New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-10
American privRtecFs.
New ORLEANS, March 8, 1856.

New ORLEANS, March 8, 1856.
NessrS. Editors While threatened war with our
old and inveterate foe is talked Of and the English
press is filled with Wanting of the power of Engands
fleet, the following may not be undressing In the
Remenbraneer, q work published in London during
our war of independence, find that during part Of
ITS, the whole of rs and part of II, that there
were six hundred British vessels taken by Ameri
can privateers and of which the above mentioned
work gives the names.
In Niles Register and other works of like nature
| find the names Of some two hundred and sixty
(2G0) American pryateers at sea during the war of
1872, and l do think would be far from wrong, in
placing the number of private armed American YES
sells cruising during the war against English com
merce at three hundred and fifty (350) Niles Regis
ter gives the names of one thousand seven hundred
700) British vessels taken by American privateers
during the war, seyeneighths of which number were
either sent into American or neutral ports and the
balance destroyed or retaken. Baltimore fitted out
the largest number Of these privateers as find the
| names of fiftyfour; next comes New York with
forty-eight next Salem, thrty-eight Boston, twen-
| ty-two Philadelphia eleven Portsmouth, n. e.,
and Charleston, S. c., niEe, each. These ports
| stand 1rst-the balance were fitted ont at yariola
other ports. Our own city, I find, fitted out two,
viz the Two Brothers and Spy. These vessels were
mostly briggs and schooners, ranging from one hun,
bred to three hundred TONS and their success be-
yond parallel. In one cruise the Scourge of New
York, and Rattlesnake of Philadelphia, took over
forty sail of English vessels Among those whose
success seems to have been the greatest were the Sa
lem vessels America and Grand Turk the Fox, Of
| Portsmouth the Portsmouth, of the same place ;
the Gen Armstrong, (of Fayal celebrity y Morgiana
Warrior, Scourge, Prince de Neifchatel and Young
Teazer, of New York the Abtclino, Brutus p"a
Wiley Reynard, of Boston the brig Yankee, of BTiS-
tol the Rattlesnake and Young Wasp, Of Philadei-
phia the Roger of Norfolk Snap Dragon, of New
bern Lovely Cordeia and Saucy Jack, of Charles
ton, S. c.; the True Boodcd Yankee, fitted out in
France; and last but not least the famous Baltimore
vessels, viz: Amelia, Comet, Chasseur, Caroline,
Globe HAPPY, Kemp, Mammoth, Surprise, Sabine and
Ultor. 1t is to be borne in mind that these vessels
went to sea and returned laden with the spoils of
English commerce, in face Of a strict blockade Ell.
forced by over two hundred men.of-war and they
often sought and never AVOIDED where there was any
thing like equality, conflict with these same block
aders, and that many of the most brilliant actions Of
the war were fought by privatecrs.
If we could do this in 1872, what could we not do
with our present resources Indeed, | believe I do
not hazard too much by saying that, in four months
after declaration of war; over thousand privateers
under the American fag would be on the ocean.
In the mention of names, give as first those who
stand credited with having taken the largest number
of prizes in the lists given in Niles Register. z.