Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-10
Correspondence NetO York Star.


one of the youngest members of the New
York organization, although l have been
represented as being eIghty-fve years old
In the New York papers whenever they
noticed the paradings OF the Vets.
have always on these occasions given the
| reporters my correct age, yet j. Gould
Warner, the Adjutsut Of the veterans, has
| always countermanded my statements and
caused the reporters to add few years.
But truth crushed to earth Will rise" and
| now proceed to state, for the first time In
a public manner, what | told General Ray
mond and Colonel Daily several years ago
when l was admitted a member OF the New
York organization, which may not be unin-
teresting to your numerous readers.
| was born in Providence, X. l., May 10,
1902, and at seven years old my father (who
was, before the embargo, Captain for
twenty gears in the employ OF stephen Gil
rard, Of Philadelphia sent for me to come
on 10 Savannah, Ga, where he had recently
married, nv mother having died when was
less than two years old.
When the war broke out | was ten years
Old, and when the Notifications were being
built around the CITY OF Savannah by the
citizens, l turned out as patriotic as any of
them and helped with my little wheelbarrow
to carry sod. The whites as well as the ne
n Is.
By this time the mercantile house OF Kuox
Il Co. had taken out letters Of marQue from
the government for privateeriCg on the At
lantic, and had equipped the schooner Rapid
for the purpose of Gripping the enemy's
commerce. The R. pid had a thirty-two-
FOUNDER "long-tom" amidship that revolved
pivoticslly. The vessel was well Differed
and manned, commanded by Captain Saun-
ders, Lieutenant Rain, Captain Robert Lilli.
bridge INV fathprA and In
First and Second Prizemasters, and sixty
or seventy men "befOre the mast"
Up to October, 1914, several prizes had
been taken by the Rapid-the vessels and
cargoes sold aud the proceeds divided. The
crews and officers of these prize vessels,
being prisoners Of war, were confined In the
Savannah jail, which was pretty full OF
them. l was now twelve and half years
| old, when the Rapid was reprovisioned and
made ready for a three months cruise. NV
patriotism was at fever heat when nav father
told me that Captain Saunders wanted me
| to go out as cabin boy. l wanted to know
| II there was any fighting to be DONE He
told me that II there was to be an engage
ment with the enemy, would be compelled
TO act the part of powder monkey !"-that
| would be below deck, in the magazine, to
pass or hand out ammunition to the men ss
fast as required. ooh wont that be iollyp"
started out to see my uncle and cousins
and to inform them that / was ''goiug into
the war;" and Oade them "good-bye." The
next morning early we left Savannah with a
stiff breeze, after firing salute of one gun
from "ong TOM"
On the second day out we had a blood
less engagement with British man ofwar.
| a double-decker. She was sighted about
sunrise, and Captain Saunders ordered up
| from below all the muskets, sabres, pistols
and boarding pixies, to be placed upon the
| quarterback. We got near enough to the
stranger in thirty minutes to discover that
it would be the height of folly to attempt
to cope with so formidable foe. "'Bout
shipp cried the Captain. Just then the
wind ceased to fill the sails, and the stud
ding sails were ordered up and set by the
crew. The same performance, 1t was dis
covered, was in vogue on board the fFIgate
about five miles distant) astern. There
was now dead calm upon the ocean, and
In a few moments more the Captain OBJ
served through his eyeglass that the frigate
had her sweeps (osrs) out fore and aft from
her lower deck, and at once ordered the
boatswain to "out sweeps" In couple of
ulnu'es there were thirty sweeps out, and
each worked by two men, fifteen on each
side OF the schooner, which caused her to
move through the placid water at a speed of
about three miles an hour.
The chaser and the chased kent distance
between them of about I'VE miles through
out The whole of that calm day. As for
myself, was about the busiest of the busy
my post was all over the vessel, fore aud
aft The men had had no breakfast, and I
had to cut up whole smoked hams into bits
about an ilch square, and sea biscuits. or
hard tack, into ordinary mouthfuls, deposit
ed In basket hanging on my left arm, aud
with my light kaaG Feeding the hungry
s"eepers, : no could not leave their oars for
moment. l then went the rounds with
water, and gave each man oupful. This
duty | continued throughout the whole of
/ that day, and must have trotted around sew
eral miles IN feeding the hungry. Wasn't
that Samaritan-lke, and patriotic in boy
Of twelve and a half years?
Toward the setting of the sun the frigate
fred nine shots at US from her bow-chasora
The balls from these fell aeaF US, hut did
not reach the marx aimed st. ! now believe
that the firing OF these guns caused a
breeze to spring up as the Gun sank in the
western horizon. The sails were hlled i'm
mediately--the sweeps were laid by, and we
soon after lost sight OF the trigate In tho
darkness. Strict orders were given that
none OF the men should even smoke their
pipes or any light be made to appear other
than the very obscure pinnacle light to show
the course Of the schooner, when the Gap,
tain told the man at the helm t1 'fhead her
east"
In the morning not sail was in sight
from the deck or masthead. Thus ended
the "bloodless engagement" Of a chase or
race between couple of belligereuts. The
next day after this we learned from a
neutral vessels officer (Which had been
boarded by Lieutenant Rahnl thai the afore-
said frigate's ofiicisl1 had boosted of having
almost I,lade prize OF "that schooner that
had been such terror to the mercantile
marine of John Bull"
l need not mention the everyday life on
board the Rapid, or the numerous neutral
vessels oVernauled to examine their papers,
while was being treated like pet by the
officers and men. It was about the 4th, 5th
or Oh of January, 1915, when our three
months cruise was nearly completed, and
the Rapid clay to" off the harbor, near
Tybee lighthouse, when large ship made
it's appearance, sailing directly toward US
with English colors and her yardarms filled
with men. She came on boldly, but Captain
Saunders again thought it were the better
part of valor to be chased into port as he
had been chased out Of it, aud the saucy
intruder actually drove US up to our
anchorage, Eve miles below the city. "Sae
must have pilot on board" said Captain
Ewing, "or she never could have come
up the river" Ga she came.
and absolutely came to anchor a stone
throw only from where the Rapid lay. Cap
tain Saunders ordered the boat manned
with couple OF men, and he went on board
the audacious ship to examine her papers.
He very soon returned With the astonishing
news that the ship was cartel loaded with
American prisoners to exchange for English
prisoners lying In Savannah and other iails
that peace had been declared at Client.
As soon as the schooner reached the city, an
hour later (the long-tom in the meantime
belching forth its thunder tones Of low. the
Exchange bell was set to ringing, and the
cry of "Peaee! peacel peaceV was shouted
throughout the city, and / felt about as
proud as any OF them, and more so, as our
little Rapidwsa the first to bring the news.
Immediately the firm OF Knox 81 Co. be-
gan to ft out vessels for traffic with our
former enemy. In short time they had
loaded a ship with cotton and put Captain
Ewing In command. shipped on board as
cabin boy, by special request OF Captain
Ewing. The ship was bound to Liverpool,
and as there were plenty of mariners (pris-
oners Of war; let out Of jail who wished to
20 home, crew was soon procured; among
them was Captain of a British merchant
man who accepted the position of mate.
| had been aboard the ship about a month,
on duty, when she was ready for sea. She
was anchored at give Fathom Hole" be-
low the city, and was to sail that day. In
the morning after breakfast the English
mate kicked the cabin boy, and he went
directly on deck to complain to Captain
Ewing. Captain, Pm not going in this
ship; that Britisher kicked me in the cabin
just now, and won't stand no such treat
ment from any John Bull. l want to 90
right home, please"
DWELL nv SON. the yaWl.bOat Ia polnp nm