Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-07-03
A Story of the Last
War With England
BY T. TOWNSEND SMITH

port, and some we let go, they not be
ing of mucn value. We were sailing
In longitude west from Greenwich 81
degrees and 40 minutes, latitude 80 de-
grees IS minutes, when in the drec-
ton of the Bermudas, to the windward
of us, appeared on the horizon sail.
She had good breeze, while we were
nearly becalmed. She made straight
for us and came up with us, breaking
the British flag. She was altogether
too strong for us, and after a short
fight we surrendered
l was put down between decks with
the others. who, being tired with sew
eral days constant activity ending
with fight. were all very soon asleep
Somehow / couldn't sleep and sat
watching our guards. who were as
tagged as we. One by one they drop
ped asleep. There wasn't much use of
their keeping awake, for we couldn't
run away, and it would have been mad
ness for us to attempt to capture the
ship.
But when | saw the last man doing
on coil of rope with his cutlass across
his lap / concluded to take a walk
j didn't expect to get very far, but l
found that all hands, having been on
duty for several days without sleep
had succumbed, and didn't see a per-
son awake. Forward | found the bod
iac of covaral non Tho hod boon killad
during the fight, laid out for burial
that is, saw the sacks in which they
were incIosed. The idea occurred to
me that If we were near enough to
land to swim ashore | might escape by
taking a body out of one of the sacks,
board. | knew we were headed for
the Bermudas and / might somehow
get to land.
/ would need a knife, but had none,
and while was making up my mind
to take the risk | thought would look
sleeping like log had one in his belt,
and, though | risked his killing me IL
he awakened while relieving him of it,
took the chance and succeeded.
don't believe he would have opened his
eyes if had kicked him
Having the knife gave me nerve, and
/ resolved to make Il break for liberty
The great difficulty was getting a body
out of a sack and tossing it overheard.
There was an advantage for me in that
the sailors, not relishing sleeping near
the'dead men, gave them a wide berth.
1 was some time at the job, but finally
I had bag ready and crawled in. l
couldn't lace the opening from the in
side and wondered what this might
lead to.
/ lay perfectly still till morning, when
/ fancied by sounds near me and words
that were spoken that the burial was
about to take place. l heard a man
say, Here's sack not closed" and
felt him closing it. Then he tied
cord about my ankles, and after that
chaplain read the burial service.
That ended, heard something slide on
a board, and presently | was taken up
and was sliding rapidly, plunging feet
foremost into cold water
1t seemed that | had gone down a
hundred yards before | succeeded in
cutting open the bag and two hundred
more before / cut the rope that bound
my ankles to the sinking shot When
free ! commenced to rise, slowly at
first, but soon quite rapidly Ny breath
was gone when | reached the surface,
but / knew that if | sank again
would take in water, so | exerted my
self and got few breaths. l didn't
sink again and pretty soon was able
to look about me.
There was the ship not fifty yards
from me and another body just shoot
ing over the side. Fortunately | was
astern, and those engaged at the bur
ial work did not see me. swan for
the rudder and as there was but little
breeze succeeded in reaching it and
hanging on to the chains.
There wasn't much sea on or IL
would soon have been washed from
my hold. | had had nothing to eat
since the morning before and hadn't
Ah0\A CllSLh DuL dQl IHG
ing the cook threw some refuse from
the galley, and l was enabled to gath
er some pieces of bread and a few bits
of meat. That helped me considerably
About noon ! saw land on the port
quarter and knew we were approach
ing the Bermudas Would | be able to
leave the rudder and appear as some
one else than a Yankee tar? All ii
could do was to wait for an opportuni
ty. Once or twice we approached sc
near the land that / was tempted tC
let go and swim for it, but feared
would be seen from the ship
Then we ran into the harbor, and o
man fishing in small boat was for
few minutes within a hundred feet OF
me. Before he saw me | dived and
came up directly before him. He was
too astonished to say anything for 6
few moments. then helped me into his
boat