The Portland daily press., 1884-01-29

the vessel also had $40 barrels OF tar oo tlerc-
es of rice, and 1000 Carolina reeds" With
this ladiug the Dash sailed for Portland, and
after beating off one vessel with her guns, and
running away from another with the aid OF
the -plumbago bottom, she arrived at her
home port as before mentioned, on the 11th OF
July. The newspaper report of her arrival
says "she was repeatedly chased by British
cruisers and escaped only by superior sailing,
after throwing overheard part Of her cargo"
The owners of the Dash, s. & S. Porter, had
by the depreciation of the value Of shipping
and by the burning of their store houses on
Union wharf in the previous January, become
crippled in their businesss. It will be remem-
bered that they lost in that fire a cargo OF cof-
fee, and the rigging Tor two new vessels with
ont insurance. To satisfy their creditors 1t
vas decided to sell the Dash and her cargo at
auction. Brig and cargo we're advertised to be
sold one week after her arrival by "Eleazer
Greedy. aactioneer." From my notes OF con-
versation with Capt. Cammett 1 find that -four
which cost at Wilmington $4, sold for SIS per
barrel, and tobacco which cost thre, cents,
sold for Is cents per pound, and other goods
at similar war prices, netting largo sum. So
we'll satisfied we're the creditors with the sum
realized from the sale of the cargo, that the
vessel was withdrawn from the advertised sale.
and the owners were allowed TO retain her.
Captain Seward Porter summed it up in this
concise sentence: "0ne Dash at John Bull
saved our bacon"
I find in the Custom House the Journal Of
Captain Cammett's second cruise in the Dash.
1t is evident from this document that the own
ers we're so well pleased with the Wilmington
voyage that they sought to repeat it. The
journal is headed "Letter Of msrque brig Dash
from Portland towards WILMINGTON, North
Carolina, but she did not reach there. The
captain hit upon more profitable venture
than the last, and one which also crippled the
enemy, and which would tend to make the
war unpopular with the British merchants.
august z, 1914. Got underway in Portland
harbor with brig Grand Turk (of Salem, pri-
vateer) Nothing remarkable occurred until
the 21st when the brig was in sight OF the is
land of Bermuda, bearing north. Saw two sail
bearing N. w. distant leagues, bore down
for, and discovered them to be sloop and a
ship. Att p. N. brought to the sloop and
boarded her. She proved TO be the sloop Emil
ly of Charleston, prize to ii. M. Ship Lacede-
moniap; took all hands from on board and
manned her; gave chase to the ship, and came
up with her; gave her shot which she re-
turned and hauled down her colors.
"Aug. %. The ship proved to be the give
Sisters" from Jamaica, for Bermuda with a
cargo of rum. At p. m. commenced taking
the cargo Of the ship on board the Dash. Cor
out 80 puncheons of rum, the slcop remaining
in company.
Aug 23 All hands employed in taking rum
from the prize. Found one barrel of dry goods.
Threw overheard from the Dash all the cargo,
consisting of 200 barrels of beef, and took on
board this day 100 puncheons of rum.
oath. At O'Clock p. IN. got all the cargo OF
the ship on board the brig, and gave up the
ship to the captain and passengers. Put on
board the ship the former British prizs crew Of
the sloop aud ordered her for Bermuda. Pot
the American captain of the sloop in prize
master of his own vessel with four men from
the Dash, and ordered her for the island OF
Nantucket"
Capt. Cammett's ludicrouB personal dsscrip-
tion Of the scene on board the ship to myself
years after is fresh in my memory. The wealth
or being hazy the near appearance of the Dash
and her gun was a surprise to the passengers Of
the ship. about 80 in number, male and female
They were about to sit down to dinner, which
Capt Cammett described as very bountifu
and we'll cooked, but the captain was drunk
and it was considered dangerous to leave sc
large number of unknown persons on board
their own vessel, and they we're Immediately
transferred 20 the Dash without their dinner
whore they were provided for. When Capt
Cammett told them that he should return tx
them their ship, the ladies cried out "Ol
doD'tl" and begged to be protected from theil
own drunken captain. To ocomDromissthe case
their captain wss made prisoner in his owr
vessel, and the English prize master of the re.
captured sloop was put in master over him
The passengers returned to the ship with
thanks to the officers OF the Dash The Five
Sisters went on her way for BermuIa, and the
Dash sailed for Portland. find by my mem.
orandnm of Capt Cammett's narrative, as re-
lated to me, that the Five Sisters had on
board six thousands dollars in specie, but the
the log book does not mention it. 1t was prob
ably got ON board the Dash as secretly as pos
sible. In all the journals of the privateers
which have examined find only one men
tion of specie among the proceeds of prize.
find by Marshal Thornton's notice for a
hearing on the libel of the cargo of the Five
GiaEers that there were $40 puncheons of rum,
20 bags of cocoa and one barrel of merchan-
dize." All this ceuld not be slowed under
issek aud leave room for the swinging of GO
occurred on1deck. All went well until the first
of September, when the Dash was chased by a
frigate and a schooner in ncompapy. With all
her lsding the Dash out-sailed3the frigats, bal
the schooner gained on the priyateer. The
log book does not mention the ruse praoticed
TO escape, bat Capt. Cammett related it to me
in his old age with many Embellishments in his
entertaining manner. When he saw the
schooner was gaining on the Dash and began
to fire, he found he must surrender or fight
In her usual sailing trim the Dash would be 8
match for the schooner, but deep laden as she
was, she would probably be crippled. She
could use her two Is Founders, but the pivot
gnn was encumbered by the puncheons of rum
which he could not afford to throw overheard
at the then high price. Capt. Cammett had in
his ships company some of the most spirited
young men of the town. In the emergency
they were consulted, and it was decided tc
show fight. and If the schooner persisted, tc
bring her to sclose quarters and board her
Every man was ordered to arm himself ae.
cordingly. They were then within sight of the
headands of the coast, and did not like the ides
of occupying Halifax or Dartmoor prison
The two broadside guns were cleared away and
loaded, one with double charge of grape an6
| canister, and when all was ready the brig wal
luffed up to bring gun to bear, and round
shot was fred, which went uncomfortably neal
to the chaser. The captain Of the schooner
evidently concluded that the Dash meant tC
fight, and had led him into q trap Much t.
the surprise and qualification of Capt. Cam
NETT the schooner tackled sship, got out hel
sweeps and made every effort to get away from
the Dash, whose sweeps were also got out, bu
were pulled in the opposite direction, which
the enemy in his fright did not discover, but
kept his course in his flight. "The wicked
flee when no man pursueth." The Dash wa:
the Same day on "Cashes Bank" where a fish.
ermsn was spoken, who informed the captain
''that the British had taken the city of Wash
ing ton"
The next day, Sept. 8, tha Dash arrived in
Portland harbor, and found the town alarmed,
fearing visit from British squadron. Tc
save the cargo it was carted out to Saccarappa
and sold there at auction, the rum at two dol
lars and fifty cents per gallon. This was prob.
ably the largest "single sale'' of rum ever
oada in that v;iIara m A.