The Old Bell of Independence Or Philadelphia in 1776 Part 11

Jackson Harmar, agreeing with Smith in the remarks which he had just made. "I suppose, if Was.h.i.+ngton had been completely successful at Germantown, the British would have been driven from Philadelphia," said Higgins.

"Ay; and from the vicinity of Philadelphia," replied Smith. "They could not have recovered from such a defeat."

[Ill.u.s.tration: BATTLE OF THE KEGS.]

BATTLE OF THE KEGS.

"Father," said Mr. Jackson Harmar, "I have a song in my portfolio, written by Francis Hopkinson while the British were in Philadelphia; perhaps you can tell us something about the event which is the subject of it. Here it is. It is called 'The Battle of the Kegs.'"

"The Battle of the Kegs! That I can, my boy. But read the song," replied old Harmar. His son then read the following facetious ditty:

"Gallants, attend, and hear a friend Trill forth harmonious ditty: Strange things I'll tell, which late befell In Philadelphia city.

Twas early day, as poets say, Just when the sun was rising, A soldier stood on log of wood, And saw a sight surprising.

As, in amaze, he stood to gaze,-- The truth can't be denied, sirs,-- He spied a score--of kegs, or more, Come floating down the tide, sirs.

A sailor, too, in jerkin blue, The strange appearance viewing, First d.a.m.n'd his eyes, in great surprise, Then said, 'Some mischief's brewing.

These kegs now hold the rebels bold, Pack'd up like pickled herrings And they're come down to attack the town, In this new way of ferrying.'

The soldier flew, the sailor, too, And, scared almost to death, sirs, Wore out their shoes to spread the news, And ran till out of breath, sirs.

Now up and down, throughout the town, Most frantic scenes were acted; And some ran here, and some ran there, Like men almost distracted.

Some fire cried, which some denied, But said the earth had quaked; And girls and boys, with hideous noise, Ran through the town half-naked.

Sir William he, snug as a flea, Lay all this time a snoring, Nor dream'd of harm, as he lay warm, While all without was roaring.

Now, in affright, he starts upright, Awaked by such a clatter: He rubs both eyes, and boldly cries, 'For G.o.d's sake, what's the matter?'

At his bedside he then espied Sir Erskine at command, sirs; Upon one foot he had one boot, And t'other in his hand, sirs.

'Arise! arise!' Sir Erskine cries: 'The rebels--more's the pity-- Without a boat, are all afloat, And ranged before the city.

'The motley crew, in vessels new, With Satan for their guide, sir, Pack'd up in bags, or wooden kegs, Come driving down the tide, sir.

'Therefore prepare for b.l.o.o.d.y war!

These kegs must all be routed; Or surely we despised shall be, And British courage doubted.'

The royal band now ready stand, All ranged in dread array, sirs; With stomach stout, to see it out, And make a b.l.o.o.d.y day, sirs.

The cannons roar from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, The small arms make a rattle; Since wars began, I'm sure no man E'er saw so strange a battle.

The rebel vales, the rebel dales, With rebel trees surrounded, The distant woods, the hills and floods, With rebel echoes sounded.

The fish below swam to and fro, Attack'd from every quarter: Why, sure, thought they, the devil's to pay 'Mongst folks above the water.

The kegs, 'tis said, though strongly made, Of rebel staves and hoops, sirs, Could not oppose their powerful foes, The conquering British troops, sirs.

From morn to night, these men of might Display'd amazing courage; And when the sun was fairly down, Retired to sup their porridge.

A hundred men, with each a pen, Or more--upon my word, sirs, It is most true--would be too few Their valor to record, sirs.

Such feats did they perform that day Upon these wicked kegs, sirs, That years to come, if they get home, They'll make their boasts and brags, sirs."

"Ha! ha! that's a good thing. The enemy used to be so fond of the word 'rebel' that they would attach it to the most trifling things, when speaking of our people. Judge Hopkinson ridicules that in fine style,"

remarked old Harmar.

"It ought to be sung to the tune of the 'Hoosier's Ghost,'" said Wilson.

"Who is the Sir Erskine alluded to in the song?" inquired Mrs. Harmar.

"Sir William Erskine, one of Sir William Howe's officers," replied old Harmar. "This song created much merriment among the whigs at the time it was written, so that, however much the enemy were right, we had the laugh on our side."

"But what were the circ.u.mstances which gave rise to it?" inquired Mr.

Jackson Harmar, impatiently.

"I was about to tell you," replied his father. "A Mr. David Bushnell had invented several ingenious articles of submarine machinery, for the purpose of destroying the British vessels stationed in the Delaware.

Among these was the American torpedo, a machine shaped like a water tortoise, and managed by a single person. It contained sufficient air to support respiration thirty minutes without being replenished, valves to admit or reject water for the purpose of rising or sinking, ballast to keep it upright, and a seat for the operator. Above the rudder was a place for carrying a large powder magazine, constructed from two pieces of oak timber, and capable of carrying one hundred and fifty pounds of powder, with the apparatus for firing it. Within the magazine was an apparatus constructed to run any proposed length of time under twelve hours, after which it sprung a strong lock similar to that of a gun, which gave fire to the powder. This apparatus was so secured that it could be set in motion only by the casting off of the magazine from the vessel.

