Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-07
Tie OILERS, Fight.

The Port Tobacco Independent Civ the tol-
lowing account, written by an eye wi'Uess' OF
the late OILERS fight on the Potomac, which
differs but little from the account OF the
affair published 10 the G4zette at the date OF
its occurreDcc:-
For number Of years, at the beginning OF
the sbad and herring season, our river has been
visited by nonresident fishermen, each year 10
crossing in number and enlarging their pets
mill they have nearly monopolizad the whole
fishing in crest, always getting below ready to
lex the first run of fish and following Item
nm. thereby thinning them out to such an ex-
tsnt az 10 render fishing Of little or 20 iupor-
lance 10 us. The resident fishermen, believing
this to be too 6agran, al Invasion otthelr rights
TO remain silent, notified these lnlrudcrs OF their
nnposiion to such proc edlngs, and that they
could no longer endure il. A few days aft"r
this notice was seut them the resident Usher
men. numbering abGu' $50 men, chartered the
,uy Suith Pcltl!, Capt. joseph Denty, to Tow
them down iu small boats 10 he shore 90 which
these pom resident fishermen were located, haV-
ing concluded to send committee consisting
| nj six mcD of their plumber, 10 have al inter
| vi, " with them, state their obJectons to the
monopoly, which they were fast establishing,
| OF the fishing interest," aod II possible eject
dlscootinuaDce OF 1t.
When they arrived opposite NaDjemoy stores
al which place they proposed landlng, having
been previously notified by Col. Thomas a.
Millar not to land on his beach, which adjolps
that of the Stores, the small boats, IN which
we're the fshernen, cast loose from the tug
Smith Petit. No sooner had they done this
than they were fred upon by Capt. Geo. W, Car
peDter OF TIE Oyster Police Sloop Katy
Hines" lying of Nauicmoy Stores, Col. Mllar
at the same time firing from The shore. "A
whit. flag was Immediately hos,ed, indicating
that their mission was a peaceabe one, and al
10 hailed TO Capt. Carpenter, saying that they
wished to come along side Of his soop aud ex-
postulate with him, but his reply was more
CONTIGUOUS fire, one ball passing through the
bow of Que of the small boats, another through
the sail, others passing over head and some
falling short of the boats.
The men seeing that their lives were imper-
lied put back 10 the tug Smth Petit Car
peutrr then directed bis fire upon tile steamer
Harbiuger which was coming 10 the wharf Tor
the purpose Of audng passenger, putting
three bal lis through the pilot house one OF
which wounded the Captain NJ. +. Gregg, Sc
riousIy, it not MORALLY. The Harblnger then
stee1ed for DR.. Stewards wharf on the oppo-
site side Of the river, Tor the purpose OF hail
ing the steamer John W. Thompsnp, on which
the wounded Captain NJ. Gregg was
placed and carried to his houc III Wa-hiog.
ton. AS soon as the suaiI boats were ~ ade
fas, to the rug Smith P:ttrt and she comm nc
ed steamiug UP the river, Carpenter 6 Jailed
to Capt Joseph Sprauz y of the tug Samuel
Geduey, which was thcO lying at NarJemoy
Shores wharf, t. coule alongside OF his sloop,
which be did, took her 10 tow, and pursued the
tug Smith Petti' with the small boats 10 tow,
firing ali the time.
The men in the smail boars seeing that the
tug Samuel Gednsy, Capt. Joseph Sprunzay,
was uearug them, cut loose frouI the tug
Smith Pctut and put for the other side OF the
river. At length the tug Samuel Gcdney
caue up alongside Of tie Smith Petit, on
which re sume Of the fishermen, who had
sought her for safety. On board of the sloop
were Carpenter, MlIar aud his 500, M.yuard,
apparently raving with pa>sloo, pointing their
pistols 6r.t at Que and then at another ct tie
men Oh the Smith Petit, and shouting some
thing which could not be distinctly under
stood. Not kr>wng what they waoted the
tug Smith Petit teamed ahead; he tug Sam.
u Gcdney, with the sloop in on, dropped
astern, but following 90 the 'ug Samuel Ged-
ney signalcd the tug Smith Petit 10 stop, to
which the latter replied, shuttlnS Oh tne
steam. Just then Carprnt fired, the ball
passing through the Smith Pettit's pilot house
and through Captain Joe Deuty's shoulder,
woundng him severely. Believing nothing
short of the utter anbihllaton OF all on board
would sa.ia,e the bIood.tbirsty trio, Captain
Denty, with rapid sped, proceeded UP the
river. The soop hen cut Lose from the tug
Samuel 6, dney which pursued the tug Smith
Petit, and succeeded in capturing her at
Quantico wharf, about ff cen miles up the
river. Capt. Joe Deny had lift his tug aud
with the assistance of his engineer succeeded
in getting to the hotel in Potomac City, where
his wound received attention. The tug Sam
uel Gcdney, with the tug Smith Petit in tow,
proceeded down he river within the ueghbor
hood of NJ .rylaud Point, where size released
the tug Smith Petit with no one aboard but
Capt. Denty's sou aud fireman, who succeeded
in carrying the tug to Alexandria. The abave
statements can be proven by doz.u promi-
nent citizens
We understand that wrts have been issued
for the arrest OF Geo. w. CARPENTER, Thos. A.
Millar, Maynard Miar and Jos. Spranzey.