Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-11
Miseellaaeuas gsading.
WAS THE LAST SLAYER.
Voyage of the Wanderer For Cargo Of
Neqroes a Disastrous Venture.

voyage OF the Wanoerer for cargo OF
Negroes a Disastrous Venture.
The Wanderer, in 1859, was the ves-
sci that landed the last cargo Of Afri-
can slaves in the United States. This
ship was built in New York in 1856 by
Joseph G. Bayless for ]. T. Johnson, a
member Of the New York Yacht Club.
Shortly after the Wanderer was
launched from the ways Of Bayless's
shipyard Johnson sold 1t to Captain
Corrie, who retained 1t until the year
1859. 1t was about this time that
Charles A. L. Lamar, Of Savannah, Ga.
young man Of one Of the wealthiest
and most aristocratic Of southern fam
lilies, decided to make the experiment
Of bringing 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 undertake this
risky enterprise by the enormous prof.
its awaiting those who succeeded In
landing negroes in America without at
tracing the attention Of the courts
and officers. The importation Of slaves
had been .outlawed in this country for
nearly half a century, and such was
the vigilance Of the British, French
and American war vessels in 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 slave
voyage.
Lamar took into his confidence Cap
tain MCGEE, Of Columbia, Ga, Richard
Dickerson, Of Richmond. Va, and Cap
tain Egbert Farnum, a former mail
rider and Indian fighter. Proceeding
to New York, these men purchased the
Wanderer from Corrie, joined the New
York Yacht club, spent money lavish
ly and in such manner as to render
themselves extremely popular with the
smart set" of that period. Lamar or
dered 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 circu-
lated at Charleston, where, few weeks
later, Lamar and his friends Joined
Farrum. In the late spring Of 1859
they set sail for parts known only to
themselves.
The voyage to the mouth Of the Con-
90 river, on the west African coast, oc-
cupied about twice the needful 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 destination was, however,
reached in safety, since 1t entered the
ships patrolling 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 con-
cluded when q curious incident hap
pened, an incident that brought out
the wonderful self possession, resource
fulness and cleverness Of Lamar. 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 appeared in the river, anchor
ing 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
representative Of Her Britannia Majes-
ty on the high seas. He mounted the
ladder Of the man-of-war, and, pro-
ceeding straight to the cabin, intro
duced himself to the officers, conduct
ell himself in a manner so thoroughly
agreeable that the officers would not
hear of his returning until late that
night. To meet an educated gentle
savages and sordid slave hunters they
declared was real treat so rarely en-
joyed that they proposed to make the
best of it while 1t lasted. The next day
Lamar arranged a dinner in honor of
the British officers, dinner that was
given on board the Wanderer. He had
completely disarmed their suspicious
by stating that as a gentleman OF
wealth, he and some friends were max
ing a pleasure cruise to India
This dinner was a great success.
Champagne flowed like water and ev-
cry one except Lamar became drunk.
While the revel was at its height La
mar asked one Of the guests II he did
not think the Wanderer would make a
capital SLAYER, a sally which excited
uproarious laughter and applause
among Her Britannia Majesty's repre-
sentatives, who declared that Lamar
was trump. That night the man-of-
aginary SLAYER that, according to re-
ports that Lamar had previously set In
circulation, was down the coast load
ing negroes.
The rest of the story Is soon told. The
Wanderer ran up to Brazziville, took
on 400 negroes, set sail for the United
States and landed them on the coast of
Georgia Lamars plan was to scatter
the negroes about on a number OF
plantations until a favorable moment
arrived to sell them. He succeeded In
the first part Of this programme, but
not in the last The friends upon whom
he depended turned traitors; he was
arrested, hailed before the Federal
courts, and. the negroes from whose sale
he counted upon reaping a fortune
were seized by the United States mar
shall pending orders from the court.
Such, however, was not the case with
all the blacks. Over one third Of them
were appropriated. hidden, sold, etc.
by those whom Lamar regarded as
friends, and upon whom he relied for
the successful execution of his PLAN
New York Press.