The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-02
.: An Extraordinary Affair.
KILLING OF A PRIVATEER PRIZE CREW.

vateer JEFF Davis. The details of this most
extraordinary affair are contained in the
statement of BoICE McKINNoN, a passen.
ger:
On the 3rd of July sailed as passenger,
for Mcntevideo, whittier | was going for
my health, intending to engage in stock
breeding, in the schooner s. j. Wariug,
Capt. Smith of Brookhaven, from New
York. We dropped down to Quarantine
that afternoon, and on the morning of the
4th weighed anchor and put to sea. We
had tolerably fair weather, until we got to
lat. $50 So, lon. go 4, $50 miles from SAM
dy Hook, on Sunday, the It'll inst.
That morning, about o'clock, we saw
vessel ahead, but did not pay any partcu-
lar attention to her until about noon, when
we had drifed pretty near her. Then Capt.
Smith and his second mate carefully scann-
ed her through the telescope. She soon af-
ter hoisted French colors, and our Captain
sent below and got the stars and stripes,
which he set. A moment after shot came
whizzing over US, and we then pretty we'll
understood her true character, still we
thought it not unlikely that she was a
French man of war that had merely taken
that way of asking US for news from the
States. Our uncertainty, however, soon
resolved itself into stern fact, for we were
shortly visited by boat from the uncere-
monious stranger, in which were an officer
and twelve men, the first ununitOrmed, and
the crew as wretched set of sccundrels as
could be picked up in any seaport, all of
whom were armed. They wore clothes of
all shapes aud, sizes, and many of them
were shoeless. AS they came up to us the
brig run up the confederate flag.
Upon reaching our vessel, the person in
command of the boat, whom we afterwards
ascertained was Lieutenant Postell, for
mtrly of the United States navy, address
ing Captain Smith, he said, We have
taken you as a prize to the brig jeff. Davis,
bearing letters of marque of the Confede-
rate States haul down that flag" point
ing to the United States colors.
Captain Smith took Lieutenant Postel
below iDto his cabin, and handed him his
letters and papers, and gave up his vessel
The privateers took some of our charts,
cOasting books, seXtant, some plates, cof
fee cups, lot of table cloths, some of which
were dirty, quantity of -four, several oil
cans, a tub OF butter some cases of pre-
served lobster, and other articles, together
with all the firearms which they could fnd
but single barreled pistol belonging to
myself, and another owned by VIM. Sted-
ding, one of our crew.
Having sent their boat load OF stuff on
they returned with prize crew, consisting
NJ II mafp and CppnnH
and two men, taking in exchange for them
Captain Smith, OF Brooklyn L. j. Smith,
first mate of New York L. Davidson,
second mate, and two seamen. The prize
crew consisted of Montague Amiel,
Charleston pilot, prlze>master Stephens,
mate, an lrishman, who had been in the
country about ten years ago, but had been
at sea since until Line months ago, when he
returned, and three sailors, one of whom
acted as second mate and slept 10 the cabin ;
the other two were hands, whose names are
James Minor, OF South Carolina, and JAS
Dorsey, of Port Pleasant New Jersey
There were, therefore, on the schooner the
prize crew of five VIM. Tilman, the col.
ored steward of the vessel William Sted>
ding and Donald Mcleod, seamen, and
myself F.; of the original party, four-nne
persons 10 all.
The schooner was headed for Charleston,
or some inlet on the coast near that port.
We'were not put in irons, but used with as
much kindness as we could expect. The
steward continued to cook and provide for
US. and our men worked the vessel. | be.
came quite intimate with the officers, and
expected soon to be a prisoner of war in
Charleston, though we hoped that we might
tall in with United States vessel, and be
rescued from our captOrs. Thus we got
along quietly on our way southwark till
Tuesday, the 9Th inst when we were fifty
miles south aud one hundred miles west of
port, and thought we might get in the next
day.
What followed did not anticipate. 1t
is true that now, when l look back, re.
member that Amiel had congratulated him.
self upon the valuable prize be had found in
the steward whom he vowed was worth a
cool thousand on Meeting street, Charles
ton. And / further remember that on sew
eral occasions, Tillman, the steward, shook
his head and muttered, Dem folks nebber
git to Charles'n," but supposed then that
he was expecting, like the rest of US, to
meet with friend in one of Uncle Sam s
!. cruisers.
1t was bright moonlight night, that
of Tuesday, so pleasant that | remained on
deck till ii P. NJ, later than usually did.
'Ehe steward had turned in at s, as was his
habit. Our trunk cabin projected about
three feet above the main deck, and was en-
tered by companion way in the middle of
the forward end. When l went down, the
mate was nodding on the cabin roof, just in
front of the wheel, in half recumbent DO.
sition. Behind him stood William Sted-
ding, one of our old crew, at the wheel.
Minor, the South Carolinian, lay asleep on
a pile of sails at the foot of the foremast.
Mcleod, another of our men, with Dorsey,
the Jerseyman, were asleep in the forecastle.
The cabin lamp was burning on the table
when went below, and Captain Amiel lay
snoring 10 his berth, sound asleep in his
stateroom. In the stateroom on the other
side of the cabin slept the steward and Sec