The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-11-28
Affaignment Of Lieutenant Braine.
Interesting Particulars CT the Capture
of the Chesapeake.
LIEUTENANT BRA1NE's OWN STATEMENT

Lieut.. John C. Braine, late of the Con
federate navy, was arraigned on the Stl
inst, in the United States Circuit Court
Brooklyn, charged with murder and pira
cy on the high seas. The charge is base(
on his capture Of the steamship Chesa
peake, in December, 1863 The New York
News, of the 9th, publishes Lieut.. Braine's
own account of this noted affair, which is
subjoined: j.
l myself took command Of the main deck
giving my second lieutenant charge of the
engine room and fire room, giving all my
men orders to demand the surrender in the
name of the Confederate States of Amer.
lea, and on no account to fire on any per.
son unless they refused to surrender or
made resistance. Upon seeing my second
lieutenant and men enter the engine room
proceeded to the main deck, and, when
about midships, heard shot below deck,
left my first lieutenant, H. A. Parr, in
| charge of tho main deck and went below.
passed through to the engine room, which
l found vacant. then proceeded to the
fire room and found the firemen in IRONS
| then returned on decks, where / found
Oren Schatfer, the second engineer, living
across the threshold of the door, quite
dead. . s<@ f3
l then found my second lieutenant, and
the report that he made to me was that
when he entered the engine room the en-
gineer was below oiling the machinery;
that he passed through to the fire room
and put the firemen in irons, and returned
to the engine room and ordered the ell
glneer to surrender prisoner of war to
the Confederate States of America. His
reply was by firing shot at one of my
men, which shattered all tho back bones
of the lieutenant and disabled him for life.
The body Of the second engineer was buried
at about A. NJ, by one of my men. 1t
was to the regret of both officers and men
that life had been taken. We made col
lection for the benefit of the widow of the
deceased. A bigger set of towards never
saw on board a ship. James johnson, the
first engineer, on being ordered to surren-
der prisoner of war, wasin his stateroom.
He was told that no harm was intended
him. =
Instead of coming out like man, he
opened his door on the crack, when one of
my men fired on him, the ball taking
effect on his chin. Heimmediately rushed
out on deck, when ordered my men not
to fire On the shirt-tailed coward Hethen
got below into the fire room, and crawled
up hole, which was cut from the galley
to tho engine room. The first officer,
Dutchmaa, had charge of the watch. He
ran when ordered to surrender, and ran by
the guard at the companion way, who fired
on him. He then found he could not again
get on deck, and turned once more to run
the guard at the companion way, who fir
ed again on him. He was wounded in the
left arm and leg. The Captain, Willet, on
being ordered to surrender, ran from the
state room around the deck several times.
Lieut.. Parr fired two or three shots ahead
OF him to heave him to. He was not
wounded, and was only in irons one and a
half hours, and spent the balance of the
night comfortably with the stewardess in
her state room.
The captain Immediately called for whis-
KY, OF which gave him Il pitcher full from
lls state-room. Lieut.. Parr cut the ball |
from the first mates arm, but we hadnoth-
ing to take the ball from his leg. and we
made him as comfortable as possible. |
came to an anchor in the harbor of Leal
Cove, Grand Mannohan, on Tuesday morn
ng, and not finding Captain Parker, nv
superior officer, again weighed anchor
md shaped my course for ST. John, N. B.
When about twenty miles up the bay we
net Capt Parker, who relieved me from
Capt. Parker Immediately
loisted the Confederate flag. I left the
hip at Shelbousne, and proceeded to Hall
AK by order of Capt. Parker, to obtain coal
or the ship | remained in Nova Scotia
learly month, when received orders to
he department. at Richmond, Va, C. s. A..
arrived in Richmond May 7, 1864. I
vas, wilhelm Richmond this time, promo
ed to the rank of master, and received or
ers to proceed with crew of the City of
tayana for the purpose of capturing the
United States steamers Wyoming, Evening
tar and Roanoke. The Roanoke had been
onhscated under the confscation act of
Sol, by the United States Government. II,
allied from Havana on the Goth of Septen-
er, 1864, on board the Roanoke, with five
Ulcers and fourteen men, she having a
rev of fifty men and officers, and forty
assengers. / captured the ship in fifty
We minutes. She had cargo consisting
f go boxes of sugar, 700 bales Of tobacco,
100000 cigars, 5000 gallons of honey, S2O,.
90 in greenbacks, and $ll10 in gold. The II
hip and cargo were valued at $780, 900 IN
old took the ship to Bermuda, where, !
nding could not coal her, | set fire to 8
er on the morning of the 9th of October,
tier putting the passengers and crew on
oard a brig. / was next ordered to Rich
ond, where arrived the 10Th of January, 9
800 | was then promoted to a first lieu /
'nant commanding, and received orders =
II the North Pacific. / left Richmond on
he 2oth of February, with five officers and
K men. On the LIST of April, 1866, cap. !
lred the United States schooner, st. Mary q
the mouth Of the Pawtuxent River, Ma +
land. l captured another vessel off .
ape Henry light, worth $4,000. had /,
} chart or sextant, and arrived in Nassau '
the 18th of April, having only twenty y
'ilons OF water when left. / burned the
i Mary ON the 10Th of June, 1866. On r
arning that the war was over Issent my f
Ell to Liverpool, England, where paid +
EN- off. | sailed from Liverpool in the !,
Helvetia, relying on the Presi- Il
'nts amnesty proclamation. Ihaye been 6
ring in Savannah, Ga, ever since Octo. i
II, 1865, and was intimate with all the :
lited States officers stationed there. h
CONTRACTION OF THE CURRENcY.- b
he Secretary of the Treasury, says a Z