The sun., 1899-12-31
YANKEE PRlVATEER'SLOG
CAPT. NTCOLI'S 'RtISE IN THE
NORTH SEA ~ 1913.

III ltb DUN OF Dcf, lO tncTe were printed two
letters relating TO events Of the post from a col.
lection Of unpublished family papcrs CON-
tainod in the Same collection Ia the log q, ,oa,ns
Of the Captain Of the pnvstcer Scourgc during
part Of the War Of 1912; also the letter Of marou,
or commission Of the vessel. issued by Jane,
Madison, President OF the United States and
countcrsigncd by james Monroe Secretary of
State. This, document informs us that thu
schooner Scourge was Of 24S 1896 tons burden.
owned by Peter Schonck and Frederick Jcnlin.
Of the city Of Now York. mounting fifteen carti,p.
guns and navigatcd by 100 men. II authorize.
Capt Samuel G.. Nicoll. her Commando John
Doanc, Lieutenant and the other officers and
crew thereof to subduc or seize any armed or
unarmod British vessel. public or private, when
found within the iurisdicuonal limits Of the United
States, or elsewhere. or within the waters Of tho
British dominions
Capt Nicoll interpreted this parcr in the broad.
est sense for without consideration Of the pctii
that his audacity might involve, nc proceeded
10 the North Sea and made English waters tha
theatre OF his harsassncnt OF Bnush oommctca
That he was not destroyed OF captured may be
attributed cithcr 10 superior Scamanship or Ia
luck Apparent rcckicssncss invited his cap,urs
for he showed no difidcncc in opening Are ON
everything within his legal right 10 attack from
an armed morchantman TO a fftygun frigata
His zeal in this direction lod him 10 engage the
United States frgatc President, commanded
by Commodore Rodgers, upon which he came
unexpectedly in fog and which he mistook fus
an English man-of.wag.
The log Of the Scourgc, as becomes doe,i-
ment OF the sea has a wcathcr-bcaten appearance.
Many Of its pages arc stained with salt water
and mildewcd. Some OF the entries are almost
undcciphctabe. an indication that there wero
times when impending events unsteadied the
hand oi even peerless Capt Nicoll On May
20. 1873 the Scourgc was anchored in Long Is-
land Sound in company with the United States
ships United States. Macedonian and Hor-
net These vessels were collected awaiting
information concerning some English men-of-
war reported between Block Island and Montauk
Point. At p N. the sIoop Bearer from tho
Vineyard was hailed and reported that three
English ships composed the cruising squadron
Thereupon the Scourgc and the American war
ships got under way and proceeded toward the
eastern entrance Of the Sound. On the way
a sioop from Block Island and a revenue cutter
were spoken. They stated that tho encmy's
vessels consisted OF two 74's and frigato. On
the morning Of May "a the four Americans sailed
10 the eastward in a std cast-north cast gale
the Scourgc, as tho log says. beating tho States
ships. hull down" With small regard TO the
proximity OF the British mcn-of-war on the eve
ming OF May 2S, in fresh gale from northeast a
favorable wind for The enemy 10 intercept craft
passing out at sea between Block Island and
Montsuk Point Capt NicoIs log makes this
record:
49, AT p NJ. landed the sound pilot on Fishers
No information Of tie English ii ships At7P. ii.
p NJ Montsuk dPso;nt bore southwest distant
san about one Point on the weather bow In
square :aii and hauled our wind at y made her
and high sea, no,hins IN sight but the brig"
:, On june . the Scourge was in chase Of schooner
gHnshot the crew aerc called TO quarters it being
discovered that the stranger was armed. When
Within pistol shot tie vessel waS hailed and proved
out. having cvadcd the vigilance Of the Della.
ware hockadng squadTon and bound for France
coast of Norvay,whes the frs; ca Eture was made,
an English bark IN ballast from London for Arch
% proceed 10 DrontHe!n NJ Or On July L. an Ensiish
ship mounting eight guns was taken after . short
a'ii2n y SnnnS " Which vas a., inS,sS
ground ot English ships Of war. Al 0 A u.
a brig nearby II being forgy Capt Nicoll de.
termncd TO venture within sunshot % the stranger
discover it he opened Are, when he was promptly
disillusi9nrd, for he found that he was engaging
ne hS o msI n %lch n2Te m a 1S, ana "a stood iGT n
work well 70 the windward. Certain iudca.
tiunS impressed Capt Nicoll that his supposed
wit tie private code with which all pTivateers
and national vessels we're supplied. The reply
stranger 5 lee when lie was hailed by Commodore
Rodgers, who informed him that the supposed
ne esa SnsAd was lsf Ced oSSss
20 come, aboard and explain what led him TO think
he could successfully cone with ffty:Gun frgate
factory, for after sinking English brig. one
o! several that the President had treated In tho
same way both ships started in company on .
on July 90 they discovered two sails to the sou,h-
Wn MaId; Shasr % vas made With crews az quarters:
hazy. the strangers were discovered 10 be an Eng
lish linc.oi: i:ba'ilc snip and friGate; This was
Americans promptly hauled their wind, and tho
chascrs became the chased. The Americans,
at A. NJ on July 2i The President was on, Of
SIGHT TO the lccward and al $50 the two Eng lish-
mfp Ha soSarse had narrow escape from
capture. The leg records the incident IN these
our sweeps hut she brinr!rr, up the wind With her
nsarcd % US fast, Wet our sails started twenty;ayo
last, and cut away the small bower and lctgo
from the bows Diso.ycred the chase 20 be two
ward nearly bGcalmcd our sis. The chase fred
srvesai shot that fcl short. Al IL A. ~, sho
showed ,ho English eo!ors and gave US gun. Keep,
10 r NJ got the weathcr.gausr oi thr ship gave
her long Tom-the forward gun-and It's con-
with it. % In sweeps al sanafed 'sss ss SsfS SsG,S
made all possible sail and stood in for the land"
In the meantime the Scourgc had hern Joined
by the privatcer brig Ratt!rsnakc. Thns Two
made their station on the coast Of Norway, at
DronIhcim cruising thence 10 the southwark 10
the mouth of the Eltc in orcr 10 intcTccpt British
shipping trading between England and Baltic
ports. This field Of operate ms yielded a con-
siderable harvest Of prizes, On Aug, 10 the Pri-
vatccrS sighted two vessels The Raulrsnako
started in pursuit Of on, an unHtmcd bark, while
the Scourgc chascd brig. which proved 10 10
aImcd and capahic oi putting up a still fight.
The enemy did not seek 10 nc hut hove up into
The wind and awaited the coming o! the Sc0urgc.
The engagement that followed was ano'hcr cX-
ample OF the conditions that have Invariably con-
rlhutcd 10 American success in naval actions
hurrlur scamanship, a more speedy and more
easily handed vessel, guns 81 greater range and
morG accurate marksmanship. Thcsc qualities
dominated n the present occasion. Capi Nlcoil
held the wcathrr-Gaugc, whore. beyond the reach
oi the "ncmyS guns, he pounded him with his
how chaser until. unable 10 make effective reply
oI to cscap, through superior speed, III" English
man struck his cOiUrS and surrendered Tho
capture proved 10 hc the armed brig Burton N y
crnis". With six vessels tho result of their JOINT
III tNlnp priNo 4 H. So