The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-03-18
AN CNWRITTEN EPISODE OF THE
REVOLUTION.


AN UNWRITTEN EPISODE OF THE
REVOLUTION.
The fall Of 1116 was a season of pc
GUITAR gloom for the newly.born Republic.
ReverseS everywhere, victories none.
The British army had been largely rein
forced by bodies of Hessian auXiliaries,
and its Generals pressed their advantas e
with great energy. Washington, at the
head OF / goo men, had been disastrously
beaten on Long Island and compelled to
retreat, fighting his way, mile by mile,
across the Delaware. The term of
service for large par, of the Continental
army, witch was only one year, had ex-
PRED, AID there was pay forthcoming.
As dearly rs the men loved their country
they had wives and children dependent
en- them, and they must provide for
the tender and helpless ones. Every
town on the coast was liable to be sacked
and pluudered by the British men of-war,
for there was, as yet, no American fleet
to defend 'he Atlantic shores. Congress,
to be sure, had, in the spring, authoriz ID
the building OF thirteen frigates, but
what were leg slative enactments with
out money and Ship-yards? The cross of
St George soon threatened to fly triumph
antly over every American city, and
even the iron soul of Washington was
wrung with III: most bitter discourage
ment. for the clouds were SO black that
hardl" one ray Of light spa1kled from
their i pths.
chu setts line which were broken up by
IS
which Abncr TAFT, of Narblehead, Was
attached as Sergeant had done splendid
service. for they had fought herOically in
till they were disbanded. Battle SCARED,
ragged, shoeiess and penniless they re;
turned in small cetachments, but still
their hearts were filled with joy in spite
of the gloomy outlook of the nation
their families, to kiss again the beloved
parted. Sergt. Taft and the other
patriot forces, but they would, before
earth and the still more generous bounty
of the ocean-depths; for the harvest on
shore and the season of deep-sea fishing
were alike close at hand. The sacred
JOY of that reunion with sweetheaIts,
wives and children can De imagined.
For still mightier storm of war has,
within few years, left indelible scars
and exquisite memories of the bliss of
return, which the survivors would not
have missed even to have escaped the
dangers which gave it sweetness.
Abner Taft was a man remarkable
even among his hardy and athletic towns
men for gigantic strength and courage,
traits which sill shine out in his de-
scendants, from one of whom the writer
heard the remarkable exploit of his an
cestor. OF more than six feet in stature,
and otherwise herculean proportion, he
was feared and admired by those that
knew him. Though gentle and kindly
in his ordinary moods, his wrath was
terrible when aroused by insult or in
justice, aud had something of that Ber-
serker ferceness which gives such a
strong coloring 10 the songs of the old
Morse scalds and saga-mcn. He had
been d leader among his fellows in the
periIous adventures Of the deep and no
less pressing dangers of the shore.
His fair wife, but few years married,
idoliZed her hero, and her heart beat
with terror a: each parting, though in
her, too, burned something of the fiery
spirit which has ever animated the Mar
blehead women and gave occasion for
Whittier to write his picturesque Skip
per Ireson's Ride" She knew when he
sailed away the king of the fishing fleet,
or marched to join the Continental
armies, that her husband would be in
the forefront of every danger.
Tne soldier-fsherman cannot linger
long in the sweet idleness of home and
rest in the clinging arms of wife and
babes. There is provision to be made
for the long, hard winter, which would
shut down on them for five dreary
months, and the mackerel-catchin fleet
is ready to start. Abner Taft's fishing
smack is moored out in the bay, every
thing taut and ready for the two months
of spoliation of the deep, and his two
hardy comrades have completed their
final preparations. Let US fancy the
scene of departure on bright September
morning as the glad waves smile and
laugh under the CLINT of the beams of the
just-risen sun. The air is full of per-
fume-sweet clover, the dainty after
math of the upland meadows, the fra
grant breath of kline, tine delicate scent
of sea-weed, and fresh, wet sand. Martha
Taft kisses her husband for the last time
as he leaps from the low jetty at the foot
of the cliff into his yawl, followed by his
men.
thee must keep good heart, my lass, N
he shouts, as the oars glisten in the sun
"we'll COON back again before thou'st
all the apples strung. It's not like goin
off to fight the red-coats."
Martha thinks of other sadder part
ings, and smiles gayly in return as she
waves her red handkerchief to the stall
wart fisherman, whose huge figure looms
up in sharp proportions, as he stands IL
his boat, against the level rays of the
sun, 4hxious to catch the last view of hi
wife. After all,ft was only, as he said
short absence, and there was no danger
that fishers daughter, herself bret
amid all the hardy associations OF the sea
should dread. Had she herself not sailed
away once to the mackerelgrounds, ane
time after time been rocked on the
bosom of the storm and the deep? Fal
from her thoughts was any such mis-
chance as that which was to inspire bel
husband to perform deed one of thu
most remarkable in the chronicles of thu
time.
1t would be worth special article Il
paint In WoiOs, Will sAo eoano DpAIltee
and picturesque touch with which Nor
ton and De Hass put similar scenes OF
canvas, life on board the fishing-feet Of
the coast of Maine or Massachusetts
The same now as it was 100 years ago
we can easily fancy the scene, 80 realistic
yet SO poetic.
But Abner Taft and his sturdy mates
though deeply and dumbly conscious o
the beauty and terror of the ocean, q
all men Of the sea are, had other thoughtl
to absorb them. To perform their wQrl
speedily, to catch and pack their Boa