Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-07-20

With women. and the whole shore Va
| crowded with the inhabitants. awaiting W.T.
intense excitement and breethless expecta
ton the coming attack. There iAy pa
American brig. with her tall. tapertng spafs
sleeping on the moonlit waters as quiet ant
as peaceful as an over wearied child: Tner
she lay. like the apparition OF phantom
| ship: not a movement was to be seen. not
sound was heard TO break the stiffness Q
her decks and seemingly deserted. from tn
death-like silence which prevailed. NOT
withstanding. Capt Reid had made ever,
preparation to receive the enemy on al
sides, and his crew were then lying con
cealed at their quarters. In this position
the belligerents remained Tor nearly three
] hours. watching each other with palniu
! interest When it is considered that th'
| crew of the Armstrong had nothing to gain
| and had no motive for rem aiming by then
vessel but tie defense OF their country!
| honor. whenSth they saw the terrible odds ina
opposed them. and which threatened :
| fearful retribution. with no hope OF reward
| except death for the defense OF the Ameri-
] can flag, while leap to the shore held ou
to them the inducement of safety. 1t fs re-
| markab that they stood so firm. and theil
wonderful discipline may be imagined.
At length. at midnight. the enemy seemed
resolved upon the attack. and the boats
| were observed in motion. Instead OF ap-
preaching by divisions. as Captain Reid ex-
pected. they came on in solid column In a
direct line. When about twenty-five yards
of. Captain Reid ordered his men to stand
by after the fire. to run in the guns and
lash in the ports. in order to prevent the
enemy from getting through the PORTFOLIOS
on boarding. as they would not have time
to reload the guns before the enemy would
be alongside The men were then eau
toned to wait for the word. and to be sure
OF their object. The Long Tom." heavy
49, FOUNDER. placed on pivot amidships.
was sighted with fearful accuracy. On
came the British boats with undaunted in
trepidity, when they were again hailed by
Captain Reid. but no answer was returned.
The fatal command was then given. and q
tremendous fire was opened on the enemy.
the thunder and crash Of which broke the
charmed stiffness OF the before quiet mid
from the missiles Of death. they warmly
returned the fire. renamed their oars.
and. giving three cheers. came on
most spiritedly. The crew of the pri-
vateer asked ,if they should return the
cheer? NO." replied Captain Reid; mo
In moment they succeeded in gaining the
bow and starboard quarter of the Arm
strong. The cry of the officers command
ing the boats was. up and aboard. my
lads-give the enemy no quarter!" At the
same instant they opened a terrific fire with
musketry. They were CALAMITY met by the
crew Of the privateer in their black leather
boarding caps strapped with steel, looking
like demons. with boarding pixies. muskets,
battle axes. pistols and cutlasses. The ves-
sci soon became one broad sheet Of fire.
with the brilliant light of the moon, now
riding high in mid-heaven. Shrieks and
yells. orders and oaths. amid the clang of
sabres, were heard on both sides through
the din and roar Of the musketry. Again
and again the enemy. led by their officers,
attempted to gain the decks of the priya-
teer. but were repulsed at all times with i'm
mense loss. The battle now ragged with the
greatest fury. The Americans fought with
the desperation of fiends. Making a last
desperate effort to board, the enemy gained
the spritsail-yard and bowsprit Of the
privateer. and were pressing their
can sailors. welding their battle axes
with the skin and might Of knight of old.
drove back England's best and bravest
men with horrid slaughter. The second
lieutenant OF the Armstrong. Mr.. Alex. o.
Williams. was killed at this moment while
CALAMITY leading on his forward division:
and the third lieutenant. Mr.. Robert John
son. also fell dangerously wounded. At the
same instant Capt. Reid. who commanded
the after division. was engaged beating of
two large launches. the men and officers o!
which had succeeded in climbing up the
sided of the privateer:, One Of the latter.
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
MS right in firing pistols. which the
powder boys handed him, while he contin-
led to fight with the British Lieutenant
With his lott hand. disdaining to shoot down
mis- adversary. At last. the British lieuten-
ant. making feint. brought down desper-
ate blow. which Capt Reid had just time to
break the force Of. cutting the Captain
slightly across the head. and nearly sever
Englishman could recover. Capt. Reid
struck him down. and he fell back corpse
into the boat.
1t was at this critical juncture that Cap
tain Reid was informed Of the death of his
second lieutenant and that his third
ing succeeded in beating the boats of |
the quarter. and thus left the only officer |
On the deck, he perceived that the fire had |
on the forecastle. At once rally. |
Ing the whole OF the after division, they
rushed forward with a shout and opened |
Dire. while he ordered the forward division |
to heave cold shot into the boats and sink |
them. as those men were out Of cartridges. |
The enemy, appalled, with CONSERVATION |
and dismay. fell back to their boats and |
retreated. when Captain Reid. bringing the |
Long Tom to bear upon them. fred the |
gun himself (which few off the carriage), |
doing fearful destruction. and ending In the |
total defeat of the British. Then it was
that Captain Reid cried out. Now is the
time. my boys. to cheer" and thrse wild,
enthusiastic cheers re-echoed over the bay
from shore to shore. The Americans
among the crowd on the beach hailed the
privateer. and asked if Captain Reid was
safe. and, being answered in the affirmative,
gave three tremendous cheers in return.
The scene which now presented itself was
one OF indescribable horror. The silvered
waters of the bay were crimsoned with
blood. Dark forms Of numerous dead bodies
located around on every side. while the
yroans and death shrieks of the wounded
struggling around the boats pierced the
7ery air. Many of the boats had been sunk.
Two large launches belonging to the frigate
Rota lay alongside the privateer. with two
,ther boats. literally loaded with their own
lead. In boat belonging to the Plan
agenet all were killed save four. In an.
'ther boat which had contained fifty souls,
nut one solitary officer escaped. and he was
wounded. Four boats hoated ashore full
II dead bodies. Some of the boats were
eft with but single man. while others had
'ut three or four to row them. The ter
was nearly total massacre. This |
lctton lasted about forty minutes. The
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