Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-02-19

on Leet, Esq, IN officer having some
charge of the port OF Aslitabula.
Captain Reads company was often
called out on alarms, About the middle
of june, 1918, Lieutenant Ebenezcr
Duty called out the compahy, in the
absence of Capt. Read, to defend the
entrance into the Ashtabula and to guard
the United States stores Of pork and
flour III the barn Of Gideon Lee,, ESQ.
about mile up the Ashtabula, from
seizure by the British troops on board
the Queen Charlotte and the Lady Pro.
vost, then near by. a party was de-
tached to go up along the lake shore, to
discover the position Of these vessels.
II had been reported that they had an
chored that morning off Cunningham's
Greek, IN Madison, and sent a party on
shore who butchered an OK belonging to
Mr.. Phineas Mi&er Having taken the
beef on board, they were said to have
wei9hen anchor and sailing down toward
Ashtabula. Our detachment consisted
of Ira Sweet, Joshua Cone, Lewis Sweet.
James Tinker, Fredus A. Sweet. Chaun-
cey Tinker, Willard Ii. Sweet, and an.
other man, whose name is forgotten.
They were armed with rifles. In pass
ing up along the shore, they discovered
man before them, hurrying on in the
same direction they were going. Not
suspecting him foe, they ran to over
take him, and he preceiving them, ran to
escape trcm them. When they bad thus
proceeded about three miles up above
the mouth of the Ashtabua, to the
mouth o b ook running into the lake,
the man they were pursuing rushed to
the lake and hurried on board large
boat at the tatcr's edge. The boat be-
longed to the British vessels, which were
anchored as near the shore where the
boat lay as they could approach. The
boat was propelled by six oars and six
rowers on each side, and was armed with
a three FOUNDER. Onr men fred into the
boat rs she was showing off, and received
shot from her three FOUNDER in return,
which only powdered them with the
sand of the beach, but hurt none of them.
They fired several times more into the
boat as she was hurrying off, with what
execution they could not tell For each
Of their fires ball sent from the Queen
Charlotte was returned only to cut off
the boughs of trees which hung over
their heads, and bring them down, with
out injury, among them. The man
whom they chased to the boat, was
doubtless a spy, sent to ascertain the po-
sltlon and detences of our military stores,
and TO report to our enemies what pros
pect there might be OF their ability to
take them.
The detachment returned and reported
to Lieut.. Duty, and joined the rest of
the company, of which the writer was
ono and witness of the proceedings of
this day. The enemies vessels soon ap-
peared and anchored off the mouth of
the Ashtabula, where Lieut.. Dnty's
forces, augmented by volunteers from
the neighboring townships, where pre-
pared TO oppose them, should they give
battle or attempt landing.
Our men, partly exposed and partly
concealed by trees and brushwood, and
some of them being dressed in Indian
blankets, and rushing to and fro among
the bushes, our forces appeared, doubt
less, to the enemy, as it was intended
that it should, more numerous and form
idable than they were in reality. We
soon had the pleasure Of seeing our enc
mics sailing away toward the Canada
shore, leaving us unhurt, and our mill
tary stores safe, which we had resolved
to consume by fire, rather than suffer
them to fall into their hands. In Oeto-
1912, a detachment of Capt. Reads com
pany, including this writer, Walker
Richmond, Manoah Hubbard, James
Morecratt and others, accompanied by
Moses Hall and Thomas Gordon, volun-
ers, were called to Cleveland on false
alarm.
In February, 1914, Capt. Reads com
pany were called out on an alarm, by
express repsenting the British and In-
dians as advancing up the lake from
Buffalo toward Erie, Pa, pIundering the
inhabitants and burning their dwellings
on the way. The company-among
whom was the writer-shouldered their
guns and knapsacks, and marched to
meet the enemy, thirty-three miles, to
Walnut Creek, Pa. Here the report was
contradicted, and the alarm proved to be
a false one.
About the 18th of March, 1913, the
writer, with his horses and sleigh, accom-
panied by Mr.. Silas Foote, was trans
porting load of groceries from Norfolk,
Connecticut, for Mr.. Hall Smith, of Ash
tabula. | stopped my team in Buff; 10,
neal the barracks in which some 800
United States troops were quarteted,
leaving the team and load in care of MIR.
Foote, while should go u few rods to
transact some business at Pratts store.
This occupied but a few minutes Com
ing out of the store, saw the load piled
up in the street and Foote standing by
the goods, but the team and sleign were
gone. Turning my eyes to the barraeksy
saw the team, and men who appeared
to be non-commissioned officers were
seating themselves in the sleigh. step
ped up and asked what they were doing
with my horses and sleigh. They an
swered, ''The British are coming on the
ice from Fort Erie to take Buffalo, and
we, with our fellow soldiers, are called
out by the Colonel to meet and drive
them back" "Wel," said |, off you are
going to battle in the sleigh, you need
skillful and patriotic driver to lead you
to victory, will you receive me in that
capacity :" "Yes, jump in and drive
Off" said they. ] was glad to do SO for
the safety OF my horses. We proceeded
half