Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-03-02
The Chesapeake seizure-Statement of
Lieutenant Brain.
1t is stated that Lieut.. Brain. who was c,

nected with the late Confederate army. and
has been for thirty months confined in the
Kings county IN. y penitentiary is greatly
I broken down. infama1ory rheumatism has
swollen MS feet and driven him to the use of
crutch. aud siIsered his hair at the early
age of twenty uine The story Of his seizure
of the Cromwell steamer Ch ,sapeake has
often been told, but never before from his
own lips He sent the following statement
to the New York TriJm-:
My name is John O. Braine-not Brane-
and L was first lieutenant commanding in
the Confederate navy Aiy commission aud
orders were written on fy-sheet note paper,
aud was either lost or worn out. The archives
of the Confederate naval department being
destroyed by the federal forces it is mposs-
! BILE to obtain the original papers deposited
| there, but have placed affidavits in The
hands of the Attorney General Of the United
States. setting out ali the facls in lie cas., =
These nfida"irs are b. Stephen r Mallory,
Secretary 0t the Confederate Navy, Dr.
t Jones, auditor, and Mr.. Tidball, chief clerk
of the naval department; Admiral Semmes,
Capt. Mnffit, and others
In june, 1868 I received orders from the
! department at Richmond to 90 North with
my command, consisting OF u officers and
men. and take passage in steamer with the
purpose of capturing 1t upon the high seas
The Chesapeake sailed from New York for
Portland in December, l took passage M u
her. in obedience to the orders | had pre-
viously received. Nfte-, sezing the vessel
was to proceed to Seal Cove in the island OF
Grand Mann, off the coast of Maine, for coal,
and there hand the vessel over TO Capt. j ohm
Parker, my superior officer.
In making the capture I detailed Lieut..
GOWNS and two men to take charge ofthe en-.
gine and fire room. The cugiue room CON-
municated with the cabin by door on the
port side. After seeing the men 90 into the
engine room passed forward Lieut.. Fl. A.
Parr having charge of the deck in my absence
While forward heard shot fired in the
cnGineroom, and at once went nrt through
the cabin into the enginp-rncm and thence
into the hre-rUOm, where | f md the fireman
in irons Returning to the deck tuuua 90
one in the engine room. but much To my re
grct, l saw the body o. the second cugiuee,
of the Chesapcak" tyiu.. across fhc threshold
of the door G~iug forward f,uud i4vut
GOWNS. WHO reported to me that when he
went int" the engine room the engineer was
below OiIing the machinery. but after secur
ing the fireman he found that officer at his
post lie ordered he engineer to surrender
as = prisoner Of war to The Confederate States
ot America and that officer renlieI hy firing
. shot which maine one OF the men for life
l had no arms except Colts rcvolvers.-
On arriving at Seal Cove after the capture, |
found that my superior officer was not there
l remained about three hours, and then pro-
ceeded up the Bay of Fundy, meeting Capt.
Parker at sea, in pilot boat, about 80 miles
from St. John. N. L. The captain, officers,
and some of the of the Chesapeake
were transferred to the pilot boat and taken
to St. John. Captain Parker then took com
mand, and changing the course of the vessel,
put into Sheburne, Nova Scotia, for the pur-
pose of cOali0g. While the vessel was in
port I was ordered TO Halifax to procure sup
plies, and I was never again on board the
Chesapeake IN an official capacity.
The ship was recaptured in Sac Bar ETar-
Dor, near Haii!aX. by the United States gun
boat Ella and Annie. Capt. Nichols, and
taken to that city. where the original capture
was abiured asan act of war. The vessel was
handed over to the owners. Messrs Cromwell
& Co., of New York. upon deposit of S7O,-
600 being made to the British authorizes and
Mr. Seward afterward made an apology for
the recapture.
In every case I Issued strict orders TO MY
officers and men not to fire upon any one un-
less resistance was offered At the close Of
the war l was in command Of the Colfoder-
ate States schooner ST. Mary's in the West
Indies. Upon being informed of that event,
| burned the vessel. and returned to this
country in October, 1865, trusting for secu
rity to President Lincon's proclamation of
amnesty.
l engaged in business at Savannah. where
my family now are. On.th 18Th "f Sepg"m-
Der. 1866 | was arrested at The Wall House
in Williamsburg. and after being ironed, [
was taken to the torty-ffth precinct station
house, where l was kept all night without
bedding of any kind. though I offered to pay
literally for it l rook cold that night,
which has been the cause of much suffering
After being taken before the United States
commissioner, was sent to this prison. where
have been ever since, my case being con
tinued from day to day and mouth to month
without trial. l wish to repeat that AM not
by any means the blood,hir<ty individual |
have been represented.