Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-22
RUNNING A BLOCKADE.
A sketch Of the War Of IsIo.ii.
BY sYLvASUs COBB, JI.

a sort OF q naval headquarters at Castine. and
from thence sent out their cruisers. Upon the
henhe bee river at that time were many thriving
towns, and quite a number OF Yankee privateers
were fitted out there. Several sailed from Bath:
and even as high up a. HallOwell were ftted and
manned some OF these troublesome little craft.
In consequence OF this the British turned their
attention To this latter river. and established n
= blockade at It's mouth. They knew that some
<pIivateers were being fitted out some where mp
the stream, and they were determined to take
them n they came out.
And there was another thing which the enemy
had i'm view in this blockade There was a fort
zap the river a short distance and also several
military store houses and they (the British) had
learned that provisions and ammunition were
expected from Boston Salem for these places.
SO they meant to kill two birds with one stone.
They would prevent the privateers from coming
cut; ami s-o prevent the stores from going in.
Many still living, who resided upon the Ken
nebec daring that war, remember well the sea-
son of that blockade. They depended for much
OF their provision upon the coasters which came
from Massachusetts,; and now that the small
vessels were pr vented from coming in, they
suffered much In Halowell, wateryille, Gar
diner ami other places, provisions were scarce
that many people who were considered well-off
in ordinary TINES lived upon the swill-gather-
fugs IF the more wealthy; and a silver dollars
worth Of al could be carried away in a COM
non pocket-handkerchief. The suffering was
great, The people knew that there were several
vessels anxious TO get in, but the British war
brig al the rivers mouth prevented them.
Among the vessels which were expected at
HslUwe,l was a heavy schooner named .'The
Polly Ann" She was owned and commanded
by NAN named Eben Wait. Also another
schooner, called 1.-THE Eliza" which belonged
to Ahuer Jenkins.
Tie .'Polly Ann and the eliza" both
Cleared at Salem, Mass, the former loaded with
One OF the NEST valuable cargoes ever sent to
abe eastward; for besides large lot OF excellent
provisions, such as flour, corn, rye, pork and
beef. she had large quantity of arms and am
niuniion for two privateers that were lying at
Bath. The less of the Polly Ann" would have
been a severe blow i'm two ways: Ii would have
sadly added 20 the want of the poor people of
the Kennebec, and have prevented the outfit of
two stsunch ITivateers; and il would have also
added much 70 the power of the enemy by
furnishing them with things which they much
needed.
The Polly Ann was a new and valuable
craft; rot so the Eliza" The latter very
obi ana very rotten. and she was Now upon her
last trip. tier owner had resolved to try the run
10 HsiOwell, and then pull his old schooner to
pieces for hrewoOd, a. that was about all she
good FOR. On the present occasion she was
loaded With provisions; but the load was neces-
sarily a light one, as jenkins dare not venture
u siI.h her too deeply.
The two schooners sailed from Salem together.
In fact jenkins would not have dared TO sail
alone. tor he was not sure that his rickety old
craft world carry him through. The 'Poily
Ann" was manned BY Captain Wait; his SON
Nathan a youth of nineteen; a man of thirty,
named j i'm Tufts, and Samuel Locke, young
IN n of five and twenty. The Eliza" had be-
mander: Walter Davis and Charles Allen, both
young men and able.
When the two schoonersre ched Wood Island,
whit lies at the mouth of the Saco river, they
were boarded by some Yankee fishermen who
resiS Ell there, and who informed them that it
NO III be of no use for them to go any farther.
Ike can't git into the river, y said one of them.
s'for a cussed brig-o'-wars a lynn off an on
there all the time. An ken tell We one more
thing, too; them Britishers are on the lookout
for you. They've heered as how't you were
com ng in with provisions an arms for priva-
te.rs. They've been informed som'how."
This was = dAmper upon Captain Eben Wait.
He had known that there were British war
vessels upon the coast; but he had hoped that
there sht be none AN his way. He could not
turn back. He knew that those whom he loved
were suffering for the want OF the food he had
with him; and that the privateers could not sail
until they hs ,S the sfonTs ne mad IN charge 70.
too long in the hold OF his vessel.
What should he do? The loss to him, if he
thought not so much OF that as he did of the ioss
to those who were depending upon him for the
very means Of sustaining life. He questioned
that they spoke truly. Three of them had come
from NOnhegan only two days before, and had
been robbed Of their fish by this same brig.
80 And," continued the informant, "oHe of the
Officers asked Us ef We knowed the Yankee
sshs oner Polly Ann We pretended We didn't
Know anything about it, lie said he'd have ye
al We come that way
Capt Wait pondered a long while upon the
IL formation he had received.
Its hard case - he said TO his friend, Capt.
Jenkins. al know how these those fellows
watch There's no getting by them"
Ills confounded bad returned jenkins.
they mi CHIT have my old hulk in welcome.
dJn't know but I'D be willin' TO pay 'em some
Thin to carry her of: for the fre-wood she'll
make won't hardly be worth the trouble of cut
{ m her up. She's half rotten, and t'other half
a. full of nails and spikes her sails full
of holes But with your vessel it's different
She's new and valuable. By thunder. Eben,
I'm ateaFd wen have to 90 back. But it's Gus
Sed hard, isn't it?''
But new light had cleaned upyn the bronx
Ell face of Capt. Wait.
Look ye, Abnsr,' he said eagerly. ''if
could carry your cargo all safely up the river
would YOU give up your yessel?''
''Would I?r cried jenkins. an bet
would. Yes, sir-I'd let her 60 to gross in a
'.Then think we can do it. At all events,
vel try. NJ schooner can easily carry all
the load you've got from here to Bath. Well
u,op Ia shore and SHIFT cargo as quickly as pos
jenkins heard his friends plan explained,
and his own face grew bright, The two schOoners
were anchored, and then dashed side TO side;
md then all hands turned to with will. Before
night the al Eliza" was dying" light, with
nothing aboard that could possibly be taken
away. They left her hull, her masts, her three
sails, and such rigging as was absolutely neees-
Sary To keep her on the wind.
Or the kennebec Is about thirty miles; 50 the
run was not long one. Wait did not wish to
start until after midnight, as his plan was to
bring the war brig in sight just about day-
break. The wind was from the south'rd and
east'rd, and blowing fair breeze; and it was
likely to remain 50, at least until the sun rose
again.
Al one O'Clock in the morning the two
schooners again made sail; and at three the
light upon Cape Elizabeth was ON the lSrboard
quarter. At half-psst three Sezuin Hight wa,
m sight again Seguin is an island at the mouth
OF the kennebec- y
AT four O'Clock the first CLEANS of the com;ro
day appeared upon the horizon; and in a very
few minutes afterwards the tall spars of the
directly ahead, jus: outside Of segIin, and Ito to
the south'r I'd of it.
..NOw's our time" shouted Captain Wait,