Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-10

hgent. The result justified my expecta-
tons.
The next thing was 10 ascertain upon
how many men l could count, and l gave
orders for the archer-guard, and every man
IN the neighborhoOd between eighteen and
thirty-fve, sound in wind limb, and eye
sight, to be mustered in the great square
on the following afternoon.
Then I asked whether there were any
maps Of the island. Two or three were
produced, which, though roughly drawn,
were sufficient for my purpose. After
studying them carefully, asked Mr.. Field
(who was the leading member of the adj
ministration) to send two fishing boats,
the fastest he could find, TO the further end
of the island. one by the north. the other
by the south coast, to watch the movements
Of the enemy and make inquiries, under
strict orders to return with all speed and
report any information which they might
be able TO obtain.
Swift runners were TO be dispatched on
a similar errand to WestOn's, Swamp Is
land Creek, Wynter's Hill, and elsewhere;
and a series of relays organized, so that
messages might be forwarded with the
least possible delay, and, as matter of
fact, they were forwarded almost as quick
ly as they could have been by mail-carts or
pOst-horses.
BY the time these dispositions were made
it was very late, and as nothing more could
be done until morning, we separated for
the night.
As was leaving the hall with Mr.. Field,
Bolsover, of whom so far had not taken
the least notice, put himself in my Wy,
and said he wanted word with me.
a Il 1vr. for old
Toms recent conduct had not been at all
to my liking, and | rather suspected him
of having had a hand in the cutting loose
OF the Diana"
81 az your pardon, Mr.. Erie" he said,
very humbly; "but If you will let me say
so, | have done you wrong. was that dis
appointed with not getting the treasured
had thought of scarce anything else all my
life-l was that disappointed as | was al
most mad, and scarce knew what / was
doing. And blamed you. l thought as
you was somehow in fault, and as you
C<uld have got the treasure for US II you'd
liked. Well, when | was in that humOr,
Mr.. Fame comes to me and says as | had
better claim to the treasure than any
body else, and that he would see me right
ed. | believed him; but l can see now as
he only wanted TO make "a spoon handle of
me, and may be to do something against
you and the queen. But he soon found
out rs though might be- fool | wasn't
knaye, and he did his dirty work himself,
or got somebody else to do it. When the
DIANA as was thought, broke away from
her mOorings and foundered, my eyes was
opened, and | knew us ! had lost my best
friend; but it was not till Won came back
that | had any idea as Mr.. Fame was not as
honest as he made out And now, Mr..
Erie, Will you forgive me, and let by-gones
be by-gones? If you can make any use of
me, am quite willing to serve with you
aSeE these niIgerS or redskins or pie
Lads, or whatever they are. I'm n naval
reserve man. and know my gun drill and
small-arm drill as well as anybody"
| took old Toms proffercd hand, and as
Bured him that should be only too glad
to let hy-Rones be by-goncs, that his help
would be invaluable, and that | should
give him an important command.
CHAPTER N&IN.-wYNTERs HILL
Never in my life did work so hard as
during the next few days and nights, for
wrought eighteen and twenty hours at a
stretch, sleeping as opportunity offered.
When my messengers returned, ten days
Inter, with the news that Swamp Island
swaTmed with Cariherocs, that q consider
able number had disembarked in the
neighborhood of Wyntcr's Hill, and more
canoes were in sight, the state of affairs
was this:
had an army of some one thousand five
hundred men, all of them in the prime Of
life, none less than five feet ten inches In
height, rs keen sighted as hawks, rs active
as cats, and, as | believed, rs brave as
lions, but with nearly everything to learn
in the way ofdisciplinc. The archer-guard
consisted of five hundred men. They were
splendid shots, marched fairly together,
and could execute a few simple move
ments. The others were tOerable bow
men, but when took them in hand utterly
unOrganzed. | divided the one thousand
five hundred into three regiments, which
called first, second, and third, each differed
by colonel, major, and five captains,
(all shark-ighters). The subaIterns and
sergeants were selected, on the recon-
mendation of Oliver Fame (whom | made
the chief of my staff, from the first or
arCher-guard regiment.
also organized IA rifle company OF fifty
men, under The command of Tom Bolso-
YER
1t was impossible, with the time at my
disposal to attempt anything like regular
drill. We could do no more than teach
the second and third regiments to march
I'm step, form in line, and few other ele-
mentarY movements. Old Tom, however,
drilled his fifty men necessarily. and made
very fair shots of them. As for arms, we
had any number "f bows, and though ar
rows were in rather short supply. our stock
was being rapidly Tepleuished. We had
swords and CutlaSScS enough for the entire
force; the former nearly all of Spanish
make, and very superior weapons Our
only firearms were two cases of rifles (ifty)
and three or four others, together with
half a doA, revolvers taken out of the
"Diana;' the old nintloclI muskets which
had belonged TO the Santa Anna" were
out of repair, and decidedly less effective
than our bows and arrows.
gave Tom and each OF the colonies a
revolver apiece, and kept one for myself
Tom and l also carried each a rifle.
My plan Ot campaign was very simple. |
might, as Mr. Field and some of the sem
Tors proposed, have chosen n strong posi-
ton, ami there awaited the Cariberoe at
tack. But as the Cariberoes might have
taken il into their heads to march else
where. and | thought it expedieut not to
let them take the initiative. | decided to
attack them as soon as | found them, and
wherever l found them To this end,
though | should have been glad Of little
more time for preparation. I resolved to
take the field mt once. Within an hour Of
receiving positive assurance that the
enemy were at WyutCr's Hill. | gave or
ders 70 march, and my men. being splen-
did walkers aud in good fettle l reckoued
that we should probably reach that place
in about three days We were attended
by about five hundred Caribs, who carried
orr supplies OF food and reserve ammuni-
ton. intended also to employ them as
scouts, hut as they were quite unorCanized
and poorly armed, could not reckon them
as electives.
had not much fear that the Cariberoes
would evade me. Whether their purpose
was conquest or merely plumber, their OBJ
jective point must be Fairhaven, whittier
the direct road ran along the north coast,
the best cultivated and most thickly pop
ulated part of the country: and unless they
took Il very devious and difficult route by
the south, this was the only road they
could follow. Ihad, moreover. so arranged
matters that, let them 90 which way they
would, | should have speedy information.
On the other hand, as they might make
move ut any moment, l took every pre-
caution to avoid being surprised. Two OF
our best runners were sent on in advance: