Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-11-17

II HkSAN. ant, had been
NWNR ~ cruising in the mar
row seas and off
80 the northern coast
- of France, captur-
ing the enemy's
@ merchantmen en-
- gaging his war
ships, chasing and cutting out his
privateers, and generally giving him
all the trouble she could, in the which,
as her captain was young, enterprising
and daring, and well seconded by his
officers and crew, she was very success
full
On winter day, early in the year.
LIE Bonnet Rouge, thirty-gun brig,
which we had chased a whole after
noon, succeeded in evading us and an
choring under the guns of a battery at
the mouth of the Seine.
On this, Capt. Wharton, who could
not bear to be balked, decided to cut
her out.
But before the feat could be attempt
ed it was necessary to take bearings
and soundings, reconnoitre the battery,
and ascertain the strength and position
of several gun-boats and armed luggers
which, as we knew, were lying in the
Seine.
For this service / volunteered, and
suggested a means whereby it might be
accomplished.
The plan proposed was to capture
fshing-smack, of which there were
plenty about, disguise myself and two
or three of our fellows in the fisher
mems clothing, and then sail up the
river in broad daylight, making our OBJ
servations at leisure. I spoke French
SO fiuently and. as ] flattered myself, so
correctly that if any questions were
asked felt pretty sure that should be
able to answer them without exciting
suspicion.
Capt. Wharton approved, the fishing
boat was captured, and, taking with
me a quartermaster and two ABB S
whom / could thoroughly trust-all as
well as myself rugged up in the fisher
mems togs-I sailed up the Seine as far
as Honfleur. then stood over to EIarfleur
making my observations and taking all
the bearings / needed.
As ran between lie Bonnet Rouge
and the battery, the better to note
them both, one of the briggs officers. a
man with a fierce red face and still
redder hair, whom took to be her cap
tain, hailed us and asked whether we
had seen aught of the Sylph.
/ said that we had seen her q few
hours previously outside the bay. sail
ing nor'west-by-north under press of
canvas
man, and, though he looked hard at me,
A.. "a
appearance or in my accent which
piqued his curiosity, he let me pass
without further questioning.
At nightfall we reached the Sylph,
which had been standing off and on dur
ing our cruise.
After making my report / told the
captain that in my opinion it would be
quite impossible to cut out LIE Bonnet
Rouge by main force. l thought, how
ever, that she might be taken by STRAIT
agem, which I explained, and which
after some discussion it was resolved to
adopt, so soon as the wind should be in
the right quarter.
NV plan was to take the long boat,
with twenty picked men, row up the
river after sunset. run alongside the
brig and get aboard of her by pretend
ing that we belonged to La Lionne
lone of the gunboats), overpower the
watch on the deck, batten down :he
matches, slip the cables and then make
sail for the bay, where. all being well,
we should fall in with the Sylph and get
help to secure our prisoners.
calculated that the gunners in the
fort, though they might guess what had
happened, would not open fire on the
brig for fear of hurting their own
people, and once fairly under way we
could bid defiance to both gunboats and
luggers-
A few nights later, the conditions as
to wind and tide being favorable. we
set out, and two hours after leaving the
Sylph were under the briggs starboard
quarter.
My men, who had received their orders
beforehand and knew exactly what to
do. made fast the boat, and boarded
the vessel by the rope ladder which
hung over the bulwarks.
'sWho goes there?' asked the officer
of the watch.
Friend. from La Lionne," / an
swered.
From La Lionne! And what do you
want?"
THE captain has sent me with a very
important message: and here is let
ter"
m. lie Capitaine Dufour is ashore
He shall have the letter when he re-
turns But what want all these men?
And, ma fol, they arc"
Before the officer could finish his SEN
tence he was prone on the deck, and in
a trice every other man of the watch
was in the same position and securely
pinioned- The matches had been bat
tened down, and gun run on each to
prevent the people below from breaking
out.
All this took only q few minutes, the
watch. fortunately for US, being very
weak and half asleep; but when the
prisoners recovered from their surprise
they became so noisy and abusive that
! had to threaten to knock them on the
head This pacified them But their
comrades under matches, now fully
aware of what had happened, Were
making terrible uproar, shouting to
the people at the fort: Lies Anglais!
les Anglaisl A nousI q nous!" and dis
charging muslkets and pistols from the
ports. Two or three Of them jumped
into the sen and SWAN ashore.