Two Yankee middies : a story of the first cruise of an American squadron in 1775

Front matter

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Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A Game of Hide and Seek * 7

II. A New Acquaintance 26

Chapter I. A Game Of Hide And Seek

It was the first day of December, 1775. Thick clouds covered the sky ; a sharp chill was in the air ; a heavy wind tossed the sea into foam ; a storm was close at hand, and the white flakes which now and then swept along before the stiff breeze suggested snow.

But this was not the only danger which threatened the little packet-boat bound from Machias to Salem. Early that afternoon, as she ran by the north end of Matinicus, she had fallen in with a British frigate which immediately gave chase.

Confident that his sloop could outsail the larger craft before the wind, Captain Lewis put

TWO YANKEE MIDDIES.

about and kept to the eastward until clear of the island, then, with the north wind at his heels, he took a course straight out to sea.

Before he had gone five miles, however, he discovered that he had underrated the sailing qualities of the frigate. Her large spread of canvas more than made up for her greater size and weight, and it was clear that she was slowly overhauling him. So he changed his course again, this time to the west, having in mind a plan which he now proceeded to make known to two lads who stood near him on the quarter-deck, and who were evidently his passengers.

“ I’ll tell ye, boys, what I’m up to. In ’bout three hours ’twill be dark an’ stormin’ like great guns. The two’ll come together, or my name ain’t Jerry Lewis. So I’m goin’ to keep that redcoat followin’ me round the isle ’til the night an’ the storm are here ; then I’ll slip away in the darkness an’ put the Polly into as snug a harbor as ye ever saw, where we can outride the gale, an’ ’scape the pryin’ eyes of the Britisher at the same time.” .

“ I guess you are going to make for Monhegan, Captain,” the older of the two lads replied with a laugh.

“ Sure ! Ever ben thar ? ” asked the skipper with evident interest.

“ No, sir ; that is, not into the harbor,” the youth answered. “ But, when Sam and I were on the Liberty we heard Captain O’Brien speak of a safe haven there, especially from all northerly winds. But can you make it in the darkness ? ”

“ I can if we have snow enough to whiten the islands ’fore we get thar,” the officer asserted. “ Ye see the dark streak ’tween the two lighter ones will be the passage, an’ in we’ll go slicker than grease.”

The sloop was now beyond the south end of Matinicus, and Captain Lewis himself took the helm, while he sent his mate forward to help the two seamen, who constituted the crew of the vessel, to trim the sails for a beat up the west shore of the island. The wind had steadily freshened ; the cold had become more intense ; and the snowflakes, changed by the lower temperature into bits of ice, came oftener

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and with a stinging force. It was clear the undertaking would be a difficult and a disagreeable one.

Under reefed jib and mainsail the stanch vessel dove into the huge waves, her plucky captain running, in his tacks, as close into the wind as he could, and yet make headway. This maneuver enabled him to gain on the frigate, which was compelled not onty to take in much of her canvas, but to keep several points farther off the wind. When, therefore, the north end of the isle was again reached, the sloop was at least a mile ahead of the chasing craft.

“AVe gained on that stretch, lads, an’ p’rhaps the Britisher ’ll give up the chase,” Captain Lewis remarked as he surrendered the helm to his mate for the second run to the eastward.

But he was mistaken. With dogged persistency the frigate came on, and when a half-hour later the south course was taken, she threw out all the canvas she could carry in the heavy breeze, as though she remembered the vantage she had on her previous run before the wind, and was determined to overhaul her prey before she

Under reefed jib and mainsail the stanch vessel dove into the huge waves — but with dogged

persistency the frigate came on. Page 10. Two Yankee Middies.

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. H

could make the westward turn at the lower end of the island.

But so skilfully did the Yankee skipper handle his little craft, there was no perceptible change in the distance between the vessels when the south end of Matinicus was reached, and the turn about it made. The beat to the northward was but a repetition of that which had taken place earlier in the afternoon, except the increasing wind rendered it more difficult. When it was finished, however, the sloop had gained an additional half-mile on her pursuer ; and here the night and the storm, for which Captain Lewis was waiting, came.

