The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-01
Those Internal Yankees.

IN the dark shadows of Fishers Island,
i gloomy, sullen and grim, lay, like
huge monsters upon the waters, the
British fleet, "The mistress of the
Seas.'
The broad red cross of st. George
floated from their mastsheads, proclaim
ing them enemies of our country. Long
had they lain thus in the inglorious
squadron, crushing, 1t is true, the little
commerce between the seaport towns of
Connecticut and the cities of New York
and Boston, but In reality putting them
selves to far more trouble and incon-
venience than their enemies.
The commander of the British Squad
ron, Sir Thomas M. Hardy, as loyal and
brave q man as ever trod the quarter
deck of an English seventy-four, grew
heartily tired of this monotonous life,
and wished that some cursed Yankee
Privateer or Commodore would make
an attempt to run the blockade.
While he was thus thinking, party
of Yankees on shore, wearied and exas
perated by the continual and petty an
noyances of the English fleet, were lay
ing plan to decoy portion of them
ashore.
Capt. Sim Haley, as true, beloved and
patriotic Yankee as ever played trick
on an unwary foe, accordingly loaded a
large boat with a lot Of old boxes filled
with some worthless articles, and man
ming it with few trusty comrades,
pulled down the river Mystic into the
Sound, as If determined to give the
British squadron the slip and run their
goods to New York. Com. Hardy see
ing the boat, instantly gave orders to
Midshipman Chambers to man the
barge and capture the Yankee Rebels.
His orders were promptly and cheerfully
obeyed, for his men were glad of an
opportunity to have brush with the
| Americans.
Capt. Sim and his men pretending not
to see the movement of the enemy held,
steadily on their course, laughing to
| themselves meanwhile that the bait
they had thrown out was so quickly
swallowed. The British, excited by the
hope of prize, pulled vigorously at the
oars, and the barge gained rapidly on
Capt. Sims boat Suddenly the Amer
leans seemed for the first time to become
aware of approach of an enemy. With
| loud cries they bent to their oars, but so
| thoroughly frightened did they seem,
| ~ s h,y
the rowers, the effect of which was to
retard rather than add to the progress of
the boat. They however managed to
get the boat headed to the mouth of the
Mystic. The British were hard ON their
heels and gained rapidly on them. The
Americans had gradually recovered
from their fright, and now were Justify
at work. The distance between them
was kept about the same, each party
rowing at the top of its strength.
AT length the daring Capt. Sim order
ed his boat up to certain point on the
west side of the river, about one mile
from the Sound, where it had been
arranged that he should land and dis
embarking, the boats crew ran over the
bank. The British by this time had
also effected landing, and no sooner
had their barge's keel grated the sandy
shore, than they encountered most
sudden and unexpected fire from o vol
unteer company from Mystic and vicin-
ity, composed of Captains Anson Haley,
Averly, Crary and Denison, with Lieu
tenants Wheeler, Palmer, Hyde and
Williams, with thirty others secreted
behind the bank for that purpose. The
British, startled and confounded by the
apparition and the fall of several of their
comrades, leaped like frogs into the
water.
None was left to man the barge except
Midshipman Chambers, who stood with
drawn sword like statue in the stern
sheets.
When commanded to surrender, he,
with the GOODNESS of brave general
ordered his men from the water and
delivered up his sword. Having secured
his prisoners, litters were made for the
dead and wounded, on which they were
borne to the village. The prisoners were
formed in the centre of hollow square,
and marched into Mystic to the enliven-
ing strains of the "Rogue's March, y
and the shouts of the hardy and patri-
otic citizens.
These shoufs of iov on shore were