Carthagena lies in the parallel of ten degrees twenty-six minutes north,
and seventy-five degrees thirty-eight minutes west longitude; the harbor
is good, with an easy entrance; the city is strongly fortified by
extensive and commanding fortifications and batteries, and, I should
suppose, if well garrisoned and manned, they would be perfectly able to
repel any force which might be brought to bear against them. It was well
known, at this time, that all the provinces of Spain had shaken off
their allegiance to the mother country, and declared themselves
independent. Carthagena, the most prominent of the provinces, was a
place of considerable commerce; and, about this time, a few men-of-war,
and a number of privateers, were fitted out there. The Carthagenian flag
now presented a chance of gain to the cupidity of the avaricious and
desperate, among whom was our commander, Captain S. As soon, therefore,
as we had filled up our water, &c., a proposition was made by him, to
the second lieutenant and myself, to cruise under both flags, the
American and Carthagenian, and this to be kept a profound secret from
the crew, until we had sailed from port. Of course, we rejected the
proposition with disdain, and told him the consequence of such a
measure, in the event of being taken by a man-of-war of any
nation,--that it was piracy, to all intents and purposes, according to
the law of nations. We refused to go out in the privateer, if he
persisted in this most nefarious act, and we heard no more of it while
we lay in port.
In a few days we were ready for sea, and sailed in company with our
companion, her force being rather more than ours, but the vessel very
inferior, in point of sailing. While together, we captured several small
British schooners, the cargoes of which, together with some specie, were
divided between two privateers. Into one of the prizes we put all the
prisoners, gave them plenty of water and provisions, and let them pursue
their course: the remainder of the prizes were burned. We then parted
company, and, being short of water, ran in toward the land, in order to
ascertain if any could be procured. In approaching the shore, the wind
died away to a perfect calm; and, at 4 P.M., a small schooner was seen
in-shore of us. As we had not steerage way upon our craft, of course it
would be impossible to ascertain her character before dark; it was,
therefore, determined by our commander to board her with the boats,
under cover of the night. This was a dangerous service; but there was no
backing out. Volunteers being called for, I stepped forward; and very
soon, a sufficient number of men to man two boats offered their services
to back me. Every disposition was made for the attack. The men were
strongly armed, oars muffled, and a grappling placed in each boat. The
bearings of the strange sail were taken, and night came on perfectly
clear and cloudless. I took command of the expedition, the second
lieutenant having charge of one boat. The arrangement was to keep close
together, until we got sight of the vessel; the second lieutenant was to
board on the bow, and I on the quarter. We proceeded in the most
profound silence; nothing was heard, save now and then a slight splash
of the oars in the water, and, before we obtained sight of the vessel, I
had sufficient time to reflect on this most perilous enterprise.
My reflections were not of the most pleasant character, and I found
myself inwardly shrinking, when I was aroused by the voice of the bowman
saying, "There she is, sir, two points on the starboard bow." There she
lay, sure enough, with every sail hoisted, and a light was plainly seen,
as we supposed, from her deck, it being too high for her cabin windows.
We now held a consultation, and saw no good reason to change the
disposition of the attack, except that we agreed to board
simultaneously. It may be well to observe here, that any number of men
on a vessel's deck, in the night, have double the advantage to repel
boarders, because they may secrete themselves in such a position as to
fall upon an enemy unawares, and thereby cut them off, with little
difficulty. Being fully aware of this, I ordered the men, as soon as we
had gained the deck of the schooner, to proceed with great caution, and
keep close together, till every hazard of the enterprize was
ascertained. The boats now separated, and pulled for their respective
stations, observing the most profound silence. When we had reached
within a few yards of the schooner, we lay upon our oars for some
moments; but could neither hear nor see any thing. We then pulled away
cheerily, and the next minute were under her counter, and grappled to
her; every man leaped on the deck without opposition. The other boat
boarded nearly at the same moment, and we proceeded, in a body, with
great caution, to examine the decks. A large fire was in the caboose,
and we soon ascertained that her deck was entirely deserted, and that
she neither had any boat on deck nor to her stern. We then proceeded to
examine the cabin, leaving an armed force on deck. The cabin, like the
deck, being deserted, the mystery was easily unraveled. Probably
concluding that we should board them under cover of the night, they, no
doubt, as soon as it was dark, took to their boats, and deserted the
vessel. On the floor of the cabin was a part of an English ensign, and
some papers, which showed that she belonged to Jamaica, The little cargo
on board consisted of Jamaica rum, sugar, fruit, &c.
