The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-23
DUPED TIE BRITISH R
How a Yankee Skipper, Captured
by the English, Brought His
Captors Into an Ameri-
can Port.

| Dotted here and there on the pages y
| New Jerseys history are scenes and in
cidents that would worthily serve the
writers of romance. says the Newark
Sunday Call OF these none are
more interesting than the stories OF
the Jersey coast and the exploits of the
| sailor residents of its towns and villages.
In these later days, when the shining
sands from Sandy Hook to Cape May
look lazily ON the quiet workins of com
merce. it's refreshing to turn back to the
times when their places was threatened
with bloody war, and to read of the
bravery and loyalty that marked the men
of the sea coast in the early part of the
present century. Although tradition tells
| of the many valiant deeds on the part
of those Jerseymen who lived on the
northern shores of the State, there are
but few that can equal the doughty
doings of our South Jersey brethren,
and of all the latter, the following tale
is perhaps the greatest from the point of
| patriotic courage.
The wal of 1Sl2-the second unpleasant
| ness with Great Britain in our history
! was one teeming with naval exploits. The
| warships of England fringed the coast
line, threatening alike the ships engaged
in foreign trade and the smaller coasters
that even then engaged in be-
tween the principal ports of the growing
States. With accustomed naval foresight
the British collected their fleets at the
mouths of the great rivers that poured
into the Atlantic. and. by their pres
ence. sought to check the incoming
and outgoing of all American vessels.
This was especially the case at the mouth
of the Delaware river. for the Quaker
city of Pennsylvania and it's neighboring
towns were sources of great enmity to the
English foe both on account of memories
of the Revolution and the present warlike
activity.
WAITING FOR HIS PREY.
During the month of November, 1913,
a large schooner, armed with twelve
guns, was detached from the British
fleet in the Chesapeake and ordered to
lay off Cape May for the purpose of in
tersecting amy coasting vessels that
tremity of New Jersey. History does
not hand down the name Of the boat,
gallant officer. who later on was killed
the Delaware Bay, doing. what damage
she could to American shipping, meeting
with varying success, until one clear,
cool November day when Fate threw an
opportunity in her way OF which she
OiiP o-lS
The Britisher was anchored off Cape
May within easy distance of the sandy
beach, For the greater part of the day
the schooner rolled gently on the billoWy
waves that came in from the ocean, the
crew ~indolently watching the gulls that
Travelled n 3r to their homes near
a fleet of small coasters was sighted
bearing down from Mays Landing, ap-
parently en~deavor.ng to- round the cape
and take the direction of the gulls north
ward along the Jersey sands. The indo-
lence of the British crew vanished at a
few sharp words from Fanshawe. Up
came the anchor and the sails were set.
The deck was cleared for action and the
flag of Old England waved from the hal
gBeeifmus the @it seh oomers d snfesS tow Sdea its
prey, churnsng the waves that met. her
bows into a mass of spray n foam
in the bright sunlight. It was to be a
short chase and one from which much
might result.
CONSIDERATION SEXES THE YAM
KEGS.
CONSERVATION seized the captains of
the Yankee coasters when they perceived
lying fRf gF '3he British ST t ansig speedy e s' formeF
were small and totally unarmed. They
were ladened with fish and grain and
cargoes were 70 be sold and transported
inland to the less fertile regions toward
the West. 1t was easily seen that hope
existed only in flight, and after the first
crews of the little fleet settled down
with grim determination, to round the
largest of the Yankee boats was a
schooner named New Jersey, owned and
sailed by Captain Burton of Mays Land
ing. She was a staunch craft and boast
ed a crew of two hands, Jersey fisher-
men and seamen, as opportunity for SER
vice happened.
The New Jersey was singled out by
prize of the fleet, it being evident that
it was an impossibility to capture more
than one of the number. now that the
Yanke were scattered in their flight,
and consequently the two schooners be-
gan a race that to one meant life or
death. No more inspiring scene could be
New Jersey tackled, jibed and ran free,
and the Englishman followed suit. The
former edged in as near shore as was
safe and then finding her opponent IN
hot chase headed for the open sea again.
For an hour the fight and chase con
tinued, until the superior handling of
the armed schooner began to tell and
the Yankee boat lost rapidly the lead
originally obtained. AS the enemy APP
preached nearer a shot was fired across
ton concluded that the safest plan was
in surrender, a conclusion that after
evenf pop proy ed r to be e = Absolutely yp correct.
The English captain promptly boarded
the Yankee and looked her over. Then,
thinking that he might capture another
VI LII 4lS0iy LAW VII Gil P1iA
crew. consisting of a rosy-cheeked mid
shiprnan,e by name George Cotton, and
| three sailors-two Englishmen and an
Irishman. Captain Burton and his two
men were placed on the forecastle in
irons. The English ship then continued
the chase. TIL rapid approach of dark
ness and the springing up of a heavy
breeze-a frequent occurrence off the
south coast of New Jersey as night falls
pursuit of the flying fleet that now was.
Swimming along toward Egg Harbor. He
~signalled to M~idshipman Cotton to follow
him with the New Jersey, and started
to return to Cape May, to the west of
which was a place of shelter where the
night could be passed in safety.
The young midshipman. was not an ex-
perienced seaman, and this happened to
be his first command. The Yankee
schooner was somewhat difficult to han
die. and it was not, long before the Eng
fish ship was nearly hull down. AS the
latter grew more and more indistinct in
the darkness and mist from the white
capped waves, Cotton grew exceedingly
nervous. Finally he went forward to
| where his prisoners were stationed, and
having liberated them. requested Cap
tain Burton to again assume
| of his own vessel and steer the shortest
| course toward the Cape. The captain
willingly undertook the commission, for
shrewd, courageous brain, whereby his
| captors could be outwitted and over
A CLEVER SAILORS RUsE.
Like the clever sailor he really was,
| Burton knew every incl of the coast
| from the cape to Egg Harbor. He could
| steer the course almost with blindfolded
1900 frL;o aIca1nta 1znaur1o1ra nnoh1aI