Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-24

north and the south as | do, l can see
that the secession of the southern states
from the Union will precipitate civil
strife upon us which will only cease
with the emancipation of the slaves and
the complete exhaustion of the southern
resources.
Il am old and shall not live to see
the end of the conflict; possibly l shall
not live to see it begun, for have a
strange feeling that my days are speed
lily to be mum bered. | wish therefore
to tell you now that it is my desire to
have you refrain from assisting the
struggle so far as that may be practical
BILE; l also desire you to liberate the
slaves at the first moment consistent
with their welfare. and tell Ralph, when
he shall come home, to remain with the
Union. l have already written him to
this effect, but he may possibly be or
dered home before my letter reaches
him. / have labored as best / could to
avert this contest, but have failed, and
now the responsibility for it rests in
other hands.
For some time longer Judge Hatha-
way continued to speak of the conse-
quences likely to follow from a civil
strife; then he returned to his library.
Some hours later ON seeking the reason
for his prolonged absence from the fam
lily circle they found him dead in his
chair. A smile rested upon the silent
lips, and apparently without a struggle
he had passed from the scenes of anx-
iety and trial to those Of eternal peace
and rest. This conversation and death
are not imaginary, but are related here
substantially as they occurred.
The prophecy of Judge Hathaway,
improbable as it may then have seemed,
is now a matter of history. With the
spring of 1861, hostilities were begun,
to be continued for four long years.
Fortunately for the lonely and be-
reaved women, Oak Bluffs was situated
for a time considerable distance from
the scene of actual conflict, and had
their anxious suspense concerning the
whereabouts of Lieutenant GasQue only
been relieved their position would not
have been altogether unbearable. Once
indeed they had heard from him since
the death of Judge Hathaway; he was
about to sail for home. From that
reached them, and they could only con-
lecture that every attempt on his part
to communicate with them had failed.
The summer and autumn slowly
passed away. y few of the household
servants still remained with the fam
lily, and though they necessarily suffered
many deprivations they were far from
actual want. No warfare had as yet
occurred in their immediate neighbor-
hood, and the worst they could COM
plain of in their situation was a COM
plete ostracism on the part of their for
mer friends.
With the new year, however. came a
change. \ fertilization was thrown up
at the mouth of the river, which emp
tied into the bav a few miles to the
north; a detachment of soldiers was sent
down to garrison it, and regular pa
troll was established along the shores of
the inlet.
The reason for this change was at
once apparent. For some months the
Confederates had been using the river
and bay on acc unit of their secluded
position as shipping station. Cotton
was fioated down the river on fiatboats
and over the bar to the mouth of the
inlet. Here, under the cover of the
night. it was transferred to steamers in
waiting and carried to foreign ports.
Suspicious of this traffic had reached
the Federal government, and an armed
cutter was dispatched to place the bay
under blockade. The arrival of the cut
ter caused the military operations and
activity on the part of the enemy.
One of the servants at Oak Bluffs,
lobe, or, as he was commonly called,
Uncle Toby, had discovered the vessel
almost as soon us she appeared off the
harbor and reported her arrival to the
ladies at the mansion house. Hoping
to learn at least where her nephew,
Lieutenant GasQue, was stationed Mrs.
Hathaway directed Uncle Toby to watch
for an opportunity to visit the cutter.
After considerable search lobe found
a place below the bluffs where the pick
cts were not on guard. Possibly a pick
ct had been stationed there, but left to
his own devices he had preferred the
higher ground short distance above,
and consequently had changed his quar-
tiers.
There being nothing to prevent, I'm
Gle Toby struggled an old dugout
around to this place, and went down
the bay in the darkness to the steamer.
He returned the following night with
the surprising intelligence that his
young master, Lieutenant Gasque, was
in command of the vessel, and in confir-
nation of his tidings produced package
of letters from him for the loved ones at
Oak Bluffs.
From this time there was weekly
between the cutter and
the mansion, and TCbe did good scrv-
ice, furthermore, in reporting the move
ments of the enemy on the shore. Many
an attempt to run the blockade was
frustrated because OF the faithful ne
gro's timely word.
Several weeks passed in this way, and
finally, Lieutenant Gasque, yielding to
a fervent longing to see his aunt and
Hilda. ventured to return with Uncle
Toby, and by his knowledge of the
grounds successfully avoided the pickets
and gained the house.
Before he returned to his cutter he
made known to his aunt and Hilda that
he was daily expecting the arrival of
another steamer, and then a secret at
tempt was to be made to capture the
fort at the mouth of the river and to
gain possession of the cotton known to be
held in store there.
If the other cutter arrived in time.
just a week from that night, under the
cover of the darkness, 200 men were to
be landed on the sandy point; the pick
cts were to be surprised, and then a push
was to be made for the fortifcation of
the enemy.
Lieutenant Gasque, on account of his
with the locality, was going
to lead this expedition in person, and
the hope was to reach the fort before
any alarm could be given and attack it
in the rear. Meantime both cutters
were to move up the bay, over the bar
he