The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-09-13
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William N. Stone contributes 10 the
July number of Che Magazine Of ANeY-
iczst HiStOry an account 0f the ser, icer
VI Moses Harris, Schuylei's spy, Ia the
BuFgoyne campaign. Some Of bis de.
scendants now reside Ia Warren and
Washington c0antisa, n. Y.
Mosea Harris WAS born In Duchess
county IN l740, but his father noved
TO Waahington county, and II the out
break Of the Revolutionary War was
living on the Brayt0n farm, about u
mile south of Fort Ann villimge. and
remained there untl the spring of TIT,
when the advance Of Bargoyne CON.
PEELED him ~ remove back 70 Duchess
county. The son was stauneh patriot,
but was Ia the habit Of visiting : Tory
uncls namsd Gdbert Harrin, who lived
on farm in the town Of Kingsbury,
known - 1.-The thoassut apple tree
farm row owned by Taos. OWens.
IL 20 happened that both Schuyler
and Burgoyne wished 70 secure the ser
vices Of . confidential nessenger.
Harris was recommended 70 Schuyler
and was employed By him. He was al
10 sent for By bis Tory uncle, and e.
midnight was aroused By bin and asked
u he wanted 70 engage Ia the Kings
service. Harris responded In the afiir.
native and followed his uncle 70 the
barn where a seeret passage disclosed 4
room in the centre Of the haymow.
Here be wGs introduced 20 three
British officers and engaged by them t.
act aa messenger between the armies Of
General Clinton aud General BarRoyne.
PAusinx ling enough TO make canteen
with q - heads % secure greater safe
y for has dispatches, he weat to Bur
g0yne's headquarters, and that General
raitying the acts Of he uaibordinate Uf-
dcoFH, Harris was entrusted with dis
patches 20 be conveyed 70 General Clin-
ton.
On reaching Fort Edward be had an
inssrvisw with Schuyler, who read and
altered the dispatches 30 as 70 misles.d
Citation nnd delay his advance towards
Albany; znd on bis return, the dis-
patches were zgain opened and changed
~ ~ u completely puzzle Burgoyne.
The uaani custom of Harris, however,
on hts trips south wss 70 stop in Eas-
ton with Mr.. FiAh, who would take
the papers 70 Sehuyler's headquarters,
whore they were altered aud returned
70 the sry, aud by hin, taken 70 Albany.
Here they were delivered 70 one VII
liam shepherd. who forwarded them 70
New York, giving Harris in retsru,
disPatches G0r Bdtgoyne from Clinton,
which on the way back would, ~ usual,
be subject TO the inspection Of Schuy-
ler.
He lad many adventures, being sub
jecs to suspicioaa on both sides. 5hsp-
herd tried 70 isoison him. He was
Oncs ARRESTED as TrpoIi By the tories,
and taken "a the big swamp east Of
Sandy HILL, where they attempted to
hang him. He was Mason and gave
Uhe grand ia lag sign Of diatrees OF the
order, and the captain Of the troop that
Was % hang him, at once recognized
him and let him down. This caused
the wings TO suspect him, and one ia
cOb Benson lay in ambush all night for
him and threatened 'sto put hall
through the cussed tory" He was,
however, warned by friead, and tax
ing different route, escaped. Once be
wAs wounded aud compelled 10 swim
the Hudson At Fort Miller, just above
the falls, and arriving as the residence
Of Nozh Payn vas taken IN and con-
eealed by that gentleman. This Noah
kayn was, we presume, an ancestor oi
the present Daniel w. Payn, once sher.
IA of this county, and 3 resident, w
have no doubt, on the property occu.
pied by Noah Payn. It ia about hal.
way bctweon the Moses Kill lock and
Fort Miller Falls. He was thrown in
70 prison At Alhany at the command OF
Schuyler but was restored to liberty q
soon as public attention was called from
him. Onco he was arrested at st. johns
by the British who suspected him Of
being . aPy. He feigned such indig
nation At the charge aud 30 earnestly
desired 70 30 shot at once rather thar
be suspected Of disloyalty to his king
that he was discharged. He made
tracks out Of camp at once, but hardly
had bo departed before the suspicionl
revived and they determined to recap
turc him.
Swift Indian runners were put upoE
bis track. but being feet Of foot ans
possessed Of great powers Of endurance
he out strippad his pursuers, aud reach
ed Vsughn's Corners, in the town O.
Kingsbury, before he was retaken. Al
this point he was 50 fatigued and hars
pressed. that in passing N old building
used Tor boiling potash-which stoO'
on farm owned by J. w. Brown-h
dOdgea, in and, clambering up The lad
der, hid himself behind large chin
ney. A moment after, the indians
came round 10 Eha place where he has
cnterei. Que Of them ran up the lad
der, but seeing no one, gave q granI
and returned to has companions Thl
Indiana were mt seen again; it ia sup
posed they went on 70 visit Gil Harris
who lived half 5 mile west. Harri,
str3tegem in not pulling up the ladds
after him probably saved his life, for /
the savages suspected the fugitive 4
be in tho garret they would have Sc
lire to the cabin and thus destroye'
him. In the evening he made his wa
to the American lines, whore be wa
arrested "a q spy, and closely guards
until his true character was known
The dispatches Of the Canadian authol
titles which he had managed 10 preserv