The Bark Covered House Chapter 23 Jon Reads To You

0:00 welcome back to the bark covered house by William Nolan

0:03 we are now in chapter 23 in this chapter is

0:08 entitled grandfather's Powderhorn and war with pirates it's pretty uh

0:16 pretty exciting chapter here we go time's bed on the Earth

0:20 had traveled its circuit many times since father sold

0:24 his little place in Putnam County state of New York

0:27 an obeyed to do to all the deer scenes

0:31 of his childhood and youth and came to battle for himself

0:34 and family in the woods of Michigan he did

0:38 this part bravely he was a strong man mentally and physically

0:43 strong and possessed just enough of the love

0:46 of a romantic and strange light to help him battle successfully

0:51 with the incidents and privations common to such as settle

0:57 in a new country with but little Capital he worked

1:00 his way through he had a very retentive memory and possessed

1:05 the faculty of pleasing his visitors to no common extent father

1:09 at the close of the Tripoli War 1805 was

1:13 about the age I was when I when we started

1:16 for Michigan he often told me of the war

1:20 with Tripoli and trouble with Algiers he gloried in the name

1:25 of an American and often related the prowess and bravery

1:29 of our soldiers in defending their flag and the rights

1:34 of American citizens at home and abroad on the land

1:37 and on the sea of course when the Fourth of July came

1:40 around I went to celebrate that day as Canon

1:43 were almost always fired at dearbornville at that day I

1:47 would go out there to listen to the big guns

1:49 in their tremendous Roar as they were fired every minute

1:53 for a national salute the sound of their booming died

1:57 Way Beyond Detroit river in Canada and let the Canadians

2:01 and the all the others in this part of the universe

2:04 know that we were holding the 4th of July in dearbornville

2:08 when I went home at night I told father about it and what a good time I had had

2:12 and that they fired one big gun in honor of Michigan

2:17 on such days his patriotic feelings were wrought up and he

2:23 taught talked much of Wars patriotism and so forth

2:27 on such an occasion he told me that his father William

2:30 Noland was a captain of militia in the state

2:33 of New York when he was a boy that I was named for him and that when he was done

