The Portland daily press., 1894-05-23
"RUFE" JOY DEAD.
A Survivor of the Old Rough and Ready
Days Drops Out-He Had Been a SLAYER,
and in Many BIen-of-War-Al Notable
Character About Portland.

The report that "Rufe'' Joy died at An
napolis Naval Hospital, April 14th, will
bring up some lively "reminiscences in the
minds OF many old Portlanders. Joy was
born IN l6OS on Munjoy Hill, and as a mere
boy began life as a sailor in 1925. His career
was most varied. Young Joy went first
mate IN She brig United States, owned by
Ben and Isaac Knights. Isaac was the
rather OF Capt. knights, the Federal street
frult dealer. He also went in the brig
FRANKLIN. All these voyage were to the
west indies, and gave young Joy taste for
sea and adventure. And where could there
be more adventure for man than in the
American navy, or in one of those heavily
armed slavers. manned by Spaniards, Portu-
guese, English, Yankees and the adventurers
of all nations, that lodged the English men
of-war to bring valuable cargoes of slaves
from the west coast of Africa to the rich
planters of the West Indies. AS youth Joy
tried both the SLAYER and the navy. Very
early in 1927 or a few years later, Joy left
an American vesselin Havana to ship on a
SLAYER, where he was to receive 800 month
and the privilege of bringing back one negro
to sell as venture. Joy went two voyages
on the SLAYER. On the first voyage he
bought negro girl for a gallon of rum, and
sold her in Havana for $500. The slaves
were gathered in immense corals on the
African coast, and from these they were
driven aboard the slavers to be chained up
like cattle for the long voyage The SLAYER
carried ten guns, and could beat off a
moderate sized man-of-war On the second
voyage Joy bought stout negro youth for
gallon of rum and an old musket In Cuba
the boy would bring thousand dollars, and
visions of gold fitted before the imagina-
t1on of the young Yankee all the way across
the Atlantic
They picked up the coast of Cuba, and
stood off until dark ready to put to sea in
case any man-of-war should appear None
appeared, and at dark they ran in to a
sheltered cove and prepared to land their
cargo. Suddenly there was an English
cheer, and the bluejackets of British man
of-war were upon them. joys negro was
freed with all the rest, and the young specu-
lator was hurried off to the Moro Castle in
Havana, where he was chained to the leg of
negro four and half months, and made
to work oat under the Cubans, with no
clothing but a breech cloth. 'EWhen the
four and half months were UP, I was
almost as black as the negro,' said Joy,
land had had enough of the slave trade''
About 1928 Joy shipped as an able seaman
in the United States frigate Guerriere.
fifty-four guns, Commodore Charles B,
Thompson and Captain Joseph Smith. The
Guerriere was named after the British ship
which the Constitution sunk in the war of
1872. Joy was paid off in her in 1881, and
came home to Portland to enjoy one of the
good times that then began to be famous in
Portland
In '34 Joy shipped on the United States
frigate st. Louis and saw service in the
Seminole war, being wounded in the knee
during an attack on Seminole camp.
In the days of the gold fever he was on
the Pacific station in the Falmouth from '42
to '45; he was on the Independence, sixty
guns, under Commodore Charles Stewart
and captain, afterwards Admiral String
ham. In As JOY went with the Marion,
sixteen guns sloop, to the coast of Africa
to look after slavers, at which he must have
been an expert.
In 1S48 Joy came home and had what he
considered one of the most memorable blow
outs of his long and jolly life He planned
for it long ahead. 81 knew that Neal Dow
would break up my good time if he could.
and as had had a good many brushes with
him, determined'' as he related the last
oiA1O AAO he'o III VI bidnus W UedG nln. so
bought barrel of um in Boston, put it on
the boat and brought it as far as Portland
light There I threw it off, and some of my
mates, who were watching. picked it UP.
We carried it up to place Munjoy hill,
knocked in the head with an axe, hoisted
the American flag and told the boys to help
themselves. And while it lasted no such
good time was ever seen in Portland.
In 1856 Joy joined the new United States
steam frigate Merrimac, the one that after
wards fell into the hands of the .Confeder-
ates and became the antagonist of the
Monitor. In 1856 the Merrimac was one of
the finest men-of-war in the world, and the
government sent her to show herself off in
Europe. During this trip she took William
II. Seward to Joppa, whence Joy, with fifty
| men. escorted him to Jerusalem.
Joy served in the navy through the war.
serving with Gouldsborough and at Fort
Fisher
He visited Portland not long ago. His
father and mother are buried in Eastern
Cemetery and he always wished to be buried
beside them.
Portland Directory Library.