The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-24
INTERESTING NARRATITE-


John q. Braine, Late OF the Confeder.t.
states Navy, with hts ImprIsonment.
mp TO the Present ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
by himself.
Lieutenant John G.. Braine. late of tbo Con.
iederate States Navy, one of the most daring
Ohicers of the South in the late war. is still i9
prison, where he has been held for a wear
without trial. He is charged with piracy and
murder We find in the Memphis Bulletin of
the 10Th the following narrative of Braine's
operations on the high seas, together with an
account OF his arrest, imprisonment, and de-
tention in penitentiary, which will be read
with INTEREST,"
KMG's COUNTY PENITE qIARY, BRooKLYN, N.
n, June rs, lt67.-Mr. h. Semmes, Editor Mem
phis Bulletin, Memphis, Tenn.-Sir:-I captured
the Chesapeake in December, 1868, at which
time held warrant in the Confederate States
Navy as Masters Mate. / held also an appoint
meDt under Captain John Parker, who was
acting under letter of marque granted to him
Oy the Government / Was ordered to proceed
to New York. with crew, consisting of seven
teen officers and men, for the purpose of cap
turing the steamer Chesapeake, she having
assisted in the recapture of the revenue cutter
Caleb Cushing. which had been captured by
Lieutenant Reid, of the Confederate States
barque Tacony, In the summer of 1858. Captain
Reid and officers we're made prisoners on board
the recaptured cutter, taken to Fort Preble in
Portland, Maine, and there incarcerattd. From
Fort Preble they were removed to Fort Warren,
and exchanged in 1864. / proceeded to New
York, IN obedience to my orders, and with my
officers and men disguised IN citizens clothing
] went on board the Chesapeake, then plying as
packet between New York aud Boston and
engaged passage for my party.
THE CAPTURE.
The ship sailed at the appointed hour and in
the middle watch, when she was about twenty
miles from Cape Cod the wind blowing freshly
from the southeast at the time, and a pretty
heavy sea running, gave the appointed signal
to my men, rose upon the, crew, and took pos
session n nj fba chit L
sumed command of the deck myself, sent my
second lieutenant below to take charge of the
engine and fire rooms and gave him and others
OF my subordinates orders to command the sur
render OF the ship in the name of the Contede-
rate States, and on no account to injure any
one, unless he refused to surrender or made re-
slstance. Upon seeing my second lieutenant
enter the engne-room with two men, pro-
ceeded to the main deck, and when about amid
ships heard shot fired below. | lmme-
diately LETT the main deck in charge OF my first
lieutenant, and passed down to the engine
loom, where found that the watch had been
seized by my men and put in irons. The second
engineer of the steamer had been killed
by the shot which / had heard, and as | re.
turned TO the man deck, ] found his body
lying across the threshold OF the engine-room
door, My second lieutenant reported to me
that upon demanding the surrender OF the
second engineer, in the name of the Confede-
rate States, as prisoner of war, that officer, in
stead OF complyin with the demand, had fired
shot at one of his men, which destroyed his
left hand. 1t was under these circumstances
that the second engneer-the only man who
was killed on board,.lost his life He was in
TERED at about 4 A. NJ Both officers and men
regretted that it had been necessary to take lite,
and collection was made from among US tor
the benefit of the family of the deceased. With
the exception of this brave fellow, have never
seen greater set of towards on board a ship,
from the master down. James Johnston, the
chief engineer, was in his state-room when or
out, as no harm would be done him. but n-
stead of dong this like a man, he opened his
door slyly, on the crack, and one of my men
suspecting foul play, fired on him-without
doing him any material damage how
ever-when he rushed out in his shirt
only, and began to run about the deck.
/ ordered my men not to FIRE at the
contemplate coward. He ran below into the fre-
room, and craWled up a hole which had been
made for the purpose of passing up dishes from
the kitchen to the cabin. He was finally
secured. The first mate of the Chesapeake. q
Dutchman named johnson, and who is no in
command of the steamer, was in charge of the
deck at the time of his capture. When ordered
to surrender, he, too, ran, and as he passed
the guards whom j had stationed at the com
panion-way (the passage from one deck tC
another) he was fred upon, and was wounded
on beng ordered to surrender, ran from hi
state-room around the deck several times, ny
First Lieutenant firing several shot ahead o
HIM, to heave him to. He was finally secured
without injury. This man Is now serving a
first officer on board the Mariposa, one of th
Star line, plying between New York and New
Orleans.
THE STEAMER ANCHoRs-HEB RBCAPTURE.
Having quieted everything ON board, l cam
70 anchor IN the harbor Of Seal Cove, Gran
Menan, according to orders which had previ
ously received, but not finding Captain Parker
my superior officer, whom l expected to hn
here, got under way again. after short delay
and shaped my course for st. Johns, NeV
Brunswick. When about twenty miles up tn
bay / met Captain Parker, who relieved m
from my command, and hosted the Confederat
aof ot hn torn I tho Chaca nnaka Rhal
bourne, and proceeded to Halifax 10 procur
coal for her, but during my absence she wa
recaptured, whilst at anchor in Sombrero hal
Dor, Nova Scotia, by the United States gunboat
Ella and Anna whence she was taken 70 Hal
fax; the three vessels being conveyed by tn
United States steamer Dacotah. Arrived 6
Halifax she was turned over to the cole
nial authorities. The delivery to th
United States of both the ship an
the captors was demanded of the authorities
and the case went to trial before the Admiralt
Court. The captors were discharged as laWtI
bellIgerents, and the ship, which, in the NEAR
time, had been duly libelled before the DlstriC
Court sitting in admiralty for the Southern Di
trict of Virginia, was delivered TO the origins
owners they paying her value into court |
abide the decision of the Confederate cour
NY second lieutenant and two Of my men WEI
afterwards arrested at st. Johns, charged wit
the same offense for which / have been in
prisOned ten months without a trial, to wi
piracy and murder, and discharged after
patient hearing by Judge Richie, on the groun
that they had only committed a lawful act
war. renamed in New Brunswick nearly
month after the capture of The Chesapeake
when received orders to report in person at IL
Navy Department in Richmond.