Instead of running across the east end of the isle again, therefore, he kept on towards the main coast as though his object was to find a harbor from the storm somewhere in Penobscot bay. But when the darkness had shut the frigate wholly from view, he once more put about, and took a southwest course for Monhegan, twenty miles away.

With the wind abeam, for it had now shifted into the northeast, and with blinding sheets of

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snow chasing her up and sweeping along her deck, the Polly sped on through the tossing sea. Her commander held her tiller until satisfied his last move had been unnoticed by the enemy, then putting her into the care of his mate with orders to keep her on her present course for an hour and then to call him, he turned to his passengers, who, notwithstanding the severity of the storm, were still on deck, saying :

u We’ll go below now, lads, and see if Atus can’t find us somethin’ to eat.”

They were soon in the warm cabin, where they found the negro cook already busy preparing supper.

“ You are ’bout right, Atus,” the officer replied, rubbing his hands together in satisfaction ; “ an’ give us two hours more an’ we’ll be well sheltered from the gale. My little scheme is workin’ out ’bout as I thought it would.”

In another five minutes he and his young companions had removed their greatcoats and were partaking with keen appetites of the hot viands the negro placed before them. While they were eating the Captain remarked :

“I don’t s’pose yon youngsters liked the idee of runnin’ ’way from the redcoat ? Ye’d rather have lit him. That’s your style.”

“ I don’t see what else we could do,” the lad who had been been called Sam by his comrade replied, as soon as he swallowed the food he was masticating. “ There are only seven of us, counting Tom and myself, while there are probably two hundred or more on the Britisher.”

u And we have but two muskets,” put in the other youth, glancing up at the flint-locks fastened to the rear wall of the cabin ; u not much show against their twenty-four cannon, to say nothing about scores and scores of small arms. No, as Sam says, Captain, it was the only thing to do. But I wish we knew the name of the frigate.”

“ Why ? ” questioned his comrade in some surprise.

“ So we would recognize her if we ever ran in with her again,” Tom responded. “The time might come when we could chase her.”

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“Prob’bly she’s one of the fleet which destroyed Falmouth last October,” * Captain Lewis suggested. “ Some of those craft have been cruisin’ ’long the coast ever since.”

“But why should she want to capture the Polly ? ” the lad persisted. u It looks to me as though we were pretty small game for so large a vessel.”

“ P’rhaps the Capt’n knows that you an’ Sam are on board, an’ wants to keep ye from jinin’ the Continental Navy,” chuckled the stalwart skipper, with a wink at Atus, who immediately grinned from ear to ear.

The boys smiled, and Sam said :

“More likely he knows the Polly is commanded by Captain Jeremiah Lewis, who helped to capture the Mcirgaretta last June,f and wants to pay up old scores.”

* On October, 17th, 1775, the town of Falmouth, now Portland, Me., was destroyed by a British fleet under Captain Mowatt.

f The British sloop Margaretta was captured on Monday, June 12th, 1775, in Machias bay by the sloop Unity manned by Capt. Jeremiah Lewis and about forty citizens of Machias. It was the first naval victory of the Revolution.

“How modest some folks be to leave out Tom Foster and Sam Lyman ! ” retorted the officer in mock admiration ; then he continued seriously :

“ Never mind, lads, what the motive of the redcoat was in chasin’ us. ’Twas a good deed that was done that day, if I do say it, an’ it won ye your commissions as midshipmen. I’m hopin’ after ye jine yer vessel at Philadelfy, ’twill be as Tom wishes ; that ye’ll run in with this here same blasted frigate, an’ capture her. ”

“For that reason I’d like to know her name,” Master Foster declared again, not knowing how soon his desire was to be granted.

