The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-12
A VAR INCIDENT ON
THE CAROLINA COAST.
Ron the Chicago Times.


During the last year of the war the
lighthouse on North island, at the en-
trance Of Winyaw bay, on the coast Of
South Carolina, was destroyed by fire.
The one erected to temporarily replace it
was built by party of federal soldiers.
It's height was about twenty-five feet, and
the material used was stone. brick. and
timber. There wasn't much architecture
about it, but it was solid enough for a
fort. Indeed, il was built as a combina-
ton. and for several weeks was in charge
of a sergeant of infantry and seven or
eight men. Orders were finally received
10 leave two men in charge until relieved
BY an apTointee Of the lighthouse board.
The name OF my companion was George
Wilson. We were left an abundance of
ratiOns, two extra muskcts, and plenty Of
ammunition, and aside from keeping the
old-fashioned light in order, we had
nothing to do. War was over, but the
country was unsettled, and gangs of bad
men were proving along the coast as
well as through the interior.
On the afternoon of the fourth day
after the sergeant's departure,
sloop which had probably
come out Of the Santee river, APP
preached US from the south and came to
anchor Just inside the island. She had
six men aboard, and, after fishing for an
hour or so, two of the crew came ashore
in the small boat Wilson was asleep at
this time. and had been watching them
from the lantern room with the glass. 1t
needed only one glance to prove that the
crew of the slOOp were a bad lot. The
glass brought them so near that | could
study each individual face, and from the
very first | made up my mind that the
fishing was all a pretense. While they
tished they furtivelY inspected the light
house, ana as soon as tho boat put out !
reused up Wilson, and we went outside to
receive the strangers. During the war
many blockade runners had succeeded in
getting into the port at Georgetown. at
the head of the bay, but at least half
dozen had been driven ashore in our
vicinity
WHAT THEY WERE AFTER.
There we're then two wrecks on the
east side of the island and two on the
mainland, and unknown to US a story was
afloat that large amount of English gold
had been taken from one of the wrecks
and deposited in the lighthouse for safe
keeping until its right ownership could be
decided. 1t was a very silly story but
found many believers. We had no means
of getting at any Of the wrecks, and had
it would have been turned over TO the
government, OF course.
I had time before the boat landed to
tell Wilson what | thought about the
men, and we agreed on what we should
say and how we should act Only one
man came up to the lighthOuse-had he
been encountered on the mainland he
would have been called a guerrilla. He
was a middle-aged man, with fierce aud
crafty look, and his efforts to appear
pleasant and pass for a fisherman We're
lamentable failures. When we had sa-
luted each other he said that he and his
men were to wait where they We're for a
British bark called the Harvest Home to
come out of Georgetown, when five of
them were going to ship in her. He asked
il we had any objections against their
camping ashore for the night and he
wanted to buy bacon and coffee of us
/ pretended that | would have to ask
the sergeant before answering, and turned
and entered the lighthouse and closed and
fastened the door behind me. We had
met the stranger about forty feet from
the door, and had planned not to let him
enter the building, and discover that we
two were alone. The fact must have al
ready been known to them. however. or at
least strongly suspected. for Ihad scarcely
locked the door when the man knocked
Wilson head over heels by a blow on the
loSEs ana UdSLCu AT Lllt UOOf. IHI me
tell yOI about the build of the lighthouse
and You win get a clearer idea OF nv sit
uatlOn. The door was narrow and stud
ded with bOltheadS. There was "a loop
hole on either side for musketry. The
ground floor room was circular, with
walls over two feet thick Ascent to the
lanternroOm was made by means
Of wooden ladders. There was a circu-
lar walk around the lantern, with Il
brick parapet four feet high The light
house stood back POO feet from high tide.
and about the same distance in rear of il
was ridge of sand and gravel running
clear across the island. Here and there
grew bush and a patch Of grass, but
there were no trees within gGnshot. The
door opened inward and was secured by a
heavy bar across the center. ! had in
tended to remain inside two or three
minutes and then return ana deliver a
message from the sergeant, but when /
heard some one kicking on the door |
realized that the stranger had already
shown his hanu. From one of the loop
hoOles saw Wilson sprawlcd out on his
back. and also noticed the small boat
making of for the sloop. Just then the
stranger called to me through the other
lOOp-EOle:
Look here, young fellow, don't you
lose any time opening this door, if you
want to live 20 see sundOwn!'
What do you want in here?" l asked
"None Of your business. You open the
door or I'll show you no mercy"
You can't come in here
open this door, | say" he shouted as
he pounded on it with a stone
The small boat was now coming ashore
with the rest Of the fellows and Wilson
was sitting up and looking around him in
a dazed way. He did not get up until the
men reached him. The leader of the
gang left the door as they came up and
all gathered about Wilson for a Cou5ulta-
ton. After a few minutes he was tiei
hand and foot and deposited in the boat
on the beach. Then the gang approached
the door in body and the leader called
TO me:
Come, now, open this door, We know
YOU are all alone in there, but we don't
want bloodshed if it can be avoided. We
have come after that money and are
bound TO have it,
There's no money here. Ask my com
rade, and he'll tel YOU the same"
But open the door and let US see"
81 shant do it,"
The light house was a place worth loot
ing. We had three or four barrels of oil.
a barrel Of mOlasses, one of rice, half a
barrel OF sugar. two barrels of -four. a lot
Of bacon ana hard tack. barrel of coffee.
and other stuff. If the gang pluhdereI
the place they were not likely to leave