Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-08

was sighted with fearful accuracy. On
came the British boats with undaunted
1ntreplHtY, Enen they We're again hailed
by C1pt. Red, but 10 answer was re-
turned The fatal command was then
given, and a Tremendous fire was opened
on the enemy. They warmly returned
the fire, renamed their oars, and giving
three cheers, came on most spiritedly.
The crew Of the priyateer asked if
they should return the cheer mo" re-
piled Capt. Reid mo cheering until we
nave gained victory" In 4 moment
hey succeeded III gaining the bow and
starboard quarter Of the Armstrong.
The cry Of the officers commanding the
boats was, up and aboard, my lads !;
give the enemy no quarter" At the
same instant they opened terrific fire
with cannonades, swivels, blunderbusses
md musketry. They were CALAMITY met
by the crew Of the privateer in their
black leather boarding caps strapped
with iron, with boarding-pikes muskets,
battle-aXes, pistols, and Cutlasses.
Makinga last desperate effort to board,
the enemy gained the sLritsail-yard and
bowsprit of the privateer, and were press
ing their way to her decks when the
American sailors drove back the attack
ing party with hOrrid slaughter. The
second lieutenant of the Armstrong. Mr..
Alexander Q. Williams, was killed at this
moment, while CALAMITY leading on his
forward division and the third lieuten-
ant, Mr.. Robert johnson, also fell dam
gerousy wounded. At the same instant,
Capt. Reid, who commanded the after
division, was engaged in beating off two
large launches, the men and officers Of
which had succeeded in climbing UP the
sides Of the privateer. One of the latter,
the first lieutenant Of the Plantagenet,
had engaged Capt. Reid in a hand-to-
hand fight with cutlasses, and once or
twice came near overpowering him.
Capt. Reid being left-handed, used his
right hand in firing pistols, which the
powder-boys handed him, while he con-
tinued to fight with the British lieuten-
ant with his left hand, disdaining to
shoot down his adversary. At last the
British lieutenant making feint brought
down a separate blow, which Capt. Reid
had just time to break the force Of cut
ting the captain slightly across the head,
and nearly severing his thumb and fore
finger. Before the Englishman could
recover, Capt Reid struck him down.
and he fell back corpse into the boat
1t was at this critical iuncture that
capt. Reid perceived that the fire had
,laCkcned on the fore-castlc. At once
rallying the whole of the after division,
they rushed forward with Il shout, and
! opened fresh fire, while he ordered the
forward division to hcave cold shot into
the boats and sink them, as these men
were out of cartridges. The enemy fell
back to their boats and retreated, when
Capt. Reid, bringing the Long Tom to
bear upon them, fired the gun himself
(which flew off the carriage doing fear
ful destruction and ending IN the total
defeat of the British. Then it was that
Capt Reid cried out, "Now is the time,
my boys, to cheer" and three enthusiasts
tic cheers re-echoed over the bay from
shore to shore.
Many of the boats had been sunk.
Two large launches belonging to the fri
gate Rota lay along the privateer, with
two other boats literally loaded with
their own dead In boat belonging to
the Plantaganet. all were killed save
four In another boat which had con-
tanned City souls, but one solitary officer
escaped. and he was wounded. -Four
boats tloated on shore full of dead bodies.
single man, while others had but four or
five to row them The termination was
nearly total massacre.
This action lasted about forty minutes.
The English force, estimating forty
men to il boat, was about five hundred
and sixty men. The English themselves
acknowledged Il loss in this attack ofone
hundred and twenty killed and one
hundred wounded.
The loss of the Americans in this aC-
ton was but one killed and six wounded !.
/ Capt. Reid then went on shore, and after
receiving the congratulations of the con-
sui, was informed that the governor had
written to Admiral Lloyd, demonstrating
against any further attack, but Lloyd
/ sent for answer that he was determined
/ on the capture of the priyateer and that
I if the governor suffered the Americans
/ to iniure her in any manner, he should
consider the place an cnemy's port, and
/ treat ii accordingly. Returning on board,
/ Capt. Reid gave up all hope of saving
/ his vessel, but determined to defend her
10 the last. He accordingly ordered the
dead ana wounded TO be taken on shore,
and prepared for the worst. At day
4 hight on the morning of the 9th, the
. Carnation was observed underWeigh, and
stood close in for the puyaCecr when
she Immediately opened a heavy fire
with all her force. The crew of the Arm
strong stood 10y their little bark, return
ing brGadside for broadside with wonder
ful effect. The maintopmast of the
Caruation 500 fell by the board, ant
she became SO much cut up IN her hui
and rigging and with the loss of men
that her guns became siIenced, and she