The Portland daily press., 1884-01-08
BY HON. WILLIAM GooLD.

The "Teazer' was originally New York pi-
lot boat with the regular rig of such vessels
When war was declared she was armed with a
long gun anlidships aud one short gun. She
| was licensed in New York, aud ssiieJ rom
that port very soon after the commencement
ef the war Although she belonged tasre she
had an agent in Portland. Ia tae iearTal Of
her second cruise, lately found in the Portland
Custom House, is the closing loose leaf Of her
logbook for the first cruise, which shows that
hercrew entered on shares. and that from some
| cause three left the vessel at Portland OF it's
close, thereby FORGETTING their shares, although
they had taken the brig "Hero" as prizs. The
leaf from the first journal shows that the
"Teazer" arrived in Portland harbor on tho
25sh of July from her first cruise, only thirty
seven days from the declaration of war.
Her commander was G. w. Wooster. The first
trip was probably considered unsuccessful,
which was the reason why the men threw IN
their shares.
have the full journal OF her second and
very successful cruise. From this record of the
changing OF the sails &C.. learn her zig. In
addition to her old pilot boat rig, as fore.and
after, with two iibs, she had an additional slid
ing boom on which was set 'jib of iibs." On
the main boom was also sliding spar with
sail called ''ring TALL" with gaff topsails and
square sail. This constituted all her ayaila-
BILE canvas; and this was what the first feet OF
privateers depended upon for success more than
they did upon their guns.
The leaving port on the second cruise, after
weeks preparation, is described as follows:
of Portland harbor, and ran up to town. Fired
gun and set the colors for the captain. Att
q. m. the captain came on board-fred two
guns and ran down for the brig Rapid" and
cheered her, and was answered Sent boat on
shore for the captains papers. At 10 tacked
and stood in for the boat At 10 30 got the boat
on board aud the Rapid" came ont to try her
sailing. Hauled to the wind with her at II
o'clock, with light breeze, At IL found that
we mad gained three points on her, and had
gone about one mile 10 windward OF herr
The Teszer saw the Rapid capture a sh D
two days after. Nothing remarkable occurred
after sailing until the 9th, when the schooner
came up with brig, which surrendered with
out firing gun. She proved to be the "Peter
Waldo; Capt. Ralph Wilkes Herbert. from
New Castle, England, bound to Halifax, with
cargo of sundry articles" "Mr Charles
Warren was put on board az prizs master with
six men, and ordered to Portland. Brig first
discovered BY. Francis Clifford" The "Peter
Waldo" arrived safe, and proved to BIO very
valuable prize. Cogshall says she Melted the
captains more than 100000. A part of her
cargo was clothing and blankets for the Brit
ish troops in Canada. She also had crates of
crockery ware, which was sold at auction to
retailers, and pieces of il are still remaining
among the descendants of old families, and are
still known as "Peter Waldo ware"
Prominent as part of the cargo of the brig
were several very large cattle, purchased in
England for Canada farm-they were pur-
chased here by John Gordon of Stroudwater
Whatever name the breed was known by in
England it was not perpetuated here, but they
bore the name of the vessel that brought them,
and they became so famous for their size that
during the visit of President Monroe to Port
land in 1917, he made special visit to Cor
don's farm to see the herd of "Peter Waldo
CATTLE" They were driven to Winthrop to
cattle show, and also to Brighton, Mass. There
have been crosses of the blood in the State
within few years, still bearing the vessels
name. but their reputation was never high.
On the 18th of August the "Teazsr" chased
the schooner est. Kits on shore on the Nova
Scotia coast, after firing 10 shots at her. She
was from the island of st. Kits, bound to Que
bee, with cargo Of rum, sugar and molasses
Her crew left her, and she was got off by the
crew of the "Teazer," furnished with s new
rudder and sent in.
On the 18th of August, after exchanging
several shots from the long gun, and receiving
lzsI A.. IN,
British ship Osborne of Hull, from Gibraltar
bound to ST. John; armed with 10 10 pound
carronades and having crew of Is men.