The Portland daily press., 1863-12-14
The Capture Of the Chesapeake.

The Capture Of the Chesapeake.
The following is the affidavit of the ist
Mate OF the steamer Chesapeake, giving full
particulars of her capture, taken on Saturday
in this city, before G.. E. B. Jackson. Esq,
Commissioner U. S. Circuit Court:
/, Charles johnson Of Brooklyn, In the State
of New York, on oath depose and say, that
was first mate of the American steamer Ches-
apeake, on the iiith day of December, A. ID.
1868. have been in said steamer six years
and seven months. have been mate for two
years. left New York in said steamer for
Portland, Maine, ON said fifth day of Decem-
Der, at halfpast three in the afternoon. There
were eighteen persons in all belonging 10 the
steamer, including boys. There were twenty
persons that left as passengers at the same
time. Nothing unusual happened until Mon
day morning, Dec. It'll, about half-past one
O'Clock, Cape Cod Light then bearing West
SOUTHWEST, about fourteen miles OH.
At that time it was my watch, with two Of
the crew, Albion Osln and Thomas Hudkns.
We were all on deck. The second Engineer,
Grin Shaffer, with Patrick Mclaughlin, fire.
man, was on duty in the engine room. At
that time went below in the cabin to get
drink of coffee. just as / was drinking the
coffee heard a noise as Of pistol shot in the
engine room. l dropped the coffee and OPP
ened the door into the engine ROOM A man
| pointed a pistol at me and fired it, but the
shot missed me and struck the cylinder. The
second Engineer sung out to me that he was
shot. saw him trying to climb up on deck.
and as he did so he received two other shots
and fell dead, half of his body laying on the
deck and his legs hanging over the ladder.
ran up the ladder over him, took hold of the
second Engineer, and tried to raise him up.
At the same time the first Engineer James
johnson, came and tried to lift him. found
he was dead. then went to the Captains
room.
ASH went saw two men fire each shot at
the second Engineer, as he lay dead.
These shots lodged In the second Engineers
neck. AT the time opened the door into the
engine room there were five men armed with
revolvers standing there. When reached the
Captains door called to him that the second
Engineer was killed. The Captain opened
the door just as came, aud at the same time
three men followed me, and all of them fired
at me, but all missed me.
then went to the Pilot House. AS came
there, there were five men there at the Pilot
House.
turned back and three of the men at the
Pilot House came after me, and at the same
time two men came from AFT, and all five fired
at Inc. One ball struck me in the left arm and
lodged there. Another struck me in the right
knee and lodged there. / was entirely unarmed.
ran for the cabin and the men kept up con-
slant fire on me, but was not hit again. Iran
through the cabin into the engine room. As
came into the engine room j was fired on
again by man who was watching the fire.
man.
The fireman was in irons. The fireman had
been fired OH and his neck burned with
the powder of pistol fired at him.
was not again hit. The Chief Engineer was
with me. l helped him through small hole
into the kitchen. This hole was for the pur-
pose of passing dishes into the kitchcn.)
After helping the Chief Engineer through
got through the same hole myself, with the
help of the Chief Engineer: We two stayed
In the kitchen. The Chief Engineer was
wounded by pistol ball which lodged In his
chin. We looked out or the Kitchen window,
and | saw a man whose name was Braine,
giving orders to three others to throw that
dead man overheard. They then rolled the
2nd Engineer over the railing, and threw him
overheard. All the time could hear pistol
shots constantly being fired, as rapidly as if
boys were firing crackers.
The Cook then came into the kitchen after
his coat. We asked him if all hands were
killed. He said mot ALL" We told him to
go and ask Braine to come and see us.
Braine did not come, but a man by the
name OF Parr came, and we asked him not to
kill us. He said "no, you are prisoners TO the
Southern Confederacy." He then took us
| down in the cabin, and left US in charge of a
| guard of three men. Besides myself and the
| Chief Engineer, there were In the cabin the
Captain and his son; two cabin boys; the
Cook; the stewardess; and four of the passen-
| gers.
The Captain was the only one in irons
Parr then cut the pistol bali ont of my arm,
and laid down. There were sixteen persons
In all concerned in the taking of steamer, and
all OF them came on board as passengers in
New York. Braine paid the fare of fifteen of
them after he came on board. One paid his
own fare. We were all kept in the cabin after
that, until we came to, off Partridge Island,
New Brunswick.
While in the cabin, Brainc told me they all
belonged TO the Southern Confederacy. They
| shew no flag, commissions or authority. II
was about five o'clock, Tuesday night, at said
| Partridge Island, that we were all put on
board pilot boat, and carried to st. John,
New Brunswick. We were landed on board
the steamer New England about eleven
O'Clock, Wednesday, A. NJ, December ninth.
When the steamer Chesapeake came to, off
Partridge Island, a pilot boat was in sight
with signal set. Parr then came down and
called Braine and said, ''the Captain is CON-
ing.""Give me your opera-glasses, want to
look" He went on deck, then came back
and said, ut is the right signal" Braine then
gave him orders TO hoist the flag, Union down,
in the fore top. The pilot boat was schooner
rugged. named Robert r. Wilson, and had a
number-t,co. The Captain of the pilot boat
was -
AT no time did / see any revenue officer
come on board, or persons that appeared like
such. The men came in the pilot boat, and
| took charge Of the Chesapeake. They began
to give orders as soon as they came on board.
tSignedj CHARLES JOHNSON.
| United States Of Aatrico,
Maine District, IS.
| Subscribed and sworn TO before me,
(Sgnedl GEO. L. b. JACKSON.
Com. Cir. Court u. s. for HoiRe