Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-09-16
NUMBER 43


State, was stationed with a'n;litia force,
at the important post Of Windmill Point.
on the western shore of Alburgb.
The late DR. Jabez Penniman, of COL
chester, was the collector of customs. A
twelve Dared cutter called the Fly. belong.
ing to the custom house department, cruis.
ed about the outlet of the lake and smuge
Cling in that d;rection' became uncertain
aud dangerous Peerless among the boSto
engaged in smuggling, aas the terrible
Black Snake With crew of powerful
aud desperate men, thoroughly ARMED, She
had for, months dcfed the government g.
foials. EitHer by stealthily Guiding their
vigilance, or by ovcrawing them sbNiG dis.
play of hostile force. she had coatfhued
to freight large quantilies of potashes
across the line into Canada They had
had at no time force at their command
suCicicntto render prudent an Attemptto
sulac the audacious craft, 4 vt.hL
Doctor John S,odda,d, of st. Albaus. q
merchant and well known smuggler. en-
ployci the Black Snake to transport ashes
from ST Albahs Bay into Canada. Their
course lay around tAeand Of st AlLaas
Point, thence along the eastern shore'se
the lake to Magum Creek upon this ots
aud half miles TO q narrow strait cor"
meeting with Charcoal Creek. Here they
were obliged to tighten the boat by remov-
ling a portion of her loading to smaller
ones. They then hoated into Charcoal
Creek, down this into Mississippi Rivor
thence down the river 10 its mouth, across
Missisqui 3 y to Cooks Bay in CaHaac.
to place now called Hilliker's Landing,
about one mile north of the village of AL.
burgh Springs The boat had made sew.
eral trips with complete success, but was
at length encountered by Officer Joseph
) Stannard, who commanded the crew in
the name of the United States to surren.
der: stoddalI was on board, and persuaded
the men to exert themselves at their oars.
Stannard, being without force to back his
demand, Was compelled to witness their
safe escape across the line into Canada
Bnt the officers OF the Governments we're
now fully determined upon her capture.
The Black Snake was built to run as
ferry boat between Charlotte, VT, and
Essex, n, y, andwas uecd some time for
this purpose, Ecr length was 40 feet,
width II, sides straight and high, depth
4 2 feet. Sbe had oars on side,
sharp bow and square stern aforecaotlS, a.
but no cabin. She had a mact and one
sail was stcered by a,ruddcr. was never
1 painted, but besmearel with tar, which
j. gave her black appearance John and
c Ezekiel Taylor, of Ualdwell's Manor, III
Ca purchased her to run as smuggling
S boat but when the trips became danger.
e GUS they employed man by the name Of
William Mudgett to navigate her. As
she could carry 100 barrels Of potashcs,
0 at freight of S. or Sc per barrel, ths
u enterprise Was paying one and justified
D some risk But her audacious career was
q drawing to close, The collector, Doctor
c penniman, applied to Major Williams for
. detachment of men to proceed in the
r revenue cutter called the Fly, to snd and
1t capture her. .'t. -.
&c On the first day of'August, 4, ., 1908,
= Lieut.. Daniel harrington, of Brandon. .
n discreet and competent officer, Sergeant
s David B. Johnson, aud II infantry pri.
4 Yates, Were detailed for service T., o..
!. The Black Snake had crossed the line
from Canada the previous night. and had
gone up the lake. Her crew consisted Of
. Truman Mudgett, Captain Samuel Mott.
= Wm Nokes, Elkanah Perkine, Slotum
Clark, Joshua Day. Josiah Pease and Cyl
rus P Dean. The men we're to be paid
~ by the Captain IS to $40 per trip. Each
! man had gun, and they we're provided
;, with. spike poles to keep off the revenas
boats, several clubs three feet in length.
:. . and basket'of stones Of the sise'of d
: mans fist. They 'had large gan, called
a wall piece or blunderbuss. the barrel ol
!. which was eight fe,t and two inches long,
and one inch and one quarter diameter In
= the bore, and which carried Is bullets,
!. On coming from Canada, they avoSed
= their determination to fghts theif vaJ
:; back They we're not very we'll supplied
= = with ammunition, but hadPa jug contain
- - ing two gallono of rum. Under cover ol
10 tho night, they proceeded to Martins
:. Bay, the eastern shore Of North Hero
. where they layyin secusion through tho
day, and during the night went toehe
mouth of Onion River, where they arrived
!, at sunrise They kept on up the river
- audsreached q place called joys Landing
- TIRES miles or so from Burlington, abeu
- noon They drew their boat on shore
no. ,oyne. e;vtv rods above thiss Mudfett or