Evening journal., 1891-06-10
A NAUTICAL EXPLOIT.


On the morning of March IS, 1862, the
Liverpool ship Emily St. Pierre (William
Wilson, captain) arrived within about
twelve miles Of Charleston and signaled
for pilot. She had made long and te
dious voyage OF four months from Cal
cutta, bound for st. John, n. B., calling at
Charleston for orders, II Charleston was
open. If the southern port was blockaded
Captain Wilson's orders were TO proceed
direct 70 the British port of ST John, N
B. The ship had formerly belonged to
Charleston, but since the outbreak of the
civil war she had sailed under the English
flag Her nominal owners were Messrs
Fraser, Trenholm e. Co., of 10 Rumford
place, Liverpool, a firm doing an extensive
business, who had very close relations with
the Confederate on southern states, for
whom they acted as bankers and agents in
this country
The ship was hailed by vessel which
proved to be the northern cruiser James
Adger, and in response Captain Wilson
hauled up his courses. backed his main
yard and lay to- An American nava!
lieutenant and score of men came on
board and demanded his papers. The
manifest showed an innocent cargo. 1000
bales Of gunny bags, and the registration
Of the ship as English was in due order.
The captain demanded permission to pro
ceed, Charleston being blockaded, to his
destination, the British port of St. John.
The lieutenant refused, and referred the
matter to his superior in command: and
the two vessels proceeded into Charleston
roadstead, where they arrived at $50 in
the afternoon.
Captain Wilson was ordered on board
the flagship Of the blockadiug squadron, the
Florida, where he was kept for two hours
in solitude and suspense. At last a flag
officer, Captain Goldboro, came to him and
said they had decided to seize the Emily
st. Pierre on several grounds. He asserted
that she carried contrabrand goods Of war
namely, saltpeter; that her English regis
tration was not bona fide; that many arti-
cles on board had been found bearing the
name OF Charleston, that the same word
had been scraped out on her stern and sub
stitLted by the name Liverpool; that Cap
tain Wilson had not disclosed all his pa
pers, but had been observed from the
James Adger to throw overheard and sink
a small parcel, probably Of discriminating
documents
Captain Wilson protested and appealed
to the maritime law OF nations. But in
vain. He was informed that the law
courts Of Philadelphia would adjudicate
the matter, and finally Captain Wilson
was invited to take passage in his vessel to
Philadelphia and to place at the disposal
OF. the navigator his charts and instru-
ments. The invitation in form was in
fact a command. He returned to his yes
sci to find that his crew had all been re-
moved with the exception of two, who
were not sailors, the steward and an Irish
man named Matthew Montgomery and
the cook, a German named Louis Schelvin
hailing from Frankfort-on-the-Afain. These
were merely passengers and with them
/ was an American engineer who had OBJ
tanned permission Co take passage to Phila-
delphia.
The prize crew who took charge OF the
vessel consisted OF Lieutenant Stone, Of
the United States navy, in command, a
masters mate and twelve men-fourteen
in all, with the American passenger ff-
teen. The moment that Captain Wilson
stepped again on board his own vessel he
i formed resolution TO recapture her and
take her home. He was bold enough to
think that it might be possible to recapt-
ure the ship even against such odds. An
unarmed man, aided by the questionable
support Of an Irish steward and Ger
man cook, was practically powerless
/ against the fifteen OF the crew. On the
other hand, Captain Wilson was a
brawny, big framed Scotchman "a native
Of Dumfriesshire), thorough seaman, de-
termined In resolve, cool and prompt in
action.
He called the steward and the cook to him
1 n cf fut nd I.a r.-tT a
project he had formed. Both manfully
| promised to stand by their chief This was
at 4;30 on the morning OF March 81, the
third day out from Charleston. Captain
| Wilson had already formed his plan OF op-
erations, and had prepared to a certain ex-
tent for carrying it out With the promise
Of the cook and the steward secured, be
lost no time, gave them no chance for their
courage TO evaporate, but proceeded at
once in the darkness and silence OF the
night to carry out his desperate undertak.
ing. He was prepared to lose his life or to
have his ship. that was the simple alterna.
tive.
1t was Lieutenant Stones watch on deck,
and the prize masters mate was asleep In
his berth. The English captain went into
the berth, handed out the mates sword
and revolvers, clapped gag made OF a
piece of wood and some marline between
his teeth, seized his hands, which Mont
gomery, the steward quickly ironed, and
so left him secure. The lieutenant still
paced the deck, undisturbed by sound
Then across to another stateroom, where
the American engineer lay asleep He was
also gagged and ironed silently and with
out disturbance His revolvers and those
already secured were given to the steward
and the cook, who remained below in tn,
cabin. Captain Wilson went on deck.
Lieutenant Stone was pacing the deck
aud the watch consisted Of one man at ths
helm, one at the lookout on the forecast,
and three others who were about the ship
For ten minutes Captain Wilson walked
mp and down, remarking on the fair winC
and making believe that he had but jusi
turned out Tue ship was of Cape Hat