Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-02-14

when he vas a mere boy, among the
hard-riding, hard-drinking young
planters of st. Mary's. for his reck-
less courage and dash. He was al
ways the first in ut the death, q
splendid sailor, and a dead shot;
but even the exciting sports of the
planters lost some of their interest
when he read of the exploits of Gar
ibaldi. who was ut that time start
ling Europe. They stirred the spirit
OF adventure in young Thomas,
which finally became so strong that
when he was barely nineteen years
old he left Mattapony, iourneyed to
Europe and threw in his, lot with
the italian patriot. The history OF
his adventures in the Garibaldian
wars reads almost like a romance;
but / must hurry on to the time
when he drew his sword for the
South.
A short time after the outbreak
of the war a gentleman, dressed in
the height of fashion, with a waist
so small that it might have been the
envy of many belle, a slight and
slender figure and boyish face, call
ed on Gov. Letcher of Virginia and
rendered his services to the Confed-
eracy. 1t was Col. Richard Thomas
Zarvona, for such was the name by
which he had become known in the
Italian campaigns of Garibaldi. His
services were gladly accepted, and
Col. Zarvona determined to signal
ize his return to his country by an
act of daring which up to that time
had hardly been equalled in the pro-
gress of the war.
His old friends in Saint Mary's
at the beginning of the war had
kept up constant communication
with the Virginia shore, but the
Union authorities soon determined
to stop this blockade running, and
first one and then another gunboat
patrolled the river, until there was
hardly mile from Point Lookout
to Washington that was not thor
oughly guarded. The most famous
of these vessels was the Federal
Hcgufa Greek ana Mate6iaas Pdaieaat,, aea,
giving the Confederates immense
trouble and annoyance. In few
days Col. Zarvona had formed his
plan and was ready to lay it before
the authorities. It was no less than
the capture of the Pawnee, the very
audacity of which pleased the gal
liant little colonel immensely. A
council of war was held in which
Commodore Matthew Fontaine
Maury participated, and joined the
others in approving the plan of Col.
Zarvona. The plan was for Col.
Zarvona to 60 to Baltimore, per-
suade ten or a dozen young men to
60 with him, take passage on the
st. Nicholas, a mail boat running
between Baltimore and Washington,
and at given signal take control
of her, and dispose of the officers,
Col. Zarvona assuming command.
The st. Nicholas carried the mail
of the Pawnee and was in the habit
of running along side of her in the
night to deliver it, thus giving a
party of well-armed men the oppo-
tunity to take TIE vessel by surprise.
The Confederate authorities pre-
pared to assist Col. Zarvona by every
means in their power. They agreed
to station several hundred troops
at the mouth of Cone River at q
certain hour, so when the St.
Nicholas stopped at that point they
could furnish the force for the ex-
pedition. Commodore Hollins, an
other Marylander, was called in con-
sultation, and it was decided that
he should 60 to Point Lookout with
several men, SO as to make the cap
ture of the st. Nicholas certainty.
Col. Zarvona, after the compile.
tion of the plan, ran the blockade
and made his way to Baltimore.
Here he made his presence known
to several of his old friends and
comrades, and in the course of an
hour or two ten of them had volun'
teered to go with him. All they
knew was that the adventure was tc
be an extremely hazardous one in
the interest of the Confederacy, but
that was sufficient. For Baltimor,
at that time was full of daring
young men who were enthusiast,
for the Southern cause, and read1
for almost anything, many of whom
Afterwards ioined the Confederat,