The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-06-07

| the thigh. He had upwards of thirty-fi
| killed and as many wounded In the en-
gagement had my horse shot through the
head and my hat shot through the crown.
| | did not take time to pick my hat up
We retreated to Montgomery Court House.
| | collected about fifty seamen. lah
When passing the Capitol found direct
| ly in front of it four eighteen Founders
mounted l ran down to the Navy Yard,
and there found eight horses belonging to
some wagons, and already harnessed. l
had with me q petty officer named John
Frazer. We took possession of the horses,
hitched them to the field pieces and took
them with us. On passing the Presidents
House found brass six FOUNDER, mount
ed and abandoned. attached that to the
Others and continued on. That night, at
II o'clock, we halted three miles from
Georgetown. One of the eighteen pound
ers broke down near Taneytown, and had
it spiked and left. The Others took ON to
Montgomery Court House.
The following morning, found all the
horses stolen by our militia men. l there
fore had to march on to Baltimore with as
many seamen as l could collect. That
night, about 10 o'clock, we arrived at
Ellicott's Mills, where we laid on the porch
until daylight. We again took up our line
of march, and breakfasted at John H. Bar.
ney's Hotel, Light street. l then reported
myself at the Lazaretto to Lieutenant Solo,
mon Rutter, next in command to Commo-
dore Barney Of the Flotilla.
AS soon as the British were known to be
approaching Baltimore, on the 10th of Sep
TENDER, 1914, l was, by request of General
Smith, detached by Lieutenant Rutter, and
ordered with seventy-fve men to take
charge of the SixGun Battery, situated on
and Fort Covington. During the interval
between that and the 18th, my officers, men
and myself were employed in preparing the
Battery in as secure a manner as possible.
had two midshipmen, by name of Edwards
and Andrews. The Battery was open and
exposed, except by breast work Of dirt
thrown up about four feet high; magazine
in the rear, about sixty feet off, composed
of a hole dug in the side of hill. When
the bomb vessel was in sight off Fort Nc
Henry much anxiety and interest were man.
itested, all hoping to share in the fullyex-
pected conflict. Day and night we were
on the alert, until hope was nearly extinct.
When on the night of the 18th, about II
o'clock, the bomb vessels appeared to renew
their fire, at least double. 1t was raining
quite fast, and was cold for the season.
The rapid discharge of bombs from the
enemy's shipping exciting great vigilance
among my officers and men. had the
cannon double loaded with eighteen pound
balls and grape shot, then took a blanket
and laid on the breast work, as was much
exhausted. About midnight | could hear
a splashing in the water. The attention of
all was aroused and we were convinced it
was the noise Of the barges and their muf.
fled oars. Very soon after, we could dis
cover small cleaning lights in different
places. | felt sure then it was the barges,
which at that time were not more than
from two to three hundred yards off. Some
of the lights were above me, next to Fort
Covington. mounted thecannon with my
breast over the apron of the guns, and ex
amined the printing, as it was raining fast.
All being right, trained the guns to suit
my own views, before firing. then open
ed on them, which caused the boats to cease
rowing and u rapid firing followed from
the barges, as well as ourselves. could
distinctly hear the balls from our guns
strike the boats. My men stated to me
they could hear the shrieks oft the wounded.
Soon after l commenced firing Fort Gov
ington opened on them, although they had
not gotten up to it. During the firing of
the enemy, l could distinctly see their
barges, by the explosion of their cannon,
which was great guide for me to fire by.
The enemy had twenty-five barges and
large schooner with them, which they had
propelled up by sweeps. This vessel had
an eighteen FOUNDER on board, and should
have done much execution, but not man
was injured by them-they firing mostly
too high, and in the bank, in front of my
cannon.
Soon after the commencement of firing
dispatched Midshipman Andrews to Lieu
tenant Budd, at the Circular Battery, for
thirty of my men had loaned him the
day previous. Tony great annoyance and
disadvantage neither Andrews nor men
returned, which reduced my men to forty
five. The officer passed on to Baltimore
and reported that had abandoned the
Battery and the enemy had landed The
following day Lieutenant Budd informed
me he had detained my men to work his
cannon in case of my retreat. Thatnight's
work had to perform with much energy.
| had my right shoulder broken by a hand
spike, and subsequently broken again,
which renders me perfect invalid. During
the fight had an obstinate Englishman, as
q seaman, who had attempted to lay a train
of powder to the magazine. Without
thought l laid him out for dead, with a
hand-spike. He, however, came to, and
crawled off before the fight ended. He, as
we'll as Andrews, were ever after among
the missing.
On the retreat of the barges, (Which was
about one o'clock on the morning of the
14th,) there were rockets fired from them,
and Immediately after large fires. were made
in front of our army and on the different
points of the Patapsco river. AS the barges
passed Fort McfIenry on the opposite shore,
az they retreated, the fort opened fire on.
them. ".i- All
During the forenoon of the 10Th, we were
occupied in cleaning up and preparing for
any further emergency, and interested in
digging out the hill in the rear as well as
the front of my battery. Upwards of
twenty eighteen pound shot were found,
with which loaded all my cannons, hav-
ing wish to return the enemy their
own coin, as well as their own property
have many times regretted did not pre-
serve the balls they were SO polite to send
me. also picked up two barges, much
shattered by balls. one of which repaired
and sold to Charles 6 Peter Wirgman.-
Three men were also picked up, one sup
posed to be u British officer. irfi
Iremained at the Battery about ten days
after, when / was taken seriously i'll with
bilious fever, as well as the suffering from
my shoulder. / was confined to the bed
aud house until Christmas following
Soon after the officers and men were dis
charged from the Navy, with three months
extra pay. ) ri i3s.3 u, tdt1ns Is. ~ \
/ will remark, when ] was sent to the
T,azaretto to take charge of the Sly Gun