The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-10-24
WAS THE LAST SLAYER.
Voyage of the Wanderer for Cargo of
Negroes a Disastrous Venture.

uS w ouoSlO Ol, LII 1coo, WoS IAS
vessel that landed the last cargo of
African slaves in the United States.
This ship was built in New York in
1856 by Joseph G. Bayless for ]. T.
Johnson, member of the New York
Yacht Club. Shortly after the Wan
derer was launched from the ways of
Bayless's shipyard Johnson sold it to
a Captain Corrie, who retained 1t
until the year 1859. 1t was about
this time that Charles A. L. Lamar,
of Savannah, Ca, young man OF
one of the wealthiest and most aris-
tocratic of Southern families, decid-
ed to make the experiment Of bring
ing a cargo Of slaves from the west
coast of Africa, landing them at some
point on the southern coast of the
United States.
This adventurous and daring
young man was tempted to under
take this risky enterprise by the
enormous profits awaiting those who
succeeded in landing negroes in
America without attracting the at
tention of the courts and officers.
The importation of slaves had been
outlawed in this country for nearly
half century, and such was the
vigilance of the British, French, and
American war vessels patrolling the
west African coast and in running
down suspicious craft that few other
than the most daring, not to say fool
hardy, cared to run the risk of a
slave voyage.
Lamar took into his confidence
Captain McGee, of Columbia, Ga.,
Richard Dickerson, of Richmond,
Va, and Captain Egbert Farnum, a
former mail rider. and Indian fighter.
Proceeding to New York, these men
purchased the Wanderer from Cor
rie, joined the New York Yacht club,
spent money lavishly and in such a
manner as to render themselves ex-
tremely popular with the smart
set" of that period. Lamar ordered
Farnum to take the Wanderer to
Charleston, S. c., telling his friends
he intended to set out from that port
on a pleasure cruise to China. The
same report was industriously cir
culated at Charleston, where, few
weeks later, Lamar and his friends
Joined Farnum. In the late spring OF
1859 they set sail for parts known
only to themselves.
The voyage to the mouth Of the
Congo river, on the west African
coast, occupied about twice the need
full period, owing chiefly to the fact
that Lamar was obliged to steer clear
of a great many vessels he had no
desire to meet. The ships destina-
ton was, however, reached in safe
ty, since it entered the Congo river
unobserved by the warships patroll-
ing the coast. The anchor of the
Wanderer had barely settled in the
rivers mud before Lamar and his
associates were bargaining with the
native chiefs and half-caste Portu-
guese slave traders for the delivery
at a point known as Brazziville of
400 or more negroes.
The negotiations scarcely were
concluded when a curious incident
happened, an incident that brought
out the wonderful self-possession, re-
sourcefulness and cleverness of La
mar. The meeting with the chiefs
and traders had just adjourned and
the owners of the Wanderer were
stepping from the yawl to the yacht
when British man-of-War appear
ed in the river, anchoring only a
few hundred yards from the SLAYER.
The moment Lamar caught sight of
that vessel he ordered the crew of
the yawl back to their oars, and
with Farnum struck out for the rep
resentative of Her Britannia Majes-
ty on the high seas. He mounted the
ladder of the man-o-war, and, pro-
ceeding straight to the cabin, intro
duced himself to the officers, con-
Quoted himself in a manner so thor
oughly agreeable that the officers
would not hear to his returning until
late that night. To meet an edu-
Gated gentleman in that wilderness
of naked savages and sordid slave
hunters they declared was a real
treat so rarely enjoyed that they
proposed to make the best of it while
it lasted. The next day Lamar ar
ranged a dinner in honor of the
British officers, dinner that was
given on board the Wanderer. He
had completely disarmed their sus-
picions By stating that, as a gentle
4 = j.