Evening star., 1940-07-21
When Privoteerinq
Wus q Trade
By Frederic J. Hnskin.


the American Revolution and of 1912,
but that type of enterprise on the seas
was not confined to those struggles. New
England, New York and Charleston for
tunes sprang from our own wars, but
Baltimore adventurers made their rich
est hauls through privateering in the
struggles Of the South American colonies
to gain their liberty from Spain.
This almost wholly forgotten chapter
Of American history now is best traced
through old court records and family
histories, but 1t Is clearly traced and no
more absorbing and romantic tales are
to be told. A number of $1,0O0,O0O for.
tunes were made by these adventurous
1altirhoreans. Mariners of other ports
participated to limited extent. but
Baltimore led.
The close Of the War of 1912 saw p
scores Of stout ships tied up. The Ions
embargo and the general trade depres.
sion Of the period dulled most CONNER.
cial activity. Privateering under the
American flag had to stop with the
ratification of the Treaty of Ghent, and
here were good ships and eager men
with nothing to occupy them.
Whether purely by chance or sagacity,
Thomas Taylor of Wilmington, Del, ap-
peared on the scene at ripened mo-
ment. For few years he had been
resident at Buenos Aires, as a merchant.
The colonial revolt started while he was
there and the United Provinces of the
Rio de la Plata organized. From the
provincial government he obtained six
letters Of marque and reprisal and sailed
with them to Baltimore. This was In
1915.
His tales Of the riches to be garnered
fell on willing ears. Not only were
these adventurous mariners eager for
action, especially profitable action, but
their political sympathies were engaged.
These Spanish colonies in South America
were making the same struggle for inde-
pendence which recently had succeeded
In North America. The newly organized
colonial governments had modelled their
constitutions on the Constitution of the
United States. The United States of
North America was their political idol.
Spanish rule in South America had
been infinitely more harsh than ever
British rule In North America had been.
The Spanish dons enforced very real
slavery and tyrannized with practiced
brutality.
tAk Il 4
Before the year 1916 was out, two
vessels, the Romp and the Orb, had
cleared from Baltimore, bound for the
high seas to prey on the commerce Of
Spain. Now Spain was still a power on
the seas and her ships bore a rich trade.
However. the United States, weary Of
warfare, had issued neutrality proclama-
tlons as to the wars of liberation and,
although sympathies lodged with the
Spanish colonists, the Government must
at least try to maintain semblance of
:. neutrality.
The privateers which sailed from Bal
timore cleared for strange ports and, at
sea, struck the American flag and raised
the colors OF whatever country had is
sued them their letters of marque.
Americans were by no means the only
prlvateers engaging in this trade There
were British, French, Dutch and others
1t was not long before Spanish commerce
began disappearing from the seas. Then
Gen. Artigas raised revolt in what now
Is Uruguay, then Portuguese territory,
and granted letters of marque This
made Portuguese commerce lawful prey
for privateers and materially broadened
the field.
Venezuela struck for independence,
and, incidentally, Venezuela is still one
of the nations which, like the United
States, retains her right to grant letters
of marque. The Venezuelan privateers
not a few of them Americans from
Baltimore and New Orleans had a rem
devious at the port of Juan Grieeo on
the Island of Margarita.
More and more Baltimore men became
interested, either as captains of priva.
teers or as capitalists, financing ven
lures. Such names as David C. De
Forest, w. G. Miller, Zimmerman Lynch
and Thomas L. Halsey are found among
those engaged in privateering ventures.
Then there were such notable captains
as Joseph 'Almeida, John Daniels and
John Chase, who made fortunes. Mer-
chants and businessmen like Joseph
karrick, Matthew Murray, John S.
Skinner, Clement Cathell and r. M.
Goodwin were interested and some
sailed as masters of their ships. Skinner
was postmaster of Baltimore and, Incl
dentally, the man who stood with Francis
Scott Key and watched the bombard-
ment of Fort McHenry by the British.
Another figure interested in the priva-
teering was James McCulloch, collector
Of the port. 1t was said that Theodore
Bland, Federal judge for the Jurisdiction,
also had an interest in various ventures.
Such great figures as William Pinckney
and Gen. William Winder appeared As
attorneys in prize cases. So, all In all,
the business had an aspect of respect
ability.
The privateers varied widely in size
but the most useful carried IL guns and
crews Of from rs to 100 men. Many
ships changed their names several times
and this confuses the record somewhat.
The most brilliant prize was that made
by Capt. Barnes in the Mangore. He
took the great Spanish merchantmen.
Esperanza, which brought him In cap
tured specie and In the prize court no
less than 1000 OOO-the record for a