Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-04-27
EVENING STAR.
EXPLOIT OF A PRIvArZEssMAE.

EXPLOIT OF A PRIvATEEBsMAE.
A writer in the Salem Evening Jour-
nal gives some interesting facts in rela.
ton to the marine of Salem in wears gone
6y: Among other things he gives the
following account Of an exploit of one
of the Salem privateersman in 1914:
December 5th, the Macedonian, Can't,
Penn Townsend, arrived with prize
goods and % prisoners. The way il
which the Captain came at and captured
one OF his prizes, is full elucidated in the
following anecdote, the substance Of
which the writer had from his own iips.
1t appears that just after he left the
Western Islands, where he had stopped
to recruit, and while he was cruising be-
tween those Islands and Tristan de Acun.
ha, sail was discovered on his lee bow.
towards which be Immediately kept
away.
Whilst running slowly down, with
light breeze, be was hailed from the
quarterback, as follows:
Mast head, there ~
"Sir 3"
"Do you see that sail nowP
| "Ay, ay, Sir"
| "What does she look like Z"
81 She looks very large, sir. Guess
she's either frigate or fndiaman."
On hearing this Captain T. took his
glass and went aloft to satisfy himself in
regard both to his enemy's strength and
calibre. After doing 80, he came down
from aloft, luffed his vessel up in tie
wind, sent all his men, with the excep-
tion of nine or ten, below, hoisted Dutch
colors and kept off again before the wiAd.
Disgusting himself to appear as much as
possible like Dutch skipper, and hav-
ing transformed such of his men as re-
mained on deck into very respectable
Dutch sailors, Captain ran boldly down
across the enemy's stern, and coming UP
der her lee quarter, was has hailed as fol-
lows:
"Ship ahoy"
| "Hallo :"
What ship is that2''
The name of some Dutch vessel with
which the captain was well scquained,
but which we have forgotten, was given
in reply, and then Captain T., in broken
AnSiiSh, SAfuueU-
:; fot ship ish data"
In reply to this the name of a noted
lndlaman was given with the following
addition:
We are last from Barbary, bound to
London, and short Of provisions can't
you supply usl"
In answer to this Capt. T. replied in
substance, that if the Captain of the
lndiaman would favor him with a visit
he would see what he could Go about it,
| and short time afterwards he had the
| satisfaction Of seeing q boat alongside
his vessel with the English captain in
full uniform, who Immediately came On
board.
With the utmost politement and civil
ity CT manner, Capt L. invited the
stranger into his cabin, as was clstom-
ary in those days, to take glass of wine
This invitation was of course immedi-
diately accepted, and the Captain went
below, where the first officer of the Ma
cedonia, as had been previously arranged,
acted the part of steward by placing
upon the table wine and such other re-
freshments as the larder Of the vessel
| at the time offered.
Then the two shippers sat down to the
table and after pledging each other in
friendly glass of wine, entered in ami
lmated but general conversation, in the
course Of which the Englishmsn AMI.
madverted at considerable length and
with much warmth, upon the proceed
lngs of certain privateersman COM
manded by ore Townsend, who be SOL
emnly averred was a regular Yankee
devil.
At this point of proceedings, Capt. 7.
gave the wink to bis steward pro TEN,
who In clandestine manner handed
him couple of pistols, one of which he
instantly presented at the English Cap
tain, saying as he did so:
Sir, you are my prisoner. l am that
Yankee devil I. about whom you have
SO freely talking. Choose now whether
you will have your brains blowed out or
surrender your ship"
Seeing in moment that all resistance
would be perfectly useless, the English
man said
81 surrender" Then he gave orders
to his Sd Lieutenant, who had charge of
his boat, to return to his vessel and haul
down the colors, which was Immediately
done. A prize crew WAS then put on
board and the prisoners were transferred
to the Macedonian, and the result was
that one of the richest prizes taken DUR
ing the war arrived safely in the United
States"
| MDNIGHT.-The waking hours of the