Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-04-11
A TALE OF THE SEA.
"REMINISCENCES OF sEA-GOrNG
IN CIVIL WAR TIMES.


SHIPPING BEFORE THE MAST to EsCAPH
MILITARY SERVICES wATCHFuL
TIMES FOR cAPTAINs--A WRECK
AND A RoMANCE.
written for TUE AMsHrcAr by Capt. Ed. A.
Richardson, Deer lsle.)
sHistory repeats" During the third
year, and to the end..of. the Civil war, men
and labor became very scarce. All kinds
Of civil business, ~ well as..the more san
guine trade OF war, were then, ~ now, un-
der booming conditions. Sailors, more
than other laborers, were hard to obtain.
The navy had gathered in the best of
them, and it still being short handed, the
government permitted and invited any
sailor men who were IN the armies TO be
transferred to the naval service upon their
personal application, II they preferred the
change. Then, - now, when the demand
for men became greater, wsRss went
higher and higher. Common seamen's
wages went up to fabulous rates, and
sometimes in addition bounty was paid
tca.led .blood money!, to induce men to
Join the ship after they had signed
articles.
Besides the Inconvenience Of the
scarcity Of men for the merchant service,
there were ali kinds Of vile characters to
contend with. New, strange crews were
looked upon with suspicion and care.
They might be SCENTS Of the Confederacy
intending 10 capture the vessel whom
reaching the open sea, or be planning to
desert, or even to destroy the vessel, II
need be, in order to save working ont =
big advance and bounty. At best they
often were quite useless 20 seamen, in
subordinate or inexperienced.
At that time there WAS no limit by Law
regarding the amount OF wages that
might b advanced to seamen. When
large advances had been paid to . strange
crew the captain and mates were wary,
and did not permit the men to get behind
them at nighttime until they had been
pretty well sized up and become little
acquainted with. But, upon the whole,
there were few tragedies and some amusing
incidents.
When . new crew came on board, and
the vessel could not 60 to sea At once, but
was anchored for one or more nights in
the haybor or river, there was no anchor
watch set forward, but the captain and
mates divided the time on deck. with .
gun in the monkey jacket pocket.
In the fall of 1884 four young men be-
longing to Deer Isle arrived in Boston
from foreign voyages, and each learned
that he had been drafted for the army. No
one at that time really liked being forci-
bly, made soldier. These four men were
OF that mind, and they all together took
the first train for Philadelphia. They
were steady, honest fellows, without
families, and dudish in dress; all had been
going % mates, were smart and quite
capable OF being masters.
On reaching Philadelphia they desired
to get to sea as quickly rs possible before
they might be apprehended and made into
unwilling soldiers. The brig Leonard
Meyers was waiting for q crew, and the
four men signed articles before the mast
and were sent .on board at once, in theil
fine clothes-boiled shirts, standing col
lars, split tailed coats and kid gloves.
The captain and mates we're scared stiff
and would themselves have very much
liked to have deserted, but did muster
courage to start down river with prob
able gang Of murdersrs, as they thought
With head winds and unfit weather the
vessel was delayed for many nights
before reaching open water. The cap
tain and two mates stood anchor watch,
ct no time one alone, but two on deck
with gums and one below sleeping, each
one having four hours on deck against
two hours sleep. 1t was, in fact, comedy
but not to be laughed over at that time
by the officers, before they learned that
the Leonard Meyers had the best crew Of
sailors that ever lived in o forecastls
together.
On their return the war was over. Or
the next voyage two of the sailors were
taken Is mates on the same vessel, an6
the other two were taken as mates ON tn,
John Christsi, by advice OF the master O
the Meyers.
At about that time I had been doing
some stunts before the mast, and had I
shipmate named Tim Baker, from CAP,
Cod, very bright Young fellow, and hi
and were close friends. He had beer
fishing part OF his time, and he believeG
that might be more profitable vocation
than q deep-sea life. His father was an
owner OF fishing vessels and had promised
him command il he would come HON,
and take up that kind OF work. We each
went to our homes ana did not meet agar
for some length Of time.
Ishipped in Boston as second mate o.
the bark Tamerlane. The vessel was ther
loading for Greenock. The captains wifi,
and daughter were ON board. "The Mrs.
was fine, motherly soul; the daughter {
strong handsome girl-her fathers own
proud, brave and reserved.
Just when the vessel was fully loaded
and moved ont to anchor the mate Wa