When Captain Lewis got ready to return to the deck the boys offered to accompany him, saying :

“We’ll take the places of the men, and then they can come down with the mate for their supper.”

“I wouldn’t accept that offer from every passenger,” the skipper replied, “ but I’d as lief have you forward as the men, an’ I guess they’ll be glad ’nough to get somethin’ hot to eat an’ drink. So tumble into your wraps an’ come on.”

The lads obeyed, and were soon picking their way down the heaving deck of the Polly to her bow. She was still under reefed sail, yet tore along like a race-horse, as though trying to outrun the flurries of snow which were chasing her up. Mast, sail, jib, gunwales, deck, were already covered with a white blanket several inches thick. The clouds above, the whirling flakes below, shut off what little light the stars might have given, and a darkness as heavy as a pall shrouded the sloop and sea.

Huddled close together, under such shelter as the reefed jib gave, the two lads kept their eyes and ears open for any sight or sound which should indicate they were approaching Monhegan. Only their confidence in the man who held the helm, and whom they knew was as familiar with every part of the coast as they were with the streets of Machias, freed them from apprehension. As it was, Sam, during a brief lull of the wind said to his comrade :

u You don’t suppose we’ll miss the island, and ”

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. ft

“ Run straight on to Portsmouth befoK morning,” broke in Tom with a little laugh. Then he went on with his answer :

“ I should, were any one else but Captain Lewis in command ; but, as you know, he has time and time again taken the sloop through gales that have sunk many a larger ship. No, I expect in a half-hour to hear the breakers thundering on the east cliffs of the island. Unless I’m mistaken we are running for them as straight as an arrow towards its mark. The Captain is going to put the Polly into her haven to-night more by sound than sight.”

His surmise proved to be a correct one. In about the time he had specified his quick ear heard a low, dull booming ahead, and he went aft to report it.

“ Breakers ahead,” he announced as he reached the Captain.

“ Where away ? ” questioned the skipper.

w A little to the north of the starboard bow,” was the answer.

44 Good ! ” Captain Lewis ejaculated ; 44 it’s as

I expected. Go back an’ wait till ye hear a low 2 moan followin’ the louder sounds, then report again.”

In fifteen minutes the lad was back, declaring :

“ I hear the moan after each louder peal.”

Instantly the stalwart skipper put the bow of the vessel to the south, then he said :

“ Let me know when the moaning has stopped, an 7 ye hear only the sound of the breakers on the cliffs off the starboard quarter.”

In a few minutes Sam came back with the announcement that they had reached such a place.

Captain Lewis without a word took a course due west, while the lad, uncertain as to what might now be expected of him, waited where he was. Shortly the wind lessened quite perceptibly in its force, the waves decreased in size, and even the snow flurries lifted greatly, and seemed to be sweeping along overhead.

“ We are behind the island,” the Captain declared confidently ; u go an’ call the mate an’ men. I shall need them now. When they

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK.

come on deck, Tom an’ you may go, an’ I thank ye for the good work ye have done.”

Sam obeyed the command, and then joined his comrade forward, where they, though off duty, remained to watch the bringing of the Polly into her harbor.

Captain Lewis set about the task in a way which suggested he had already formed his plan for carrying it out notwithstanding the wind and storm and darkness. Putting the helm into the hands of the mate, and stationing one of the sailors near the cabin, and the other in front of the mast, he himself went forward to the bowsprit. There he dropped down upon his hands and knees, and with his chin on the railing, peered off into the surrounding gloom.

“ Port ! Starboard ! Straight ahead ! ” he called out from time to time, and his commands were taken up by the nearest man and repeated to the one behind him, and so passed along to the mate, who promptly put the sloop in the direction named.

