The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-11-14
The Rebel Tell.

In the concluding chapter of President
Davis "Rise and Fall of the Confederate
Government" headed Conclusion" he
remarks that the want of space has
compelled him to omit g. notice of many
"noble deeds, both of heroic men and wo.
men," and that "no others no can say
'cuncta quorna yidi.' I must leave the
pleasant task of paying the tribute DUE"
From this Indictment the mind revert.
ed to an incident of what should be re.
corded history, and which will follow
here.
One of the most heroic, daring and
fearless deeds during the last year Of the
war between the States, and which came
under my personal knowledge and obser-
vation, and of which no history has ever
made any record, occurred off Beaulieu,
twelve miles below Savannah, in Ossabaw
sound.
OF that portion of the coast there was
a beautiful war ocean steamer belonging
to the Federal navy, mounting splendid
rife guns and all the most improved
implements of modern warfare, manned
by fine crew of about one hundred and
fifty men. She was named the "Vater
Witch" At that time she was doing
considerable damsge to the Confederate
cause in many respects; the one that is
specially connected with this narrative
was that she was assisting the negroes on
the rice plantations to make their escape
to her, when she would signal to inferior
crafts to come forward and convey the
negroes within the enemy's line to be
converted into Federal soldiery.
1t tseemed that through h some emissary
upon land a complete understanding was
kept up between the negroes on the ada.
cent plantations and the crew of the
"Water Witch )" aud as most, if not all,
Of the escapes from the plantations were
made at night, a countersign was estab-
lished between the parties. That coun-
tersign was "Contraband," and when the
escaped negroes in open boats in the
night approached the "Water Witch,o
and were hailed, they would only respond
"Contraband."
This and other detriments to the Con-
federate cause made the authorities in
Savannah determined, if possible, to cap.
ture or destroy the "Water Witch"
The service was considered extremely
hazardous, and call for volunteers was
made. Out of the small naval force in
Savannah, eighty, counting the officers
and men, volunteed. They were placed
in four open barges, each one Of the
volunteers having eewed to the right
shoulder of bis coat white piece Of cloth.
They we're commanded by Lieutenant
Pelot, first in command, and Turner,
second, directed by negro pilot. Each
barge manned twenty men. Their ren.
dezvous was twelve miles below Savan
nah. The first night they wentin search
of the "Water Witch" they saw her
lights and discerned that she was too
far at sea for them to reach her before
day. The second night they were more
successful, she being closer in. They
reached in hailing distance about ono
o'clock, and being challenged replied,
"Contraband," when they were ordered
from on board the "Water Witch" to
approach. On getting nearer their real
character was ascertained, when rebels"
was shouted from the "Water Witch"
and the barges were fired into. With
vigorous pull at the oars the barges we're
soon alongside of the "Water Witch"
and the crew commenced clambering up
the high sides of an ocean steamer With
her nettings up to meet twice their num-
Der with all the advantages on the
latter's side.
The crew of some of the barges were
in advance of others, or, properly speak.
ing, one barge, when panic occurred in
the latter, and they reversed oars and
pulled from the "Water Witch" with all
their power. This barge reached the
rendezvous reporting that the crews of
this barge received no other injury than
few wounds in the back. The panic
of these twenty men left sixty Confeder-
ates to contend with about twice or three
times their number. They succeeded in
reaching the high deck of the "Water
Witch" from the waters edge, and clam.
bering over the netting, with reyolvers in
hand and cutlasses convenient, they
drove portion of the crew of the "Water
Witch" below, when the remainder sur
rendered.
Pelot, Turner, and the negro pilot Of
the Confederate forces were all killed.
About II O'Clock a. M. the "Water
Witch" and her crew, together with the
dead ard wounded of both sides, was
steamed to White Point bluff, the pris.
oners and the dead being first put off at
Besulieu
can never account for the perfect
success of sixty men over twice or three
times their number, and contending
against what appeared insurmountable
barriers, except through the influence
and appalling effect that The Confederate
yell had upon the human nerve Green's
boro, Ga., journal.
How Deep Does the Earth Quake?
California and the Pacific coast recent
ly experienced one Of the mcst severe
earthquake shocks known in that region
in years, an incident which revises inter-
eat in the question: How deeply does