Sloop Biddle.
Soon after my unfortunate adventure in the New-York, I took command of a
schooner called the Caty Ann, and made a voyage to Savannah and back to
New-York, without capture. Although Sir James Yeo, in the South Hampton
frigate, was closely blockading Savannah at the time, I made a second
attempt to proceed to the same port. After sailing a few miles south of
Sandy Hook light-house we were chased back by an English frigate, and
the schooner narrowly escaped being captured. The whole coast was so
closely blockaded that I abandoned going to sea again until after peace
was proclaimed.
About the first of May, 1813, I took charge of the brig Cyrus, of
New-York, and made one voyage to Georgetown, South Carolina, and back,
and then made another to Bermuda and Turk's Island.
Ever ready to sacrifice my personal comfort for the prospect of
increasing the means of gaining an honest living--being in the prime of
life and enjoying good health, and that huge monster, Fear, seldom
throwing his dark shadow across my path--I engaged again to open a
trade with the Indians on the Musquito Shore, on the borders of South
America, now called New Greneda, or Central America. This country
formerly belonged to the government of Spain, which still tried to
exercise authority over it, although rebellions had broken out both in
the North and South of it; and, the then called government of Columbia,
under General Bolivar, aided by a number of Americans and others, with
vessels commissioned as privateers, and land forces, made a strong
resistance to the Spanish government. They fought many desperate battles
with the royalists, under what was then called the Patriot, or Columbian
flag. Carthagena, their largest sea-port, was taken and re-taken three
several times, and every man in it put to death.
The king of the Musquito Indians claims the sea-coast of that country
from the False Cape, lat. 15 deg. 14' N. to Port Boro Toro, lat. 9 deg. 29' N.
The government of Old Spain likewise claimed it, but never had been able
to dispossess the Indians. The sea-board of this country is very level,
interspersed with lakes, rivers and creeks. From May until November the
country is visited with heavy showers of rain. In many places I have
from time to time walked in water some inches deep to go from one house
to another. The Indian towns are mostly built some distance up the
rivers or creeks, to secure them from any attacks from the sea-board.
They have no roads inland, their whole travel being in canoes, by which
means they can visit the different tribes, hauling them across narrow
necks of land that separate one lake or river from another.
The Spanish government, under an old blockading decree had declared that
any person found trading with these Indians, if captured, should lose
his cargo by confiscation, and be sent to the mines for life. The
government of Spain likewise claimed three small islands near the
Musquito Shore, viz: Old Providence, lying in lat. 13 deg. 27' N. long. 80 deg.
39' W. This island I found inhabited by about thirty families of free
people of different nations and colors, and from five to thirty slaves
to every free person in the island. St. Andreas, lying in lat. 12 deg. 33'
N. long. 81 deg. W. It contains about seventy-five families of free people,
and about eight hundred slaves; it was lately the residence of a Spanish
Governor named Gonzales. This place had a small fort, garrisoned with
about thirty soldiers. I shall hereafter give the reader a further
description of the island, related to me by Captain Mitchell, commonly
called Mitchell the Pirate.[A] Great Corn Island lays in lat. 12 deg. 19'
N. long. 82 deg. 11' W. about forty miles from the main land. Little Corn
Island, lying about ten miles from the great one, is inhabited, and
produces large quantities of cocoa nuts and wild fruits.
[A] The only account I have ever read of Mitchell is, that he
was a partner with Lafitte, the Pirate, when they took
possession of Baratara, where they carried their prizes. They
kept possession of the place for some considerable time,
bidding defiance to the authorities on that coast. Governor
Claibourne, of Louisiana, afterwards issued a proclamation,
offering these pirates a free pardon on condition that they
would join the army then under command of General Jackson, for
the defence of New Orleans. They accepted of the Governor's
terms, repaired to that place with all their men, and put
themselves under the command of the General, who placed them in
the hottest part of the battle, where they fought in the most
gallant manner. Lafitte and Mitchell both held commissions
under the government of the Republic of Columbia at this time.
