Souvenir of the Revolutionary Soldiers' Monument Dedication at Tarrytown

"This doughty Dutchman (continues thesage Diedrich Knickerbocker) was not content with taking a share in all the magnanimow enterprises concocted at the Roost, but still continued his petty warfaic along shore. A series of exploits at length raised his confidence in his prowess to such a height, that he began to think himself and his goosegun a match for anything. Unluckily, in the course of one of his prowlings, he descried a British transport aground, not far from shore, wit!; her stern swung towards the land within point-blank shot. The temptation was too great to be resisted ; bang 1 as usual went the great goosegun, shivering the cabin windows, and driving all hands forward. Bang! bang! the shots were repeated. The reports brought several sharp-shooters of the neighborhood to the spot ; before the transport could bring a gun to bear, or land a boat, to take revenge, she was soundly peppered, and the coast evacuated. She was the last of Jacob's triumphs. He fared, like some heroic spider, that had unwittingly snared a hornet -- to his immortal glory, perhaps, but to the utter ruin of his web.

"It was not long after this, during the absence of Jacob YanTu.- sel on one of his forays, and when no one was in garrison but his stouthearted spouse, his redoubtable sister, Nochie Van Wurmer, and a strapping negro wench called Dinah, that an armed vessel came to anchor off the Roost and a boat full of men pulled to shore. The garrison flew to arms -- that is to say, to mops, broomsticks, shovels, tongs, and all kinds of domestic weapons -- for unluckily, the great piece'"! ordnance, the goose-gun, was absent with its owner. Above all, a vigorous defence was made with that most potent of female weapons the tongue.