The Minneapolis journal., 1903-11-07

In August. 1913 ana ntted out fOf a
cruise. Her tonnage was about 400. !.
She mounted eight long Mines and
long twenty-four FOUNDER, weighing
about three tons. This privateer sailed
from Sandy Hook on Sept. 8, at 10 p.
M, commanded by Samuel c.. Reid,
with a crew of ninety seamen
and officers, mostly from the states
of Connecticut and Massachusetts,.
At 2 a. m. we found ourselves in the
center of the blockading squadron,
consisting of three line-of-battle ships,
one razee, two frigates and two sloops /
of war. Our only way to escape was
by turning to windWard, and thanks
to the Generals heels and good luck
and management. we worked her out
from the midst of them. AT 10 a. m
we were five miles to the windward OF |
the enemy's weathermost ship. They, |
however, continued the chase until
IL m. d.. when they bore UP for the
land, finding it of no use to continue
the chase.
We continued our course to the east
ward, without falling in with anything
until. the 14th, when we fell in with
brig, who commenced firing upon us
without hosting any colors. We found
that she had a long gun, and sup
posed her to be the Portsmouth.
privateer of Portsmouth, N. H. We
thought best not to make a close ac-
quaintance with her, for fear of get
cruise. We therefore showed our col
ors, made sail, and continued our
course for the Western islands. On the
goth we fell in with a Spanish armed
schooner and a Portuguese ship,
boarded them, found all right and left
them. On the morning of the 25th
September. we arrived at Fayal, came
to anchor in the bay about three miles
from the town, were visited by Mr..
Dabney, American consul, and sew
eral American gentlemen, who were
passengers from Lisbon in a Portu
guese ship, then lying in the harbor.
We commenced filling our water
casks, and taking in such other arti-
cles as we needed. About sunset we
saw a man-of-war heave around the
northeast point of the, harbor, and
shortly afterward, another Mr.. Dab
ney said there was no danger from
them-that he was we'll acquainted
with the commander of the squadron
that he was a gentleman, and would
not molest US in neutral port and
that he made that port place Of
rendezvous. Captain Reid called his
officers together for consultation. and
after hearing Mr.. Dabney's statement,
most of them. were of the opinion that
it would be best to lay where we We're,
as we should have to run the sloop of
war close on board, and would proba-
bly, receive much INJURY Mr.. Will
liams, second lieutenant was anxious
to get under way, pass the sloop Of war
and run thru between Pico and Fayal
In the meantime a line-of-batte
ship hove in sight. BY this time the
sloop and frigate had anchored in the
bay. The seventy-four proved to be
the Plantagenet, Captains Lloyd. The
frigate, Rota, Lord Somerville and the
sloon of war, the Carnation. 1t was
then thought advisable to haul close
to under the fort, and claisl the pro-
lection of a neutral power.
AS soon as the Plantagenet hove in
sight, Mr.. Dabney found he was mis-
taken in the squadron. About p. M.
boat was seen going off to the
enemy's ships. We Immediately hove
UP the anchor, got our sweeps, and
pulled in for the fort. The sloop of
war got under way and stood across
the harbor. We continued pulling
and hedging in, until we shot in by
the southeast part of the harbor--a
very high hill. The moon was in her
full, and had risen above the hill
While thus employed, and within
half a mile of the fort, we discovered
in the dusk of the moon, between the
point and us, four boats pulling VI
under the stern with muffled oars
Captain Reid hailed them and ordered
them to keep off They answered
What the devil are you afraid Off
Reid hailed again--'Keep off, or II
fire into you. At this announcement
the officer in command called out
Give way for her and give the ID
Yankees no quarter" Before the,
could get alongside a long nine wa
slued around to stern port and free
on one of the boats pulling up, whicl
killed or wounded nearly the who'll
crew. This boat was commanded b,
the third lieutenant of the Planta
genet. She drifted to the beach abou
mile from our vessel. The othe
boats got alongside, and two of then
attacked on the starboard, and one OF
the larboard quarter. ~
All this was apparently the work O
minute. We were still engage
hedging the vessel under the fort whe
the word from aft was, "Repel board
ers.' On mastering aft, the first lieu
tenant, Frederick A. Worth, received
ball In his left side. and a seaman b
the name of Barton Cloid was she
thru the heart and fell dead instantly
These men were shot thru the gun O
sweep ports. In passing aft, one c
the officers saw blunderbuss ru
thru sweep port-he instantl
Jumped on it-when it was discharged
the contents entered the combings {
the cabin companionway and LODGED
BY the presence of mind and promr
action of that officer, no doubt. tn
lives of Mr.. Dabney, the consul. an
several other gentlemen were savet
as they were standing in the compar
ionway at the time, and had it bee
fired In It's parallel position, it mu!
have killed or wounded them
The boat on our 1arboard quartz
was instantly repelled with most ,
her crew killed or wounded: they wei
enabled, however, to get off, and tal
refuge under cover of a large Portl
guese ship lying in the harbor. TT
two on the starboard quarter SOC
called for quarter, which was give
them. We ceased firing as soon
possible; the officers fore and aft tt
deck, at the risk of their lives. wit
great difficulty stopped the men fro
firing and using the pike and cutlas
and permitting those men, who ten
fifteen minutes before, had receive
orders Ito give the id Yankees +
quarter to put the boat hoo]
against the side of our vessel, sho-
off and go about their business.
We then warped in under the fol
In hopes Of being protected by Il
garrison; but they had neither disp
sition nor the ability to do it. I'll
guns III the fort, from all appearance
had not been touched for twenty yeal
In the meantime our surgeon. Br
gingham a very worthy and efficie
man, was dispatched to the boat tn
had drifted on shore, with orders
do all he could for the wounded. I
found about twenty men alive in he
who were badly wounded, the renal
der being dead. He took off 1iml
extracted balls and dressed the
wounds, and did it to the satisfacti
of the English surgeon, who said, t