Slowly the little craft forged ahead, and with every minute the sea grew less boisterous, and

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the wind less rude. Once or twice the watching boys bent down and tried to look through the dark mantle that enveloped them, but they could not distinguish between the land and water. Yet the grizzly Captain never once hesitated in his orders, or in any way seemed perplexed about his course. Steadily came his commands, until the furled jib and sail swung idly in their places, so slight was the breeze that beat upon them. Then with the stentorian call:

“ Forward, men ! Let go the anchor ! ” the crouching officer sprang to his feet, and with his own hands assisted the sailors in loosening the cable and dropping the iron overboard.

“ Here we are, lads,” he said to his passengers a moment later, “ safe from the wind and sea, an’ hid away from the Britisher. The snow may cover us, but it can’t sink us. We may as well go below an’ turn in,” and with a final order to his men to make everything snug for the night, he led the way down into the cabin.

Quickly removing their outer garments, and

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hanging them near the fire to dry, the boys tumbled into their berths, and were soon asleep.

It was light when Tom awoke. Glancing about him he saw Atus was already astir getting breakfast ; and, by the sounds which reached his ears from the deck, he concluded that the Captain and his crew were up there clearing it of its covering of snow. Leaping from his bunk, therefore, he crossed over to the one occupied by his comrade, and shook him.

“ Wake up, Sam ! ” he called. “ Let us go up and help Captain Lewis and his men dig out the sloop.”

“All right,” Sam answered good-naturedly; and in a few moments they were ready to leave the cabin.

As they reached the deck the first thing they noticed was that the storm was already over, the sky was clearing, and apparently a good day, though keen and cold, was before them. Then they noted the shape and size of the little haven in which the Polly had taken refuge. Staring about him Sam exclaimed :

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“ Why, there are two islands here, instead of one!”

“ Yes, and this bay is no bay at all, but a strait between them,” Tom responded.

u That’s ’bout it, lads,” Captain Lewis declared, approaching his passengers at this moment, and greeting them with a hearty good morning. “The main island is here on our right, while that other on the port side is but a huge heap of rocks, as ye’d see if it wasn’t covered with snow. Then just ahead of us is the narrow channel which cuts it off from the bigger one. No one would ’spect it, though, who hasn’t been in here, for down thar at its entrance the passage seems to be only a small bay.”

“ I wonder if there’s water enough for the sloop to go out that way,” Tom remarked, and nodding his head towards the narrow strait in front of them.

“ I should try it, if I had to,” the Captain replied, “ though I should want a flood-tide under the Polly's keel. A bigger craft wouldn’t stand much chance.”

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“ And it will be flood-tide in an hour,” the lad continued.

“Yes,” the skipper admitted; “but what of that ? ”

u Oh ! I was only thinking if the frigate discovered our hiding-place we could escape that way,” the boy answered.

“ So we could,” the officer responded, “ but it isn’t likely we shall need to. Arter breakfast I’m goin’ to climb up to the top of those rocks an’ take an observation. If the frigate isn’t round, an’ I don’t believe she is, we’ll go out as we came in, an’ scud ’way towards Salem at the Polly's best gait.”

“ Let us help you clear away the snow, Captain,” Sam now said, remembering why Tom and he had come on deck.

“It’s ’bout done,” Captain Lewis replied, “Thar wasn’t as much of it as I calkilated on. Couldn’t have snowed much arter midnight. You can help break out the riggin’, though, if ye want to.”

“ Aye, aye, sir,” the boys responded, and hastening to assist the men in this work.

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In a half-hour both ropes and sails had been freed from their coating of snow and ice, and were in good working order. The deck and railing had previously been cleared of their white mantle, so the sloop now bore little trace of the storm through which she had passed.

u I guess we’ll call it quits,” the Captain remarked, as Atus poked his woolly head out of the cabin door, and bawled : “ Breakfast ! ”

Then he added :

u Seein’ how everythin’ is so snug-like, we may as well all go down an’ eat together. I reckon this keen air has made ye all hungry.”

No one needed a second invitation, and shortly they were seated at the cabin table doing full justice to the meal the negro had prepared.