2:39 with it or that I should have my grandfather's ancient

2:42 Powderhorn it was read and carved out very nicely covered

2:47 with beautiful Scrolls and old-fashioned letters the first two letters

2:52 of my grandfather's name w n were on it and towards

2:57 the smaller end of the horn my father's given name

3:00 John these were inscribed on it long since the horn

3:04 was made it was made when Washington was about 25 years

3:09 old and no doubt Saw Service in the French and Indian

3:12 War in the defense of the English colonies of America

3:16 its history some of it is shrouded in mystery it

3:20 has passed down through the Revolutionary War and the War

3:23 of 1812 through four generations of men and was given

3:27 to me by my father as an heirloom a relic

3:30 of the past next to my father's name is

3:33 the inscription e b and then follows these old lines I

3:38 powder with my brother ball a hero like do conquer

3:43 all it is best abroad with foreign foes to fight

3:47 and not at all at home to feel their hateful

3:50 spite where all our friends of every sex and age

3:55 will be exposed unto their cruel rage this was written

3:59 by Lieutenant Abel prindles made at number four June 30th

4:05 1757 he's probably thinking of or it's written here at Fort

4:10 at number four a famous location the letters are old-fashioned

4:15 the S on it is made as an F is

4:18 now I presume it was a present from Lieutenant Prindle

4:21 to grandfather this horn is 16 inches long measures nine

4:25 and one half inches around at the butt and would

4:28 hold fully four pounds of powder father said in the war

4:34 with Tripoli 1803 one of the Barbary States Captain

4:38 Bainbridge stailed in the Philadelphia to Tripoli and chased one

4:43 of the pirate boats into the harbor he ventured a little

4:46 too far and ran aground the officers were made

4:50 prisoner and the crew slaves to the Turks and joined

4:54 their countrymen who had preceded them but father said

4:57 that the Americans were too brave of people to be subjected

5:00 to slavery other Americans rescued them and it was proved

5:04 that the United States would protect their flag throughout all

5:07 the world he often told me of commodore Decatur and William

5:13 Eaton they were among his ideal American Heroes he said

5:18 that Decatur conceived the idea of retaking the Philadelphia

5:22 and destroying her he sailed into the harbor of Tripoli

5:26 at night and up to the Philadelphia made his vessel

5:31 the Intrepid fast to her side and sprang on board there

5:37 he had often walked before under very different circumstances

5:41 in the light of other days when thousands of miles away

5:45 and among his friends now how changed the scene

5:49 the Philadelphia was in the it was in an enemy's hands

5:54 and her guns loaded to turn on her former owners

5:56 at a moment's notice Decatur was followed by 70 or 80

6:01 men as Brave Americans as ever walked on Deck

6:06 the surprise was complete the astonished Turks now saw the decks

6:11 swarming with Americans armed and withdrawn swords in their hands

6:14 and some of the tripolians lost their heads and some

6:18 of them cried for quarters and others tried to climb

6:21 in the shrouds and the rigging of the ship and some jumped

6:24 overboard in 10 minutes time Decatur and his crew

6:28 were masters of the frigate now what grieved him most

6:31 was that the noble ship which they had rescued

6:35 from the barbarous Arabs had to be burnt it being impossible

6:40 to remove her from The Sandbar where she lay

6:43 and so they brought on board the Philadelphia combustible materials which

6:48 they had with them on the Intrepid and set

6:50 her on fire and in a short time the Flames were leaping

6:54 and dancing along the sides of the doomed ship

6:57 the devouring fire greedily burning

7:00 crackling hissing destroying the Timbers leapt

7:04 up the spars caught hold the rigging and lighted up

7:08 the whole place it could have been and was seen

7:14 for Miles the spectacle was awfully Grand as well

7:18 as Sublime Tripoli was lighted up hundreds of people could be

7:24 seen in the streets By the Light of the burning

7:26 ship the land Forts and corsairs were all in plain sight

7:31 of the American Fleet the light enabled the crew

7:35 to see the Bold Intrepid with her Valiant crew leaving

7:38 the burning ship and sailing away toward the American blockading

7:41 Fleet the Forts and some of the galleys opened fire upon

7:44 them it was one continuous Roar of Cannon belching fourth

7:49 fire and missiles of death the balls and shot went

7:52 singing over their heads and around some striking the water

7:56 and Rising a cloud of spray which flew in all directions

7:59 but the Victorious crew paid no attention and quietly sailed

8:03 away to join their country's Defender they were soon beyond

8:07 the reach of the foe went out of danger and then

8:10 they had a time to consider when what they had

8:13 accomplished they had entered the enemy's stronghold recaptured and burnt

8:19 the Philadelphia and put her Arab crew to the sword

8:22 or driven them into the sea all this they did without

8:25 the loss of a single man father said that the inhabitants

8:29 of Tripoli were Turks who exacted taxes and received tribute

8:33 from all Christian nations and that they had taken some

8:37 of the American seamen and held them as slaves

8:39 the Bashaw declared war with America a country which he knew

