Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-10-30
From the Boston Mercantile Journal
Adventure during the last War.
BY nAwsER MARTISGALE

~ Is WCll huoWu, uOuUbIcSS, 10 all our
readers. tina. during the latest, and hope
the last war with Grea, Britain, an i'm
mense injury was done to the British
commerce by American priva,eers and
letters of marque. British ships were
fallen in with on every sea. Some which
were good saiers and well found, and
contained valuable cargoes, were manned
and ordered to some port in The United
States; but the greater part Of the cap
tured ships were burnt on the waters
where they were captured, after hav
ing been stripped Of their most valuable
articles. Such 5ontires were often seen
in the night on the Atlantic, on the Pa.
cific, and on the Indian Oceans; and
while they tended somewhat 10 cripple
the resources of the enemy. they caused
vast amount of Individual suffering, and
plunged many worthy men--whO perhaps
deprecated war between the two coun
tries as grea, evil to be avoided at all
hazards-from the summit of affluence
TO the lowest depths of poverty. Such
are some of ,he natural and unavoidable
consequences of war!
In the month of August. 1919. beau
.iful brig. called the Wanderer, of ..BaI-
timore pilot boat model" was despatched
from por, in New England for the East
Indies, with fall permission to capture,
burn. sink, or destroy any vessels be-
longing to the enemy, which nigh. be
met with on the outward or homeward-
bound passage. 1t was thought, how
ever, tina, the injury which this vessel
would cause TO the British commerce
would not be very great, for she was far
better calculated for sailing than for fight
| higher whole armament consisting of
only six twelve pound carronades, while
twenty five good seamen comprised all
her effective crew. Nevertheless, the
Wanderer made an imposing appearance
on the water. She was long, black.
rakish looking craft--heavily spared,
and osten.a.ionsly exhibiting nine port
holes Oh each side. On the high seas
she would be easily mistaken by the enc
my for an eighteen gun brig, with all
the customary means and appurtenances.
The Wanderer wa, commanded by
Richard Wilcox, ESQ.,. man of great in
,repidity and resolution. and who posses
sed, among other characteristics of a
thorough seamen, a noble, generous
heart. He was strict disciplnarian, and
| although his crew were comparatively
few in number, his vessel was managed
with admirable skill and dex,erity.
| On the outward passage, Captain Will
| cox fell in with a number of British arm.
| ed vessels and was several times chased
| by their frigates and sloops Of war, from
| which he found little difficulty in eseap-
| ing. When he fell in with large mer-
chant ship, or government. vessel Of
small size, either Of which would have
| been more Than latch for the Wan.lerer
with her small armament and CON plement
Of men. he would hoist the stars and
/ stripes at his trvsail peak, and crowd all
! sail, steering directly towards her. with
a drag osfern to retard ahe briggs way,
and preclude the possibili,yof getting with
in poin, blank shot while. IN an agony
Of fear, the enemy would claw. off with
all possible despatch! sss ..as.
| The Wanderer was bound to China,
and reached Whampoa after short pas
sage of one hundred and fifteen days
She succeeded in getting INTO. port, in
spite If the British. cruisers, which a,
that time were stationed al convenient in
teryals along the whole southern coast oil
China. and. which, succeeded in. enirap-
ping "a number OF valuable AmeIica an
ships, and prevented others from leaving
port. Her arrival caused quite, sensa.
ton among the English officers, and old
Commodore Treenail. who, arrived al
| Whampoa in the figa,e Salamander, a
few days afterwards. leclared. with a
knowing look. as he gazed with an admir-.
ing eye on the fair propositions of the
beautiful br,g. e,ha, although jonathan
had fairly wealhered them by entering The
port, yet he would find i, a diffic uIt m attic,
to get out. sy t.fs aa.53 i a4e,ssF
/ Captain Wilcox anchored his brig
apart, from the other vessels in the harbor
and took pains 10 conceal the actual condi
iion of his armament, and crew. Or
shore, especially in presence of Brilisl
officers, he talked large, and impressed
them with the idea that the Wanderej
was a crack privaseer Of eighteen guns