Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-04-24
CAPTURED A CONFEDERATE.
How the Dashing Attempt of Raider
Was Foiled.

some concern IelJ lot lHe PICTURES IL
contained, including portraits of may
ors of the city. Fortunately these por'
traits, which hung in the executive
chambers, were not forgotten, and
were saved to grace the building
which will be erected to take the place
of the old city hall.
Among them were two that have
general interest as the pictures Of men
who served the city in the trying
times of the civil war. They are
those of Jedediah Jewett, mayor in
IS59.60 and collector of customs at
Portland from 1861 to 1868, and Jacob
Mcclellan, who was first elected mayor
In 1863, and was twice reelected be-
lore the end of the war.
Mayor Mcclellan may be identified
by the reader of history as the chief
Executive of Portland who foiled the
Attempt of confederate raiders to get
hway with the United States revenue
butter Caleb Gushing, when she was
"cut out" of the harbor of Portland in
June, 1863.
The confederates, led by Capt.
uate of Annapolis, entered Portland
harbor June "a, 1863, in the fishing
schooner Archer of Southport, Me-,
which they had captured off Monhegan.
Their own vessel, the bark Tacony, in
which they made cruise from the
southwark, with bad results to north
ern shipping, they had burned when
they took the Archer as the fishing
schooner was exactly adapted to their
purpose of entering Portland harbor
unsuspected. The crew of the Archer
had been put on board captured
lhip.
Capt. Reads plan to take the Cush-
ing, which was an armed topsail
schooner, although audacious, was
carried out with every prospect of
success, until the vigorous personali-
ties of Mayor Mcclellan and Collector
Jewett began to be felt.
The Cushing would have proven a
valuable commerce destroyer for the
eonfederacy. She was a fast sailer,
for her type, and carried 32-pounder
amidships on a pivot, and brass IL
FOUNDER forward.
Luck favored the confederates in
taking the cutter. Her captain had
Sied, and ID of her crew were ashore,
pm detail or leave, the night Of June
pa. The vessel was temporarily COM
manded by Lieut.. Dudley Davenport.
An anchor watch was kept. The night
was calm and dark. The raiders lay
quiet aboard the Archer until after
midnight, when they manned boat,
and with muff1ed oars rowed to the
Gushing. On being hailed they made
no response. and shooting their boat
alongside, boarded the cutter before
the lookout could give the alarm.
Lieut.. Davenport was asleep in his
cabin, and the crew were tween decks
in their hammocks. Davenport was
seized and locked into his room, and
the crew were soon bound and gagged.
Then the raiders got up the cutters
anchor, working very quietly, and
making sail, took her out of the har-
Dor in a light land breeze, through a
northern channel, Hussey's sound. A
fisherman they had captured off Sc
guin was obliged to serve as their
pilot
When the confederates got outside
the harbor with the captured cutter
the wind fell, and when Portland got
up and missed the vessel. she could
be seen some few miles off the harbor
entrance.
Mayor Mcclellan lost no time in arm
ing an expedition to go after the cut
ter. He was assisted by Mr.. Jewett in
his capacity of collector of customs.
In very short time they had requisi-
Chesapeake of the New York line and
the Forest City of the Boston line,
with soldiers and volunteers, had
armed their force, had taken on field
guns, and were out and after the be-
Gained cutter.
The Forest City carried % men of
the Seventeenth United States infan-
FOUNDER field piece, one 12-pounder,
and muskets for 40 volunteers. There
were about 200 men on board, the ma
jority unarmed, except with such
weapons as they had provided for
themselves.
The Chesapeake carried 81 men of
company G, Seventh Maine volunteers,
Capt. Henry Warren; two brass six
Founders requisitioned for the occa-
sion from the state arsenal and so
armed citizens, including several old
sailors She also had aboard fight
ing parson, as newspaper item of
the time stated that REV. Mr.. Wal
dron of the Park street church rem
dered valuable service helping to
make cartridges"
Fortunately for the pursuers, the
confederates could not find the shot
locker on the Gushing, and after two
or three shots had been fired at the
steamers her projectiles gave out. The
s,hOt lOnlYar contained on ,npnd 81,