The Minneapolis journal., 1903-11-07

IN Cndl mia ana SSItllc CllllldlS'
, The town of Fayal stands on the
sides of high hills; on the waters edge
is a wall the whole length of the |
town, the fort in the center. On these
hills were to be seen all the 1nhab1-
tants, men, women and children, ladles
in their white dresses, from one ex-
tremity to the other, making most
beautiful appearance in the bright
moonlight. Those people--the whole
inhabitants of this beautiful town
had taken their stations on these hills
to see conflict, such as they had
never before witnessed.
AT IL m. H., the sloop of war stood
in for the town, towing at her stern
fourteen boats, manned and armed for
action. These boats contained, from
the best accounts we could get, 400
men.
1t will be recollected by many that
this squadron was engaged in the
Chesapeake, stealing negroes and
landing troops for the capture of
Washington and Baltimore, and was
supplied with transport boats of
large size, each of which would carry
from 60 to 100 men, with an eighteen
pound carronade, besides SwlVels,
blunderbusses, etc.
The sloop worked in abreast OF the
Armstrong and cast them off, herself
lying to. The boats pulled slowly
ahead, keeping in close order, under
cover of the sloop. We soon found that
| they drew so much ahead that our
guns would soon be wooded and we
should lose our broadside from the
long mines. With great persuasion
Captain Reid gave orders to fire, that
| fire which sent many a brave fellow
to his last account. The guns were
loaded with round, grape and canister
shot, with large bag of ragged mus
ket balls in each. At this fire Long
Tom drew his breeching bolts from
the slide and ran off on the deck.
The boats at this time were about
musket shot distance-the vessel lay
perfectly still against bank, and
must have done great execution. I
have been informed by an officer of
the broadside they received cut them
up so much, and threw them into
such confusion, that they were panic
stricken. Mr.. somerville, first lieu
tenant of the Rota, was mortally
wounded; he was the son Of Lord So
boats for the attack. We were enabled
to get one Of the forward guns to
bear on them a second time.
On receiving the broadside they
pulled for the bow Of the Armstrong,
all excepting two launches, which
took their stations on our starboard
quarter. We irnm ediately COM
menced upon the launches with pixies
and musketry, and soon forced them
to drop astern, where they drifted
out Of gunshot.
The first and third division then
rushed forward to the assistance of
the second DIVISION which was en-
gagged with twelve boats, who were
attempting to board. But the Arm
strong was not to be boarded easily
her chain plates were let into the
sides of the bulwarks and made flush
with the plank SO that no one could
get UP the side. The only chance of
boarding was on the bowsprit; but
ithis point was we'll guarded by the
small arm men and boarders. Sew
were filled with men, but poor fel-
lows, they were soon picked off. There
: were but two men ever. got on the
: deck--one of them ran the gauntlet
to the stern and jumped overheard
, the other was found after the actor
,, sitting on the side of Long Tom. He
said he was a mariner belonging tt
the Rota frigate, and was badly hurt
He was taken aft by the doctor; but
= poor fellow, he died in a few min
!, ltes.
e The boats under the bow Tough
!. bravely; the officers cheering them
); calling out for them to board-"Boart
i is the d!''-boat alongside of boat
); one tumbling over the other, dead ant
+, wounded mixed together in awful con
= fusion! Not able to board, and thei
= shots taking effect only in the foretop
Il T. or in the side, unless thru the gun o
=, sweep ports, they fought with despera
. ton. And thus perished between tw
n and three hundred brave men-som
h who had fought in the memorabl
a battle Of Trafalgar with the gallan
" Nelson. These men were not volun
- teers, but picked men-'Go you must!
# They lay alongside until they wer
Ill \ ~
n were taken literally loaded with dea
n and wounded-the other eight &C
from under our bows and pulled alon
IF shore out of the range Of our Ion
d guns-most of them pulling ten oar!
n went away pulling three.
J. In the height of the conflict Mr.. Wi
J. liams, second lieutenant, called out
a repel boarders on the larboard bov
" When the boarders arrived at this poir
ot Lieutenant Williams was shot thru tn
" head by q Lieutenant Rogers Of tn
or Plantagenet, who was standing on tn
Of sill of one of the bow ports. He we
IN soon seen falling back into the boa
ly q corpse.
1; Alexander Owen Williams was
Of young man "a years of age, belong
q. ing to New London, Conn, ma
pt much beloved by all the crew. An O.
lie fcer and one man jumped into tt
ld boat, so great was their desire to r,
d. venge the death Of Williams. In juml
u ing into the boat the officer lost h
III sword. At this time there was a gre;
ST part of the boats crew alive and n,
wounded. In this situation he w;
er placed at the mercy of the enemy ar
of exposeds to the fire of his own mel
re the moon shining bright, he saw tt
ke sword of the dead officer lying in tt
u stern sheets, bright and sharp. Th
ne he soon employed cutting right ar
on left, and in a few minutes he was see
en- cutting the lazy painter which w;
as made fast to the bobstay, and drC
ne her alongside loaded with dead al
tn wounded. This officer was wounde
m in the wrist by a pistol shot from
ss, dying man. The man who accomp,
or MED him was wounded by a musk
ed ball thru the arm by our own marine
1re to After the boats had gone-thoi
ns rs that could get off--there was a deatl
Ne like stiffness for ten minutes, not
:. word was spoken. This silence cal
-, not be accounted for unless that evel
ile man was struck with the awful Sc
70 emnity of the scene. The people
ne shore were as mute as those on boar
ss AT length Mr. Dabney hailed, '"Wl
10 commands the General Armstrong
~. Our captain answered, Samuel
'lt Reid The consul communicated
lat to the bystanders, and for five minut
10 the hills resounded with cheers viii,
tie continued for hours.
et' The captured boats were hauled
m on the beach and the dead laid up,
DIS, the sands. The wounded We're TAX
elr with our own into the same buildil
on and their wounds all dressed ind1
he criminately, friend or foe. The boa