The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-10
The Pirate among the Fishermen.


tain Thomas, of the schooner Elizabeth
Ann, gives the following account OF the
capture of bis vessel and others:
His vessel with Others was lying at anchor
~, Sunday evening. in about twenty-seven faith
omS of water on the Fishing Rip" easterly
from the island of Nantucket. The evening
was forgv. and the Tacony appeared very sud-
denly to them during lift in the fog. A boat
crew boarded them, and the leader stated, on
reaching their deck and presenting pistol to
the Captains face, that the schooner was
prize 10 the Confederate States. The other
captures were effected in much the same man
ner.
All the vessels thus taken. with one eXcep-
ton, were burned almost Immediately, and in
many cases the men saved nothing more than
what they had on their backs, though gener-
ally each seaman was allowed to take his bag
Of clothing, and some of the officers were priv
LEGGED to retain their quadrants and other maui
teal instruments.
The vessel which was not destroyed was the
Oldest and poorest of the number. On board
her the whole company was put, with direc-
tons TO steer for New York. They preferred;
however to land at Hyannis, and did so, and
have arrived here from that point on their way
TO their families and friends in Gloucester.
This is not all. There is renegade
Yankee among the Tacony's crew, and
the Boston Journal says:
We are informed by Captain Thomas that he
heard the distinct intention announced OF land
ing at Provincetown and destroying the town
by fire. and as the first officer of the TacOny
was q native and for many years resident OF
Chatham. and is perfectly familiar with the
waters about Cape Cod, the attempt certainly
does not seem impossible.
Here is another interesting item from
the JorrnaI:
The commander OF the Tacony informed one
ofthe captains in his custody that his vessel
had once been spoken in the night by United
States gunbOat. and that he knew at the time
who was mailing him. His answer to the hail
was. that he was merchantmen bound from
New York to Portland.
\ Gloucester letter, dated yesterday,
says:
As regards the destruction of Gloucester YES
sells. have CLEANED these facts: -Four are thus
lar known to be destroyed: the Marengo,
eighty-th three tonsi and ten years old-value in
Guiding outfits, $4,000; Rufus Choate, ninety
tons, three years old-value, 81, 800; Elizabeth
Ann ninety-one TONS three and half years
old-value, $4,000 Ripple, sixty.four tons,
seven years old-value, $4,000. These crafts
are all insured in this town, at what Is called
the Fishing Insurance Company, mutual Of
ice. with which most of the ship-ownerS are
connected. None OF these vessels and indeed
none III any of the fishing fleets, are covered by
war risks, and so every one burned Is total
loss. Three schooners arrived here yesterday
the Cadet Laurena, and MeSsina-the two
former being chased away by the Tacony which
hey saw destroying the vessels around them.
Captain Williams. of the Cadet, says the mo-
ment he saw the Tacony his suspicious were
aroused by her peculiar actions, and he order
ed his men 10 tow the Cadet. as there was not
lip tpl if,.h i'm
there were several vessels between him and
the pirate. who directed his attention to them.
PROBABLE DESTINATION OF THE TACoNY.
i is feared at Gloucester that the Ia
cony will direct her course to the Georges,
where there are sixty or more sail, and
where they all keep close together. If
this proves to be the case there will be
terrible havoc among the defenceless fish
ermen.
An old Cape Ann fisherman writes:
Probably commanded or piloted by some
traitor Yankee. or q Nova Scotiaman the Ia
conv is bound along the coast over the fishing
grounds. from Black Island to Labrador. Her
victims provide the ''stores " and their . fix
lures " will produce good run Of prize money
in Halifax or st. Johns. Would not the Bank
or the Bay OF Funday be the most promising
direction 10 catch her.
If the craft. rightly armed, could be placed
at the disposal of cur Cape Cod, Marblehead
and Cape Ann men. [ would insure that they
would finish the cruise within month.
TIE COMMANDER OF THE TACoNY.
Captain Smith, one Of the fishermen
whose schooner was burned, says that the
commander OF the Tacony (William Reed,
formerly Of the United States Navy,D is a
Mississippi man, Of small frame, dark-look-
ing, and did not apparently weigh much
more than ninety pounds.
The Captain alleges that at the breaking
ont Of the war lie was rich that the Fed
erals had destroyed all his property; that
he was now doing no more than they had
done on the Southern coast, and he should
therefore continue his work of destruction
as long as possible. His orders were to
shoot down the first man that offered any
resistance.
4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PIRATE.
The Boston I3'uceNer learns from Cap
tain Perry, of the brig Umpire, whose YES
sci was burned by the Tacony, that she is
far from being formidable vessel. On
the water she appears about four hundred
tons, although her register is less. Out
side she is black; her copper when on an
even keel is below the line of flotation, and
will form an excellent mark to know her
by. There is gap in her cutwater below
the bobstays, which may be seen two miles
distant with glass. She is a full-rigged
bark, has three jibs and a foretopmast
staysail, maintopmast staysail, and miz-
zentopmast staysail. She also carries two
royals, and all the other sails peculiar to
bark.
She has poop extending to the main
hatchway, a house around the foremost,
and an open topgallant forecastle. Her
waist is quite deep, and she is only single
decked vessel. There is netting around
the outline of the poop; she has only one
quarter boat, and the long boat is slowed
amidships bottom up. These details will
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