American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-14
VOL. XIV.


sci always anchors right by the swami
where the beach shelves off suddenly, an
within few yards of shore.''
SO PERCEIVE
Now, if there were bloodthirsty an,
wicked men who had brains to keep thei
bad purposes, and knew that she is coming
on Wednesday afternoon, and knew tina
they are going to Shoud's and round abou
to forage, and would leave the schoonc
weak handed, they might-they are jus
bad enough-they might leave a couple o
stout boats in among the reeds in the crpel
there the night before"
"They might, father"
| ''They might go down armed at tn,
same time, with enough to eat all day, ant
| lie there and next morning when the mer
came ashore and got out of sight'over tn,
sand-hillsfo Shoud's, they might, if they
were as resolute as they are bad, take tina
vessel"
They might, as thee says; and 1 have
| a notion they'll try
"They may, Obed; but if they do hope
they'll use peaceable means. If they dc
try, as thee thinks they will, don't thee &C
with them. But if thee will, and thee's a
headstrong boy, thee must go unarmed
Don't thee dare to take that rifle that thy
Uncle Isaac brought from Virginia and
that. hangs up, in the garrett with a
bullets and patches. 1 caution thee to lei
it alone"
Certainly, father; just as thee says
There were dozen young men in the
settlement, staunch Whigs-some fisher
men, and all accustomed TO the sea-who
followed Obed's lead on all occasions He
summoned them quietly to meet him on
Wednesday night, secretly, at the beach
and in the meanwhile he secured a
con 10 Of off xrif
them away in the place indicated.
On Wednesday afternoon near nightfall
the cutter came in and anchored, but no
one came ashore They kept good
watch; but the night was very dark and
their observation could not extend very
far. Obed and his friends made their way
Though the swamp to the boats, and lay
there quietly all night.
Next morning at 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-
cealed Wings, fourteen men, armed with
cutlasses and muskets, with the masters
mate and midshipman commanding in
separate boats. This would leave the
boatswain, three men, and boy on
board. Obed kept watch, the others lying
close down, and saw the boats land
They all disembarked, leaving the
boats in charge of two men and not send
ing them back. They evidently intended
to return in 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 on the bows of the boats,
where they were drawn up on the beach,
fired. Une of the men fell dead and the
other MORALLY wounded. Obed and Will
let's fioundered through the marsh to-
where the men lay, and, without paying
any attention to the wounded man, quickly
stove holes in the bottoms of the boats
while the rest of the men rowed into sight.
One of their own boats took them on
board and they made for the cutter.
But the people on the cutter were not
idle meanwhile. They disengaged a car
renade, ran it out of a portfolio, and pre-
pared 10 fire he hoats, by prepious an
separated, one circling north
and the other south, and the shot missed
both. Before another gun could be aimed
the cutter was boarded at bow and stern
The noise of the firing caused the main
party to rctrace their steps, and they came
back in a hurry to the landing place,
where they found their boats unfit for use
mot, however, until they had pushed
Them OFF and the water poured in on them.
in the meanwhile, after the pris-
oners were secured, ran to the magazine,
brought up some grape and canister, load
ed the Long Tom and trailed it directly
upon the party in the water. The shot
from that and one of the carronades did
fearful execution, and the few survivors
hat were unwounded ran up the beach to
he nearest house, where they sheltered
themselves and ultimately surrendered.
Five had been killed outright and eight
severely wounded, three of them MORALLY. |
no 1yno -
was another matter. There was no crew |
o man it, even if it could be got to sea
through the squadron. As soon as the
Jews of its capture was known, or when
Ome time had elapsed after its absence,
here would be powerful boats crews sent
or it, perhaps one of the smaller vessels.
70, after consultation, it was agreed to cut
he rigging, remove the masts and sink the
essel in the deepest hole in the harbor, to
vas soon done after taking the movable
property ashore, previously filing the
'arrels of the Long Tom and carronades
With all the melted beeswax that could be
lad in the neighborhood and then storing
hem in the hold. Then the prisoners
we're carried off by their captors over the
ountry and safely lodged in Philadelphia.
In three days British force came, as
ad been expected, and they made things
very uOWH a OF
arm houses, Lippincott's among the num-
er; but the inhabitants, except those of
nown loyal sentiments, kept at a respect
BILE distance from harm. Every boat
pom the beach for miles the British de-
troYed.
In about years time Obed, Willetts,
nd some of the rest came back, got up IA
rev, raised the cutter, and found her in
God order. The cannons were rusted
ONE on the outside, but the beeswax had
reserved the inside smooth. They re-
tasted and rugged her, cut the wasp fig
off, replaced it by the rudely-
arved figure of a snake, rechristened her
ne Rather" and one dark, stormy
light got off to sea with her, having OBJ
lined letters of marque, and ran down to
he West Indies, where they took ample
,venge for the burning of the Middle-of-
le-Shore. In fact with the prizes they
'ok, the master and crew shared quite a
nall fortune at the close of the war. The
Rather was Hsarmed when peace
sme, and embarked in a euieter business, ,
irrying shingles and pine boards along :.
fn |