Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-04-05

New York and there turned over to the
to act the part of a spy, and when possible
escape through the lines and deliver his
information to Washington.
1t was an easy matter to sail for New York.
As the schooner now bore, wing on wing,
that port lay fair off the end of the jib
boom. The Sprite sailed something less than
half mile on our larboard beam, and thus
we went for hours, each holding her own.
In the early light of the following morn the
wind suddenly lightened, then shifted to
the north, and by the time / had made
Sandy Hook, where the bulk of Howe's fleet
lay waiting the arrival of the British army,
the Sprite was some miles to windward.
l had forgotten the race. The sick man
had most of my time and attention, for he
had taken to raving, and was finally dashed
to his bunk. His speech was but an uncouth
mounting of words that meant nothing, and
when at last, in the lower bay, the schooner
was formally taken possession OF, passed
the care of him to others, and began to look
sharply to my own affairs.
1t was two days after the mess on the
Phantom before we dropped anchor off the
city, coming to a final rest near the upper
limb of the blight of the small bay below
Corlears Hook, on the Sound river EAST
river).
There had been more than little fuss and
many questions put by the authorities be-
fore / stepped ashore. Answers, too, were
given, which might have been picked full
of holes had suspicious arisen in the minds
of the reigning powers; but owing to the
disorder due to the retreat of Clinton from
Philadelphia, and the arrival of his army,
which had now boarded the feet at Sandy
Hook, confusion ran riot in all branches of
| government, and saved me from much fine
lying.
There had never been moment when
could have gotten at the gold in the cabin
without exciting suspicion. In fact, had
but little time to study the papers had ap-
propriated and still had on my person; and
now, well-nigh destitute from want of cash,
had the misery of seeing the kings broad
arrow painted on the bows of the Phantom
and of finding myself turned ashore.
l was not greatly troubled by my lack Of
ready money. held Endorsement docu-
ments for claim on my own ship for prize
money for capturing her, and could easily
turn it into gold by allowing liberal dis.
count; but it went to my heart to see the
broad arrow (which marks the kings prop
erty), and know the craft was, by hook or by
crook, prize in possession of the enemy,
But if my comparative poverty caused me
no great uneasiness, was worried over thf
| fact that ] had two living witnesses apaire'
me, one OF whom, the negro, was capable
of damniEg me with his evidence could he
but obtain the ear of an official. 1t struck
me forcibly, too, that was fairly within the
enemys lines and under false name and
character. 1t were one thing had I been
caught at acting part on the high seas and
on my own schooner, but quite another to be
discovered under the existing circumstances
The first could have made me prisoner Of
war at most; the second would damn me a.
spy, and give me short shift to the next
world by means of rope.
At that time it might have been possible
for me to have left New York and gotten
on my way homeward. But it did not hap
pen to lie in my blood to turn up with the
report of having forfeited everything save
liberty and life. With weakling it would
have passed; with me 'twould look as though
] had thrown away all for the sake of light
ening my heels, and would likely injure my
reputation.
Aside from this, there lay hidden close ii
land $500, and none, save Lounsbury, hac
fathomed the secret 1t was my all, barring
the schooner, though that was not a tota
loss, as the admiralty papers in my pocket
bore witness. No man willingly foregoei
two thousand four hundred and odd dollar,
in gold rightfully his own, unless he be {
coward; and that, l maintain, I am not
And so by my fortune determined to stane
until it should be sunk, blown up, or othel
| wise lost.
There was more than this pecuniary inter
est which sealed my determination to stay
where was for space and risk the future
And that-the war.
Lest my reader think had been laggarc
in the conflict which had now been on better
than two and half years, let it be known
that l had been active against the enemy
both afeld and aaoat; noticeably in tn
whaleboat warfare on the coast.
l had made more than one lobster-bacl
wish he had stayed in Merry England (un
less he was at once set past wishing), ane
helped dig mighty hole in the kings ex
chequer by destroying his property. Blu
that was in the past, and runs not with thi
tale.
could lily abide the discipline of tn,
army, though with the patriots discipline
was but trife more than a name. 1t suitet
me best to be my own master and fight in m!
own way mot that quarrel with the mod
of another man, and armies are necessarily
and never would l have more than earned
rations had / stood in the ranks and moved
forward or backward on the word of com
mand.
Determined then not to run, it took me bu
a short time to conceive that in my presen
position could well serve the great caus
which to no man was dearer than to me
Washington, knew, had few agents within
the lines OF the city, and these might nevs
hope to know, they, like myself, being hood
ed under the mask of toryism.
This last fact was hitch. might becoln,
a storehouse-a very mine of information-ol
the strength, weakness and contemplated
movements OF the enemy, but be without thu
means of unloading my knowledge To fore
a way through the lines was to take one
life in ones hand with small chances of keep
ing it, and this would become necessary il
my case, for on a close examination of Louna
bury's papers found nothing in the shap
of pass save an old one signed by Gen
Howe, which had opened way out of Phil
adelphia.
The rest of the documents proved to be O
no value to me, as they related to matter
concerning the kidnapping of some unname,
party in Norfolk and an investigation witt
view of British occupation of that unimpol
tant town.
From the moment had found these pa
pers until my landing had given no though
to the future, my first business having bee