Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-09-03

a that time carried, greatly favored Inc
smuggler, The fedyralists were his
friends In their utter adherence Of
President leiIerson's administration Of
the embargo, the most q them were
r1aly 10 notify the smugglcrs If the adj
vent Of the custom-house officer, % guide
him To place OF safety, OF 70 socrete his
goods upon their own promises, No in
former ever arose from the ranks Of
the Federalists, so much was certain,
and where direct aid might no, be Oh
tanned, the smuggler knew that he was
safe from betrayal, But GA the other
hand the Democrats, the supporters Of
Mr. jefferson, favored the enforcement o.
tie law, They sided with thc revenue
, o.heials, aud many Of them were active ia
giving information Of the places who're
,musglel good, or property was con-
eealed. Lads u potash, or droyc' OF
cattle, would sometime, be accompanied
with force sutlieicn, touverawc the Gus.
tom,hou,a officers, and prevent all at.
tempt At seizure, At other times, the Of
ioyrs d the government would rally their
Democratic friends in sufficient number.
10 hear down all opposition, and 10 seize
and carry away the property, Collision,
u this kind were no, uutrcqcut,ip several
Of which serious wounds were received,
and in one ease the result wa, death.
Large quutitic, Of ashes were brought
t. the ports II Lake Champl,in. aud sold
. ., 4 small price q .peunlatiug ,mugglcrs,
who stood ready 20 purchase, Thi, hcau-
+ tiful lake, with its secluded bays, shady
hooks and uninhahitel islands, offered a
a convenient highway 10 the smuggling
boat, which moved only at'night, and re-
NAMED quiet BY day, Major Charles X.
Williams of Rutland, since Chief Justice
and Governor Of the State, was stationed
with militia force, at the important post
Of Windmill Point, On the western shore
Of Alhurgh
Tho late Doctor Jabcl Pcnuimau Of
Colchester was the collector of the Gus
toms. A twelve cared cutter called the
Fly, belonging to the oustom-housc de-
partment, cruised about the outlet of the
lake, and smuggling in that direction, be-.
came uncertain and dangerous. Peerless
among the boats engaged in smuggling,
Was the terrible Black Snake With "a
crew Of powerful and desperate men,
thoroughly armed, she had for months de-
fled the government officials Either by
stealthily eludiug their vigilance, or by
oycrawing them by a display Of hostile
force, she had continued to freight large
quantities of pot-ashos across the line to
Canada, They had had at no time force
at their command sufficient to render pru-
dent an attempt 20 seize the aulacious
craft
Doctor John StoddArd OF ~ Adams
merchant and well known smugglcr, cm-
ployed the Black Snake 10 transport ashes
from st. Adams bay into Canada Their
course lay around the end Of st. Alban,
Point, thence along the eastern shore of
the lake 10 Maguam creek upon this one
and a half miles, to narrow strait con-
Meeting with Charcoal creek Here they
were obliged To Tighten their boat by re-
moving a portion Of her loading TO small
er ones. They then tloatcd, into Charcoal
creek, down thus into Mississippi river
thence down ithe river to its mouth,
across Mississippi bay TO Cooks bay
in Canada, 10 4 place now called Hill
kers Landing, about one mile north Of
the village OF Alburgh Springs, The
boat had made several trips with COM
plcte success, but was at length oncoun-
tered by Officer Joseph Stannard, who
commanded the crew in the name
of the United States TO surrender. Stol-
dard was on board, and persuaded the
men 10 exert themselves at their oars.
Stannari, being without force 70 back his
demand, was compelled TO witness their
safe escape across the line into Canada.
Bat the officers Of the government were
now fully determined upon her capture.
ihe Black Snake was built to run rs a
tc'ly-uoat between Charlotte. Vt, and is
sen \. j., and WAS used some time for
=. this purpose. Her length was forty feet