8:45 very little he put his American slaves in chain

8:48 gangs and in this way they were obliged to labor

8:51 for that government there was no chance for them to escape

8:55 and they must remain in slavery unless rescued by their countrymen

8:59 father said that the Turks of Tripoli were a band

9:02 of pirates in Disguise robbers upon the high seas the war

9:06 occurred during the administration

9:07 of President Jefferson Congress sent Commodore

9:11 Preble with a squadron of seven sail and a thousand

9:16 men armed with heavy Cannon they appeared before Triple E

9:20 the reigning bashab refused to treat for peace or to give

9:24 up his slaves without his receiving a large Ransom

9:28 then it was that the Thunder of the American Canon

9:31 broke upon Tripoli and the bombardment of that City commenced

9:35 they were answered by hundreds of the enemy's guns the Earth

9:40 trembled the sea shook the Wild Waves danced The White

9:45 Caps broke as the cannonballs glanced on plowing their way

9:49 and plunging into the water the strong buildings of Tripoli

9:55 trembled to their very foundations and hundreds of Arabs who

9:58 were out upon their roofs when the battle commenced to witness

10:01 it in five minutes time were skedaddling for their lives

10:05 the bashaw's castle and the entire city felt severely

10:10 the heavy blows of the American Canon the enemy's Fleet took

10:14 Refuge under the Forts and away from the ships

10:16 of North America the Constitution sunk one of their boats ran

10:20 to a ground and the rest got under the shelter

10:22 the best they could one of the last wonders

10:26 of the Wrath of the Americans was poured out upon

10:29 Tripoli in the shape of a Fire Ship it contained 100

10:33 barrels of powder stored away below deck in a room

10:37 prepared expressly for its reception on the deck over

10:41 the powder was placed hundreds of shells and pieces of iron

10:44 which the powder when it exploded would hurl as messengers

10:48 of Destruction among the enemy the Intrepid was the ship

10:53 selected for the daring deed she was Decatur's favorite

10:58 and with her he captured the Philadelphia there were 12 American

11:02 Braves who volunteered to take the fire ship into the enemy's

11:08 Squadron near the fort to fire it with a slow

11:11 match then they were to try and Escape back

11:14 to their countrymen in a small boat when it was

11:17 night they hoisted their sails and the ship quietly started through

11:20 the darkness but before they had gone as far

11:24 as they wished to get among the enemy boats they were

11:27 discovered from the fort an alarm raised the great Decatur

11:31 with his comrade stood gazing at the craft as it receded

11:35 from them and the sails disappeared in the distance

11:38 and the Darkness of the night what must have been

11:42 their feelings as the noble ship disappeared they were no

11:47 doubt thinking of their comrades so brave who might be going

11:50 into the jaws of death could it be possible

11:52 that they would never return that they would never meet anymore

11:56 they looked and listened but they were gone no sound

12:00 of them could be heard awful suspense all at once

12:05 the fort opened fire on the brave crew the light

12:08 of their batteries lighted up the shore and the Thunder

12:11 of their Cannon shook sea and Earth but where were

12:15 the 12 Americans Brave fellows where were they had no doubt

12:21 failed to get as far as they wished to before

12:24 they were discovered they risked their lives a little too

12:29 long they applied the fire to the trail of powder

12:32 and the ship blew up Tripoli had never been shaken before

12:36 nor had she ever witnessed such a sight the Flames

12:41 shot up toward the sky the whole city was illuminated

12:44 the report an awful Forest caused by the blowing up

12:46 of the ship made the enemy's vessels in the harbor

12:49 heave to and fro and rock as though in a storm

12:52 men's Hearts failed them they did not but that they

12:57 were going to sink the city itself was shaken

13:01 to its foundations from Center to circumference men stood trembling

13:06 and gazing with horror and astonishment not another Cannon was

13:10 fired and the noise they made was no more than when

13:14 compared with the noise of the explosion then the sound

13:18 of a pop gun compared to the sound of a cannon

13:21 in fact it was no comparison at all thousands stood

13:26 ghastly and pale not knowing what the next moment might

13:31 reveal the proud Bashaw had been badly shook up

13:34 and Disturbed in his dreams of Conquering the Americans he had

13:39 heard of the advance of William Eaton and he had

13:42 made up his mind that it was dangerous for him

13:44 to carry on war with beings who fought more like

13:47 Devils than men so he concluded that he would go

13:51 in for peace 12 brave men who went with the fire

13:55 ship were never heard of again they returned to their comrades

14:00 to tell the thrilling story of their last adventure never

14:04 no never they had sold their lives for their country

14:08 dearly they were never to see their homes in North

14:12 America or their loved ones again they had met

14:17 their fate bravely and sacrificed their own lives for their country's

14:21 Glory father also related the adventures and hardships that were

14:26 encountered and overcome by William Eaton who formed a union