"With this machine a skilful operator could swim so low on the surface of the water, as to approach at night very near to a s.h.i.+p without being discovered. After sinking quickly, he could keep at any necessary depth, and row to a great distance in any direction, without coming to the surface. Bushnell found, however, that much trial and instruction were required for a man of common ingenuity to become a skilful manager. It was first tried by his brother, who, unfortunately, was taken ill at the time when he had become an able operator. Another person was procured, and the first experiment tried upon the Eagle, a sixty-four, which Lord Howe commanded in person. He went under the s.h.i.+p, and attempted to fix the wooden screw into her bottom, but struck, as was supposed, a bar of iron running from the rudder-hinge. Not being well skilled in the management of the machine, he lost the s.h.i.+p in attempting to move to another place; and, after seeking her in vain for some time, rowed a little distance and rose to the surface. Daylight had now advanced so that the attempt could not be renewed, and, fearing he was discovered, he detached the magazine from his vessel and escaped. In an hour the powder exploded, throwing a vast column of water to an amazing height, and leaving the enemy to conjecture whether it was caused by a bomb, a water-spout, or an earthquake. Want of resources obliged Mr. Bushnell to abandon his schemes for that time; but, in 1777, he made an attempt from a whale-boat against the Cerberus frigate, by drawing a machine against her side with a line. It accidentally became attached to a schooner and exploded, tearing the vessel in pieces. Three men were killed, and one dangerously wounded.

"In December, 1777, Mr. Bushnell contrived another ingenious expedient for accomplis.h.i.+ng his favorite object. He charged a number of kegs with powder, arranging them so as to explode on coming in contact with anything while floating along the tide. This squadron was launched at night on the Delaware river, above the English s.h.i.+pping; but, unfortunately, the proper distance could not be well ascertained, and they were set adrift too far from the vessels, so that they became obstructed and dispersed by the floating ice. On the following day, however, one of them blew up a boat, and others exploded, occasioning the greatest consternation among the British seamen. The troops were aroused, and, with the sailors, manned the wharves and s.h.i.+pping at Philadelphia, discharging their cannon and small-arms at everything they could see floating in the river during the ebb tide.

"The scene must have been a very ridiculous one, and we cannot wonder at Judge Hopkinson making such comic use of it. The British must have imagined that every keg was the visible part of a torpedo, intended for their destruction."

"We cannot wonder at their consternation, while in constant danger of being blown into the air," said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "Just place yourself in their position; and, knowing that several attempts had been made to blow up the s.h.i.+ps, how would you have acted?"

"I should have made quite as much noise, I suppose," replied old Harmar; "but then it was so laughable. I don't think the folks aboard of those s.h.i.+ps slept for a week after finding that there was powder in the kegs.

That, I believe, was Bushnell's last attempt to destroy the fleet."

"For my part," remarked Wilson, "I never liked such contrivances; and it is a very pregnant fact that in most cases they have failed, when, from the skill and science displayed in their construction, success was antic.i.p.ated. It's my opinion, G.o.d works against such things. As much as I hated the enemy, I could not sanction such wholesale murder--for murder it would have been, to have sent hundreds of men into eternity, without giving them an inch of fair fighting ground. I would not have minded blowing up the British government--that I could have done myself without any more sting of conscience than the hangman feels; but soldiers and seamen fight fairly and openly for their country's honor and rights, as they understand those things, and they should be met in the same manner."

"You're right, Mr. Wilson. Torpedoes, catamarans, and such inventions, might be employed by both parties in war, and with destructive effect.

But wars ought to be conducted in such a manner as to gain the desired end with as little loss of life as possible; besides, in the eyes of all really brave men, these things must seem cowardly," said Morton.

"You must permit me to differ with you, gentlemen," put in Mr. Jackson Harmar; and, in a very dignified, Congressional style, he delivered himself of the following defence of the innovations of modern warfare: "I view all such contrivances as the triumph of the genius and skill of man over mere brute force, and as tending to the great ends of the peace and happiness of mankind. They place the weak upon a level with the strong, and make it evident to every one that the best course would be to submit all questions of right to the arbitration of the mind instead of the arm and sword. Suppose I, being a small, weak man, should quarrel with a man of great physical strength, and a hatred to the death should be declared between us. Now, upon whichever side the bone of right lay, the strong man would have the power to destroy me; but if I set my brain to work, and contrive an 'infernal machine,' I shall be superior to him, and drive him to the same resource. Now, we both see by this, that we stand an even chance of being destroyed, and reason resumes her reign.

We see that the wisest and safest course for both would be to submit the question involved in the quarrel to the judgment of a mutual and impartial friend. Even so these inventions operate among nations, which, by the way, should be ruled by the same general principles as individuals."

"That's all very true," remarked Wilson. "But if I was about to fight a duel with a man, and I stood up, pistol in hand, while he stood off beyond my reach, and with some infernal invention endeavored to kill me, I should call him a coward."

"That would not settle the dispute," said Mr. Jackson Harmar. "Your wisest course would be to equal his invention, and compel him to fight fairly or make peace."

ARNOLD'S TREASON.

"Many strange and many laughable public events occurred in Philadelphia during the Revolution," said old Harmar. "I was with the army during the greater part of the time, but our family remained in the city, and kept me advised of everything that was going on. I was engaged to be married to your mother, Jackson, before the war commenced, and I had to leave her in Philadelphia also, until the war was over. She used to write me letters, telling me about everything that pa.s.sed in the city that was interesting. I recollect in one letter she gave me an account of how the news of Arnold's treason was received among the people."

"With blessings on the traitor's head, of course," remarked Wilson, ironically.