Industry.—Many of our readers will recollect the anecdote of the thrifty American who asked Commodore Hardy, when he would attack Stonington again? so that he might have his cart ready to carry off the shot; and also the accounts we have had of the mighty mass of metal collected there and sold at New York, &c. It seems, however, that the iron mine is not yet exhausted, for certain persons with a diving machine have raised no less than 11,209 lbs. of shot, which was thrown overboard from the Pactolus, when she was in such a hurry to get away from the two guns of Stonington! They have also picked up a quantity of copper.—Niles's Weekly Register, June 3, 1815.
[Note 19], page 38.
Capt. Coote, of H. B. M. brig Borer, landed two hundred men at Pettipaug, (Saybrook,) in barges and launches, on the 8th of April, 1814, and destroyed upwards of twenty sail of vessels, without meeting any opposition (until after they had re-embarked,) and without the loss of a man.—Conn. Gazette, April 13, 1814.
Letters of Commodore Hardy.
Since the foregoing pages were printed, my friend Professor D. C. Gilman, has brought to my notice the original letters of Commodore Hardy, to the inhabitants of Stonington and to General Isham, which are now in the Library of Yale College. The first (of August 9th) was copied with sufficient accuracy in the account published by the magistrates, warden and burgesses (page 25), I reprint it here, but with a facsimile of the signature.
His Britannic Majesty's Ship,
Pactolus, 9th August, 1814.
½ past 5 o'clock, P. M.
Not wishing to destroy the unoffending Inhabitants residing in the Town of Stonington, one hour is granted them from the receipt of this to remove out of the town.