The breeze now springing up, and the privateer showing lights, we were
enabled to get alongside of her in a couple of hours. A prize-master and
crew were put on board, with orders to keep company. During the night,
we ran along shore, and, in the morning, took on board the privateer the
greater part of the prize's cargo.
Being close in shore in the afternoon, we descried a settlement of huts;
and, supposing that water might be obtained there, the two vessels were
run in, and anchored about two miles distant from the beach. A
proposition was made to me, by Captain S., to get the water-casks on
board the prize schooner, and, as she drew a light draught of water, I
was to run her in, and anchor her near the beach, taking with me the two
boats and twenty men. I observed to Captain S. that this was probably
an Indian settlement, and it was well known that all the Indian tribes
on the coast of Rio de La Hache were exceedingly ferocious, and said to
be cannibals; and it was also well known, that whosoever fell into their
hands, never escaped with their lives; so that it was necessary, before
any attempt was made to land, that some of the Indians should be decoyed
on board, and detained as hostages for our safety. At the conclusion of
this statement, a very illiberal allusion was thrown out by Captain S.,
and some doubts expressed in reference to my courage; he remarking, that
if I was afraid to undertake the expedition, he would go himself. This
was enough for me; I immediately resolved to proceed, if I sacrificed my
life in the attempt. The next morning, twenty water-casks were put on
board the prize, together with the two boats and twenty men, well armed
with muskets, pistols, and cutlasses, with a supply of ammunition; I
repaired on board, got the prize under way, ran in, and anchored about
one hundred yards from the beach. The boats were got in readiness, and
the men were well armed, and the water casks slung ready to proceed on
shore, I had examined my own pistols narrowly, that morning, and had put
them in complete order, and, as I believed, had taken every precaution
for our future operations, so as to prevent surprise.
There were about a dozen ill-constructed huts, or wigwams; but no spot
of grass, or shrub, was visible to the eye, with the exception of, here
and there, the trunk of an old tree. One solitary Indian was seen
stalking on the beach, and the whole scene presented the most wild and
savage appearance, and, to my mind, argued very unfavorably. We pulled
in with the casks in tow, seven men being in each boat; when within a
short distance of the beach, the boat's heads were put to seaward, when
the Indian came abreast of us. Addressing him in Spanish, I inquired if
water could be procured, to which he replied in the affirmative. I then
displayed to his view some gewgaws and trinkets, at which he appeared
perfectly delighted, and, with many signs and gestures, invited me on
shore. Thrusting my pistols into my belt, and buckling on my
cartridge-box, I gave orders to the boats' crew, that, in case they
discovered any thing like treachery or surprise, after I had gotten on
shore, to cut the water-casks adrift, and make the best of their way on
board the prize. As soon as I had jumped on shore, I inquired if there
were any live stock, such as fowls, &c., to be had. Pointing to a hut
about thirty yards from the boats, he said that the stock was there,
and invited me to go and see it. I hesitated, suspecting some treachery;
however, after repeating my order to the boats' crews, I proceeded with
the Indian, and when within about half a dozen yards of the hut, at a
preconcerted signal, (as I supposed,) as if by magic, at least one
hundred Indians rushed out, with the rapidity of thought. I was knocked
down, stripped of all my clothing except an inside flannel shirt, tied
hand and foot, and then taken and secured to the trunk of a large tree,
surrounded by about twenty squaws, as a guard, who, with the exception
of two or three, bore a most wild and hideous look in their appearance.
The capture of the boat's crews was simultaneous with my own, they being
so much surprised and confounded at the stratagem of the Indians, that
they had not the power, or presence of mind, to pull off.
After they had secured our men, a number of them jumped into the boats,
pulled off, and captured the prize, without meeting with any resistance
from those on board, they being only six in number. Her cable was then
cut, and she was run on the beach, when they proceeded to dismantle her,
by cutting the sails from the bolt-ropes, and taking out what little
cargo there was, consisting of Jamaica ram, sugar, &c. This being done,
they led ropes on shore, when about one hundred of them hauled her up
nearly high and dry.
