drop out Of
the range Of the guns of the fort, while we
should remain fast grounded on the saoal,
and exposed to their shots, when the first
discharge from their heavy cannon would
have knocked US into splinters.
Every man on board was aware of the
immediate danger that we were in, but they
were brave fellows, and waited as coollv
for my orders, as if we had been at sea in
pursuit of / chase
THAT fellow yonder, sir, IS dropping
from his berth, said one of the officers.
looked toward the Englishman, and
could see that she had hove home her an
Choir, and boats were out with line haul>
ing her head round towards the outer har
Dor; the other craft in the harbur beyond.
was evidently in motion.
Get out the boats" said to nv first
mate, well overhaul that chap. There's
but one change lett us. Wen have TO
leave the schooner to her fate, and transfer
our people to that vessel. Possibly we NAV
do 80 before the fort opens upon us. Get
all hands ready for boardingH
Hardly was the order communicated to
the men, than with cheer they sprang
into the boats, and were ready to pull away
to the merchantman.
But at that instant, as good fortune
would have it. a sudden flaw of wind from
the land struck our sails. The little vessel
yielded to the breeze, and careening suf-
fcienily to clear her keel from the sand.
foated Immediately into deep water.
A loud huZza now broke from. the men.
which. regardless of the consequences 10
the shipping beyond us, provoked a shot
from the castle, which passed harmlessly
over our stern.
Away, my hearties ~ shouted to the
hoarders. Get possession IF the English
man, and all will be right !"
while the boats were pulling in the d.
rection, the schooner, under the influence
OF the freshcning breeze. bore down upon
the iarboard, the privateer ran into the
main rigging on the STAFFORD eide, thus
bringing her between US and the guns of
the castle
L knew that all the Notifications Of the
port were upon that sideIof the harbor, and
inteeded to keep under the shelter of the
ship still beyond the range of the guns O f
the shore batteries, as well as those Of the
castle, as the main fort was called
We obtained possession of the ship with.
out struggle, and forcing the Englieh
sailors to assist in the working of the ehip,
soon made sail, and were running through
the outer harbor before the enemy .upccted
the ruse we were playing.
In the meantime the fortunate land bree re
which was bearing us from the dangerous
proximity Of the shore, also lifted the vapors
which had been hanging over the water
and shipping, showing to the astonished
and doubtless chagrined people of the place
that not only had the ship changed her
position, but the privateer also. The latter
they ad no doubt, was fast aground, as
had been reported to them and when they
discovered us sailingside by side out of the
fo
them-the Yankee was running away with
the ship.
The forts now opened upon US, and line
Of fire belched forth from the castle, hut
without effect, as we were BY this time out
of range of it. Not so, however, with the
shore batteries, on the tongue of land max
ing out from the outer barber for we were
scarcely pistol shot frcm the mouths of
their cannon, and the heavy shot struck
with crushing effect into the hull, and
among the spars of the prize. OCCASION
ally one passing through the sails and
rigging of the ship would make an ugly
wound in some of tur upper spars. But
our hull was completely protected by The
large merchantman, as our decks were
scarcely on level with her deep water
line.
Inc OTeeLe ccntlnueO TO freShen as We
ran out Of the harbor, and in few min
utes we were beyond the reach of the shot;
though the enemy continued much longer
to pound away at Us in vain.
/ now boarded the pr re which had been
the means of our wonderful escape. She
was terribly cut up, ind many of her crew
were lying dead and wounded upon her
decks.
While was giving proper directions for
the care of the latter, Mr.. Richmond, who
had been examining the condition of the
hull, came to ME and reported that the ship
was sinking.
We lost no time in hurrying the English
crew, with their effects, on board the pri-
yateer and scarcely had We sailed thou
sand yards from the rich y-freighted mer-
chairman, when, with lurch aud a stag
gering motion like drunken man, she
went down and the ocean claimed the 10
BILE prize as her own.
Four days after this singular night ad.
venture, the Yankee was lying snugly un.
der the wall of the Moro, in the harbor Of
Havana.