Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-04-03

WsshingtOn, and the Pa,Onee, arnan-oi-
war, was lying of AIexsndris. Thom-
a, ,ephceiTed tile IDEA 0f eapturing the
81. Nicholas, boarding the Pannee, and
carrying botlfto Fredericksburg. The
1st Tennessee, Col= Bales, was fGaailed
20 sssist in the undertaking. lf success
| ful in capturing the 81. Nicholas, they
were 10 run her into Cone f1ser. near
Hesthsville: the Tennessee regiment
was to come BY steamer down the Rap
pahannocks cross To Heafhsville. meet
the 81. AScA0Ias and 20 sb0ards then al
were to proceed up the Potomac - the
Thomas With fuiI authorization from
the Governor for what he wss about 70
do, went to aPhiIadeIphia % procure
arms. He came back with : supply of
Sharp's rifles and revolvers. lie had
two carpei-bags full Of the latter under
his seat, when, m Che train for Basti-
more, he conversed with Federal Cen
eral on the probability Of a speedy ter
mination Of the war. The latter fixed
the term at 80 days. PersonatIng an
English Cockney, Thomas assured him
he ought not 10 ''protwack sueha dim
nuisance so long"
i In Baltimore he assumed the disguise
Of French lady. This was excellent
Iy done, even to the delicate nnanipula-
ton of the fan and bottle OF smelling
salts. He went aboard the st. .Richo-
las on the evening OF Friday, the 2Sth
of June, along with eight men dressed
ss ordinary passengers, but all well
armed. Alexander had crossed the Po-
tomac at BLY, Greek with eight men,
and marched TO Point Lookout. He ar
rived there in the night, as the st. Mich
olds' lights hove in sight. When the
steamer touched the wharf, he and his
men went aboard. Entering the cabin
he discovered Thomas in his disguise.
The passengers expressed themselves
as highly delighted that the Madame
had found some one whom she kne W
and could converse with in her own
tongue. Conversing apart, she imme-
dlately gave Alexander the keys of the
trunks containing the arms. They had
been distributed in several trunks, so as
4 uDb W mAtEuh0u Oy t1GA WGhSHhs
They were loaded and primed, but not
capped. When the vessel got out in
the river, Thomas shipped quickly into
his state-room. donned his uniform,
slipped down the stanchion outside to
the water-deck. and gave the word. II
was 'tper a chi" The men by this time
had their arms and knew their stations;
in FIVE minutes there was a revolver at
the head Of the captain, pilot and engi-
neer. The moment they yielded. the
lights were put ou. and the vessel headed
down stream for Cone river. As Thom-
as and his men belonged to the Provis-
ional army of Virginia, Capt. Hollins Of
the Confederate navy was sent aboard
after the capture to take command and
direct further operations. The capture
had been made so quietly, that some Of
the lady passengers had not been walked
when the vessel was fastenedto the
shore of Virginia. SRA satee..a
But the 1st Tennessee had not ar
rived. Ii was learned afterw wards that
they had grounded in the Rappahan-
mock. Instead of joining the party on
the st. Nicholas at midnight, as was in
tended, the Tennesseans did not arrive
till IL a. m. next day. BY that time,
as a matter of course, the st. Nicholas
would have been missed from her reg
ular trip, and an attempt on the Pawnee
would have been fool-hardy and ridicu-
lous. The object had been TO come up
on the steamer about her regular time.
and while the mail was being delivered
in the usual way, then to board the Pau
nee and bring her off,
| The st. Nicholas was therefore headed
for the Bay, and soon sail was des-
cried bearing down upon her. Itproved
to be the bark .NOnticeH0, from Rio,
with $500 bags of coffee, a welcome
pnze. Two other vessels were cap
iured, the one laden with ice, the other
with coal. Needing by this time to
coal up, the st. Nicholas took her prizes
in tow, and passed up the Rappahan-
mock and reached Fredericksburg in
safety. The captures amounted TO
S400,O 900 in gold. They were turned
over to the Commissary department at
Fredericksburg. Thomas and his men
took the prisoners to Richmond. They
were received with perfect ovation.
Thomas, henceiorth Zarvona, was pro-
NOTED 10 a colonelcy, and Alexander
brevetted captain. On board one of the
captured vessels had been found some
excellent old whiskey; on another, ice.
Governor Letcher took charge of both,
and furnished mint. Thereupon, the
historian is grieved TO say, the number
of sober men at the executive mansion
become exceedingly small.
Col. Zarvona at once pIanned.a sec
ond expedition. the object OF which was
the destruction Of the tea-trade with
China. He was 10 60 10 Philadelphia
with a number Of picked men, hire a
tug and go down TO wreck an imaginary
vessel. Shipping his men aboard the
tug as sievedores, his next step would
be 10 overpower the tug, watch his
chance 10 capture a more suitable yes-
sci, proceed TO China, aud there cap
ture a steamer that piled between Hong
Kong aud Annoy. This steamer was
provided with four brass guns, and one
large bow-gun, Tor protection against
pirates that infest those seas. This
armed vessel once secured, Col. Ear
vona expected to DO infinite damage
to the tea-trade between China and the
United States.
Thara x~aa ~ r-r.sa,,i II r. Al