The Portland daily press., 1863-04-14
Capture and Burning Of the Ship John A.
Park by the Pirate Alabama.


We have received from Capt. Cooper the
following statement of the capture and des-
truction of the ship John A. Park by Capt.
Semmes, of the pirate Alabama.
CAPT. cooPERs STATEMENT.
1, James ). Cooper, master OF the ship John
A. Park, Of Hallowell, solemnly, sincerely and
truly swear that l sailed in and with the said
ship, John A. Park, from New York with a
cargo OF lumber on the 18th of February,
lleaving the city on the 1lth) bound for Monte
Video for orders. On the I'd March being in
lat. 2915 n, lon. 1920 W., at daylight the
second officer reported steamer barque rig
ged about two miles ahead. l then went on
deck and found she was standing towards us,
with the American flag flying In about ten
minutes, saw a boat leave the steamer, after
which she hauled down the American and ran
up the Confederate flag. The boat came
alongside with an armed crew, and boarded
and took charge of the ship, ordering me on
board the Alabama" with my papers. On
arriving there l was taken before Capt.
Semnes who asked me if knew TO whom the
cargo belonged. i answered that l could not
say, but referred him to the bills of lading
which specified by certificates of the British
Consul at New York, that the cargo was Brit
ish property. Alter examination of the pa
pers, Capt. S. expressed his opinion that the
cargo was not British property. was then or
dered on board my own ship, and told to
bring our clothes on board the Alabama, my
self and wife being allowed three trunks, and
the officers and crew one bag each. After
leaving my ship for the Alabama, my officers
and crew were ordered to break out and trans
fer to her the principal part of the ship stores,
taking at the same time my own and the Off
GERS nautical instruments. About D. m. the
work of transferring the stores being complet-
ed, they set fire to the ship. The Alabama lay
to until about p. m. OF the same day when
an English barque being in sight, Capt.
Semmes called me and Informed me that he
proposed sending boat to the barque and
that was at liberty to go on board and see If
i could make arrangements with the captain
TO take myself and vile as passengers to the
port she was bound for Upon boarding the
barque, found she was the "Miss Nightingale
bound for London, and Capt. Cochran kindly
consented to take myself and wife and two
young men not having accommodations for
the ships company consisting of three mates,
carpenter and sixteen seainen still on board
the Aabama,all placed in irons as they went
on board, and kept on deck. | was COM
PEELED to give parole of honor not to serve
against the Confederate States during the war.
The two young men, John c. Cooper and
Frank Cooper, had also to give parole of
uOuOf 10 the sdUe tHeCl.
lSigned JAMES l. COOPER.
JOHN c. COOPER.
FRANK COOPER.
Capt G. says the officers Of the Alabama
treated him with the greatest courtesy, and
seeing the timidity of his wife took especial
pains to make both her and him as comforta-
BILE as possible. They did not search him, nor
did they take his watch, but they took his
chronometer and all his nautical instruments,
though they were his private property, he
protesting in vain against the act.
He had supplies for six months voyage
which they took, throwing their own over
overheard.
In demonstrating with the mate of the Al
ALBANIA against burning so good a ship as the
John A. Park, and advising them to take her
into port and sell her, the mate replied, they
kept an account of every ship burned, her
value, &c, for which they were paid in full by
the Confederate Government.