Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-11-15

At last all were called. Then the
bos'n's mate began to walk away, the
men following him.
"'Oh!' l said, is that ALP
"Thats all, my lad said the mas
ter-at-arms.
81 tailed on to the line and walked
I'D with the others. That's where /
considered myself just a leetle smart
er than the rest of 'em. The men
we're marched up to the mast, where
the cap'n and tho first lieutenant
stood.
"'My men, said the cap'n., I'm 60
ing ashore on a rather dangerous ex-
pedition tonight. Do you want to
go?
"'Aye. aye, SIR said every man,
and / among them.
"'Who told you to come, young
sterT said the bos'n's mate to me.
Don't send me back said l. III
you won't, I'll give you all my to-
bacco for months to come
"'You can't bribe me- said the
bos'n's mate. You haven't got your
eyes open yet. Go back to your quar-
ters'
"'What is that, bos'n's mate? said
the old man.
"I'm only telling him that he isn't
needed, SIR said he. We have all
that you called for. I've chosen the
biggest and oldest and those who
have had the most experience
May speak to the capn?' said l.
"'No: get back to YOUR
"'What is it, my lad?' asked the
cap'n.
81 just gave one glance at the
| bos'n's mate. Now. wasn't that like
him-our cap'n, l mean? / can see
him now, hardly more than a lad,
looking at me as if he was so.
LET me go! Oh, do please, sir, let
me. Oh, do! oh, do! oh, sir, please,
cap'n, s:r!'
"The cap'n laughed. The spirit OF
the ship!' he said
"If it was the spirit of the ship, 1
knew who put it there.
"'Have we room for one more,
bos'n?' asked the cap'n, turning to
where the bos'n was ordering the
boats lowered.
"'Yes, SIR said the bos'n, If he'll
stow himself in the bows
Very well, then, my man. said
the cap'n.
while the boats were being low
cred l ran below just to tell my guns
crew and crow over the rest of 'em,
and was on deck again quicker than
you could say Jack Robinson.
I'VE got over the side and slowed
ourselves away. There were two
boats, three officers and 20 men, and
perhaps because was so young the
cap'n ordered me to get into his
boat. We none of us knew what the
old man was up to, but we had heard
the word Smithville, and we knew
that Gen. Herbert's headquarters were
there, and the report said that there
was about thousand men under
arms in the barracks. We didn't
right understand it, but we knew it
was all right if Cap'n Cushing said
it was.
81 can tell you we were as quiet as
mice as we passed the forts at the
mouth of the river and rowed quiet
ly up to the town. AS we passed the
forts a steamer was coming down the
river. Her lights were extinguished,
but we heard her paddle wheels and
the throb of her engines, and pres
emily the black mass loomed up just
ahead of us. l felt the boat give a
sudden lurch, as the cap'n ported his
helm to get out of the way of the
great thing which would have run
us down as easily as 1 could crush
a fly. When we had steered clear of
her l heard the old man say: That
was the Scotia. I meant to try her
first If she had been at the wharf,
but 1t would have been foolhardy
while she was under way, and per-
haps would have separated us from
the other boat. / should like very
much to call upon the captain of the
Scotia. I shall try it, think, when
she returns
1.-THE Scotia was blockade run
ner which we had often hoped to
catch and burn. And now that she
was out of the way, wondered what
plan our commanding officer had in
his head. AS we pulled ashore / saw
big building looming up, which
some one said was the hotel. There
were one or two lights in it, and ]
wondered If 1t was full of confederate
officers and soldiers, and IL our cap.
tain expected to capture 'em with two
officers and 20 men, all told.
1--WE got out of the boats, and the
cap'n ordered the men to hide them,
selves under the bank. Some of us
he ordered to come with him, and you
may be sure l didn't stay behind. II
there was going to be fun, was go
ing in for it. The first thing we did
was to capture some negroes who
were at the salt works.
81 heard the cap'n ask: Where is
| - lal. ~