The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-07-19
From NOah's Weekly Messenger.
YANKEE TRICKS.
.nEvoIurIoNARY INCIDENT.

sef s,upid,ies; fools Of wise men, gallant
of Josephs, and rascals Of honest indi
,vidusls. Common consent stamped
Yankees their first dsys-.a
shrewd, incompatible uicksters, aod
common consent was pretty near righ
.iusl at that time. Whether the Yam.
KEGS are match for opposition now
I'VE leave TO Older and wiser heads 10 de-
iermine. We gained our independe nee
by sheer force Of arms. Now and then
fortune would favor our side with lit.
tie extraordinary good event or circum-
stance, but not very frequently. 1t was
6sht twenty times where il was nance
vre successfully once.--The English,
always on the look out for squalls and
Yankee tricks not unfrequenlly de-
celved themselves in the most ludc-
rrous manner.
In the month of May, 1914, Sir James
Yoe, with fleet of vessels 10 the mum.
ber OF thirteen, of various sizes, appear
ed off the mouth of the Genessee, threat
eenlng TO annhiale Rochester, and de
stroy every improvement aud person in
the vicinity. 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 sum
mons sped, and what, think ye, was the
result? In Rochester there were then
1just thiry-three people capable Of bear
ing arms, and about half dozen came
in TO help them. Truly formidable ar
my to,repel an English feet, and op-
pose clever offshot of the British for
ces. The first thing that the little band
Of Americans did was TO throw up
breast sl-work--rude and slght-near the
deep hollow, beside the Lower Falls.
This breasl- l-work was called Fort Ben
der. They then hurried down the juno.
ton of The Gennessee and lake Ontario
because there the enemy declared they
would land. They left behind them
two old men, with several small boys,
10 remove the women and children into
the woods in case the British should
land for the provisions, and The destruc
ton of The bridge at Rochester.
The Rochester forces were command
= ed by Francis Brown and Elisha Ely,
rwhe acted as captains. Isaac w. Stone
was appointed major. The Americans
were elegantly accou,red in various gar
men,s Of shapes aud makes almost ante
deluvian. No Two men were dresse d
alike. No two men were armed with
the like weapons. Certainly they had
all firearms; but they were not fashioned
in the same style. The discipline Of
these troops were as curious as thei: cos
tune and equipments. But if they dis
played an awkward front to the warlike
eye, they also exhibited ssgacity and
coursge-two qualities quite as much
needed as pretty uniform and tactics.
The enemy watched The on-shore pro-
ceedings with considerable interest
They oeheld, ss they supposed, nu'
merous bodies of militia marching ioI
head quarters, and preparing TO give
them warm reception. To deceive
the English, the forty men marched
and countremarched necessarily through
the woods, from point 10 point, in such
a manner as to convince the soldiers n
the vessels that the whole country was
aroused and preparing for action. The
English thought it was high time to be
cautious and therefore sent an officeI
with flag Of truce to the shore. One
of the militia captains, with ten Of the
bes,-lookng and most soldier-like men,
were sent TO meet the officer. The
men carried their arms as upright a.
might be consistent with their plan OF
being ready for action, by keeping hold
Of The triggers.
The British officer was astonished
He looked all kinds Of things, utlerable
and unutterable, and with a swelling
crest said:--
Sir, do you receive flag of truce,
'ander arms and with cooked triggers1
Excuse me, beg said the Amer
can captain, we are not soldiers, only
backwoodsmen and know more sbou
telling timber aud following the ,plougl
than ofmiIilaFy lsctics;' saying whic
the American, TO recliiy his first error
ordered his men TO ground arms!
This, Of course still more aetontshet
the Brit>n. lie looked indignant
then suspicious-hen little terrified
land at last delivered brief message /
haste, and incontinenty sought me fle,
aoain He dpclared that the ipnoranc