Morgan's Raiders had already appropriated a small packet named John T. McCombs and used her as a decoy to hail down and capture the Alice Dean. After using the two boats for their purposes, Morgan's men  burned the Alice Dean. The McCombs was spared because its owner/captain was a friend of Morgan's second-in-command, Basil W. Duke.
Morgan's Raiders had already taken control of a small vessel named John T. McCombs and used it as a diversion to capture the Alice Dean. Following their use of both boats, Morgan's men destroyed the Alice Dean. The McCombs was spared because its owner/captain was an associate of Basil W. Duke, Morgan's second-in-command.