The national Republican., 1861-06-27
From tic New York Evening Post, June Is.
THE CAPTURED PRIVATEERSMEN.

From the New York Evening Post June rs.
THE CAPTURED PRIvATEERSMEN.
THE orFIcERs AND CREW OF THE PRIV ATEER
SAVANNAH.
The news thatthe Hurriet Lane had brought
portion of tho pirate crew of the Sapanndh, At
tracted considerable number Of visitors to the
navy yard this morning. The vessel, however,
lay in the stream near the buoy, aud access TO
the vessel was some what difficult. BY the cour
tesy Of Captain Faunce one Of our reporters
went on board and had an interview with the
prisoners.
The ofilcsrs- were o. the deck aft, sitting in.
side Of temporary shelter formed from main.
sail, and "were having q. good time" They
were uncon6ned. The crew were on the star.
board side Of the upper deck, sitting on long
bench by the side OF the wheel.house. They
were all handcuffed, but wore no other irons.
The OFFICERS.
The captain Of the privatesr Sauanndh calls
himself 7. Harrison Baker. He says that he
was born in Philadelphia, and is now thirty.
no means repulsive looking man, and was neat.
ly dressed in suit Of blue flannel. He has
lived in Charleston for o long time, and has
" followed the sea-" more or less, for the past
fifteen years. He isgreat on precedents. Every.
thing that he has done has been, to use his own
phrase, "as privateers usually do," thus: He
took out his letter, and intended to make
short cruise, say thirty days, after the usual
custom Of privateers; the men we're to share
according to rank in the proceeds of prizes cap.
tured, "as privateers," &c.,) and the prizes
taken were to be sent into the nearest port and
delivered to "the Confederate Prize Commis.
sioners," who would decide as to their disposal.
His crew were generally shipped by an agent
and sent on board. He knew few Of the
men, and the best Of them were sent in with
the first aud only prize cnptured-- the brig 10.
seph, from Cardenas. Our reporter noted,
with some surprise, the fraukness with which
Captain Baker spoke Of his affairs, particularly
membered that the Perry brought one Of the
crew, who is supposed 10 be disposed to turn
States evidence, and it is upon bis testimony
mainly, with regard to the Joseph, that the dis.
trict attorney looks for conviction Of the pris.
oners There will be no difficulty in obtaining
q suficency Of evidence, as all the officers and
crew speak Of the capture as an ordinary busi.
ness misunderstanding to the usual Gus.
tom of privateers'l ~ ....
The captain was very curious to know what
"the people of New York thought of him."
The second question he asked our reporter was,
Is the Day Book still in existence ?" Having
been satisfied on these points he became COM
muncative as to the state of his own feelings.
He says that he is not over and above anxious
about his present condition as q prisoner. He
has done nothing more than "is usual" &c.
If we had had the right sort Of a crew we
should have got away from the Perry" His
vessel was able to get away from any sailing
ship, and he meant 10 keep clear of the steam.
ers, and, indeed, Of United States vessels gen.
orally.
The prisoner, George Knickerbocker, brought
by the Perry, claims TO be New Yorker and
to have been impressed. Baker says he shipped
with him as George Livingston, and received
$50 as an advance at the time Of his shipment
John Harleston is the first officer. He is a
South Carolina man, twenty eight years old,
and says he is not sailor nor does be look
like one, but appears, as he says, like man
brought up in business--a delicate. handed,
rather gentlemanly- looking man.
The sailing master, Henry c. Rowland, is a
North Carolina mar, twenty eight years old,
and sailor.
The purser of the Savannah, c. S. Passail.
a'gue, is young South Carolinian, "only nine.
teen years old" decidedly good.looking, we'll,
behaved young fellow, who has been mailing
clerk and assistant book keeper in the Charles.
ton Mercury office. This is his first, and it is
safe to say last, cruise as purser of privateer.
The general appearance Of these four men
was favorable. They had nothing Of the des.
perate or even rowdy look that wonld naturally
attach to men in their profession. The officers
Of the Lane spoke of them as quiet and we'll
behaved, and the prisoners desired to return
their grateful thanks for the kindness extended
to them by the officers, both of the Perry and
the Harriet Lane.
When they were tranferred from the Perry
to the Minnesota they were strictly confined and
we're not allowed to converse with any one on
board. On the Lane the officers were merely
restricted to their quarters aft, and single
sentinel kept guard over them. Their commu
nication with each other was unrestrained, an6
they were well fed and kindly treated "a,
prisoners Of war;"
THE CREW.
The officers of the Savannah will certainl,
compare very favorably with the men, If all ar,
like the nine prisoners on board the Ha,rie
Lane. They were "a hardlooking seth,
natural descriptive phrase applied to them b.
all OH board the Lane-and despicable rathe
than desperate. Nor did their captain have .
very exalted opinion of their seamanship o.
courage. We give almost rerbatim (omittinr
his terse Saxon phrases) his account of thei
conduct during the brief but brilliant engage
ment with the Perry.
CAPTAIN BAKERS OFFICIAL REPORT.
at was about four o'clock in the afternoo,
when we first saw the Perry; she gave chase
and at eight, P. M, was within half mile o
us she opened FIRE, and when the shot begal
to fall pretty thick around us, my men stowet
themselves away somewhere, God only know
where; don't. Ouly one man and my officer
stood by me; the rest were dreadfully scared
in half All hour after the Perry first fred,
surrendered. And here I am"
The men looked as if they might be easil
"scared" with something less terrible than tn
guns of the Ferry. They are very ordinar