The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-29
HOW JOE WARREN
CAPTURED THE BRITISH.
harold Rernard in Historia.

y
patriot who wished very much indeed to
fight in the army for the cause of the
colonies, But his mother was a widow
who had lost her husband in the war, and
had two small children under her care,
and she plead with him so hard aot to
leave her that he had not the heart to do
so. So he stayed at home cultivated
what ground he could, and assisting his
mother in other ways.
At point in the river not far from
where Joe lived there was a British sta
ton. On shore was camp occupied by a
detachment of about $50 British regulars,
and in the stream lay FIVE vessels, four of
which were armed, Notwithstanding
fourteen guns. The station was
commanded by Captain French.
At that time the patrioCs in Georgia
were worked 10 to a high pitch of enthusi-
asm and confidence by the presence of
Gen. Lincoln, who, with quite respect
able army, was preparing to attack Savan-
nah.
Gen. Provost commanded the British
in Savannah and the expeditions of his
sold 4ers into the surrounding country had
been marked by plumber, conhagration,
and cruelty. The consequence was that
the patriots of Georgia felt very bitterly
toward the British.
On the approach of Gen Lincoln, Pre-
vost had withdrawn most of his out
posts to Savannah in order to strengthen
that place The station on the Ogechee
was one of the few places not given up.
On their arrival near Savannah the Amer
leans We're reinforced by large body of
troops from the French feet which was
blockading the entrance of the river, and
on the Odd of September regular siege
operations we're commenced against the
town.
But this is getting somewhat ahead of
our story and we must return TO Joe War
rem.
One day Joe was out in the woods hunt,
ing small game when he unexpectedly
stumbled on a man sitting on a log, who
had the shoe and stocking off one of his
feet and was rubbing his ankle. Joe asked
him what the trouble was, and learned
that he had sprained his anklein jumping
a creek few Yards away. The stranger
asked Joe's assistance in getting to some
house where he might rest few days.
The boy was much attracted by the frank
cOuntenance and pleasant manners of the
injured man and offered to take him to his
own home, which was the nearest house.
To this the stranger agreed and they
slowly made their way thither.
After Mrs. Warren had attended to tn e
injured ankle the guest asked if they were
royalists. In spite of the warning head
shake of his mother, who did not wish to
get into trouble with the British at the
station, Joe promptly and vigorously dis
claimed any sympathy with the "Rcd
Coats" stating that his great desire was
to see them driven out of the Ogeechee,
out of Georgia and out Of the country al
together.
At this the stranger smiled approvingly
and announced that he was Col John
White, of the Provincial army, on his
way to Savannah TO Join the American
army there, and that he had his uniform
in his bundle. He had been absent from
his command on account of sickness and
was Fastening to rejoin the army before
the expected attack on Savannah was
made. And now this aggravating accident
had delayed him again.
Col. White asked Of Joe and his
mOtherrthat they would keep his presence
| a secret Dor fear The British would learn
who he was and take him prisoner This
,hey promised to do, and the colonel was
given a room where he could be entirely
TO himself.
But at night time when all the chores
about the house was done, Col White
would come from his retreat and enter
lain Mrs. Warren and Joe with stories of
mis- experiences in the army Often for
his own amusement and in order to enjoy
the enthusiasm and interest of the boy,
the colonel would talk of plans for captur-
ing the English at the station He would
suggest some wild scheme and then he
and Joe would follow it out and imagine
that they were pushing it to a successful
issue. Once he dressed IN his uniform
for his young friends amusement Little
did the imaginative colonel dream of how
much Joe took these schemes to heart
and that he himself would be called by
the enthusiastic boy to try the value of
one OF them.
In about week Col, Whites ankle had
improved 50 much that he decided to re-
sumo his journey the following morning
That afternoon, Sept 30, 1779, Joe and two
boy friends, Hiram WolGott and james
Heron. went hunting. They were return
ing home about dark when they saw
body of men coming toward them. I'm
mediately surmising that the British were
ON some sort of an expedition they hid in
the bushes close to the roadside and waited
for the soldiers to pass As the troops
went by the boys learned from the CONVEX
sation that they were going about Is miles
away to break up gathering of patriots
which they had learned was assembling
There were about 30 men in the party
so Joe thought that there could not be
very many left to guard the station and
the ships A brilliant idea came to him
Why not try TO capture the station and
sink the boats? Such another opportu-
nifty might not occur again. And one of
the plans he and Colonel White had
worked at covered just such contin-
gency.
Full of the idea he at once laid his plan
before his comrades. Hiram Wolcott was
as reckless as Joe, and Immediately fell
in with the scheme, but james Heron.
either through discretion or lack of nerve.
refused to join them However. this did
not dismay Joe. He knew how to make
good use of him. He made Jim promise
TO hurry to his house as fast as ne could
then to call Col. White, whom he would
find there, and without letting Mrs.
Warren know what was going on, he was
to tell the colonel that Joe and a friend
were working one Of his plans to capture
the British, and for him to. come at once
to their assistance, wearing his full regi-
mentals.
Jim took to his heels, promising to do
faithfully as he had been told - Joe and
Hiram then went into the woods about
the station and gathered up about twenty
piles OF wood for fires. They were so ar
ranged that when lighted they would
present the appearance of camp of CON
siderable size They were also quite a
distance back in the woods
Wnen all the arrangements had been
made the boys waited anxiously for the
appearance of Col White At length.