14:30 with Hemet the elder brother and rightful heir to Reign

14:35 at Tripoli Hammett had been driven from his country and family

14:39 wife and children and was in hopes by the aid

14:42 of Eaton and the American war of being reinstated

14:45 at Tripoli he joined with General Eaton who had received

14:49 his commission from the American government and assumed the title

14:53 of General in conjunction with Hemet he raised an army

14:57 of 1200 men adventurers of all Nations who volunteered to fight

15:02 under the American flag they started from Alexandria in Egypt

15:06 and marched a thousand miles across the desert of Barca

15:11 they bore in their advance to the American flag something

15:14 that had never been seen in that country before

15:18 after a tedious March they arrived at derny a city

15:22 on the Mediterranean belonging to Tripoli General Eaton summoned the city

15:27 to surrender and the governor sent him his reply my head

15:32 or yours then the American General Drew up his men

15:37 and rapidly Advanced to attack the fort which defended the city

15:40 he met with a strong resistance the enemy numbering about

15:44 three thousand a terrible fire of musketry enveloped the combatants

15:48 in Fire and smoke the voice of General Eaton though

15:52 he was wounded Was Heard amid the din a battle

15:55 encouraging his men after a severe contest of about two

15:59 hours they charged and carried by storm the principal Fort

16:03 and they tore down the Tripoli in flag and ran

16:07 up the stripes and stars in its place this was

16:11 the first time it had ever been raised over a fort

16:14 on the Mediterranean Sea you were in fact in that fact

16:17 the old world General Eaton was fortifying and making

16:22 the place stronger receiving some volunteers through the influence of Hamot

16:26 and preparing to March upon Tripoli to help the American

16:32 Fleet but he was in need of supplies and every

16:35 day was expecting to receive them as the city

16:39 and harbor were under his control he had everything in Readiness

16:43 for his March accepting the supplies when the American frigate

16:47 the Constitution appeared and announced that peace was declared 1805.

16:53 the conditions were that Hammett should leave the country his wife

16:57 and children should be sent to him the American prisoners

17:02 were to be exchanged and the American seamen not to be

17:05 compelled to pay tribute anymore the Americans who had been enslaved

17:10 by the government of Tripoli were to be paid for their labor

17:14 they had performed it is evident that the reigning Bashaw

17:18 was alarmed for his own safety and was glad to compromise

17:23 father said it always Grieves him to think that the Americans who

17:27 had been held as slaves at Tripoli never returned to their native

17:31 home there were paid for their service during the time

17:36 they had been enslaved went on board a ship and sailed

17:40 for North America and were never heard of again they slept

17:45 the sleep of death with the 12 most Brave beneath

17:49 the dark cold waves never more to see their families or friends

17:54 father often repeated such stories in our Wilderness home in regards

17:59 to this war the Revolutionary War and the war of 1812.

18:02 I and the other children always listened to these tales with much

18:06 attention and interest it was the way I received most of my knowledge

18:12 in regards to such things in those days as we lived

18:16 in the woods of Michigan my means of acquiring book knowledge were very limited

18:21 now I believe if I were to read the sum and substance

18:26 of the same thing every month for a year for years the way

18:31 he related those old stories would still be the accepted way to my mind

18:35 although there might be clothed in a language more precise and far

18:40 more eloquent it would not appear so to me very interesting that we

18:47 get to hear about the family heirloom that's given down you know

18:52 down through the generations of family and then a relating him relating

18:58 the story that he had heard in his youth from his father and we

19:07 get that that whole sense of oral history that comes down through

19:12 a book like this I think it's very interesting that you know he

19:15 talks about not having access to very many books as a child because

19:19 of where they lived and you know the kind of um the kind

19:23 of access they had to you know bookstores and that there weren't

19:29 any uh and yet you know later on in life uh he he

19:34 really takes a lot of time to write this book and and he

19:38 he writes it very eloquently and he's you know is is uh is

19:45 a great amateur writer for the time period I'm Amazed by some

19:50 of his writings so it's a lot of fun and to get you

19:54 know to hear how how he relates this story um from from his father

20:01 hearing this story so his father wasn't there and saw these events

20:05 uh they happened when he was still young but but he gets

20:09 these sort of you know third hand and yet the story is still

20:13 You Know Rich and and full of uh meaning for William Nolan so

20:18 uh really really great uh chapter thanks for being here on Townsend's plus

20:24 being a great support for what we do whether it's the things we

20:28 do here on Thompson's Plus or how it relates to everything else we

20:31 do on YouTube and so many other places so uh thank you

20:35 for that support and I hope you have a wonderful day thanks for watching