The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05
AN AMERICANS EXPLOIT.
A STIRRING INCIDENT OF THE WAR
OF 1912.

How Lieut.. Gregory Seized the Brit
ish GunbOat Black Snake on Lake
OntariO-The CnptOrs Obliged to
Sink Their Prize and Take to the
Boats, hut They Carried Their
Prisoners with Them-NeVvs Trav-
eIed Very slowly Those Days.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
At the eastern extremity of Lake on
tario. not far from the place where the
majestic St Lawrence begins, there lies
a little village which has played an i'm
portant and yet almost forgotten part in
the history Of our nation.
Sacketts Harbor has changed but little
since the beginning of the century. Even
the barracks are standing just as they
were during the war of 1872 and. although
tho government has just completed some
more modern ones for our soldiers, tho
new has not displaced the old. The visit
tor has only to close his eyes and mag
inc that when he opens them he will see
Chauncey's fleet riding at anchor within
the beautiful harbor, or that if he looks
down the hill he viii see the stalwart
forms Of Jacob Brown or Winifred Scott
come walking up the quaint old street.
At the time when this story opens the
war had now been carried on for two
years, and thus far the success Of the
Americans had not been marked.
Chauncey's fleet had been blocked by
that of Sir James Yeo, and, although tho
blockade had just been raised. the Ameri-
can commodore was not ready to put 10
sea. The Mohawk had been launched on
June II, after only thirty-four days had
been consumed IN her building, but she
and some of the other vessels were not
equipped, and the heart Of Commodore
Chauncey was chatting.
on this particular morning, In the mid
die of June, 1874 the commander was
standing on the dock watching Bill John
ston as he sailed out of the harbor. This
same bill" was a well-known guerilla,
or pirate who, with his followers, held
a strong position among the Thousand
Islands-too strong to be broken up by the
forces at Sacketts Harbor, which were
preparing to move on to the Niagara
frontier. Johnston had dealings with the
parties on either side of the border when
ever 1t was for his advantage to do so,
and just now was apparently favoring the
American side.
"Tn do It! I'll do itr' said the commo-
dore to himself as the aforesaid BIZ dis
appeared around the point He says the
British are sending a continual stream OF
transports up the ST. Lawrence. 1t Is true
that they have gunboats stationed every
four miles on the river, and system of
signals arranged on the nights, but
Lieut. Gregory will be enough for them,
and If we can manage to cut off some OF
the supplies 1t will divert the attention
of some of our men who are grumbling
the delay / feel like grumbling myself,
but we're not ready"
The result of the commodore's medita-
tions was a long interview with Lieut.
Gregory, and, as the commanding officer
watched the eager expression upon his
hearers face, he felt his own hopes ris-
ing rapidly. Francis II. Gregory was at
this time but twenty-five years of age,
yet he had been in the service since he
was thirteen years old, and had won the
unbounded confidence Of Perry under
whom he had served in the Revenge.
''Bnl Dixon and Vaughan will go with
YOU" said the commodore, as their in
terview ended. "Bill Dixon, you know,
you can depend upon, and as for Sailing
Master Vaughan-a man whose wife VIII
tear up her petticoats and carpets to wrap
around our cannon balls, as she did in the
first attack the British made on Sackett's
Harbor-doesnt need any other voucher.
You will take three gigs; you Will COM
mand one, and Dixon and Vaughan each
one of the others. You will also have
eighteen picked men, and If you don't cut
off some Of the enemy supplies 1 think
the fault will be your own. shall expect
a good report from you, lieutenant
81 shall do my best" said the young off,
GER as he left the commodore to make
preparations.
Fitted with sails and supplied with ri
fies, pistols and cutlasses, as well as with
provisions for several days, the three gigs
soon left Sackett's Harbor and in a few
hours were among the islands Of the st.
Lawrence.
They successfully eluded the gunboats
which they found stationed as Johnston
had reported, all of them too strong to be
attacked. On June 10 they were in hiding
near Bald Island, about four miles below
Alexandria Bay, and under the Canadian
shore. Two squadrons of boats had passed
them going up the river, but the concealed
men prudently made no attack upon them.
Suddenly the watch called out: There's
a gunboat coming down the river under
Of the channel. She's seen us, too" he
added a moment later, when the gunboat
came about and sent an officer and two
men in a skiff to inquire who the strangers
were.
Quickly bidding his men to remain ST.
lent Lieut.. Gregory waited for the skiff
to approach. He could see the men on the
gunboat now, and evidently there were
as many as he had in his own party. An
1-pounder pointed IN his direction did not
allay his fears, and he was convinced
There was no possibility Of escaping, and
he looked about at his followers to see
whether they were likely to stand firm.
All appeared to be calm and ready.
who are you, and what men are those
with your called out the British officer
as the skiff came near.
me? oh, I'm a Connecticut yankee,
born at Norwalk, and these men are pick
ed marines from Sackett's harbor. I
my prisoners replied Gregory. Here,