Middletown transcript., 1868-10-24
fragments of Aistoru.
Recollecti ctions of a Lifetime.

| public nature that L re}leplber was the;
socalled Great Eclipse of June, 1906. The
darkness was so great that the school which
| attended was closed and the boys sent
home. The excitement on account of the
Embargo in 1907 is yet fresh in my gecol-
lection: also of hearing men talk about
Bonaparte and the French. | remember.
the attack of the British frigate Leopard
upon the United States frigate Chesapeake.
in 1907, and the talk about the Impress
ment of American seamen by British men
of war. Also the famous battles with the
Indians, at Tippecanoe by Gen. Harrison.
and the fight between the United States
frigate President, Commodore Rodgers,
and the British sloop of war Little Bet.
Capt Bingham, in 1911, and of the dec
laration of war against Great Britain, in
June, 1872, and of the great effort made
to fit out privatecrs to prey on British CONF
merce. | often saw vessels sent into NY
port by them. l remember the deep gloom
that prevailed the country on the surren-
der of Gen. Hulls army at Detroit, also of
the days of rejoicing when the news ar
rived that the United States frigate Con-
stitution, Capt. Hull, had captured and
sunk the British frigate Gurricre, Capt.
Essex frigate had after an action of fifteen
minAtes, taken the sloops Of war Alert and
Wasp. Capt. Jones had taken his Majes-
ty'G brig of war Frolic, which. however.
was soon rctaken, as was also the Wasp,
and both were taken into Bermuda In
. Qetnber, 1872, the frigatc United States.
, CuMipodoro Decatur, captured and brought
into port the British frigate Macedonian.
Capt. Carbon. l well remember going ON
board tho victorious ship, and of the en-
thusasm that prevailed thrnughout the land
: | remember seeing the fpst flag Of truce
sent ON shore from the British frigate Orr
pheus. The capture Of the British triGate
Java by the Constitution, Commodore
Bainbridge, is fresh in my memory.
Among the prisoners was Lieutenant
4 General, who was going out to be govern-
or of Bombay. So badly injured was tho
/ Java that she was burned. How did all
a hearts rejoice thus to see Great Britain
e humbled and, as it were, driven from the
i ocean, no longer to be called nststrsss If
' the sea. Shortly after, the news came of
the capture of the sloop of war Peacock by
the U. S. ship Hornet. Te effect of these
# repeated captures cannot be described, and
4 everybody went in for the Navy. Early
a in June, 1913, saw the frigate United
o States, Commodore Decatur, Macedonian,
y Captain Jones, and sloop of war Hornet.
a Capt Biddle, driven into New London by
/. British fleet, by whom they we're block
e AIDED until the close of the war r.. -
n I well remember tho talk about the
IS "bue light" signals said to have been
j. seen one dark and stormy night when the
4 lol 30 l.,
Soon after the blockade commenced an
American schooner called the Eagle was
% fitted out in New York for the purpose of
: destroying the British fleet, l saw the
+ schooner taken by the boats of the squad-
=. ron the captain and crew put for shore in
- a boat. and in short time l heard most
y terrific explosion and saw smoke. The
n vessel was blown to atoms, throwing ~
If quantity of pitch and tar on board the
l. Ramihe, IA gun ship, Com. Hardy, and
a killing many men on the boats.
= How we'll do remember the unfortu-
,s nate capture of the U. S. frigate Chesa-
,s peake il June, 1913, by the Shannon.
N Capt. Brooke, and the death of the heroic
u Capt. Lawrence, and his last words
- 10 Don't giee up the ship" Also the glo-
Te rious victory by Com. Perry ON Lake Erie,
,o Sept. 10th, 1918, and of his laconic des-
IS patch to general Harrison" lYe hape met
. the enemy dlW tiey are Ours" | remem-
n Der the sloop Roxana being run on shore by
or British sloap of war and set on fire, and
m omr of going down to the shore when the fire
\ was extingpished, when the sloop Of war
ii returned and fired upon the people, and Of
a dodging cannon balls by jumping down a
or cellar way saw the bombardment Of
Stonington in August, 1914, by Sir Tlom-
as NJ. Hardy also remember the burning
r. of the village of Pottipany, near the mouth
r. of Connecticut river; witnessed battle on
20 Long Island Sound between squadron Of
~ thirteen gunboats under Commodore Lcw-
, is and British frigate. l was on the
nd dock when the sloop Hero, of Stoningtop,
ok brought into port the Fox. tender to the
at blockading feet, captured nearly under
~ the guns of the feet. never saw sucl
i chop-fallen men as were the lieutenant:
ali and midshipmen Of the Fox=t shall new.
.s or forget the scene. / remember the glo
Of rious victories of our army from Fort Erie
a to the Falls, the burning of Washington
-. attack and repulse of the British at Balti
's more and the great victory on Lake Cham,
on plain by Commodore McDonough, and o.
~ seeing the hero presented with sword by
n, a committee of the Legislature of the State
- of New York. The entire defeat and re.
treat to Canada of the British army, and
the fnal victory by Gen. Jackson at New
f,I Orleans.
III Voltaire said of Mademoiselle de Livry
She was so beautiful, that I raised my