Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-09-08

doubt on the third charge at Bunker
Hill had personal encounter with
an officer whom I afterwards heard
was Lieutenant John Barry, who came
over on the Cerberus with General
Clinton in May, 1775. He had rep
utation of sincerely hating everything
American, and this was the man who
now stood before me. Our duel on
the hill was short, but very sharp, and
ended in my wounding him. As he
fell and joined the retreat he called
ont, ''Pll kill you on sight for this if
we ever meet again. You may be
sure 1 was not in a comfortable frame
of mind at this recollection. 1 saw
that if he remembered me something
desperate would have to be done and
so looked around quickly for some
chance to escape. Only ten feet away
was heavy door, standing open,
which led to the belfry above. I knew
this had bolts on the other side and
resolved to take chances in that direc-
| ton.
When told the lieutenant I was
citizen, the other officers drew around
and asked my name. | was about to
give fictitious nam when Barry cried
out, "Seize that man! He fought
against us at Bunker Hill" I struck
out with both fists to make an opening
and knocked down two of the officers.
In an instant was through the door
aud had it locked on the inside. My
purpose was to cut off the bell rope
and use that to escape with while the
door was being broken open, but when
l went upstairs I found a coil of rope,
| so l took that instead
opened beIfry window and, after
fastening the rope, slid gown on the
roof below. Here I cut off the rope
with my dagger as high as could
reach aud left the end hanging, run
ming along the roof to the rear with
the rest. fastened the rope to pro-
lection and, crawling over the edge,
slid to the ground without the least
trouble. Running up towards the
front OF the church 1 dropped one of
my gloves, which l had worn up to this.
time, in Milk street and the other
around the corner on Marlborough
street. did this to give pursuers the
| idea that had gone towards the com
mon, as that was the most likely place
for man to try to escape to the op-
posite shore. This ruse, as I subse-
| quently learned from deserter, worked
perfectly. The gloves were of an un-
usual color and having been noticed
by the officers in the church were rec
ognized when found Lieutenant
Barry was so anxious to capture me
himself that he neglected to have the
guards warned to be on the watch,
and this was another thing in my
favor.
After dropping my gloves I ran
through lane below the church to
! Water street. intended to work my
way down to the boat from there, but,
after eluding several guards, / found
myself in King street by the Town
House, c,li ID the State House after
the war. Here 1 was startled by
was just getting ready to run when an
answer came from in front of the
building, "Citizen, with a pass"
"Come here and show it, ordered the
guard. AS you may know, the Town
House is set right in the middle Of
King street with an open space all
around it. l went around in this
space to position where l could see
| the two men without being seen by
them. The guard looked at the pass,
said ''all right" and then, giving it
back, went up Queen street out of
sight 1 watched the citizen while he
stood still, with bundle on the ground
at his feet, carefully folding the paper
up, and the idea came into my head
that could use that pass. He was
facing me, so I ran around the building
to the other side The man was just
putting the pass in his pocket as L
came in sight again. never liked to
hit man from behind, but this was
case of necessity, and so l struck him
hard, just behind the right ear, with
my fist He fell with hardly sound,
and quickly tied his feet with his
belt and his hands behind him with
the rope from the bundle he had been
piece of cloth, among other things,
and tied this over the mans mouth to
keep him from making any noise when
he recovered. Then 1 secured the
pass and placed him and his bundle in
the deep doorway of the Town House.
1 decided to go at once to the boat,
using the pass to get by any guards l
should meet. At the first lamp in the
street stopped to read the pass. 1t
ran as follows:
Head Quarters, Boston, 3rd Jan. ,1776.
The bearer, Nath'l Cushman, citi-
zen, has His Excellency the Com
mander- in Chiefs permission to go
about inside the advanced lines at any
| time between the hours of 10 and II
| tonight. IA: URouHART,
Town Major.
| To all concerned.
1 smiled as / thought how near
| Nathaniel Cushman was to my name
and after putting the paper away
started on. At Water street l was