Litchfield enquirer., 1845-10-09
YANKEE FRICKS-A "LATE WAR"
 -'" INCIDENT. 3r
From yNoaA's W'eekly .Messeneer.

first days, as shrewd, incompafabae tricksters and common consent was pretty near right just at that time. Whether the Yankees are match for op- position new, we leave to older and wiser heads to determine. We gained our independence by sheer force of arms. Now and then fortune would favor our side with little extraordinary good event or circumstances, but not very frequently It was fight twenty times where it was manevre success. fully once. The English, always on the lookout for squalls and sYankee tricks, not unfrequently deceived themselves in the most ludcrous manner
 In the month of May, 1874, Sir James Yeo, with fleet of vessels to the number of thirteen of vari ous sizes, appeared off the mouth of the Genessee threatning to anHihlate Rochester and destroy ev. cry improvement and person in the vicinily.- Great alarm was created by this. Messengers were despatched at once throughout the country for aid. The people were aroused-like the fiery cross of Rhoderick Dhu, the summons sped, and what think ve was the result In Rochester there were then just thirty three people capable of bear | ing arms, and about half dozen came in to help them: Truly formidable army to repe an Eng fish fleet, and oppose clever of.shot of the Brit. ish forces. The first thing that the little band of Americans did, was to throw up breast-work, | rude and slight, near the deep hollow, beside the Lower Falls. Thls breast-work was called Fort Bender They then hurried down to the junction of the Genesee and lake Ontario, because there the enemy declared they would land. They left be- hind them two old men with several small boys, to remove the women and children into the woods in case the British should land for the provisions and the destruction of the Bridge at Rochester 'l The Rochester forces were commanded by Fran. cis Brown and Elisha Fly, who acted as captains Isaac w. Stone was appointed mojor. The Amer jeans were elegantly accoutred in various garments of shapes and makes almost antedeluvian No two men were dressed alike. No two men were armed with the like weapons. Certainly they all had firearms; but they were not fashioned in the same style. e.. --..
 >fk their costume and equipments. But if they dis. played an awkward front to the warlike eye, they | also exhibited sagacity and codrage-two qualities quite as much needed as pretty uniform and good 1 tactics. The enemy watched the on-shore pro- ceedings with considerable interest. They beheld, as they supposed, numerous bodies of militia march. ing to headquarters, and preparing to give them warm reception. To deceive the English, the 40 men marched and counter-marched necessarily through the woods, from point to point, in such manner as to convince the soldiers in the vessels that the whole country was aroused and preparing for action. The English thought it high time to be cautious, and therefore sent an officer with flag of truce to the shore. One of the militia captains, with ten of the best looking and most soldier.lke men, were sent to | meet the officer. The men carried their arms as might be consistent with their plan of being ready for action, by keeping hold of the triggers. | The British officer was aslonished. He looked all kinds oi things utterabe and unutterable, and with a swelling crest said:
 Sir, do you receive flag of truce under arms, l and with cooked triggers:" -,E .. "Excuse me, beg" said the American captain, "we are not soldiers, only backwoodsmen, and know more about fellng timber and following the plow than of military tactics :' saying which, the American, to rectify his first error, ordered his l men to ground arms! This Of course still more astonished the Briton. He looked indignant-then suspicious--then lit. Ia Ia sf hyio in considerable haste and incontinently sought the fleet again. He declared that the ignorance of the tactics was feigned to draw the commodore into some snare, and informed those who sent him, that some Yankee trick was under process of develop mcnt
 The British wanted the spells, but they were too suspicious to attempt landing, if by making compromise they would secure part of them.- Accordingly another officer with another flag of l truce, was sent to barley. Captain Francis Brown was this time deputed to receive tine officer Brown took guard with him. ... The British officer looked very suspico ously upon | Brown and his guard. He conversed with ,he ut- most caution, and walked as though he expected to | find trap door or springing mine beneath his feet. After spending short time in conversation, the officer suddenly discovered that the width and clumsy aspect of Captain Browns garments beio- kened something not exactly right, He thought
 that MT. Brown regular officer of the Ameri- can army, and that his reg gmentals were masked, 1 for some stratagem, by clumsy and hastily made overcothes. Impressed with this idea, the Briton suddenly grasped Browns pantaloons by the knee, exclaming, half incosely, 1" What pity such ex- cellent cloth should be spoiled by bongns tailor"
 Brown smelt out the object of the officers move- ment, and quickwitted, he carelessly replied
 ooh was this morning prevented from dress ing fashonaby bymy haste 10 meet and salute dis tinguished visitors" ...... ...,,f .. - ..
 The officer then made proposition that if the | ch o;,,ht bo; nd abo Rochester were delivered up, Sir James Toe would spare the settlements around. ....-...-r.
 "Will you accept and comply with this offer ," imputed the bearer of the flag of truce.
 Bi0od Knee deep first !' replied Francis Brown, with startling emphasis. .......... ... While all this parley--the last clause of which was enough to alright the oldest and toughest sol- dier-an American officer with his staff returning from the Niagara frontier, was accidentally seen passing from one wooded point 10 another. This with other very curious circumstances, confirmed the Britons in the belief that large American ar my was collected, and that the Yankee officers slammed ignorance for the purpose oi enticing them on the shore tobe slaughtered and annihiaed.
 No sooner had the flag of truce got back to the fleet, than shower of bombs and balls was sent from each vessel. The attack was immediately knowledged with great spirit. How: Why, rus- ty old six pounder had been mounted on log and secured up for the occasion, and as saOn as 1t could be charged, it was let of" the thirteen Eng fish vessels. A few hours were spent in this man. ner, and Sir James Voc, assured that he could not be in safety in that vicinity, and with one of his vessels badly shattered by the asoresaid log mount
 ed six pounder run down to Putneyville, about 20 miles eastward of the Genesee river. There they learned how thirty-eight or forty green militia men had beated off and prevented a large British fleet from landing by very successful Yankee
 Trick. 41g,1 .,7 sr*'t st 9t ,}@
 As soon as the keen edge of modification was