Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-06
HOW A GALLANT CAPTAIN RETooK
HIS SHIP.
OyERCAME FIFTEEN MEN.
WITH THE AID OF HIS COOK AND
STEWARD.
,TORy OF TEE EMILY ST. PIERRE.
The Youngest Confederate soldier
Another Claimant TO Ihat
u. p,utfzed the Whole soutnerh
Confederacy.

Confederacy.
IN all probability. writes Mr. james
s,runt. in the Charlotte w
observer. the greatest exploit -
Tho war in the history OF tne
blockade was the daring ana unp"i a.
isled recapture Of the BRUSH snip
Emily St. Pierre by her brave comn@hu-
or. Captain William Wilson, the pun
l,shed account OF which. at that 'ilne'
won the applause OF friend and Zoe aiiAe'
and sent a thrill Of admiration ana emu
tim throughout the whole OF England
nj the heroic devotion and endurance Oi
one Of her gallant tars. Although s'ric'-
" not a story Of the Cape Fear II VIII
be none thu less interesting on thal AZ
count. and reproduce the account pun
nshed In ChamOers's Edinburgh journal
entitled. truly. "A Matter-of-Fact story
ON the morning Of the 18th Of March,
1852. the Liverpool ship Emily 81 fleIIe
WILLIAM Wilson. captain) arrived "ithiii
about twelve miles of Charleston. ana
signalIed for a pilot. She had made
long and tedious voyage Of four months
from Calcutta, bound Tor st. John' Ne"
brunswick. calling at Charleston for
orders II Charleston were open. If the
southern mort was blockaded, Captain
Wilson's orders were to proceed ullecl
"a the British port of ST. John, New
brunswick. The ship had formerly pc
longed TO Charleston, but since the ou'
break Of the American civil war she hao
sailed under the British flag. Her noml-
nal owners were Messrs. fraser
trenholm & Co., of No. 10 Rumford Pace
Liverpool; a firm doing an extensive Dust
ness, who had very close relations WIN
the Confederate or Southern States Ior
whom they acted as bankers anu "e9
In this country.
The ship was hailed by vessel, whlch
nroyed TO be the northern cruiser James
Adger and in response Captain wilson
hauled M his courses. backed his nam
verd and Law 10. An American naval
lieutenant and a score Of men came on
board and demanded his papers. Inc
manifest showed an innocent cargo. wv
bales OF gunny-bags, and the reslstia-
ton of the ship as English was IN cue
order. The Captain demanded permis-
sion n nroceed. Charleston being block
AIDED. to his destination, the British port
CT ST. John. The lieutenant refused
and referred the matter to his superior
IN command. and the two vessels proceed
cd into Charleston roadstead, where they
arrived at half-past in the afternoon.
CAPTAIN Wilson was ordered on board
the flagship OF the blockading squadron'
the Florida, where he was kept Tor Two
ha,,rs In solitude and suspense. At
last fiag-officer, Captain Goidborough'
came 10 him and said that they had de-
cided 10 seize the Emily st. Pierre on
several grounds. He asserted that she
carried contraband Of war-namely, salt
petre: that English registration was not
bona fide; that many articles on board
had been found bearing the name OF
Charleston; that the same word had been
ecraped out on her stern and substituted
by the name Liverpool; that captain
Wilson had not disclosed all his papers,
but had been observed from the James
Adger TO throw overheard and sink
small parcel probably of discriminating
documents. Captain Wilson protested,
and appealed TO the maritime law or ma
f,ons. But IN vain. lie was informed
that the law courts OF Philadelphia would
ndiudicate the matter and finally Captain
Wilson was invited 10 take passage in
his vessel to Philadelphia, and 20 place
at the disposal OF the navigator his
charts and instruments. The invitation
in form was In fact "A command. He re-
turned TO his vessel TO find that his crew
had all been removed. with the excep-
ton OF two. who were not sailors-the
steward. an Irishman named Matthew
MONTGOMERY, and the cook. German
named Louis Schelvin, hailing from
Frankfort-on- the-Main. These were
merely passengers. and with them was an
American engineer, who had obtained
permission 70 take passage 10 Philadel-
phia-
The prize crew who took charge OF the
vessel consisted Of Lieutenant Stone.
OF the United States navy, in command;
q masters mate. and twelve men-four-
teen In all. with the American passenger.
fifteen. The moment that Captain VIII
son stepped again on board his own vessel
he formed the resolution 10 recapture her
and take her home. He was bold enough
TO think that II might be possible to re-
capture the ship, even against such odds.
PRACTICALLY PowERLEss.
An unarmed man. aided by the ques-
tionable support OF an Irish steward
and a German cook was practically
powerless against the fifteen Of the crew.
On the other hand. Captain Wilson was
. brawny. big-framed Scotchman "a ma
tive OF Dumfr1eshire), thorough seaman,
determined in resolve. cool and prompt in
aEuou. ito Ntlitn tue steward ana COOK
10 him in his state-ioom, and disclosed
tho wild project he had formed. Both
msnfully promised 70 stand by their chief
This was at half-past on the morning
CT the 2lst OF March the third day out
from Charleston. Captain Wilson had
already formed his plan OF operations
and had prepared 10 a certain extent
Tor carrying II out. With the promise
OF the cook and the steward secured, he ,
lost no time. gave them no chance for
their courage TO fail. but proceeded at
once IN the darkness and silence of the |
night 10 carry out his desperate under
taking He was prepared 10 lose his
life or have his ship; that was the simple |
alternative
II was Lieutenant Stones watch on |
Deck. and The prize-masters mate was
aSieep In his berth. The English captain |
went into tho berth. handed out the |
mates sword and reyo.vsrs, clspped a |
sac made OF piece OF wood and some
saaFlins between his teeth. seized his |