The staple produce of the above named island is cotton. The soil is
fertile and produces plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, and Tropical
fruits in abundance. The inhabitants raise plenty of hogs and poultry,
which they fatten on cocoa nuts, the oil from which, while fresh, is
equal to lard for cooking fish, &c. and after it becomes rancid burns
well in lamps.
About the first of January, 1816, I made a contract with the Messrs.
Cotheal & Hoff and Mr. A. S. Hallett, merchants of New-York, to take
charge of a small sloop called the Biddle, of thirty-two tons burthen. I
was to proceed to Musquito Shore, land at the island of Old Providence,
(if I saw no suspicious looking vessels in the harbor;) and open a trade
with the Indians for the purchase of tortoise shell, which was very
valuable at this time; these Indians furnish large quantities of that
article. I likewise had orders to exchange my goods for hides,
deer-skins, cochineal, gum elastic or India rubber, gum copal, cotton,
fustic, sarsaparilla, &c.
I took on board an assorted cargo, calculated for a barter trade. As I
was totally unacquainted with the trade, this voyage was considered an
experimental trip. On my arrival the inhabitants informed me that they
had not seen the American flag flying there for the last fourteen years.
I could not procure any correct charts of that coast. I found many
shoals that never had made their appearance on any chart, so little had
these seas been surveyed. I suppose young mariners have less difficulty
in that respect now, as Queen Victoria has become god-mother to the
young king of Musquito Shore, and taken him under her parental care, to
assist him in robbing his neighbors' territories.
I will here give the reader a short description of the country, the
undertaking, and some account of the disasters which befell me in the
prosecution of the voyage. Having loaded my little sloop, (about the
size of a clam boat,) I soon shipped a crew, which consisted of a North
River captain, who had never been out of the sight of land, to act as my
mate; and two old broken-down sailors, one acting as seaman and the
other as cook. We sailed about the first of February, with a fair wind,
and made our passage in twenty-two days to the Island of Old Providence,
where we hoisted our flag for a pilot. I soon discovered a fishing
canoe, having one white man and three or four negroes on board, who
volunteered to pilot us into the harbor. I inquired of the white man,
whose name was John Taylor, one of the largest planters in the island,
for a Mr. Hoy, to whom I had a letter of introduction. Mr. Taylor
replied that Mr. Hoy was dead, that he was his father-in-law. He took
the letter, promised me friendly assistance, and piloted my vessel into
the harbor. The inhabitants soon came on board and commenced a brisk
trade with me. Previous to leaving New-York, I was advised not to enter
the harbor of Old Providence if I saw any vessel looking like a
privateer or man-of-war in sight of the place. In the afternoon I kept a
good look out with my spy-glass, until near sun-set, when I discovered a
schooner beating up under the lee of the island. I immediately applied
to my new friend, Taylor, to pilot me out of the harbor, promising him
to return again in a few days, which he utterly refused. He told me that
the vessel in sight was a privateer belonging to Captain Mitchell, who
commanded her--that Captain M. kept his (Taylor's) daughter as a wife,
and that Mitchell was a clever fellow and would not molest me. As the
channel of the harbor was narrow and difficult to pass through, I
decided to remain at anchor rather than run the risk of getting the
vessel on shore, considering it was best to keep quiet and trust to
fortune. I felt somewhat agitated as the privateer approached the land,
it being a dark night.
About 12 o'clock she anchored a short distance from us, when I was
hailed from her, asking, "What sloop is that, and from whence come you?"
I answered, "Sloop Biddle, from New-York." In a few moments a boat came
alongside with the captain and eight men, all armed. I showed the
captain my papers, and assured him my cargo was _bona fide_ American
property. He answered me, saying, "We shall see more about that
to-morrow morning." He then left me and returned to his own vessel. Soon
after I heard the report of a large cannon from the privateer, which was
mounted on a circle, filled with chain and grape-shot, and pointed
towards the shore, where it cut a decent road through the small trees.