By this time the privateer had seen our disaster stood boldly in, and
anchored within less than gun shot of the beach; they then very
foolishly opened a brisk cannonade; but every shot was spent in vain.
This exasperated the Indians, and particularly the one who had taken
possession of my pistols. Casting my eye round, I saw him creeping
toward me with one pistol presented, and when about five yards off, he
pulled the trigger. But as Providence had, no doubt, ordered it, the
pistol snapped; at the same moment, a shot from the privateer fell a few
yards from us, when the Indian rose upon his feet, cocked the pistol,
and fired it at the privateer; turning round with a most savage yell, he
threw the pistol with great violence, which grazed my head, and then,
with a large stick, beat and cut me until I was perfectly senseless.
This was about ten o'clock, and I did not recover my consciousness
until, as I supposed, about four o'clock in the afternoon. I perceived
there were four squaws around me, one of whom, from her
appearance,--having on many gewgaws and trinkets,--was the wife of a
chief. As soon as she discovered signs of returning consciousness, she
presented me with a gourd, the contents of which appeared to be Indian
meal mixed with water; she first drank, and then gave it to me, and I
can safely aver that I never drank any beverage, before or since, which
produced such relief.
Night was now coming on; the privateer had got under weigh, and was
standing off-and-on, with a flag of truce flying at her mast-head. The
treacherous Indian with whom I had first conversed came, and with a
malignant smile, gave me the dreadful intelligence that, at twelve
o'clock that night, we were to be roasted and eaten.
Accordingly, at sunset, I was unloosed and conducted, by a band of about
half a dozen savages, to the spot, where I found the remainder of our
men firmly secured, by having their hands tied behind them, their legs
lashed together, and each man fastened to a stake that had been driven
into the ground for that purpose. There was no possibility to elude the
vigilance of these miscreants. As soon as night shut in, a large
quantity of brushwood was piled around us, and nothing now was wanting
but the fire to complete this horrible tragedy. Then the same malicious
savage approached us once more, and, with the deepest malignity, taunted
us with our coming fate. Having some knowledge of the Indian character,
I summoned up all the fortitude of which I was capable, and, in terms
of defiance, told him, that twenty Indians would be sacrificed for each
one of us sacrificed by him. I knew very well that it would not do to
exhibit any signs of fear or cowardice; and, having heard much of the
cupidity of the Indian character, I offered the savage a large ransom if
he would use his influence to procure our release. Here the conversation
was abruptly broken off by a most hideous yell from the whole tribe,
occasioned by their having taken large draughts of the rum, which now
began to operate very sensibly upon them; and, as it will be seen,
operated very much to our advantage. This thirst for rum caused them to
relax their vigilance, and we were left alone to pursue our reflections,
which were not of the most enviable or pleasant character. A thousand
melancholy thoughts rushed over my mind. Here I was, and, in all
probability, in a few hours I should be in eternity, and my death one of
the most horrible description. "Oh!" thought I, "how many were the
entreaties and arguments used by my friends to deter me from pursuing an
avocation so full of hazard and peril! If I had taken their advice, and
acceded to their solicitations, in all probability I should, at this
time, have been in the enjoyment of much happiness." I was aroused from
this reverie by the most direful screams from the united voices of the
whole tribe, they having drunk largely of the rum, and become so much
intoxicated that a general fight ensued. Many of them lay stretched on
the ground, with tomahawks deeply implanted in their skulls: and many
others, as the common phrase is, were "dead drunk." This was an
exceedingly fortunate circumstance for us. With their senses benumbed,
of course they had forgotten their avowal to roast us, or, it may be,
the Indian to whom I proposed ransom had conferred with the others, and
they, no doubt, agreed to spare our lives until the morning. It was a
night, however, of pain and terror, as well as of the most anxious
suspense; and when the morning dawn broke upon my vision, I felt an
indescribable emotion of gratitude, as I had fully made up my mind, the
night previous, that long before this time I should have been sleeping
the sleep of death. It was a pitiable sight, when the morning light
appeared, to see twenty human beings stripped naked, with their bodies
cut and lacerated, and the blood issuing from their wounds; with their
hands and feet tied, and their bodies fastened to stakes, with brushwood
piled around them, expecting every moment to be their last. My feelings,
on this occasion, can be better imagined than described; suffice it to
say, that I had given up all hopes of escape, and gloomily resigned
