The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-29

George German, his majesty's principal
secretary of state for America. Jan. 20,
1880 made this report: The court of ses-
sions, my lord, ended to-day; three per-
sons We're tried and found guilty of mis-
demeanors for reasonable practices, viz:
William Cary Israel Bird and William
Maxwell, and two others withdrew their
pleas and confessed the indictments" etc.
In a later report, dated the 18th of Feb
ruary, he gave the findings OF the court,
as follows: William Maxwell was fined
t9tO sterling, Israel Bird, 200; James Davis,
fl00 and Thomas Nethercleft, go, and
they all found security to keep the peace
and be of good behavior for three years,
and l am in great hopes that these pro-
ceedings will have a very good effect"
Thus it is shown that Capt. William
Maxwell was so punished that ne could
render no active service to the cause of
independence as long as the war lasted.
Kept under parole within the British
lines, without the power to perform a
single act in defense of his country, he
was compelled to submit to captivity in
his own home, which, from the beginning
of the war until the evacuation of Gavan-
nah, was within the territory abandoned
by the Americans to British msrule and
devastation. But even as prisoner of
war he gave the enemy some trouble, ana
that without violating the oath of parole
which he was forced to take, pledging
himself Ito keep the peace"
Elizabeth Maxwell, a sister of William,
married first Adam Bosomworth, broth
er of the notorious Thomas, but, accord
ing to the accounts which we have of
H., d
Abraham; and after his death she took,
as her second husband, Thomas Young,
who, during the war of the revolution, es-
poused the British cause, and of whom II
is said he was 1.-THE richest man and
greatest tory in Georgia, except the gov
ernor" Thomas Young and his wife, al
though at that time citizens of Liberty
county, were, throughout the period of
William MaXwelrs captivity, sojourning
at Belfast; and we can well imagine that
the two brothers-in-laW did not live to-
terms
character. Mccall tells us, in his second
volume, page 235, that for the 4th of
June, 1873, party of British officers were
engaged to dine with Mr.. Thomas Young
at Belfast on the river Midway, to cele-
brate the kings birthday. Capt. Spencer,
who commanded an American priVateer,
got intelligence of the intended feast and
prepared to surprise them. He proceeded
up the river in the evening, and landed
with twelve men, and between and 3
o'clock al night Spencer entered the
house and made Col. Cruger and the party
Of officers prisoners Of war AS Spencer
intended to carry off some negroes, he
kept his prisoners under guard until
the morning, when he received their
paroles, and permitted them to return to
changed for Col. John Mcintosh, who had
been taken prisoner at Brier Creek.
This incident, if the date given h. Nc
Cali be correct occurred before the cap
+ture of Capt. Maxwell, and during the
time of his active career as a privateers-
man. 1t is certain, however, that SINH
lar adventure was made on the kings
birthday two years after, in which Capt.
Howell was the leader, of which We have
not a full account, and it is possible that
the date and the name of the attacking
commander may be wrongly given by Nc
Call. The Royal Georgia Gazette, printed
in Savannah during the British occupancy
of the city, of Thursday, June IA, 1871, con-
tains a letter from a correspondent, pro-
testing against the action of the authori-
ties in keeping within the British lines
persons whose sympathies were with the
American cause, in which he uses this
language: I'VE suffer the most notorious
rebels both male and female, to reside
amongst us. to live on the sea
islands and other convenient places,
who not only supply the enemy with pro-
visions. but give them every necessary in
formation they want, such as the arrival
and departure of our cruisers the stations
ard routes Of our gallies, and everything
else they wish TO be Informed of. Can It
be supposed that Mr.. or Capt Howell
would have been hardy enough to have
ventured up Midway river, and so high
up, too. as Belfast, If he had not been
very well informed how matters stood,
and how far he was safe in making the
attempt he did2" Can it be doubted, We
ask. that the query of this anonymous
correspondent refers to Capt. William
Maxwell, the irrepressible priva teersman,
at that time a prisoner Of war on pa
role, and living not hundred miles from
Belfast?
As soon as possible after the evacua-
ton Of Savannah by the British, which
took place July IL, 1852, the proper author