Roxbury, Aug. 1850.

My dear Epes :- 

It was in Autumn of 1812, when I arrived from Bergen, a state of war at that time existed, which forbade the hope of future employment for a long time to come. However, my last voyage was a successful one, the profits of which added to what I had made in former voyages, rendered my circumstances quite easy, in a pecuniary point of view; yet, an idle life, with the prospect of a long continuance of the war caused me very many anxious hours. The times were extremely exciting and we were subject to perpetual alarms from the enemy that hovered around our coast.

I belonged to a company of Artillery, and was obliged to be in readiness to march at a minutes warning, on the signal given that the enemy was landing; many false alarms were given and several real ones. One morning, before daylight, I was awakened by the sound of a horse upon full speed, passing our door, and a man at the top of his voice, exclaiming, "Alarm! Alarm! the British are landing!" I arose immediately, buckled on my sword and hastened to join my company. The company mustered with great alacrity, and we soon took up our march toward the place where it was said the enemy had effected a landing. The place was Sandy Bay, now called Rockport, about 5 or 6 miles from Gloucester Harbour, where I then lived and where we started from in pursuit of the foe. The whole town was in great commotion; report after report came that the enemy had landed in great numbers, We went with a quick step and soon arrived at the place whence the report came from, and on our arrival, found there was nothing to cause any great alarm, the whole having arisen from a small affair that proved more disastrous to the enemy than to us. For you to understand the matter, I must begin and give you a full account of the whole affair, or as full an account as my memory will allow me to.

Sandy Bay, as you know, is situated on the extreme part of Cape Ann. There being no good harbour there, the enterprising and hardy inhabitants with immense labour and expense have built of Granite (which, by the bye is one of the staple articles of the place) a mole, or harbour, as a shelter from the easterly storms for their small craft; which consists of fishing schooners and coasters, generally ranging from fifty to one hundred tons each. Soon after war took place, a small fort was built to protect their small craft from the enemy, in this fort was mounted a few cannon of small caliber and manned by a garrison of (I think twelve or fourteen soldiers.) At the time alluded to, there were several British frigates, and a seventy-four gun ship cruising in Boston Bay. One dark, foggy night, two barges from the enemy, heavily armed and manned, came into Sandy Bay and surprised and captured the whole garrison, and took them on board the frigate that was lying in the offing; spiked the cannon, threw over the parapet; then, thinking they had not done quite mischief enough, one barge, while the other was gone on board the frigate with the prisoners they had captured, commenced firing grape-shot into the town amongst the women and children, which they, no doubt, thought very pretty sport, but it did not last long. After firing a number of times, one of their men was heard to say, “put in a double charge; give the d--n Yankees a good grist this time." They did so, and what was the consequence? The gun rebounded with so much violence that it opened the seams of the barge so much that she sunk immediately. The barge's crew landed, they being quite near the shore at the time the barge filled with water. The Lieutenant, who commanded them, made out to escape, but the men were made prisoners and the Barge was captured. A short time after, the men were sent on board the Frigate and exchanged for the men they had captured from us, being about an equal number. This was the affair that caused the alarm which our company was called out for and ended without bloodshed. We passed the day at Sandy Bay, employed in remounting and drilling out the spikes from the cannon, etc., and before night, had the fort all in order again. I could relate many occurrences of this kind, that took place during the war, they served to keep the people in a continual state of excitement, but in every instance ended

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hard to come to that conclusion, but with me it was unavoidable, Night now came on, but the excitement was so great that there was little sleep, and at early dawn, I with the anxious multitude again assembled upon the hill, to cast one more-desponding look towards the scene of action. It was a fine, bright morning, but there was no ship to be seen; our worst fears were now realized, and we left the hill-tops for our homes, with hearts overwhelmed with grief. Several days elapsed before we had an official report of the engagement. Both ships proceeded to Halifax. Capt. Lawrence died of his wound before the ships arrived there; his remains were buried there, with the honors of war. My memory does not serve me to give any further particulars, but you will find the whole faithfully recorded in the Naval history of those times.

This was the first naval defeat we had suffered during the war, and was only a small offset to numerous, splendid victories obtained by our naval heroes over the self styled "Rulers of the Waves", for the full account of which, I must refer you to the History of the last war between the United States and Great Britain. Thus the time passed during the war: battles, both by sea and land, were frequent, the accounts of which were the constant themes of conversation and before the end of the war, each and every one was heartily sick of horror and bloodshed and fervently prayed for peace. I had no occupation, and my small means, although husbanded with rigid economy, was fast wasting away. My family and family expenses were increasing; every article of living was extremely high and hard to be obtained. We had many blessings, however, to be thankful for, for we were all in good health. Before the end of the war we numbered four children, Epes & Mary Frances being born during that time. At length the long hoped for event took place; peace was proclaimed in the winter of 1815, and in the following spring, I sailed in the Brig "Gossypium" for Charleston, S.C., to procure a cargo of rice for Copenhagen and St. Petersburg. After a very unpleasant passage, I arrived off Charleston light, and ran close in, expecting to obtain a pilot. The wind at the time was blowing from the S.E.; it was late in the afternoon, and the wind was beginning to increase to a gale directly on shore. My vessel being in a very light set of ballast, I felt extremely anxious. I had run in so close that it was dangerous to attempt to get an offing again, and no pilot offering, I was obliged to run in over the bar without one. This I did and came to anchor in "Five fathom hole" the light bearing about west. My cable being poor, immediately parted, and I was driven on shore by the violence of the wind and sea, I immediately ordered the masts cut away, which eased the hull and prevented her going to pieces. After the tide ebbed, as soon as practicable, we all landed on the beach, and went to the house occupied by the keeper of the light, but could obtain no admittance. The wife of the keeper of the light (her husband being absent) put her head out of the window and pointing to an old barn, told us "that was the place for the 'cast away people', we might go there if we pleased, but she could not admit us into the house". This, I thought, rather hard, but we had resources of our own and declined her polite invitation to take lodgings in her barn. Having taken the precaution to bring an old sail on shore, we erected a tent and slept quite comfortably the remainder of the night.

In the morning, the weather became pleasant, but all around was a desolate and cheerless appearance. My hopes and fair prospects seemed blighted, and for the moment I was quite cast down, but soon rallied with the firm resolve to use all possible means to save my vessel and prosecute my voyage. I called on the “Lady of the Light" and found her quite kind and hospitable; she provided us with a good breakfast, which was very refreshing to us. Soon after breakfast, the keeper of the Light returned and took me to Charleston in his boat. I immediately called on my consignee, Dodridge Crocker, Esq., and made him acquainted with my situation, q wrote Messrs, Pearce & Sons an account of my disaster, and took all the a needful measures to save my vessel, which I succeeded in accomplishing, An account of which I will give you in my next.

Your affectionate Grandfather,

Epes Sargent.