The next morning Captain Mitchell told me the gun was loaded full to the
muzzle, and that when he loaded it he intended to fire into my vessel
without hailing her, supposing she was Spanish, to whom he showed no
quarter. On a second reflection he thought it best to hail the sloop
before he fired. He said, "Had I fired into you, I should have cut your
vessel all in pieces." He discharged the gun toward the shore as a
signal to send a horse to convey him to Mr. John Taylor's, whom he
called his father-in-law, as he kept his daughter Sarah as a wife.
Mitchell appeared to have full control over the island, and no one dare
question his authority. He had made this place his rendezvous for some
time past, bought all the provisions they could spare, both from masters
and slaves, and paid them liberally, having plenty of money on board,
and, like most seamen, was lavish in its expenditure. He had lately
escaped from Carthagena, and brought a few half-starved passengers from
that city. In running past one of their forts, a cannon ball had struck
the schooner's fore-mast and cut it half off.
One of the passengers informed me that Carthagena was so closely
besieged by the royalists at that time, that cowhides were sold at
twelve dollars apiece, for food, and that he was obliged to pay three
dollars for a pilot-biscuit, to prevent starvation. Some time after, I
learned that the city was taken and all the inhabitants put to death.
The next morning after my arrival I was visited by Captain Mitchell,
John Taylor, and most of the inhabitants of the island, who were much
pleased to see an American vessel in the harbor, saying it was the only
one that they had seen there in many years past. I was invited on shore
to dine at Mr. Taylor's, in company with Captain Mitchell, where a good
dinner was provided for us, consisting of roast pig, poultry, &c. My
plate was plentifully supplied by Captain Mitchell. On looking over the
table I did not discover any bread. Soon after a plate of roasted
plantains was set before me. I took one, not knowing how to use it, this
being the first I had ever seen of this kind of food. I soon found it to
be the common bread of the country. We were politely waited upon, having
a negro boy, from ten to fourteen years old, without one rag of clothing
about him, standing behind the chair of each person at table, with a
bush in his hand to keep the flies from annoying the company. The
following day I was invited to dine on board Captain Mitchell's vessel.
His boat was sent for me at the proper hour, and I was politely
received on board and soon after conducted to the table, which was
elegantly furnished with silver platters, plates, knives, forks, spoons,
pitchers, tumblers, &c. and with the exception of knife-blades, every
other article on the table was pure silver. He showed me many valuable
diamonds, and large quantities of old gold and silver; and the least
valuable article I saw on board his vessel was the schooner's ballast,
which consisted of brass cannon.
I opened a good trade with the inhabitants, selling goods at retail,
from one to three hundred per cent profit. In ten days I sold over
eighteen hundred dollars' worth; about one-half was received in money,
and the remainder in cotton. I took part of the cotton on board, and the
balance was to be paid on my return to that port.
Captain Mitchell visited me daily, and told me some of his adventures.
He said that a few months previous he had captured a small trading
schooner, armed her for a privateer, and appointed one Captain Rose to
the command of her, who was then on a cruise. A short time before, Rose
had been with him in Old Providence. "While laying here," said he, "I
made up my mind to sail for New-York, and there sell my vessel and cargo
and retire to private life, thinking my means would support me. One
morning, while contemplating my future enjoyments when I got well
settled in New-York, I thought it would much disturb my mind to think
that old Gonzales should boast that he had frightened Mitchell, who
dared not attack him. He had sent me many saucy messages, by trading
vessels, saying, I dare not come to St. Andreas, to annoy him, as I had
the inhabitants of Providence, who were afraid to resist me. These
reflections so affected my mind that I immediately ordered my boat
manned and went on board of Rose's vessel. I told Rose that we would
never leave these seas until we had made an attack on St. Andreas, and
that he must prepare himself to join me on the morrow. The next day we
made the necessary preparation and sailed for that island, a distance of
about sixty miles, where we arrived early in the evening, ran into the
harbor and came to anchor. All hands on board, being only forty-six,
including officers and seamen, had volunteered to make an attack on the
island. We all landed, about 11 o'clock at night, except one man in each
vessel. Being well acquainted with the local situation of the island, I
proceeded to the plantation of Mrs. Lever, and captured her
negro-driver, whose name was Frank, and told him to conduct me secretly
to his young master William, if he did not I would kill him instantly.
