Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-10-02

powder and pouch full OF bullets and
patches. / caution thee to let it
alone" -
Certainly, father; just as thee
says"
There were q dozen young men III
the settlement, staunch Whigs-soine
fishermen, and ell accustomed to the
sea--who followed Obed's lead on oil
occasions. He summoned them quietly
10 meet hixn on Wednesday night, se.
cretly, at the beach; and In the mean
while he secured o couple Of stout
boats, with oars, and hid them away in
the place indicated. Z,
On Wednesday afternoon near night
fall the cutter came in and anchored,
but no one came ashore. They kept q
good watch; bat the night was very
dark and their observation could not
extend far. Obed and his friends made
their way through the swamp to their
boats, and lay there quietly all night.
Next morning at daylight there was a
whistle heard from the cutter. and two
boats were let down, into which tum-
bled, to the great delight Of the con-
cealed Wings, fourteen men, armed
with cutlasses and muskets, with the
masters mate and midshipman COM
manding in separate boats. This would
leave the boatswain, three men, and o
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 sending them back. They ev-
identity 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.
One Of the men fell dead, the other
mortally wounded. Obed and Willetts
Houndered 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
q carronade, ran it out Of q port-hoie,
and prepared to FIRE. The boats, by
previous understanding, separated, one
circling north and the other south,
and the shot missed both. Before an
other gun could be aimed the cutter
was boarded at bow and stern.
The noise Of the firing caused the
main party to retrace their steps, and
they came back in q 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 on them. Willets, in the
meanwhile, 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 from one OF the carron-
AIDES did fearful execution, and the few
survivors that were unwounded ran up
the beach to the nearest house, where
they sheltered themselves and ultimate
ly surrendered. Five had been killed
outright, and eight severely wounded,
three of them mortally. -
The cutter had been won; but to
keep it was another matter. There was
no crew to man il, even il it could be
got to sea through the squadron. AS
soon as. the news Of its capture was
known, or when some time had elapsed
after it's absence, there would be power
full boats crews sent for II, perhaps one
Of the smaller vessels. SO, after consul
tation, it was agreed to cut away the
| rigging, remove the masts, and sink the
vessel in the deepest hole in the harbor,
TO be raised on q suitable opportunity
I This was soon done, after taking The
movable property ashore, previously
filing the barrels of the "long tom
and carronades with all the melted
beeswax that could be had in the neigh
hood, and then storing them away In
the hold. Then the prisoners were
carried of by their eaptors over The
country and safely lodged in Philadel
phis. -, ~ .-,', - So '.in '''t '.sa ,
In three days . British force came
% had been expected, and they mad,
things lively. They burned down (
NUMBER OF WAREHOUSES;, Llppencotti
among the number; but the inhabi
tants kept at q respectable distance from
harm. Every boat npon the beach fo
!, miles the British destroyed.
T. In about . years time Obed, Willetts
4 and some Of the rest came back, got ul
q crew, raised the cutter, and found he
in good order. The canons were ruste,
on the outside, but the beeswax ha,
! preserved the inside smooth. They n
masted and rugged her, cut the was
6gure-head oE. replaced it by the rude
" carved figure Of 0 snake, re.chris
tsned her the Rather, and one darl
stormy right got of to sea with hel
having obtained letters Of lnarque, an
ran down to the West Indies, wher
they took ample revenge for the burr
I, ing Of the Middl dle-of-the-shoss. In fac
with the prizes they took, the masts