Ten minutes passed, then so suddenly as to cause every inmate of the cabin to leap to his feet in alarm, there came the boom of a cannon close at hand, followed by a whirring, whizzing shriek above the deck of the sloop, and an immediate crash among the trees on the adjacent shore.

Pushing and crowding one another up the

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companionway both men and boys reached the deck to find the British frigate hove to off the tiny harbor, and preparing to send in a yawl to capture them.

Chapter II. A New Acquaintance

The sight of the British vessel in such close proximity filled every observer but the stalwart Captain with alarm. He merely ejaculated :

“ So she’s found us arter all,” and then proceeded to fill and light his pipe as coolly as though to have an English frigate following him up was the most commonplace thing in the world.

“ Haven’t we time to slip away through the north passage, Captain Lewis ? ” Tom asked, greatly perplexed by the skipper’s unconcern.

“ Lots of it,” the officer admitted, and watching steadily every movement of the enemy. “ But the longer we wait, the better ’twill be for us.”

“ How do you make that out ? ” questioned

Sam in surprise, while the mate and two sailors 56

A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.

looked at their commander as though they doubted his sanity.

The yawl, loaded with marines, was already leaving the side of the man-of-war, and nodding towards it, Captain Lewis said :

“ The nearer that boat gets to us ’fore we give ’em the slip, the longer it’ll take for it to go back to the frigate, an’ she’s got to wait till it returns ’fore she can chase us up. She dassent come up through here, an’ by the time she picks up the yawl, an’ goes out ’round the west isle, we shall be purty nigh half-way over to Pemaquid Point.”

Here he waited a minute for his hearers to take in the full force of his declaration ; then he went on :

“ Our sails are already up, dry in’ in the sun as we left ’em when we went down to breakfast. ’T won’t take a half -minute to cut our cable, which I’m goin’ to do, an’ pick up the anchor on my voyage back to Machias. So ye see it’s ’bout as I say, we’ve lots of time to get through the passage.”

As though to give additional weight to his words he now sat down on the stern rail, and puffed away at his pipe with a nonchalance which was clearly assumed, for a keen observer would have noticed that he was taking in the direction of the wind, the condition of the tide, the distance through the narrow channel, and the progress the on-coming boat was making.

Five minutes passed. The yawl was now not over a musket-shot away. Suddenly Captain Lewis became transformed into a man of action. Leaping quickly from the rail he knocked the ashes from his pipe, and put it into his pocket. Then his commands rang out in low, but decisive tones :

“ Send a man forward to cut the cable, Mr. Brown. Then stand ready to tauten the sails,” and he walked briskly over to the tiller, grasping it with a firm hand.

So speedily were his orders obeyed, it seemed but an instant before the little sloop was gliding across to the west side of the harbor, at this point not over fifty yards wide. Once close under the shore of the rocky islet, the sturdy helmsman brought her about, and with the sails

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fairly well filled by the morning breeze, darted straight into the narrow channel separating the two islands.

This movement seemed to puzzle the occupants of the approaching yawl, for the rowers, at the command of their officer, rested for a moment on their oars, while all gazed curiously at the Polly . Then, apparently coming to the conclusion that the Yankees were going to beach their craft, and take to the woods, the pursuers gave a great yell, and came on again with a tremendous spurt, hoping to overtake them before they could carry out their purpose.

Not until they were at the beginning of the narrow passage, and the escaping sloop was well out upon the ocean itself, did they discover how they had been outwitted. Then, sending a volley of musket balls after the fleeing vessel — a volley that fell wide of its mark — they whirled about and dashed back towards the waiting frigate. They must have made good time on their return, and the man-of-war a quick passage about the southwest end of Monhegan, for the Polly was not over two miles ahead when she was again sighted, but she still held this vantage when two hours later she rounded Pemaquid Point, and headed into John’s Bay.

That Captain Lewis still had a definite plan of procedure in his mind was clearly indicated the moment the rocky point shut the frigate from his view. Concealed by the high cliffs he took a course across the broad bay to its opposite shore, and, running between the outlying reefs and Heron Island, entered the mouth of the Damariscotta River. Here he put the helm into the hands of the mate, and went over to where his two passengers were standing in the lee of the cabin.

