The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-04
THE True STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD.

| There are few Of our readers who in theil
youth were not struck with an extraordinary
story of our Colonial days, in which one Cap.
tain Kidd was the hero, if we may apply such
word to q supposed pirate. 1t has been EN-.
balmed in legends in both prose and poetry.
Who has not heard Of the old ballad Of
Captain Kidd? The Captain Kidd of hereto.
fore received history was commissioned by
the Royal Government of New York, and put
in command of Kings ship to go in search
of some pirates who had been committing
some depredations upon English commerce
on the high seas. When out on the blue
ocean, as the story goes, Kidd determined to
turn pirate himself, and afterward was the
greatest to be fe 4red of them all
It always seemed singular to us that it Kidd
had been guilty of the crimes alleged he
should SO daringly have returned to New
York, with the certainty of arrest and punish
ment. In other aspects the story seemed to
be Of fishy and improbable character. 1t
has lately been investigated by the Rev. s. c.
Abbott, who has written book concerning
the matter. The story Of Kidd, according to
Mr.. Abbott, is that he was merchant in New
York in 1695-that he was prevailed upon to
accept the command Of privateer for the pur-
pose of making inroads upon the French, with
whom England was then at war, and the buc-
cancers. According to Mr.. Abbott he did not
confine his operations to them. but seized the
ships Of the "Great Mogul," who was the
Sultan of Turkey, and also took Dutch YES
sels
In those days the Mohammedans and
Christians were considered natural enemies
without having any rights that others were
bound to respect. 1t will be recollected that
we paid the Mohammedans tribute for many
years-even after We had become an indie
la1 h.
commit any spoliations upon our commerce.
This led to a war with Tripoli as late as 1903,
and England had to send war feet to AL
giers under Lord Exmouth, in 1916, to stop
the Great Moguls Outrages. A large number
of Christian captives were then released by
him. The den of pirates was not broken up,
however, until 1880, when Algiers was Cap
tured by the French and annexed to France.
In regard to the capturing OF the Dutch
ships it may also be said that about that Pc
Rod there was much dispute between Great
Britain and Holland in regard to their Coloni-
al possessions, as well as to their rights on the
high seas. At that time there were frequent
mutual captures and reprisals. If Kidd con-
fined his operations. as Abbott says he did,
to those two countries, he certainly had done
nothing half as near piracy as Sir Walter Ra-
leigh, Sir Francis Drake and other distin-
guished naval commanders had been guilty of
against the Spaniards in the preceding centu-
nv. Although proclaimed pirate, Kidd, con-
sidering himself only as a successful pri-
vateer against English enemies, faced the
music by returning home, and for some time
was not molested. At last he was arrested,
sent to England, and hung in chains in 1901.
Oxford and Sommers, the principal men in the
Ministry of Great Britain at that time, had
been impeached by the House of Commons
for their alleged permission of Kidd's acts,
and the trial, therefore, of Kidd became par
ty question, aud in those days such a trial
always ended in hanging the accused. Accord
ing to Abbott public opinion was greatly di-
vided in England; and if he had been acquit-
ted he would have figured in history not as
pirate but as another Raleigh or Drake
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