The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-12-26
THE OYSTER WAR.
Battle Between Naryland's Navy
and the Pirates.
Two Illegal Dredgers Sunk ani
Nine Lives Lost.

The flercest battle in the whole list o
Maryland oyster wars has been fought, ano
the result was victory for the States
oyster navy. Ever since the present season
began tho pirates have been ''walloping' the
State authorities. They have gone SC
far as to capture police sloop,, cut
her rigging send her crew ashore
and throw her guns overheard. They have
depredated on the best bells and terrorl%ed
the whole bay So belligerc1t did they grow
that they attacked O passenger steamer ahu
fired upon her. which Is now tie suOjece ol
official investigation ABOUT the onlS I'M .ii1Na !,
the oyster navy accomplished was 10 XIII
dredger wound two others, and get de1eateu
on all occasions. ,.,,
Two weeks ago Governor Jackson said the
rebellion should bc put dcwn at all naIaru;
Cannon were secured from the feceral
Government The largest seeaner, ont Inc
Robert NJ. McI.ane, named after tho present
Minister 70 France, was equipped with the
big guns The McLane is about lO) feet
long, and is trim vessel OF
GOOD speed and substantial design.
She was placed under the commend OF zap
tain Thomas Howard, who is the most deter-
mined and most efficient man III the 1orce
For several days he has been rowing arouiI
the bav. Last night he directed the steamer
up Chester River. Within the mouth OF ohe
river are rich oyster beds, which are forbidden
by law to all dredGers.
The McLana proceeded carefully and
quietly Dredgsrs were heard ut work along
the bend of the river between Queenstown
Creek and Carpenters Island. Captain
Howard ordered the cannon loaded ana pre-,
pared for hostiitieS AT first he hred ti!Sn
20 1richten the Dire lgerS away. There were
at least 10. ty vessels, and they refused
to retreat. The Mci-ane drew closer. ana
then the pirates opened fire with their rl'.eS.
The McLane guns were directed at the rig
ging of the oyster boats, and great damage
was done. The pirates tried to surround the
steamer, but the !icLane wlSgled oa6 Oh Ine
network OF boats.
Then bolder plans were attempted. Two
of the larger vessels approached, one from
either side, the others holding baci as the re-
serve. Ca.,tain Howard saw the design. he
did not fire, but ordered fu!l steam: on
and ahead. Forward the steamer plunged
and, almost before the dIedgers knew
what had happened, the prov
had struck the vessel Julia Jones amidshps
and left a gaping wound. The steamer
turned quickly ami charged for the other
boat, the Mahoney. The collision was de-
cisive and the Mahoney went to the bottom.
Cries for he arose from the crews on these
disabled boats and they were promptly res
cued
CAPTAIN Rice. of the sloop Mahoney, one
of the sunken vessels, tells a thrilling story
of the battle. He says that his crew OF nine
men were on the forward deck when the
steamer bore down upon them. he declares
his vessel was not engaged IN piracy, but
was only seeking a harbor from the ugly
night outside in the bay. All his crew were
either drowned or crushed to death. Nine
men were drowned from the two boats.
Bv this time the pirates had got enough.
Tbecannonadin was something new to them.
They were accrsi ornel to rifle talls, but not
TO Federal cannon in the haste to escape
several of the boats ran ashore. The McLane
followed one up and captured her. The
Captain and crew of the captures vessel were
arra:sned before Justice GodSborough at
Centrevile AMI fined $l00 and costs The
crews of tie suuEen boats were placed in
ia;r Tie Captains OF both Of the boats es-
caped, ,.u..- .
nane Of glass in the pilot house is broken,
and the who'o boat is considerably dig
figured. Mate Frazier of TIE AcLaIs was
shot in the feshy na"t Of the. arm, and
another bullet gra@cd his head. Tho
engineer had narrow escape. There
vera hs inen on tho steamer while the
enemy and nearly 200. The whole affair
took place in the dark, and some very tall
stories are told Of the engagement. One OF
the captured ovstermen asserts that the plan
was to surround the McLane and burn or
sink her and make prisoners Of all her crew.
Captain Rice escaped from his boat and came
TO Baltimore He said his rudder was torn
away by q cannon shot, and that the execuc
ton OF the shot wnS terrible. "ThiS sort OF
thing continued for two hours" he
said; "tnen she changed her tactics
and came directly toward us AS soon as
she got close we opened fire. She didn't re,
ply, Tut continued coming toward us at full
speed. She STRUCK the Julia Jones, cutting
her nearly in two. AS she struck she dis
charged the cannon directly on the decH. AS
soon as she freed herself from the wreck she
backed out and then charged directly on US
and ran my vessel down." He cried
for all to jump for their lives. he dld
so and got away. The crew were captured.