Legends of the Shawangunk2 JR.pdf - Friends of the Sabbath ...

The Tories After the Revolution. 107
parts. It has been well observed that hypocrisy is ever addicted to overacting its part, and
Joe’s conduct at that time was no exception to the truth of the proverbial remark. In short
his attempted deception was the occasion of adverse comment, and aroused the sentiment
still more against him. A few warm-hearted patriots in and about Napanock embarked in
a wagon and drove down the Mamakating valley in time to reach Minisink early in the
evening. They looked in at the window, and saw the old man and his son Joe sitting and
talking at the fire. Joe was boasting of his exploits against the Whigs in the late war—at
least so thought the Napanock patriots. They surrounded the house, while Jacobus
Chambers, a brave and hardy veteran, was chosen to enter.
The moment the tap at the door was heard, Joe ran into an adjoining room. In
response to a question from Chambers the old man solemnly declared “he
A TORY TARRED AND FEATHERED, YOKED AND BELLED.
had not seen his son Joe since the war.” Chambers replied, “Give me a candle and I will
show you your son.” “But I have no candle,” persisted the old man. Chambers retorted,
“I don’t want your candle;” and producing a tallow dip from his pocket he proceeded to
light it, and then moved towards the door where Joe had secreted himself.
“Loop, jongen, loop!” (run, boy, run) sang out the old Tory, at the top of his voice.
The boy started for the window, but two or three stalwart men were guarding it, and the
poor fellow cried out, “Yes, dad, but it’s full here too.” Joe was taken in the wagon back
to Napanock, where a council of war was convened to deliberate on his case. Some were
for hanging him outright as no more than a just recompense for his past misdeeds, while a
few counseled a less rigorous punishment. It is said, while the deliberations were
progressing, that Joe trembled and shook as did Belshazzar at the hand-writing on the
wall of his palace, and could not conceal his pleasure when he saw the tar-bucket and
feathers brought in, and judged by the preparations that it had been de-