The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-02

"A GALLANT PRIVATEEB OF 1Sl2.-Capt
William Nichols died at Newburyport last
week lat the age. of SO. His exploits as cap
tain as privateerin the war of 1912 are ia
miliar of household tales in Essex county.
The Newburyport Herald gives the follow
ing interesting history of them
"Capt Nichols was put in command of
the fast sailing privateer Decatur, that sail
ed from this port August 4th, 1872. She
carried ID guns and $50 men, chiefly be-
longing to Newburyport and Marblehead.
She had been to sea but four days when
she was chased by a frigate, and the wind
blowing hard she lost some of her spars,
and was forced to throw over most of her
guns to tighten ship. The vessel proved
to be the Constitution, Com. Hull, and
nation as led to the capture of the Guer-
riere. For a time the cruise was unsuccess-
full, and in the disabled state of the vessel
and without guns, the crew mutinied and re-
fused to do duty, and it was only by per-
sonal combat with the leader, who was not
subjected till Capt Nichols had felled him
to the deck, that disorder was suppressed.
The wheel of fortune, however, soon turn
ed, and the next few weeks he abounded
in prizes. August 22d, he captured the
bark Duke ofSavoy; 23d, the brig Pomona;
25th, brig Elizabeth Goth, briggs Concord,
Hope, and Devonshire; and 3Oth bark VIII
liam and Charlotte, that carried four guns.
On September LIST, he took the ship Diana
that carried ten guns, and had cargo val
ued at 100000 On the same day cut off
the brig from fleet under convoy. These
prizes had taken most of his men, when on
the 9th of Sept. he fell in with the ship
commerce, with IA guns,57 men and 80 pas
sengers. He sent boat to board, which
was taken with her crew, when he had
but twenty men left, and ten Of them were
required to guard his prisoners, among
whom were five British officers; still he
bravely pushed alongside the enemy, of
400 tons, and attempted to board her. The
roughness OF the sea alone prevented, and
the fight was continued for three quarters
Of an hour, Capt Nichols serving his own
guns and directing his own vessel. In this
encounter, to disconcert the enemy, he shot
four men at her wheel, one after the other,
as fast as they came up; and, finally,
broadside disabled the ship and wounded
the captain, who soon after died, and she
The Decatur did not lose
man; but so small was his force, that he
was obliged to keepihis prisoners in irons
to prevent their rising. In course Of fifty
days, in which the Decatur sailed to the
English channel, he took nine prizes and
landed fifty-four prisoners besides iber-
ating others in vessels given up for that
I" The Decatur made second cruise, in
which she took several prizes, and at last
was herself taken by the frigate Surprise,
of 80 guns. The enemy lost in killed and
several men, as did the Decatur.
The shot of the enemy were so effective
that it is said that not one whole plank re-
manned in the quarterback, where Capt.
Nichols stood. He was taken to Barbados,
where the commander of the Vestal, in
port-from whom he had escaped, and
whose prize crew he had set adrift-had
him arrested. His name had then become
q terror to the enemy, and lest he should
again escape, they confined him in wood
en- cage, five feet by seven, where they kept
him chained "a days, like a lion, allowing
not person to converse with him during
the whole time. The English threatened
to hang him; but our government held two
English officers as hostages, and he was
not injured, though he was kept as a GRIM
nal sentenced to death. Capt. Nichols was
soon exchanged, when he returned to Bos-
ton, and in six weeks was again at sea in
the brig Harpey, belonging to BALTIMORE,
in which he took ten prizes, one ship of 90
guns, and another of 10. From her he land
ed property to the amount of $500, 900, and
s. prisoners, several of them officers, and
one a Major General. During the war he
captured in all % prizes, though third
part OF the whole time he was in prison.
Not more capable man was in the naval
service; not a Drawer man ever lived. He
never knew what fear was.''
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