The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-11-29
IGBs 9ailg yournaI
pRIvATEERs IN THE LAST WAR.

The subjoined is selected from the record of
idoings Of the Salem feet Of American priya-
lteers during the last war with Great Britain.
December, 9th, Macedonian, Capt. Penn
Townsend arrives, with prize goods and %
prisoners. The way in which the Captain
came at and captured one Of his prizes is fully
lelucidated in the following anecdote, the sub
stance Of which the writer had from his own
lips.
1t appears that just after he left the West
ern Islands, whers. he had stopped to recruit,
and whilst he was cruising between those is
lands ard Tritan de Acunha sail was discoy-
cred on his lee bow. towards which ne imme-
Idiately bore away. 4a
Whilst running slowly down. with light
breeze, the lookout man at the mast head was
hailed from the quarterback as follows;
| "Mast-head, there"
"Sirm -
| "Do you see that sail nowr
SAY, ay, sir"
| "What does she look hke?"
'She looks very large, sir Guess she's
either frigate or lndiaman."
On hearing this, Capt. L. took his glass and
went aloft, to satisfy himself in regard both to
his enemy's strength and calibre. After doing
SO he came down from aloft, luffed his vessel up
lin the wind, sent all his men, with the excep-.
ton of nine or ten, below, hoisted Dutch colors
and kept eff again before the wind. Dsguis-
ling. himselfse as to appear as much as
possible like Dutch skipper, and having
transformed such of his men as remain on
deck into very respectable Dutch sailors, Capt.
T. ran boldly down across the enemy's stern,
and coming to under her lee quarter, was hail
led as follows:
| ship ahoy" e
{ "ilallo.''
/ What ship is that? .s,,..-,s.. !.
i The name of some Dutch vessel With which
1.-The Captain was well acquainted, but which
1--we have forgotten, was given in reply, and ther
lCapt, T., in broken English, Inquired
"Vot ship ish dat?'
: In reply to this; the name of noted India
man was given, with the following addi ton:
"We are last from Barbary, bound to Lon
ldon, and short of provisions; can you suppl.
!. us?"
In answer to this Capt. T. replied iii sub
stance. that if the Captain of the Indiaman
: would favor him with visit he would Sc
lwhat he could do about it, and in shor
time afterwards he had the satisfaction of seeing
: a boat alongside of his vessel with the Englisl
captain in lull uniform, who Immediately cam'
n on board.
: With the utmost politeness and ciyility Q
InannerJ Capt l. ,ihfllSo tAc otidlSeA Ine
his cabin as was customary in those days, t.
!, take glass of wine. This invitation Was i'm
y mediatcly accepted, and the captains wen
below, where the first officer of the Macedonian
as had been previously arranged, acted the par
of steward, by Pacing upon the table wine ane
snch other refreshments as the larder OF tn
:. vessel at the time offered. e8 o se
n Then the two shippers sat down to the ia
? ble, and after plcdging each other in triendl,
i glass of wine, entered into animated and gen
10 eral conversation, in the course of which tn
4 Engiishman animadverted to a consider b.
length, and with much warmth, upon tie pro
ceedings of certain priyateersman command
: ed by one Townsend, who he solemnly aver
= red was a regular Yankee devil.
d At this point of proceedings, Capt. I. CAV
!, 1.-THE wink to his steward pro tenn, who in
tclandestine manner, handed him couple 9
pistols, one of which he instantly presented t
the English Captain, saying as he did so:
D ''Sir, you are my prisoner; am the fanke
devil T. about whom you have been SO freel.
speaking. Choose now, whether you vii | haV
your brains blown out or surrender up you
sh p."
e Seeing in moment that all resistance woul
Ibe utterly useless, the Englshman said
~ 81 surrender"
u Then he gave orders to his third lieutenan
who had charge of his boat, to return to hi
* vessel and hand down the colors, which wa
Immediately DONE. A prize crew was the
Iput on board, and the prisoners were transferre
to the Macedonian, and the result was that on
of the richest prizes taken during the war a
: rived safe in the United States. 10