The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-08-13
CAPTURING THE CUTTER.
nr rIIoMAs p1rNN ENGL1sn.


let, Which exists to this tlay. There was
no Tuckertown then. It was the 3a,mt
| Farm ut that time. The only settlement
| then was what was known.as the - Middle-
! ot-the-Shore. > extending on each side of
| what WAS called Andrews Mill Creek. tile
| property originally belonging TO Jacob
| Andrews, who settled there In the last year
of the sixteenth century and who hail a
mill. There were not q great many peo-
! pie; but they did a great business in luna-
| Der and cypress shingles, wI.ich they sent
principally to New York and the West
Iudies. During the Revolution the place
| was rendezvous for American privafeers,
and these little sea-iiornets annoyed tire
British shipping 50 ili,lch tiitt aIi expetli-
tlon MAS organized, with the = Zebra - and
other slips OF war, TO break UP tlIe den. -
| There We're several priVateerS lying there
at the time; but they were warned by an
express from General Washington, and
escaped before the British came. Wash
| ingtOn sent force under Puaski to meet
| the invaders; but they did not arrive until
the enemy had done al tile mischief.
Part of PulaSki's mon reached OSburn's
Island, and their picket-guard YVES surpris-
ed and nlassacred by the enemy. The i'm
vader did not escape without loss. In get
ting out the 'Zt bra > grounded, and her
own people burned her. to prevent her
capture by the Americans.
There was one privateer that the enemy
managed to take as she was coming in
the ''Saucy Jack: She was Baltimore
built very fast, and armed with long
eighteen FOUNDER. The admiral made
her Il tender to the flag ship, added co;ip-
le of teu-pound carroiiades TO ller5 arma-
alent. and put crew of eighteen men and
a midsIipnlan aboard, commanded by
masters mate. She became a regular
nuisance to the place. smiling in every now
and then. exploring the harboF, levyung
contributions of soft tack. vegetables and
chickens. aud then sailing ont. The peo-
pie would have liked to take her; but while
tie squadron WAS SO near tile place the
heavy private armed vessels avoided it.
There was Quaker who lived not far
from the beach. by the name of Ephraim
Ilppincoft. He had the reputation of be-
ing Il Tory i'll sympathy. principally be-
cluse his soil Obed, having engaged in orc
or two skirnIisl!es with British. tor4Iging
parties. had been disowHed and reprinlad-
ed for violating the peace principles of the
Friends. When the British parties visited
there they We're met with warm welcome.
But Ephraim was Eo Tory. after all
merely Il prudent man, who tried to sail as
close to the wind as possible. Obed. though
he had been di>ownetl, was always sure OF
quarters at home when he chose to go; and
he went there just Il fter the last visit OF the
commander of the - Sea Wasp. - as the
Saucy jack - had been rechri<tened> by
her ciptors.
The fltl,er met him indifferelItly, but af-
ter dinner called him out to the barn.
"O5td.c he said. II suppose taee's
consortihg With the RidgwayS and the
Wiiletts boys and such Idle, disioyal fell
lows, as usual
= Well. father. I go with them OCCASION
ally. as thee knows; but they're very hon
est. Woodworking young men aud good
cOmpaay.o
Il wouldn't wonder. if thee knew and
they knew that the Sea Wasp is coming
back noxt "Wednesday. they'd try to cap
turc her. They re wicked enough"
IS ShoH!den't wonder. father said Obed,
they could do it,
sci always anchors right by the swamp.
where the beach shelves OFF suddenly, and
within a few yards of shore"
:" 80 perceive"
s. Now, if there. were bIoolthirsty and
wicked meI, who had brains to keep their
bad purposes. and knew she is coming on
"Wednesday afternoon, and knew that they
are going TO Silroud-s and round about to
tnrsleg, aud would leave the schooner weak
handed. they might-they are just bad
enough they might leave couple of
stout boats in among the reeds in the creek
there tile night before
They might, fatlier.''
They might go down armed at the
same time. with enough to eat all day. !
ana lie there; and next morning, when the
men came ashore and got out of sight over
the sand-hi!l to Shrold's, they might, il
they are rs resolute as they are bad, take |
that vessel,''
They might. as thee says; and / have |
notion they'll try.''
They may. Obed; but if they do hope |
they u use peaceable means. II they do
try. as think they will, don't thee go |
with them. But if thee will. and thee's /
lieadstrong boy thee must go unarmed. /
Don thee dare to take that rifle that ehy I
Uncle Isaac brought from Virginia and
That hangs mp in the garret, with horn
iuii OF powder aud pouch full of bullets /
anu patches. Icaution the toe let it alone. -
certainly, father; just as thee says"
mere were dozen young men III the I
settlement, statluclI Whigs-some fisher
men and all accustomed 10 the sea-who /
followed Obetl's lead on all occasions. He |
w Wednesday night, secretly, at the beach;
and III the meanwhile he secured a couple T
OF stout boats, with oars. and hid them
away in the place Indicated.
On wednesday afternoon after nightfall
the cutter came in and achored, but io one
came ashore. They kept good watch; but
Iiie night was very dark aud their observa-
tioil ! ceuld not extend very far. Obed and
MS friends made their way through the
swamp to the boats, and lay there quietly
all night.
Next morning at daylight there was
"Htstle heafd from the cutter. ana two
oofts were LET down, Into which there tun-
peg. pee. to the great delight of the concealed
" hlgs, fourteen men, armed with ctytlasses
ana intlskets, with the masters mate and
m1,iashipnan n, recommending la separate boats.
Inns would leave the bratswain, three men,
anu boy on board. Obess kept watch,
me others lying close down, aud saw the
boats land. They all ldisembarked, leaving
the boats In charge of two men and not
sending them back. They evidently in
Tended to return Ia short while, and no
lime was to be lost. So soon as the main
party had disappeared behind tho sand-hills
ooed aud Willetts, covering the two men
VINO were seated on the bows Of the boats,
= y here they We're drawn up on the beach,
nred. One of the men fell dead, and the
other mortally wounded. Ohed and VIII
etfs honmlercd through the marsh to
Nhere the men lay, and, without paying !
my attention to the wounded man. quick
y stove holes In the bottoms OF the boats.
while the rest of the men rowed into sight. !
Jne OF their own boats took them on board
IND they made for the csistcr.
But the people on the cntter were not !
Ole meanwhile. They disengaged car
'onade. ran It out Of port-bOle, and pre-
JARED to fire. The boats, by previous utl-
iersfandipg. separated, one efrciing north