The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-07-29
IN General.
The Negro and the Pirates.
A TRUE STORY OF THE WAR.


The adage that truth is stranger than
fiction is often proved by incidents in
daily life. AS we were tossing up and
down in an ocean steamer, which was
pushing into the teeth of southeastern,
my friend and / beguiled the weary
hours with "reminiscences. Among them
was the adventure of a negro, during
the war of the rebellion, which has
never, to my knowledge, found its way
into the newspapers. 1t is too good
story to be lost, and as every point of
the tale can be thoroughly substantiated
by personal testimony and legal records,
/ have taken pains to write it out, and
am sure that some, at least, of my read
ers will thank me for reproducing it
here. 1t was while the " Alabama
was preying upon our commerce, and,
favored by Great Britain, was driving
it from the seas, that a brig, laden with
valuable cargo, sailed from a New
England port. Early in her voyage
she was overhauled and captured by the
" Alabama" The money and valuables,
and the papers of the vessel, were taken
possession of by the rebel privateer,
and all of the officers and men, ex-
cept three, were transferred to the
A" Alabama" A prize crew of captain
and two men was put on board of the
brig, and three of the original crew
two Swedes and negro-were left
aboard to aid in carrying the prize into
Charleston. The selection of these
men was made because it was thought
that the Swedes would not care under
what flag they sailed, and the negro
didn't count. The prize had not been
long on its course before the captain
found out that the negro had once been
slave, and he foolishly threatened
that, when he got him to Charleston, he
would sell him, with the rest of the
cargo, at the biggest price that he could
get. The threat filled the negro with
horror, and inspired him with plans for
escape from fate which he dreaded
more than death.
He tried to enlist the Swedes in a
scheme to overcome the captain and
the two sailors of the prize crew, but
they declined, saying that the risk to
them was too great, as they would be
killed if any such plot failed, and they
had nothing to fear from being taken
into a southern port. After their re-
fusal the negro seemed to give up his
idea, and nothing in his words or acts
gave any intimation of what was going
on within him. He was a large and
powerful man, ebony black, and that
part of the eye which is usually white,
in him was bright yellow, which gave
him a peculiar expression, somewhat
ike tiger; he had also, habit of
treading softly, with his toes punched
like a cushion.
The brig was steadily moving on
with light airs over smooth seas toward
Charleston, and seemed likely to reach
port in due time. One moonlight night
the captain was asleep in his cabin, one
of the prize crew was at the wheel
half-asleep, and the other one was on
duty in the waist. The Swedes were
in the forecastle, where the negro was
also supposed to be. Stealthily his
dark form crept through the shadows,
till he came suddenly upon the helms
man, and with one blow from an axe,
which he had concealed beneath his
jacket, he laid the sailor lifeess on the
deck. The man in the waist of the
brig, hearing the fall, aroused and
sprang toward the negro, who disabled
him with another blow of the axe.
Just at this moment the captain, who
had been warned of danger by the call
of the second sailor, appeared at the
companion-way, armed, and in mo.
ment the negro and the captain were
locked in deadly embrace, and rolled
together down the stairs into the cabin.
After brief struggle the negro came
up, dragging the body of the captain,
who was still alive and begging for
mercy. "No," said the negro, "you
swore you would sell me for slave in
Charleston, and you're going over.
board" And overheard he threw the
captain and the bodies of the other two
sailors of the prize crew. The Swedes
had come on deck, and, trembling for
their lives, had taken to the rigging
The negro called them down, assuring
them that they should suffer no harm
explained to them that killing pirate;
was not murder, and that if they woulC
help him navigate the vessel to New
York the salvage would pay then
handsomely.
They trusted the black man, and the
vessel was safely brought to Sandy
Hook, where pilot was taken who
brought her to New York. A case was
brought for salvage and successfully
argued by eminent counsel. The
negro was kept for time in prison
but was ultimately released, received
his salvage money, with which he
bought farm in New England, where
few years since he was living in com
fort and happiness, and also giving {
home to his aged mother.
have mentioned the fearful look
from this mans eye. An amusing
instance of its effect took place once
in the lawyers office. The delay il
getting the money out of court after
the case was settled, and the negro a
liberty, was inexplicable to him, and he
used to come often to know when the
amount awarded him would be paid
The clerk, who received visitors, a little
; old man of timorous nature, was one
day startled by hearing, in deep bass
voice, " Where's my money!" He
, looked around, saw this large yellow
eyed negro bending over him, and hi
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