Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-12-15
A GOOD WAR STORY.
The Adventure of Two Soldiers with II
Gang of FreebOOters.

The Adventure of Two Soldiers with n
Gang of FreebOoters.
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 replace it temporarily
was built by a party of Federal soldiers.
Its 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 fort.
Indeed, it was built as combination, and
for several weeks was in charge of a ser
geant of infantry and seven or eight men.
Orders were finally received to leave two
men in charge until relieved by an APP
pointee of the lighthouse board. The
name of my companion was George Will
son. We had an abundance of rations,
two extra muskets, and plenty of ammuni-
ton, and, aside from keeping the old-fash-
toned light in order, we had nothing to do.
War was over, but the country was unset
tied, and gangs of bad men were prowling
along the coast as well as through the in
terror.
On the afternoon of the fourth day aft
er the sergeant's departure sloop which
had probably come out of the Santee river
approached 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
small boat. Wilson was asleep at this
time, and had been watching them from
the lantern room with the glass. 1t need
ed 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 pretence. While they fshed they
furtively inspected the lighthouse and as
soon as the boat put out | reused up Will
son, and we went outside to receive the
strangers.
During the war many blockade runners
had succeeded in getting into the port of
Georgetown, at the head of the bay, but
at least half a dozen had been driven
ashore in our vicinity. There were then
two wrecks on the east side of the island
and two on the mainland, and, unknown
to us, story was ailoat that large
amount of English gold had been taken
from one of the wrecks and deposited in
the lighthouse for safe keeping until its
rightful ownership could be decided. 1t
was very silly story, but found many be-
levers. We had no means of getting at
any of the wrecks, and had any considera-
BILE sum of money been found it would have
been turned over to the government. of
course.
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
guerrilla. He was a middle-aged man,
with fierce and crafty look, and his eff
forts to appear pleasant and pass for a
fisherman were lamentable failures. When
we had saluted each other he said that lac
and his men were to wait where they were
for British bark, called the Harvest
Home, to come out of Georgetown, when
five of them were going to ship in her. He
asked if we had any objections against
their camping ashore for the night, and he
wanted to buy bacon and coffee
| 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
fRiOANs AlC ldOt must nave dlItduN Dttu
known to them, however, or at least
strongly suspected, for had scarcely clos
ed the door when the man knocked Wilson
head over heels by blow on the nose, and
dashed at the door.
Let me tell you about the build of the
lighthouse and you will get clearer idea
of my situation. The door was narrow
and studded with bolt-heads. There was
loophOle on either side for musketry.
The ground floor room was circular, with
walls over two feet thick. Ascent to the
lantern room was made by means of wood
en- ladders. There was a circular walk
around the lantern, with brick parapet
four feet high. The lighthouse stood back
two hundred feet from high tide, and
about the same distance in the rear of it
was ridge of sand and gravel, running
clear across the island. Here and there
grew bush and patch of grass, but
there were no trees within gunshot. The
door opened inward and was secured by a
heavy bar across the centre. | had intend
ed to remain inside two or three minutes
and then return and deliver message
from the sergeant, but when | heard some
one kicking on the door | realized that the
stranger had already shown his hand.
From one of the loopholes | saw Wilson
sprawled out on his back, and also noticed
the small boat making off for the sloop.
just then the stranger called through the
other loOphole:
"Look here, young fellow, don't you
lose any time opening this door if you
want to live to see sundownI"
"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, l say!" he shouted, as
he pounded on it with 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