St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-07-20
CAPTURE OF A CRUISER.
How a New York Steamer was Seized by
Confederate Crew. The Recent Ar
rest Of One Of Her Officers on a
CHARGE Of Murder

rest Of One Of Her Officers on
Charge Of Murder
Captain John G. Braine, an ex-cCm7
mander in the Confederate navy and cap
tain of the expedition which captured
the Chesapeake, in 1868, charaeterizes
the accounts Of the capture of that YES
sci as telegraphed from Boston in con-
nection with the arrest of Lieutenant
Henry A. Parr as grossly inaccurate. He
scouts the idea of being himself arrested,
and says neither he nor Parr were ever
guilty of piracy. that they held commits
sions in the Confederate navy and were
only amendable to the rules of war, and
their exploits were in the way of legiti-
mate warfare.
He conversed freely, and gave what he
called the true account of the capture,
substantially as follow: In 1862 Robert
Smalls, colored, recently member of
congress from Beaufort IS. O. dis
trict, was pilot of the steamer
Planter, then lying at Charleston. He
killed the guards of the vessel, ran her
out and delivered her over to the federal
authorities. For this Smalls was pre-.
sented with purse and made captain of
the steamer. This exploit suggested the
idea of retaliation to the confederate
government. Commander Braine was
ordered to 90 to New York and capture
any vessel he saw fit. He left Rich
mond, Va, in January, 1868, taking
with him First Lieutenant H. A. Parr
and Second Lieutenant David Collins.
They were all officers in the Confederate
navy. They ran the blockade, and, after
taking passage on different vessels,
reached Halifax; thence they proceeded
to St. John, where they reported to the
confederate agent, who had On deposit
100000 to 100000 in gold, with orders
from Jefferson Davis to render Braine's
expedition all the assistance in his
power. Braine drew on him literally,
enlisted crew OF twenty-five men. and
spent the summer in drilling them. On
the 1st of December he took his men and
made trip with them by boat and rail
via Boston to New York. His account of
their trip and their many subterfuges to
avoid detection is very graphic and inter
esting. They passed as a company of
Union recruits going to join their COM
mand. The officers wore their gray uni
forms under citizens dress. On arriving
at New York each nan was provided
with a brace of Colts revOlvers and
twenty cartridges by confederate gov>
eminent agent in William street. Sem
tries were posted to watch the loading of
the Chesapeake, and when she was ready
to sail all went on board except the en-.
listed engineer, who had deserted. The
vessel proceeded down the harbor and
when opposite the battery made a stop.
Braine supposed they had been betrayed,
but only belated passenger came on
board. At supper the captain told
Braine that none of his mems fare had
been paid. II paid their fare," says
Braine, thinking that I would soon
have the money back. That night my
self and Lieutenant Parr packed and
and capped the revolvers in my state
room and secretly handed them to the
men. At half-past one on Monday
morning, December 7, aroused Lieuten.
ant Parr. We donned our naval uniforms
of gray, turned out our men and inform
ed them that the time for action had
come. On entering the saloon
at two o'clock the lights were
turned low, and no one was visible but
an old skipper sitting by the stove. He
remarked that l was up rather early.
| replied that the sea air did not agree
with me and that, in the name of the
Confederate states of America, he was my
prisoner. We made all our captures in
the name Of our government, said
Braine, and the charge of piracy falls to
the ground. | then ordered Lieutenant
Parr with three men to proceed on deck
and capture the first officer, who had
watch, and wait for orders. Lieutenant
Collins [ ordered to the engine room.
He took three men, and his orders we're
to arrest all in the name of the Confede-
rate states, and on no account to fire on
any man unless he resisted. | then pro-
ceeded to the main deck with the rest of
my men, and posted sentinel at the
companion-way. When amidships |
heard man run to the port side and
shot fired at the companion-way. Itwas
the first officer, who disregarded the hail
of the sentry, and trying to reach the
deck again by the main-hole, was shot
twice. I passed down to the engine
room and found the steam going
down and no engineer on duty. In the
fre-room I found eight fremen in irons
in front of the furnace. Lieutenant
Collins reported to me that while putting
the fremen in irons one of them resisted
and was fired at. Then the engineer,
hearing this, armed himself with four
barrelled Sharp's deringer and, on being
ordered to surrender, fred at one of my
men. The fire was returned, and the
engineer was killed. This was Orrin
Shepherd, the second engineer, for