El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-14
IN THE OLD DAYS.

IN THE OLD DAYS.
The Story of Cap ain Silas Talbot,
Naval Hero of Revolutionary
Times.
Capt H. ID. Smith, in st. Louis Globe Demo
crat.
Probably not one in thousand OF
young mer cans, asked today who
Capt Siias Ial bot was, could answer
satisfactorily. And yet at one period
OF our naval history none connected
with it enjoyed higher reputation
for patriotic and headlong valor than
Talbot, one of the earliest comman-
ders of that renowned frigate, Old
Irousides.
He came naturally by his adventurous
dlspositlon and high standard of cOur-
age He was llnesl descendant OF
hat Richard de Talbot who Witnessed
the grant that Walter Clifford, Earl of
Buckingham, made to the monks OF
Cerasir, in the reign of William the
Conqueror The earldOm of Shrewsbury
was bestowed, in the fifteenth century,
upon John Talbot, for his skill aud
prOwess in war. 1t is remark able that
one of his ancestors was the antagonist
Of the Maid of Orleans, and another
had the custody of May Queen OF
Scots.
Silas Talbot was left an orphan at II
years of age, at the town OF Dighton,
aud went to sea a, cabin boy. He al
so learned the trade of stOnemasop.
acquired property, and married at the
age of q. the first notes OF the revo-
luton found Talbot with his compa-
ions drilling under the guidance of
an old Scotch drum major, finding an
opportunity to join the American army
to New York, when his knowledge of
nautical matters obtained for him the
command of a fireship. Three of the
enemy's ships were anchored near the
mouth of the Hudson, the largest being
the Asia, of siXty-fOur guns.
Singing this vessel out as the object
of his attack, Talbot, at 2 O'Clock in
the morning, dropped down with the
tide, and threw his graphing irons on
BOARD as the Asia opened fire. In an
leaping above the low-r yards of the
huge vessel, and Talbot, who had
fingered on board until the last mo-
ment, suffered terribly from the in
juries received. His skin was blister
from head to foot, his dress almost
entirely destroyed, and his eyesight
for the time destroyed. His compan-
ions succeeded in carrying him clear
il fast pulling boat, finding shelter
IN q poor ca bin, where medical aid " as
u last procured for the sufferer.
Meanwhile the Asia, by strenuous eff
forts, had cleared herself from the
blazing craft, and badly injured, had
dropped down -be river.
For this serv .ce, congress, on Oct.
10, l717, passed d resolution of Shau ks,
promoting him to the rank OF ma or,
and recon mendlng him to Gen. Wash
ingtor, for ''emplOyment agreed to
his rank land he shortly after ,ound
an opportunity to gain further dis
tinctiOn and d severe wound n the hip,
in an attack on the enemy. Under
Gen. Sulllvanshe gathered eighty-six
tiatooats for transportation OF the
army on Long Island, which was in
,trumeutal in preventing disaster when
4 retT eat was ordered.
The En- gliSh, while in possession of
New Port, smoored stout vessel OFF
the mouth of the Seconset river. pro-
viding her with twelve 8-pOunders and
ten swivels. Strong boarding MEETINGS
were attached, while a.crew of forty
five men under Lieut.. Dunlap. of the
Roy,l navy, commanded the craft,
W ~ d en- m d the Pigot.
Upol this vessel Major Ia, bot had
his eye for some time, but could obi ain
ahoat He finally gained possession OF
sloop, equipped her with two 3
Founders, manneu by sixty men. On
dark and foggy night. Talbot en-
barked with his men, allowing the old
sloop to drift under bare poles. until
the loom of the great boat was seen
through the fog. Down swept the
coasting slOOp, the, sentinels hailed,
but before one of the Pigot's guns
pos ng craft had torn it's way through
the boarding nettings, affording an OPP
portunity for the attacking party to
board, sword in band. The vessel
was quickly carried, the commander
fighting desperately, en- dishabille,
and when compelled to surrender wept
over his miserable disgrace. Not a
man had been lost in this affair, and
the prize was carried safely into Ston-
ington.
For this exploit Talbot received q
handsome letter from Henry Laurens,
president of congress, and was pro-
NOTED to lieutenant colOnelcy in the
army. The assembly of his native city
presented him with & sword, while the
British termed him, "One of the great
est archrebels 10 nature
In 1779 he was commissioned . cap.
tain in the navy, but with no national
| instructed to arm a naval force suffi-
cient to protect the coast from Long
Island to Nantucket. Congress was too
poor to assist him, and only by grea I
efforts was he able to fit out the prize
Pigot and sloop called the Argo.
Humble as this craft was, Talbot as
sumed command without a moments
hesitation and proved what a man of
valor and determination could achieve
with meagre means. The sloOp was au
old-fashioned craft from Albany,
square, wide stern, bluff bow and
steered with tiller. Her battery
consisted of ten and afterward twelve
guns, two of which were mounted in
The cabin. With a crew of sixty, few
Of whom were seamen or had seen SER
vice, the gallant captain sailed from
Providence in MAY, 1873.
Exercising and drilling his men, he
soon had them in fair shape, enabling
him to capture one vessel of twelve
guns and two letter of msrque briggs
from the West Indies. The prizes
with their ca-goes, were greatly need
ed by the auth critics, while the sue
cesses attending the efforts of the men
greatly increased their confidence.
IL