The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-06-07

equaled Sugar coated ard easy to take
Is candy. One to three dose.
knew how to handle such craft, and
asked me If | could furnish him with a
couple of men who were familiar with
that kind of a craft. | told him that
thought | could: that We had on board
the ship two cOntrdbandS or coloIed
men Who had ran away from their
masters and had come to Us and asked
us to take them on board the ship. vt
that time it was not lawful to enlist
slaves in the service: but as these two
We're smart. active fellows We had kept
them on board to take the place of
men whose terms OF service had eX-
pired. giving them food and clothing,
which was all they asked for, and ILL
deed all they had even got.
When | returned on board ship |
made capt. Lyons request known to
Captain SaltonstaiI and suggested that
he send the two colOIed men to take
the position on the ScoW as Capt. Lyons
lad requested. He Informed ME that
iuasmuch as they We're not part OF
the ship screw he could not order them
to go But if they would volunteer |
could put them on board the scoW.
They both gladly volunteered to go, so
| set them on board to await the orders
of Captain Lyons, if he should be
driven in. but IN the event of his
holding his own against the enemy a
boat should be sent tor them from the
ship at daylight. You remember that
in my last | stated that Capt. Lyons
was driven III by the enemy and took
refuge on board the scoW, where the
party defended themselves CALAMITY
with the - FOUNDER hOWitZer they had
on board as long as their ammunition
lasted. But when that was expended
they were at the mercy OF the enemy
and their only means of safety was to
get the scOW away from the banks of
the river into the stream and under
the protection Of our guns. But when
they undertook to get the scoW away
from Aer mooriugs they found dltf-
Guilty that they We're wholly unable to
overcome until this noble colored man,
Joe Barnes. came to the rescue. W hen
late in the afternoon, the ScOW came
alongside IN charge of Masters Mate
Wilkinson If the Commodore Han,
with its dead and wounded. We noted
the absence Of this man. Joe Barnes,
AID Captain Lyons with streamlng
eyes told the following story:
"When we found THAT our ammunl-
ton WAS expended and we could ng!it
no longer and the Rebel shots We're
making sad havoc among us, We made
an effort to get away; but to cur cor
stenatlon found that we were unable
TO get the scOW clear OF her moorlngS.
The inboard of the painter was d cham
and was securely bolttd TO the bow of
the scoW. This chain was about four
feet long. 4 chain Was used instead of
a rope on account Of the rope Chaing
off III short time. Into the cupboard
end of the Chain was spliced rope for
the purpose of making the scow or
lighter fast TO the shore, and this rope
was made fast to tree on the river
bank. There was no way of getting
the scow adrift except 10y cutting or
casting off that rope. The enemy had
approached nearer to US after We had
ceased firing and were Staying us at a
fearful rate, though we were protect
ing ourselves as best we could behind
the walls of the scoW. In my despair
| called out, some one must cut that
rope, and the man that does it dies!
To my shame l confess that / had not
the courage to do it. Then up rose
this colored man saying: Ii some one
must die, it may as well be me" Seiz-
ing an axe he sprang on shore and with
one blow severed the rope, thus setting
the scow free, and instantly fell dead,
pierced by Rebel bullets
Such was the story told us by Capt.
Lyons. Their escape and rescue by a
boat from our ship was told in my last.
At the close of the siege, on landing at
Rodman's Point, we found the poor
negro lying where he fell, and paper
tackled up on tree containing these
words:
"Yanks, we leave you two bursted
guns and a dead Niger who fell in an
atfray lighting for his equals
The thought has occurred to me, how
many were his equals III making sacri-
fees for others As Slave, he had
spent his life for Others and as freed
man he had given his lite in order that
others might live TO my mind he had
no equal except the Christ, and even
he did not go voluntarily to the cruel