The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
AN UNKNOWN YANKEE.
THE BRATEST MAN SIR HWY
CHIDS ETER CAME ACROSS
Expieits or y wandering American sc,m..
Named Reed, ms seeu by . british N,,,,
o-Hand FIght. with ptr.,.-

Sr Henry Chads, n well-known Fng,sh
naval officer Of the early part OF the %ceu,nrv'
was wont TO say that. OF all the many h-,y.
men he had met in the course OF = career Nbr.h
for thirty years had been a sorie, %, h,ri
fights. dangerous en petitions. and eSei,l,,
events. the bravest was an American sailor
| named Reed.
Chads used to distinguish between cour.s.
and bravery. holding that one was a mental
and tho other a physical characterisrc. naI
he credited Reed with the physical Quality.
1t may be asserted that he was qualified ,,
Judge. for he was himself a man Of undaun,,l
temperament. and could 1gh; a LOSING BATH,
as we'll as q WANING one. Those who are "a
miliar with the history % the famous oil Com
s%titution may recolloct the fight betweeo that
vessel and the Java. The Java was the IN.
ferior In weight Of metal and TONNAGE 70 ,h,
extent OF about one fourth. and when her ZAP
tain was killed Chads. then a Lieutenant.
fought her brav ely. despite the houc.essne,s
OF the attempt. until she was n helpless log.
Commodore cambridge, who was az gailan, A
gentleman as he was a brave and skltui sea-
man. returned to Chads the sword iust sur
rendere and complimented him. on the quar-
ter deck OF the Constitution. on the magnia-
cent defence made hy his crew and hin. eli.
Chads never forget Bsinbridee's conduct. and
forever afterwnrd he had a warm spot IN nj,
heart for Americans and a legitimate respect
for their scamanship and fEhting qualities.
Reed. the man who commended himself 70
Cbads by his superb ply sirai courage, lad
been. Il appears. a gunner on board OF the Com
stituti)n during the hght with the Java. Some
years after he turned lp In the East Indies
where Chads was then stationed in Command
OF q British friCste. the Andromache. How
Reed came to be on board the Andromarhe il
not exactly plain. but that he must have Sign, l-
lied himself I'm Roma Uav ia civilian. a. ulan
Chads was designated BY the Indian Gov
eminent TO take charge OF an expedition
against the swnrms OF Malay pirates who at
that time infested the Straits OF Malacca and
the adjacent waters, Reed heli the rank OF
bo'sun's mate. and was one Of Chads's crew.
The Straits at that time swarmed with
pirates. No unconvoy-d vessel was safe, and
attacks upon and looting OF email trading set
Elements on tae mainland were not uncommon.
There was no Admiralty Court at Singapore,
and all legislation regarding the Straits Settle
ments had to emanate from the Bengal Govern
ment. at that time VIGOROUSLY and shame
fully inefficient: consequently liracy had prao-
tically q FREQ hand. When Chnds arrived AZ
Penang he laid his plans. which necessarily
consisted in the main OF boat expeditions
starting from . Ioi II on the mainland called
the Ding-dings.
The first boat expedition was made no Off
plnnhco anu Two Cutterb very well manned ana
armed. Reed was chief gunner on the pinnace.
which carried a l2.pound cannonade. Nothing
came Of this first expedition. and a second.
much the same in makeup as the frs, was
of the Arroa Islands. and II was here that ir
= succession of hand.to-hand fights Of he most
DESPERATE kind the American sailor earned
The pinnace had separated from the cutters
which proved to have no outlet eve the one
by which the pinnare entered. A short way
s5es stresm: r1 snlir n Gnd: two "ns tHrT ,n %. 9As , ws's
sharp ure of ss.pe and iansriiss salg,ea tho
toward the yinnace with the intention OF board
avoidable. But In the nick Of time. Just whom
the gun could rake the foremo.t, psoa end By
slaughter was tremendous. The proa sic we'd
around and the pima e crashed into her. cut
'1n: S alive sie a,,b In b swo e a%id'A %;,s and s, iSs Tsssr
rapidity Reed had reloaded with lam
a abeut three h1 s o9rths p o1 end Tsa for . |. .n q : faAeo hef
Just then a fresh danger threatered ed. for the
SECOND proa passed so close that at least TWEEN
mace. The fight was short and sharp. O'Csl-
laghan. a miidv. second in con mand, reported
ter. epting' q kri.sthrust meant f.r him Wills
himself hotlr engaged with a MALAY; Evil
one antagonist This frs; boarding attack re.
pelled.the proa was boarded. and here occurred
Malay. as he Jumped overheard. Crapp.ed a
.eaman whose name is unrecorhed and drassed
at home IN the water as a shars. and every
whit as cruel and desperate. Reed heard the
sailors yell, and in two steps was Over, after
The pair. O'Callaghhn's A.count Is as follows:
surface. and tho MALAY made Tor the man he
no weapon but his clasp knife. which was as
vet unopened. Raising himself in The, water.
Heed dealt the savage a blow with his fat
that turned the man over. Following up his al
vantage, be grappled him around the body with
a ans XII KRIS, ,'a and P'r rot a de.!s hold on The throat
with the right hard. Then .ensued n short
w wa. Slowly bu; surely EYE Clicked TO death. i,
was q strange combat. hut thrilling beyond
against savage desperation. anu the Malay
The scene when Reed 80, hack to the vessel
was enthusiastic enough. Reeds name WAS
slated FOR special mention in the despatch sent
TO Calcutta announcing the first encounter
by the Deputy Commissioner. accompanying
the :orse; From this onward through the four
occurs conssntly:n Chads's and O'callnghRn's
letter.: In attacking III re pToas; In a boat ed;
The panlsenah. or. Captain OF the -piratiesl
craft. he Is reported TO have captured one OF
why ne risked his lie in endeayorinr % take
the desperado alive instead 81 cutting him
down: b.. answer was as follows; u.
his loin cloth as we boarded the third proa, IND
] noticed the peculiar shape o. his. krlss
and a broad gold bangle. and taking him 10
be = chief, | guessed he'd be more valuable
alive than dead"
To the credit OF Reeds perspicacity Il must
be said that commissions from the Raiahs OF
Rho. Johore, and SalauRore were found In tho
Saistband OF this chief, thus proving Ia the sat-
~isfaction OF the Calcutta. authorities that tho
native rajahs were accessories before tie decd
OF all the ~piratival acts that had for years
made trading alolg the Singa Jore coast a haL-
Ardous occunation.
The last thing that can hc learned Of Reed Is
that on the pay-of and discharge OF the An
iromache's crew he wandered northwest.
Chads would have taken him home MS BODY
servant, but apuarcnt!y such n life was too
mild for his spirit. What became OF him.
where he laid his bones. or what fresh deeds
OF vAlor fell 10 his lot before Joining his
fellow Der erkers In Nalhalla cannot he record.
ed, hut n ever n fair share Of lighting and
magnificent fighting at that, fell e. Ole mans
lot. n fell TO the share OF the unknown, bus
dauntless Yankee, Reed.
-rIIun