River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-09-02
SALEM SEA CAPTAINS.

hard to tell how the intercourse be-
tween Europe and the colonies would
have been kept up-with Boston, New
port, New York, Philadelphia, Charles
ton, and Savannah successfully in the
hands of the enemy-but for the mer-
chants and mariners of Salem, Beverly,
and Marblehead Salem alone sent
out 1873 armed vessels, carrying in all
more than 1000 guns, each vessel hav-
ing twelve or fourteen. They took AS
prizes, "a out of their own fleet being
lost. The loss of the vessels was to be
expected, but the loss from history of
all detailed memorial of these daring
men is more serious. What is fame
that preserves of all that period only
the madcap daring of Paul Jones. and
forgets the solid heroism of Jonathan
HaradenP
Jonathan Haraden was born in Glou-
cester, but was taken early to Salem
in the employ of Richard Cabot, father
of the celebrated president of the
Hartford Convention. He first went to
sea rs lieutenant, then as captain of .
fourteen-gun sloop built for the state OF
Massachusetts, and bearing 2 name
that would have delighted Wendell
Phillips the Tyrannicide. In her he
helped capture British naval vessel,
that was carried in triumph into Salem
Harbor. Afterward Haraden was put
in command of the General Pickering,
a Salem privateer of $50 tons, carrying
fourteen siX-pounder5, and crew of
forty-tive men and bows. lie sailed in
1870 with cargo of sugar for Bilboa,
then a resort for American privateers
and prize vessels. On his passage he
had Il two hours fight with q British
cutter of twenty guns and beat her of
but on entering the Bay of Biscay
found opportunity for an exploit more
daring.
Running by night alongside a Brit
ish privateer carrying twenty-five guns
and sixty men, he ordered her, through
his trumpet to surrender TO an Ameri
can frigate or be sunk. The aston.
ished Englshman yielded, and came
on board to find himself outgeneralled
A prize crew was put on the captured
vessel. and both made sail for Bilb0a,
when they were met by a kings ship
which, as the captured captain tolc
Haraden with delight, was the Achilles
another English priyateer, with forty
two guns and 40 men. Il sha'nt run
from her, said Haraden, coolly. Al
once the scene changed; the big Eng
lishman recaptHred the little one, then
lay along Haraden 5 ship all nigh
to light her next day. Haraden took !
sound nights sleep, and recruited 9
boatswain and eight sailors from hi,
prisoners in the morning, when they
went to work.
The American ship seemed, said an
eyewitness, like a long-boat beside /
man. of-war; many of the Englishman'
shot went over her opponent. while
she herself was always hit below the
water lne-this modern Achilles, like
the ancient, proving vulnerable in thu
heel A final broadside of crow-bars
from Haraden had great effect, anC
Achilles fled. The Pickering gave
chase, and Haraden offered large re
ward to his gunner if he would carry
away a spar, but no such luck occurred
and the Englishman got off. Harader
recaptured his first prize, which had
thus changed hands thrice in twenty.
four hours, and went into port with her
The battle had lasted three hours
being fought so near the Spanish coast
that hundred thousand spectators, il
was said, lined the shores; and it was
also said that, before, the Picker.
ing and her prize had been half al
hour at anchor, one could have walked
mile over the water stepping from
boat to boat; and when the captain
landed he was borne in triumph
through the city on'the men 5 shoulders
This is a sample of this bold sailor
adventures. On another occasion
still, in the Pickering, he fell in with
three armed EngiishmeD in company
carrying respectively twelve, fourteen
and sixteen guns; and he captured eact
in succession with his vessel, he carry
ing just as many guns as the largest
of the enemy.
Haraden alone took more than q
thousand guns from the British during
the war. The Salem ships intercepted
the vessels which carried supplies from
England or Nova Scotia to the gar
risons in New York and Boston; they
crllised in the Bay of Biscay, and in the
English and Irish channels; they raised
the insurance on British ships K
twenty-three per cent, and Obliged q
large naval force be constantly EN-
ployed in conveying merchantmen
they, moreover. brought munitions OF
war from the French islands. Some
sailed as privateers pure and simple
others under "letters of marque, in
VOYAGES whose pri watering was in
cidental, but where the dangers incur
red were much the same. Joseph Pea
body, for instance. sailed from Salem
in the winter of 1871 as second mate
of the letter-of-marque Ranger, Cap
tain Simmons, carrying seven guns
They took cargo of salt, sold 1t al
Richmond, Virginia, and at Alexandra
loaded with -four for Havana. Part OF
the cargo. being from General Wash
ngton's plantation, was received al
Havana at the marked weight; all was
sold, and the Ranger returned to Alex
andria for another freight.
Anchoring at the mouth of the Poto-
mac because of head-winds, the officers
turn d in, but were reused before mid
night by the watch. with news that
large boats were coming toward the
ship from different directions. Slm=
mons and Peabody rushed to the deck,
the latter in his night-clothes. As
they reached it, a yolley of musketry
met them, and the captain fell wound
ed. Peabody ran forward shouting
for the crew to seize the boarding
pixies, and he himself attacked some
men who were climbing on board.
Meantime another strange boat opened
fire from another quarter All was
confusion; they knew not who were
their assailants or whence; the captain
lay helpless, the first officer was serV-
ing out ammunition, and PEABODY,
still conspicuous in his white raiment
had command of the deck.
The boats were already grappled to
the Ranger; he ordered cold shot to be
dropped into them, and frightened one
crew so that it cast off; then he ordered
his men against the other boat, shout
ing, I'VE have sunk one, boys; now let
us sink the otherr' His men cheered !;
and presently both boats dropped
astern, leaving one of the Ranger 5
crew dead and three wounded. Pea
BODY himself was hurt in three places,
not counting the loss of his club of hair,
worn in the fashion of those days,
which had been shot clean off. and
was found on deck next morning. The