Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-04-08
= SUNBURY, PA. SATURDAY MORNING. APRIL 8, 1871
..send yonr hoal aboard of lne thnt I

may sec ,rho you are !" now shouted thu
/ pirate. ha'o
"We have no boat To spare was the re
ply. "But shall soon board you with M,
slu0p, II l can work her along side Of YOU. !
I The pirate now appeared upon deck will
a bottle of rum, and, filling a glass, dranl
| to the lieutenant.
''Sec here ~ he cried, with disgustin.
oath, "whocver you arc, wish you to ui-
dcrstand that Backward never yet asked
for nor gave quarter !"
II expect none, answered the lcuten.
ont neither do intend to give you any
The pirate now opened the battle, by
| pouring broadside into the sloops, clarg-
ed, rs the. chronicler of the event says,
with all manner OF small shots.''
| The effect Of the first vollcy was terrible
! upon tho decks of the lieuteiant's vessels,
and more than twenty of his men fell killed
and desperately wounded. But the brave
fellows still kept at their sweeps, pressing
closer aud closer upon their freebootcrs.
Drcading the result of another such a
volley, Maynard now ordered every soul,
except himself and the man at the helm, Ia
secretc himself in the holds. The helms
man WAS directed to lay close 10 the deck
while he alone was the only man to be seen
on board his little vessel.
The pirates poured in another broadside,
| which spent its fury only upon the sides
and rigging of the sloops, but did not stop
the Roadway of the latter, for the heXt mo-
| ment, the vessel on board OF which was the
gallant Maynard, came in contact with
that of the pirate.
When the two vessels struck, Black
boards men hurled into the lieutenant's s
a novel kind of hand-grenadcs. These
were case bottles filled to their necks with
small shot and powder, slugs and broken
glass, with burning matches attached,
which, had his decks been crowded, would
have made fearful havoc among his neil.
Before the smoke of these cleared away.
the pirates lealed upon his vessel, lead on
by their chief
Maynard now gave the preconcertcd
signal, and his men, leaving their hiding
places, met the charge and a short, bloody
and desperate struggle ensued.
Singing out each other, the two leaders
stood moment face to face. Theirs were
the first shots fired, aud the lieutenant's
bullet inflicted 4 slight wound upon the
pirate.
Then they engaged at arms length with
swords, till, by an unfortunate stroke, that
of the officer broke at the hit. Throwing
it overheard, the lieutenant stepped back
to draw another pistol, when the inCuriated
Blackboard raised his cutlass, and would
have cut him to the deck. had not one of
the leutenant's men, at this juncturc, Sec
ing the imminent danger of his commander,
giving the pirate blow with boarding
pike that paralyzed his arm, so that only
the point of the cutlass came in contact
with Maynard's fingers. -
The pirate received the contents of the
lientenant's pistol in his body. But still
furious with the blood he had lost, and the
liquor he had been drinking, he fought with
the desperation of Il savage, till he had re-
ceiSed no less than twenty-five wounds,
five of which were from pistol shots. He
had discharged six pairs of pistols, and as
he was in the act of cooking the last one he
possessed, he fell with an oath to the deck.
He was dead
Eight of his men were also killed, and
the others, who were more or less wounded,
jumped overheard and begged for quarter,
which was granted them. Their lives,
however, were prolonged but q few days
During this fight on the deck of May
nard's little sloop, the other Sloop had un.
luckily run aground. She now, however,
came up. and attacked the crew which had
remained in the pirates vessel. With
these she soon made clean work, for al
ready overcome with drunkpess, they were
easily dispatched.
Thus this great terror of the colonies
came to his end, and the brave lieutenant
and his men received what they so richly
deseryed-the applause of all the good peo-
pl0.
AS soon rs the gallant conduct Of the
young officer reached the ears of the ad-
miraity at home, he vas Immediately pro-
4 N,l.. \ A. :.