The Mineral argus., 1883-09-27

The Encounter between the Enter.
prise and Boxer on the Maine Coast.
The Lincoln County (sIe) News pub
fishes this account Of the famous fght.
given by an old resident Of Pamaouid:
IAN along the coast the people we're
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 we're two
British vessels cruising off the coast, the
Tenedos and Boxer. Well do / remem
Der seeing their boats filed with men
pulling past Pamaquid Point, aud some
one, / don't know who it was, fred three
guns at 'em. l was running about the
hill here playing. 1 heard the report
and saw the flash, and the smoke DRIFT
ing away before the wind. The boa Is
fired canister into the bushes, and an
awful rattling il made. Many three have
| heard old Sam Mcintyre swear, when
he was in liquor, that he fired nineteen
shots at tine boats, although some said
he wal so scared on hearing the firing
that he ran of and hid under a bridge.
One Satu, day afternoon, just after / had
driven the cows home, l saw the Boxer
coming into Johns Bay and another Just
back o. the island, between il and Penn
aQuid Point; and the folks were pretty
well scared about it, and some OF 'em
was nigh going to the woods. But faith
er, who had seen the last of the Revolu-
ton and was a Freewill Baptist besides,
was not a mite uneasy about the British
er. On Sunday morning she laid there
to an anchor, her black hull shining in
the sun. One of her boats with an officer
hoI nrlIaH quar- 70 MnnInuan Dnr fAlBa
we're so unsettled on account of the yes
was nigh onto l O'Clock, and boy-like, |
was mighty hungry and thinking ABOUT
dinner, when all OF a sudden 1 sa
they appeared to be in a great hurry
the Boxer getting her under
weigh, and presently she was standing
out under all sail.
"'Ciimb 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 il ] could see all around. Away
TO the w'st'd l saw a vessel coming down
under al sail, with the stars and stripes
commenced to feel pretty safe
then. 1t was not long before they neared
each other, and almost at the same
time a sheet of flame and smoke burs1
from their sides. and | could see the
water torn up in spray by the shot.
The American vessel was a good deal the
best s%ailer, and she out m-anoeCvred the
Boxer. The firing wasso rapid that they
were soon hid in smoke. Once in a
while, through q Tiit in the cloud, /
could catch a glimpse of their tatte.sd
and rigging. They drifted out to-
ward M~onhegan, looking like a cloud o.
HhnaE $50 49,. Nth - I
OF flame. / guess the folks all
dinner and everything else when
the deep boom of the guns woke the
among the rock, and the win
10 Ms ratified in their frames. Watching
fight 1t seemed to be an age, al
though II lasted only forty-five minutes.
| tell you, sir, have never forgotten
sight, though sixty years have
passed and the Old mans withered
'heek flushed and his eyes kindlcd as
spoke.
by and by the firing slackened and
he smoke rolled away to leeward; one
If 'em had lost its mainmast head, and
ails Of both hung in ribbons from the
ards. almost strained my ey es out O"
nv heat 20 get 4 glimpse Of the coiOrs,
)ut they were too tar of 70 make them
BY seeing 'em DRIFT awav 70 the
std the folks thought the Enterprise
vas beat. The suspense among Us was
.wiul, ever the ONE tOlk catching
heir breath with a sob, and many
aloud. Presently l saw them set
heir courses, tack, and stand TO the
then We felt the Brltisher was
whipped. 1 tell you I was a tired boy
when l came of that smokehouse inst
Is if I bad worked hard
n dav chopping k~indling-wood. l re-
oemder Henry Tbbets and his brother
u in d dory from Christmas
owe 70 see bow the 6ght bad gone, but
hey could get no satisfaction in answer
their hail. 1t vas said that when the
ioxer was boarded her decks were slip
'ery with blooi. and numbered up with
.plinters, coils of rigging, and bodies of
e diving and dead. many of whom had
cen tossed overheard, inst before her
were hauled down. TO conceal
heir losses.
81 heard that her boats crew watched
light from MOuhegtn, aud when her
l-aintOp-mast was shot away oue OF them
reclaimed, There u gOesl aid four OF
best men with H.. mind. that's only
shat FOLKS told around. bur what I saw
know, and I've tried to tell you about
be light Just as 1 saw H."