River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-09-20
AN HISTORIC SEA BATTLE.

The Encounter between the Enter
prise and Boxer on the Maine Coast.
The Lincoln County (Me.) News pub
FISHES this account of the famous fight,
given by an old resident of Pamsquid:
GAN along the coast the people were
scared about the British vessels COM
ing and landing their men to burn the
houses, and some of 'em really took to
the woods and hid. There were two
British vessels cruising Off the coast, the
Tenedos and Boxer. Wen do / remem-
Der seeing their boats filed with men
pulling past Pamaquid Point, and some
one. don't know who twas, fired three
Guns at 'em, l was running about the
hill here PLAYING. | heard the report
and saw the flash, and the smoke DRIFT
ing away before the wind. he boa Is
fred canister into the bushes, and an
awful rafting j; made. Many time have
heard old Sam Mcintyre swear, when
he was in liquor, that he fired nineteen
shots at tine boats, although some sald
he was SO scared on hearing the firing
that he ran of aud hid under q BRIDE.
One Satu day afternoon, just after had
driven the cows home, | saw the FoNer
coming into Johns Bay and another JHst
back o. the island, between it and Pom
aQuid Point; and the folks were pretty
we'll scared ABOUT it, and some OF 'em
was nigh going TO the woods. But iath-
err, who had seen the last of the Revolu-
ton and was a Freewill Baptist besides,
was not mite uneasy about the Brltlsh-
err. On Sunday morning she laid there
to an anchor, her black hull shining in
the sun. One of her boats with an officer
had pulled over TO Monhegan. Our olks
were so unsettled on account OF the YES
sci that none Of 'em went to meeting. It
was nigh onto | o'clock, and boy-like, |
was mighty hungry and thinking apout
my dinner, when all OF sudden | sa
| they appeared to be in q great hurry
aboard the Boxer getting her under
weigh, and presently she was stand ng
out under all sail.
Climb upon the smoke house and
| tell us what you see, said my father.
| Our house was built on rising ground,
and the smoke-house was about fifteen
| feet high and built of poles. From the
| top OF it | could see all around. Away
| to the w'etd | saw a vessel coming down
under all sail, with the stars and stripes
flying. l commenced to feel pretty safe
then. 1t was not long before they neared
each other, and almost at the same
time q sheet of flame and smoke burst
from their sides, and | could see the
water torn up in spray 10y the shot.
| The American vessel was a good deal the
best sailer, and she out mauOecvred the
| Boxer. The firing wasso rapid that they
were soon hid in smoke. Once IN
while, through rift in the cloud, l
could catch q glimpse of their tattered
sails and rigging. They drihed out to-
ward NOnhegan, looking like cloud OF
thick vapor, from which burst incessant
spouts of flame. | guess the folks all
Orgot dinner and everything else when
the deep boom of the guns woke the
echoes among the rock, and the win
doNs rattl in their frames. Watching
the fight it seemed to be an age, al
though il lasted only forty five minutes
tell you, sir, l have never forgotten
that sight, though sixty years have
passed" and the old II ans wthered
cheek flushed and his eyes kindled as
he spoke.
"By and by the firing slackened and
the smoke rolled away to leewaId; one
of 'em had lost its manmast head, and
sails of both hung in ribbons from the
yards. | almost strained my eN es out o.
my head to get Il glimpse OF the colors,
but they were too tar off 10 make them
out. BY seeing 'em DRIFT away to the
estd the folks thought the Enterprise
was beat The suspense among us was
awful, even the women folk catching
their breath with a sob, and many
prayed aloud: Presently ] saw them set
their courses, tack, and stand to the
west'd; then we felt the Bntisher was
whipped. tell you was q tired boy
when ] came of that smokehouse just
as if had worked hard
all day chopping kIndling-wood. re-
member Henry Tbbets and his brother
pulled out in a dory from Christmas
Cove to see how the fight had gone, but
they could get no satisfaction in answer
to their hail. 1t was said that when the
Boxer was boarded her decks were slip
perry With blood, and numbered up with
splinters, coils of rigging and bodies Of
& @ diving and dead, many Of whom had
been tossed overheard, inst before her
coors were hauled down, to conceal
their losses.
81 heard that her boats crew watched
the fight from Mouhegan, and when her
maintop-mast was shot away one of them
exclaimed, There 1t goes! and four of
our best men with it, mind, that's only
what folks told around, but what | saw
know, and I've tried TO tell you about
the fight Just as | saw 1t"