The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-07-07

VINO was Killed there In the last war with
Great Britain. But sit down." con-
tlnued he, land let me tell YOU his
story"
And there in the dewy freshness of
that early hour of the summers morning
we gathered around the old man.
to hear his story in the very scene of it's
enactment.
During the war with Great Britain of
1872, there were stirring times in these
waters. Each nation strove for the
mastery of the lakes, and shipsan fleets
were built and fitted out on both sides
with marvellous celerity. 1t was not an
uncommon thing in those days, for a
sloop-ofwar to be launched all ready for
active service from our ship yards,
whose timbers forty days before were
growing greenly in the forest.
In November, 1872, I was q young
sailor on board the staunch brig Oneida,
that was commanded by Lieutenant
Woolsey, and was attached to the
American fleet then cruising under Com
modore Chauncey. For day or two,
our fleet had been chasing the British
sloop-of-war, the Royal George, among
the Thousand Islands, and in the early
hours of bleak morning, had driven
CURED the daring assault upon the ROYAL
George by our little fleet under the very
guns of the frowning fort, that reflected
so much honor upon our gallant seamen.
Tom Garnet was n sailor ON board
our brig. He had been for many years
in the British service, but had lately
enlisted in our navy, and was ordered
on board our vessel. Tom had not been
long on board before he became the uni.
versal favorite of all the officers and
men, and being a most thorough sea-
man was made captain of the forecastle.
Tom was brave to n fault, unshaken i'm
the performance of every duty, and al
ways at his post. But he was as gentle
as q woman, and at times an irrepressi-
bic sadness seemed to weigh down his
spirits and cast a settled gloom over his
life. Some great and abiding sorrow
was weighing heavily upon the heart of
poor Tom, but none of us knew what it
was. What was our surprise then, on
the morning of the battle, to see Toms
face beaming with smiles. A great
change had suddenly come over his
brooding spirits, and Tom was as light
hearted as child. His comrades quick
lysnoticed the change, and wonderingly
inquired the cause.
"Oh I slall be with them to day."
said Tom, CT shall see them to-day
"With whom2" inquired his COM
rades.
"With Mary, my wife, and our child
in heaven" said he, with great earnest
ness. "Last night 1 thought L saw
her disembodied spirit among the angels
in my dream, and little one was by her
side whom L had never seen, and they
beckoned me to come. am sure L
shall go to-day, and be with them at
last. But you cannot understand me,p
continued Tom, "unt1 I tell you all
about how it has been with me. In the
first place, let me divide between you
my comrades what few things I have.
When I am gone they will remind you
of poor Tom. AS soon rs the morning
breaks we shall go into action and shall
be killed. They seemed to tell me
so."
The sailors were at first disposed to
laugh at what they supposed were
Toms disordered fancies, but his great
earnestness of manner, indicating his
firm belief in the truthfulness of his
presentiment, and having so high an ap-
probation of his noble character, they
checked their hilarity, and each in turn
received from his hand some little trim
ket, or q part of his wardrobe Us q keep
sake.
And the sailors of poor Toms mess
gathered around him in the forecastle,
in the gloomy dawn of that wild Cana
dian autumn morning, while the fleet
was putting on sail to engage the enemy,
and listened to poor Tom.
"My father" said Tom, "was we'll
to-do English farmer, who lived in the
days of our childhood back in the coun-
try about forty miles from Liverpool. L
was his first-born and heir, and when
1 became Of age I married the daughter
of our nearest neighbor. We were to
settle down upon the farm and take care
of the old folks, who were already well
along in years. A few short, happy
weeks flew quickly by, and our honey
moon was over. Then my father loaded
his cart with corn and sent mo off to the
distant town to exchange it for some
things for our housekeeping.
"When 1 left the old home farm that
morning, with my cart and oxen and load
of freight, Mary, my wife, kissed me
goodbye again and again.
"'You will not be gone long, will
you, dear Tom2' said she.
"It was our first and last parting.
But twenty years of toll and hardship
have not wasted the sweetness of her
last kiss from my lips. And her image
how bright and beautiful her image
appears to me this morning, as see her
in my memory standing at the old farm
gate, bidding me goodbye as 1 drove
the oxen down the lane out of her sight
towards the great city.
81 had never been in town before,
and it W g to me full of wonders. After