The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-08-18

ana lie there; and next morning, when
the men came ashore and got out Of
sight over the sandhills to Shouds, they
might, if they were as resolutc as they
are bad, take that vessel"
"They might, as thee says; and Ihavo
a notion they'll try"
They may, Obed; but if they do I
hope they'll use peaccablc means. If
they do try, as thee thinks they will,
don't thee go with them. But if thee
will, and thee's n hcadstrong boy, thee
must go unarmcd. Don't thee dare to
take that rifle that thy Uncle Sam
brought from Virginia and that hangs
up Ill the garrct, with horn full of
powder and n pouch full of bullets and
patches. | caution thee to let it alone"
Certainly, father; Just as thee says"
There were dozen young men i'll the
settlement, staunch Whigs-Somc fisher
mon and all accustomed to the sca-who
followed Obcds lead on all occasions.
He summoned them quietly to meet
him on Wednesday night, secretly, ut
the beach; and in the meanwhile he Sc
cured n couple of stout boats, with oars,
and hid them away in the place intli-
Gated.
On Wednesday afternoon near night
fall the cutter came in and anchored, but
no one came ashore. They kept Il good
watch; but the night was very dark and
their observation could not extend very
far. Obed and his friends made their
way through the swamp to the boats,
and lay there quietly all night
|. Next morning ut daylight there was
whistle heard from the cutter, and two
boats were let down, into which there
tumbled, to the great delight of the con
~ ~" 81
cutasses and muskcts, with the masters
mate and midshipman commanding in
separate boats. This would leave the
boatswain, three men, and boy on
board. Obcd kept watch, the others ly-
ing close down, and saw the boats land.
They all discmbarkcd, leaving the boats
i'll charge of two men and not sending
them back. They evidently intended to
return i'll short while, and no time was
to be lost. So soon as the main party
had disappeared behind the sand hills
Obed and Willetts, covering the two
men who were seated Oh the bows of the
bOat", where they were drawn mp on the
beach, fired. One of the men fell mort
ally wounded, and the other dead. Obcd
and Willetts tloundered through the
marsh to where the men lay, and, with
ont paying any attention to the wound
ed man, quickly stove holes III the bot
toms of the boats, while the rest of the
men rowed into sight. One of their own
Eolts took them on board and they
made toc the cutter.
1'ut the people OH the cutter were not
idle meanwhile. They discngagcd a
carronadc, ran it out of port hole, and
prepared to fire. The boats, hy prcvi-
ous understanding, separated, one cir
cling north and the other south, anI the
shot missed both. Before another gun
Mt bow and stern.
The noise OF the firing caused the
main party to rctracc their steps, and
they came back in hurry to the land
ing place, where they found their boats
unfit for use-not, however, until they
had pushed them of, and the water
poured in Oh them. Willctts, in the
mean while, after the prisoners were Sc
cured, ran to the magazine, brought up
some grape and canister, loaded the
Long Tom, and trailed it directly upon
the party in the water. The shot from
that and one Of the carronadcs did fear
ful execution, and the few survivors that
We're unwoundcd ran up the beach to
the nearest house, where they sheltered
themselves and ultimately surrendered.
Five had been killed outright and eight
severely wounded, three of them NOR
tally.
The cutter had been won; but to keep
it was another matter. There was no
crew to man it, even if it could be got
to sea through the squadron. As soon
rs the news of its capture was known,
or wh;n some time had elapsed after its
absence, there would be powerful boats
crews sent for 1t, perhaps one of the
smaller vessels. So. after consultation.
it was agreed to cut the rigging, remove
tho mnsts, and sink the vessel in the
deepest hole i'll the harbor, to he raised
on suitable opportunity. This was
soon done, after taking the movable
property ashore, previously filling the
barrels of the Long Tom and carrona les
with all the melted bceswax that could
be had III the neighborhOod and then
storing them in the hold. Then the pris-
oners were carried off by their cap tors
In three days British force came, as
had been expected, and they made
things lively. They burned down n
number of farmhouses, Lippincott's s
among the number but the inhabitants,
except those of known loyal sentiments,
kept alta respectable distance from harm.
Every boat upon the beach for miles the
British destroyed.
In about years time Obcd, Willctts,
and some of the rest came back, got up
crew, raised the cutter, and found her
i'll good order. The cannons were rustcd
some on the outside, but the bccswax
hal preserved tho inside smooth. They
rcmasted and rugged her, cut the wasp
iignrchead off, replaced it by the rudcly
carved figure of n snake, rechristcned
her the Rather, and one dark, stormy
might got off 10 sen with hcr having o.