Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-17
ATROCIOUS PIRACY.
We7v- Orleans, June IL,

of New-Kork, captain Wing Holland, bound
from Baltimore TO New-Orleans.
On the 5th of May, finding the cur
rent in the Gulftoo strong, it was thought
best to cross the Salt Key bank when
about half over the bank. two schooners
hove in sight, which at first view were
of a suspicious appearance. lmmedi-
ately ordered all the negroes upon deck,
thinking to brighten them off if they
were pirates. They tackled, and stood
from US; the one astern hosting prl-
vate signal, they soon after closed and
bore down upon US; they brought us
to with shot, and fired upon us after
we had hove to; several grape shot pass
ed over US, and others through our
sails; we struck our colors and all went
below. They boarded us and sailed away
for salt Key, then in sight. AT IL,
brought US TO anchor in l24 water, nn-
der the island. On boarding us they
drove every person below except the
captain, and put on the skylight and
matches. 9th the captain and his pa
pers having been examined on deck,
some of the pirates entered the cabin,
where the mate and passengers were
confined; they interrogated US as to the
cargo and destination of the vessel, be-
haved politely, encouraged us not to feel
alarmed, as they intended us no injury.
The captain was then ordered into the
cabin, after which the whole company
were taken Individually upon deck and
required to confess if there was money
on board, and there being none, negative
answers were of course given. Having
proceeded through the examination OF
the whole, threatning at the same time,
if they found any money, our lives should
pay the forfeit, they again ordered us
with the crew into the cabin, threw a
blanket over the companion way, and
placed guard over US; the slaves
were in the meanwhile kept in the hold,
and guard posted over them. After
the lapse of quarter of an hour, du-
ring which the pirates were making
preparations to torture us into a confess
sion that we had money on board,
we were again summoned upon deck,
beginning with the sailors, then the
captain, mate, and passengers. The pas
sengers were called in the following
order: Stephen w. WykoF, captain
John Campbell, VIM. Inskeep, Charles
A. Warfcld, WIN. Campbell. Those
who remained behind in the cabin, from
the sound of their arms, the agonizing
groans and the prayers of their fellow
passengers, who went before them, and
from the termination of their woful suf-
ferings by the report of pistols, were
convinced that they were to suffer a
cruel death. So regular and systematic
were the arrangements, and well calcu-
lated to inspire terror and to fill the
breasts of all with the most dreadful ap-
prehensions, that every man marched
upon the deck expecting to meet inevi-
table death. We were all in succession
ordered upon the deck, and made to run
the gauntlet through fifteen or twenty
most ferocious and barbarous monsters,
disguised in the shape OF human beings,
from the cabin to the windiass, being
beaten most cruelty and numerically
with swords and pistols, until death
would have been a welcome visitor.
We were then ordered to sit upon the
windlass with our backs turned to them,
there to be shot; they put the pistols
to our heads and fired them
it is impossible to describe our feel
ings, when after the report oithe pistols,
we found ourselves still alive. This
was the system of terror they adopted
to compel us into disclosure of our
hidden riches as they imagined. We
were Immediately, as we were success
sively despatched, ordered into the fore
castle, there to await their further VEN
geance. Language fails to convey an
adequate conception of our establishment
and agreeable surprise when we beheld
our fellow passengers, who we believed
were sacrificed to Spanish cupidiy and
sunk into their watery graves, still
breathing the breath of life, but whose
countenances still communicated the
cruel apprehension that harassed their
minds In this place we remained ru-
minating upon our situations, and an
ticipating the most horrid consequences
of Spanish barbarity.
II is worth while to mention, that
when we were brought to the wndlass,
we found ii bloody, those hellhounds OF
war having, in order to convince us OF
the murder Of our fellow passengers,
killed duck and sprinkled the blood
nm and about the windlass.
The sailor who had secreted himself,
being discovered was barbarously beat