An incident occurred at the Key Biscayne lighthouse, during the Florida
war, which is perhaps worth recording. The lighthouse, was kept by a man
named Thompson. His only companion was an old negro man; they both lived
in a small hut near the lighthouse. One evening about dark they
discovered a party of some fifteen or twenty Indians creeping upon them,
upon which they immediately retreated into the lighthouse, carrying with
them a keg of gunpowder, with the guns and ammunition. From the windows
of the lighthouse Thompson fired upon them several times, but the moment
he would show himself at the window, the glasses would be instantly
riddled by the rifle balls, and he had no alternative but to lie close.
The Indians meanwhile getting out of patience, at not being able to
force the door, which Thompson had secured, collected piles of wood,
which, being placed against the door and set fire to, in process of time
not only burnt through the door, but also set fire to the stair-case
conducting to the lantern, into which Thompson and the negro were
compelled to retreat. From this, too, they were finally driven by the
encroaching flames, and were forced outside on the parapet wall, which
was not more than three feet wide.
[Illustration: ATTACK ON THE LIGHTHOUSE.]
The flames now began to ascend as from a chimney, some fifteen or twenty
feet above the lighthouse. These men had to lie in this situation, some
seventy feet above the ground, with a blazing furnace roasting them on
one side, and the Indians on the other, embracing every occasion, as
soon as any part of the body was exposed to pop at them. The negro
incautiously exposing himself, was killed, while Thompson received
several balls in his feet, which he had projected beyond the wall.
Nearly roasted to death, and in a fit of desperation, Thompson seized
the keg of gunpowder, which he had still preserved from the hands of the
enemy, threw it into the blazing lighthouse, hoping to end his own
sufferings and destroy the savages. In a few moments it exploded, but
the walls were too strong to be shaken, and the explosion took place out
of the lighthouse, as though it had been fired from a gun.
The effect of the concussion was to throw down the blazing materials
level with the ground, so as to produce a subsidence of the flames, and
then Thompson was permitted to remain exempt from their influence.
Before day the Indians were off, and Thompson being left alone, was
compelled to throw off the body of the negro, while strength was left
him, and before it putrefied.
The explosion was heard on board a revenue cutter at some distance,
which immediately proceeded to the spot to ascertain what had occurred,
when they found the lighthouse burnt, and the keeper above, on top of
it. Various expedients were resorted to, to get him down; and finally a
kite was made, and raised with strong twine, and so manoeuvered as to
bring the line within his reach, to which a rope of good size was next
attached, and hauled up by Thompson. Finally, a block, which being
fastened to the lighthouse, and having a rope to it, enabled the crew to
haul up a couple of men, by whose aid Thompson was safely landed on
terra firma.
The Indians had attempted to reach him by means of the lightning rod, to
which they had attached thongs of buckskin, but could not succeed in
getting more than half way up.