Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14
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in gold mine eras Husbands left their families sons
their parents physicians their patients, lawyers their
clients ministers their focks, merchants their business
mechanics their trades and prisoners broke out of
Jail join in the mad scramble for wealth. In almost
every instance these people cheeruy ens ed in priva
without wages being content with shares IN prize
money as their full remuneration.
There were instances where women OF wealth pur-
chased ships armed and manned them, and sent them
out as privaeers; notably Mrs Charter of New York
who operated of the most formidable and successful
privatearmed craft this that actually gave
battle and defeated the boats of an English frgate
Also there were instances where women disguised
themselves as men, and enlisted ordinary sailors in
privateers. That period when church sentiment
dominated many parts of the United States and is of
record that had been expelled from congrega-
tons for donning male attire In the of Deborah
Sampson the fright hand of fellowship withdrawn
from her and she declared excumuncate and that
her "body and soul shall be given over to Satan.
To be sure each of five hundred and seventeen Ameri
can privateers in this war did not find gold mine
the ocean. Some were captured by the enemy others
failed to make prize; but can be said that halt OF
them made at least seizure on the high seas that
compensated for the effort.
Nor did all the miners in the early days out West
strike rich Indeed, it has been estimated that not
than in thousand discovered, or at least Sc
cured for himself enough gold to justify the hazard and
outlay of time and money. Not only did majority OF
the prvateers strike it rich among the gold mines OF
the sea- but most of the managed to return home
within reasonable time and in comfortable conditions
DOSSIBLY the little six gun schooner Viper, Captain
ID. Dithurbde, of New York, manned by only thirty
five men, holds the record among prvateers OF this war
She not 50 big many presentday coasters that
ply Long Island Sound yet she sailed from Charleston
South Carolina, February "a 1813 and within eight
days put into New Bedford with three English ships,
which sale realized hundred and fifty thousand
dollars a sum of money representing in those days
cIacp of abO
century ago q could retire very comfortably on
thousand dollars Each prvateer had its own agree
for the division of prize money, and we have no
means of knowing what that contract was aboard the
Viper Following the general custom, however, we may
presume that third went to the OF the craft
and the remaining hundred thousand dollars to the
thirty -fve officers and sailors. Probably not or
boy got less than thousand dollars result of
this cruise of eight days while each of the officers must
have received what then considered a fortune
Closely rvalng the Viper in sudden wealth was the
sixteen-gun privateer John Captain Crowninshield,
of Salem, which after cruise of only three weeks IN
July 1872 returned her home port having captured
eleven English vessels of which three destroyed at
sea and two retaken AS the six brought safely
into port were largely laden with "puncheons of rum,
the sale netted three hundred thousand dollars
Next in point of speedy success was the little eight
gun privateer Benjamin Franklin, Captain ]. lngerson,
of New York which got to about July "a 1912, and
returned within month, in which time she had taken
seven British merchantmen One of these prizes, the
sloop Louisa Ann taken in a most daring
She securely anchored under the guns of the fort
in Trinity Harbor. Martinique, having board cargo
of molasses and waiting for opportunity get
to sea. Under of night men from the Ben
jarnin Franklin put off in a boat alongside
powered her crew. and brought her out before the alarm
had been given on shore.
One of the most successful New England privateers
was the splendid hundred and fifty ship Amer
lea of Saem which cruise of little than four
months returned port with six prizes valued at
hundred and ifty-eight thousand dollars In all the
America made FIVE cruises, in which she took twenty
six English merchantmen the cargoes from which