“ So far, so good, lads,” he commented, “ an’ the frigate hasn’t caught us yet. Maybe we could keep out of her reach by dodgin’ ’mong these islands. But I have another plan to throw her off our track, if ye’ll give me your help.”

“ You may count on us to assist you in any way we can,” they responded together.

“Well, ye may not know it, but this point

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on our left that seems to be a part of the main shore is really an island. Some miles up the river thar is a narrow passage back into John’s Bay. So runnin’ up the river I can get out either way, this side or t’other side of Thumb Cap Point. My scheme is to go up the river with the Polly where the frigate can’t follow her, an’ there I’ll stay till nightfall. Then, findin’ out which passage the Britisher is guardin’, I’ll slip out by the other, an’ ’fore mornin’ be well down toward Salem.”

“ Yes, but how are you going to know which passage the frigate is guarding ? ” Tom asked.

“That’s where I want your an’ Sam’s help,” explained the officer. “ I want you two lads to take our skiff, an’ go ashore on Rutherford’s Island an’ keep watch over the frigate. ’Pore night you’ll know whether she has given up the chase, or is still hangin’ round here. If hereabouts you can locate her, an’ then come up the river arter us with your information. You’ll find us in the second cove ’bove here on your right. I’ll have a light put over the side of the sloop so ye can’t miss us. What say ye ? ”

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“ We are ready,” was the prompt response.

It took but a few minutes to provision the small boat for the day’s sojourn on the adjacent point, and then the boys rowed themselves into the small cove opposite which the Polly now was, while she kept on up the river.

Landing on a pebbly beach, surrounded by a heavy pine forest, the first act of the lads was to conceal their boat ; then they clambered up the hill, and crossed over to the east shore of the narrow point. On a rocky bluff, jutting well out into John’s Bay, they decided to take their first observation, and were scarcely in a position to overlook the sea, when they experienced two surprises.

The first was to find the British vessel close in shore. Evidently she had, on turning Pemaquid Point, started up the inlet into which she believed her prey had gone. Then becoming convinced of the second ruse played upon her by the fleeing craft, she had crossed over to the west shore in pursuit of her. Punning too close to the cliffs, however, she had lost the wind, and was now getting out a boat to tow her out #

A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.

where the northwest breeze rippled the surface of the water. Her nearness to them permitted the watchers to read her name.

“ The Glasgow ,” Tom announced. “ Grood ! we shall know her when we meet her again.”

But Sam had made a more surprising discovery.

“ Look ! ” he exclaimed in a suppressed whisper, and clutching his comrade’s arm. “ If there isn’t the old Tory, Ichabod Jones* standing on the quarter-deck with her captain.”

“ Sure enough ! ” Tom ejaculated in a low voice. Then he continued : “ That explains the persistency of the frigate in following us up. Master Jones wants to get his vessel again.”

“ Yes, and it also explains how we came to be found at Monhegan, and why we are so quickly followed over here,” added Sam. “ Master Jones knows these waters as well as Captain Lewis.”

“ And for that reason the Captain’s plan for throwing off the frigate to-night may not work,”

* He belonged in Machias, and his two sloops, the Unity send the Polly, had been confiscated by the town committee because of his Toryism.

Tom commented. u But all we can do is to watch and wait.”

While the lads were talking, the work of lowering the yawl had been completed, and a stout cable stretched between the crafts. Now under the sturdy pull of the oarsmen the man-of-war began to forge ahead. Her course carried her near a rocky islet, a few rods off from the main shore. As she came abreast of this there was the sudden report of a musket, and a bullet cut the towing rope close to the frigate’s bow as neatly as if it had been severed with a knife, while a light puff of smoke from the center of the adjacent heap of rocks told the location of the perpetrator of the deed.