myself to death. When the fumes of the liquor had in some degree worn
off from the benumbed senses of the savages, they arose and approached
us, and, for the first time, the wily Indian informed me that the tribe
had agreed to ransom us. They then cast off the lashings from our bodies
and feet, and, with our hands still secure, drove us before them to the
beach. Then another difficulty arose; the privateer was out of sight,
and the Indians became furious. To satiate their hellish malice, they
obliged us to run on the beach, while they let fly their poisoned arrows
after us. For my own part, my limbs were so benumbed that I could
scarcely walk, and I firmly resolved to stand still and take the worst
of it--which was the best plan I could have adopted; for, when they
perceived that I exhibited no signs of fear, not a single arrow was
discharged at me. Fortunately, before they grew weary of this sport, to
my great joy, the privateer hove in sight. She stood boldly in, with the
flag of truce flying, and the savages consented to let one man of their
own choosing go off in the boat to procure the stipulated ransom. The
boat returned loaded with articles of various descriptions, and two of
our men were released. The boat kept plying to and from the privateer,
bringing such articles as they demanded, until all were released except
myself. Here it may be proper to observe, that the mulatto man, who had
been selected by the Indians, performed all this duty himself, not one
of the privateer's crew daring to hazard their lives with him in the
boat. I then was left alone, and for my release they required a double
ransom. I began now seriously to think that they intended to detain me
altogether. My mulatto friend, however, pledged himself that he would
never leave me.
Again, for the last time, he sculled the boat off. She quickly returned,
with a larger amount of articles than previously. It was a moment of the
deepest anxiety, for there had now arrived from the interior another
tribe, apparently superior in point of numbers, and elated with the
booty which had been obtained. They demanded a share, and expressed a
determination to detain me for a larger ransom. These demands were
refused, and a conflict ensued of the most frightful and terrific
character. Tomahawks, knives, and arrows, were used indiscriminately,
and many an Indian fell in that bloody contest. The tomahawks were
thrown with the swiftness of arrows, and were generally buried in the
skull or the breast; and whenever two came in contact, with the famous
"Indian hug," the strife was soon over with either one or the other, by
one plunging the deadly knife up to the hilt in the body of his
opponent; nor were the poisoned arrows of less swift execution, for,
wherever they struck, the wretched victim was quickly in eternity. I
shall never forget the frightful barbarity of that hour; although years
have elapsed since its occurrence, still the whole scene in imagination
is before me, the savage yell of the warwhoop, and the direful screams
of the squaws, still ring afresh in my ears. In the height of this
conflict, a tall Indian chief, who, I knew, belonged to the same tribe
with the young squaw who gave me the drink, came down to the beach where
I was. The boat had been discharged, and was lying with her head off. At
a signal given by the squaw to the chief, he caught me up in his arms,
with as much ease as if I had been a child, waded to the boat, threw me
in, and then, with a most expressive gesture, urged us off. Fortunately,
there were two oars in the boat, and, feeble as I was, I threw all the
remaining strength I had to the oar. It was the last effort, as life or
death hung upon the next fifteen minutes. Disappointed of a share of the
booty, the savages were frantic with rage, especially when they saw I
had eluded their grasp. Rushing to the beach, about a dozen threw
themselves into the other boat, which had been captured, and pulled
after us; but, fortunately, in their hurry, they had forgotten the
muskets, and being unacquainted with the method of rowing, of course
they made but little progress, which enabled us to increase
our distance.
The privateer having narrowly watched all these movements, and seeing
our imminent danger, stood boldly on toward the beach, and in the next
five minutes she lay between us and the Indians, discharging a heavy
fire of musketry among them. Such was the high excitement of my
feelings, that I scarcely recollected how I gained the privateer's deck.
But I was saved, nevertheless, though I was weak with the loss of blood,
and savage treatment,--my limbs benumbed, and body scorched with the
piercing rays of the sun,--the whole scene rushing through my mind with
the celerity of electricity! It unmanned and quite overpowered me; I
fainted, and fell senseless on the deck.
The usual restoratives and care were administered, and I soon recovered
from the effects of my capture. Some of the others were not so
fortunate; two of them, especially, were cut in a shocking manner, and
the others were so dreadfully beaten and mangled by clubs, that the
greatest care was necessary to save their lives.