The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-12-03
A Revolutionary ReIic-Fafe
Of British FPiRafa.

Previous to the 29th October, 177F.
the British vessel Roebuck, of forty
four guns, Merlin of eighteen guns, and
: galley of three guns were blockading
the Delaware river and approaching
! Philadelphia At that time the Ameri-
cans had but two Yessels-the Wasp
and the Lexington-in that vicinity, and
both were below the British ships and
were of too inferior order to make an
attack upon their adversaries. To
prevent the British ships reaching the
city, a fort was erected on the Jersey
shore just above Woodbury. creek and a
ehsUdnz defrise was so constructed that
the vessels could not pass beyond it
Il extended out from Hog Island, aud
a large number of hulks were sunk as
a sort Of protection to this barrier.
On the 10th of October the British
made an attack upon the Notifications
both by land and water, the land forces
being commanded by General Danupe. |
The commander Of the Colonial forces
in Philadel phis let loose twelve fire
ships, and By this means succeeded
in driving the attacking party back
down the river. On the 22d of October
the British were reinforced, by the ar
rival of the Augusta, carrying sixty
four guns. They made a second at
tack. They met resistance from the
guns at the fort and from the American
galley Chatham. Commander Halle
wood, and twelve other galleys. Af-
ter long fight the Americans succeed
ed in driving off the British vessels
The Augusta being of an uuwieldy
nature, grounded. No sooner had
the Americans discovered this than
they opened fire on her with hot shot
the result being that she was set on fire
in several places. So rapidly did the
flames burn that of her crew of three
hundred men one hundred and fifty
were either drowned or burned. The
remainder were picked up by the
tenders of the Colonial feet. The Au-
gusta not only carried her own arma-
ment, but had on board number of
guns and large number of balls,
which were intended for vessels fitting
out on this side of the ocean. She was
a new vessel, and that trip her first
and last
She has laid imbedded in the mud I
until within two years back, when {
party of five men determined to attempt l
the raising ofthe wreck, being stimulSt- {
ed there to by the supposition of there i
being in the hold a quantity Of specie. J
Their names are James Powell, Joseph t
Moore, George Murphy, Gabriel '
Shapely and Charles Myers. Since t
hat time they have labored continually, t
and now, after having expended over t
1000 and their time, their efforts
have been rewarded and the wreck has G
been moved up as far as Gloucester, s
where the greater portion can be seen '
my day at low tide. Within the past i
ew days a number Of relics have been Y
recovered, among them lot of sterling a
ilyers poons, marked "H. W., 17i8,S t
With coat Of arms consisting of an, ,
Incient shaped cross, an old English /
pulls eye watch, seven guinea pieces,
oearing the vignette of George III, G
Ind with dates ranging from 1850 to a
$50; some Spanish silver dollars, q
hree guns of heavy calibre, which now v
ie on the beach at Red Bank, about v
ixty tons weight of balls and about 100 s
ons of Kentlide iron, which had evi- t
lently been used as ballast. The iron
5 in square pigs, and bears the old e
English brand-an srrow head. Three y
luman skulls have also been found, a
me of which is remarkable for its thick c
less. There has also been found a '
mall piece or strip of copper, about Ii
hree inches in length and one inch in u
upon which is stamped the P
Iord's prayer, with the words '.David Il
'yeth, Delt & Cult, Edin5urg, March, 8
774," the lettering being all in eapi- 81
ais. The vessel had been constructed t.
Irish oak and joined together with +
runnels of the same material, not t,
iugle metal bolt being used. The
mber is pronounced as good to-day as G
'hen put together. t.