Identifier: boysof1812othern00sole (find matches)
Title: The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Soley, James Russell, 1850-1911
Subjects: United States. Navy
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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ses of the town and on the boats in the harbor, throw-ing bright reflections over the water. The last preparationswere made on board the Intrepid, and the officers, speaking inlow tones, told each man once more his allotted duties, andcautioned all to steadiness and silence. The watchword for thenight was Philadelphia, by which they were to recognize oneanother in the confusion of the attack. There was no need toenjoin silence, for each man was busy with his own thoughts.My own, said Morris, ,were now reverting to friends athome, now to the perils we were about to meet. Should I beable to justify the expectations of the former by meeting prop-erly the dangers of the latter ? These thoughts, mixed withcalculations to get a good place in boarding, were passing throughthe minds of all as they waited in breathless expectation. Gradually the Intrepid was borne along by the gentlebreeze toward the inner basin. Her boat was towed astern.The young moon gave light enough to show her movements.
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THE LIGHTS COULD BE SEEN OLTTTERING IN THE HOUSES. TRIPOLI. 129 but nothing could be seen upon her deck except Decatur and thepilot standing at the wheel, and here and there a man whoseMaltese cap and jersey gave no indication of his hostile charac-ter. From end to end of the little ship the rest of the crew,crouching under the shadow of the bulwarks, were lying con-cealed from view, each man with his eye fixed on Decatur,waiting for him to give the order. Before them could be seenthe white walls of the city and the forts. The first battery is now passed in silence, every man holdinghis breath. Right in the path of the Intrepid towers thePhiladelphia,, with her great black hull and lofty spars, andaround her lies the circle of batteries. The little craft speedson noiselessly, steering directly for the frigate. Suddenlythe anxious silence is broken by a hail from the enemy de-manding the name and purpose of the ketch, and ordering herto keep aw^ay. Among the officers and men stretched

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