Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-05-11
Exploit OF a Privateersman.

Exploit of a PriVateersman.
A writer in the Salem Evening Journal give
some interesting facts in relation to the N arin,
sfSalem in years gone by. Among many 9th
er things he gives the following account of ar
exploit Of one of the Salem priEateersman in
1914:
December 9th, the Macedonia, Capt. Penn
Townsend, arrived with 2rize goods and twsn-
ty-two prisoners. The way in which the Cap
tain came at, and captured one Of his prizes, ID
fully elucidated in ihs following anecdote, the
substance of which the writer had from his own
lips:
1t appears that just after he left the western
Islands, where lie had stopped to recruit, and
while he was cruising between those Islands
and Tristan de Acuanna. sail wa discovered
on his lee bow, towards W hch he Immediately
kept away.
Whilst running slowly down, with light
breeze, the lookout at tbs masthead as hail
ed from the quarter deck as follows:
"Msst head, ihere!''
"sir!"
"Do you see that sail now7"
"Aye, aye, sir"
'What does she look liksi"
''she locks very large, Sir. Guess she's
either frigate or lndiaman."
On hearing this, Capt. T took his glass and
went aloit TO satisfy himself in regard both to
his enemy's strength and eslibrs. After doing
so, he came down from alOft, lufFed his vessel
up in the wind, sent all his men, with the sx-
ception of nine or ten, below, hoisted Dutch
cOlOrs and kept of again before the wind Dis
guisIng himself so as to appear as much as pos
sible like Dutch skipper, and having trans
formed such of his men as remained on deck
into very respectable Dutch Sailors, Capt. T.
ran boldly down across the ensmy's stern, and
coming to under her quarters was hailed as fol-
lows:
"Ship shoy!'
''HaIlo."
"What ship is that!" - Eel s1
The name of some Dutch vessel with which
the Captain was well acquainted, but which We
have forgotten, was given in reply, and then
Capt. t., in broken English, inquired
''Vot ship ish dat!'' & l q
In reply to this the name of noted India
man was given, with the following addition:
1--WE are last from Barbsry, bound to Lon
don, and short of proyisionsi can't y0u supply
us?"
In answer the Captain replied in substance.
that, If the captain Of the Indiaman would favor
him with visit he would see what he could do
about it, and a short time afterwards he had the
-stisfacton Of seeing boat along side bis vessel
with the English captain in full uniform, who
Immediately came on board.
With the utmost poIiteness and witty Of man.
ner, Capt T. invited the stranger into his cab
in, as was custo mary in those days. to take
glass of wine, This invitation was OF course
Immediately. accepted, and the Captain went
below, where the frst officer of the Macedonia.
as had been previously arranged, acted the part
of steward by placing uPOa he table wine and
such otherrefrsshments as the larder Of the Tes-
sci at the time offered.
Then the two shippers sat down to the table
and after pIedging each other in friendly glass
of wine entered into an animated but general
conversation, in the course Of which the Eng
lishman animadverted at considerable length
and with much warmth, upon the proceedings
of certain privatsersman commanded by one
Townsend, who he sOlomnly averred was reg
ular Yankee devil.
At this point of proceedings, Capt T. gave
the wink to his steward pro tenn. who in clan
desiine manner handed him couple of pistols,
one of which he instantly pre- scented at the Eng
Iish Captain, saying as he did SO:
"Sir, you are my prisoner. am that Yam
kee devil T. about whom you have been so free
Iy speaking. Choose now whether you will
have your brains blown out or surrender your
ship"
Seeing in a moment that all resistance would
be perfectly useless, the Englishman said:-
''l surrender" Then he gave orders to the
I'd Lieutenant, who had charge of the boat, to
return to his vessel and haul down the eOlors,
which was Immediately done. A prize crew was
then put on board and the prisoners were trans
ferr ed TO the Macedonian, and the result was
that one of the richest prizes taken during the
war arrived safely in the United States"