Frank soon led me to William's house, where we found him in bed. We
seized him without making any alarm, and told him that death was his
portion if he did not go with us without making any noise and strictly
obey my orders. I had often heard of the boastings this young Lever had
made of what he would do if he could catch Mitchell, and thought the
present a good opportunity to retaliate upon him. I then told him he
must conduct me to the house of Governor Gonzales without making any
alarm, call the governor from his bed and tell him that Captain Mitchell
was near the island with two privateers; that you imagine the island in
great danger, and think it necessary to prepare for immediate defence.
"We marched directly to the house, where we found the governor in bed. I
kept my men still, not allowing a loud word to be spoken. Lever obeyed
my orders punctually, calling the old man out of bed by telling him his
alarming tale. As soon as the old man opened the door I took hold of him
and conveyed him on board of my vessel. We landed a six-pound brass
cannon during the night, unroofed the governor's house, and mounted the
gun on the second floor of the building. I sent a party to the fort, who
put to death a few soldiers they found sleeping there. A number having
taken lodgings with their families prevented their sharing the same
fate.
"I took possession of the governor's house for my head quarters, where I
issued a proclamation, addressed to the inhabitants, inviting them to
surrender their arms, and by complying with the request, all private
property should be respected. About ten o'clock the next morning I
discovered a collection of about sixty men with two nine-pound carriage
guns, on their way to my head quarters. Immediately beating up for
volunteers, sixteen men agreed to follow me. On marching towards the
enemy they abandoned their field-pieces and dispersed in great haste. We
dismounted the guns and spiked them, burnt the carriages, and returned
to our head quarters unmolested. Three days after, the inhabitants
accepted of the proposed terms, and all opposition to my command ceased.
I took the governor's negroes, money, plate, &c. and repaired on board,
where I remained some days, treating the old fellow politely at my
table, feeding him on the best the island produced, furnishing him with
wine at his dinner, and plenty of Spanish segars. In a few days he
appeared cheerful, composed, and conversed with me in a familiar manner.
On the tenth day after his capture I gave him a good dinner, took a
glass of wine with him, and told him I was going to hang him that
afternoon. He laughed, supposing it a joke, and that I had no intention
of harming him. He was sitting in an armed-chair near the cabin door, on
deck, smoking a segar, when I ordered one of the seamen to reave a
yard-rope from the fore-yard, bring the end aft and put it round his
neck. He was soon dragged from the chair to the fore-yard-arm."
[Illustration: Captain Mitchell hanging Governor Gonzales.]
After Captain Mitchell had related his story, I asked him what he did
with his body; he replied, "I let him hang about an hour, and then cut
the rope and let the old devil go adrift." I said he should have spared
his life, he being an old man who could never do him much harm. He
replied, "I have served him the same as they will serve me when they
catch me."
Captain Mitchell told me he was now bound to New-York, which he intended
to make his permanent residence, but he must go by the way of New
Orleans, as he had fourteen negro slaves he wanted to sell there. I told
him the laws of the United States strictly forbid the carrying of slaves
into that country; if he was caught in the act his vessel and cargo
would be forfeited. He said he was well acquainted with one Sisson, a
New Orleans pilot, who would smuggle them on shore for him. I cautioned
him against the attempt, by saying, "Captain Mitchell, be careful that
those negroes do not sell you before you do them." He has often, since
the loss of his vessel and cargo, repeated to me the caution I then gave
him. He made a contract with me to return to Providence, after I had
been to Musquito Shore and disposed of my cargo, and take Miss Sarah
Taylor (whom he called his wife) and her servant to New-York, agreeing
to pay me three hundred and thirty dollars for their passages; saying he
intended to proceed along the coast of Cuba in search of Spanish
vessels, and in all probability would have some hard engagements, and
did not want a woman sniffling about him; and that he would eventually
meet her in New-York.
Miss Sarah Taylor was educated in Jamaica, and had the appearance of a
lady of some accomplishments, although she was living as a concubine.
Captain Mitchell was a man of some education, about five feet six inches
high, dark hair and eyes, and had the appearance of a gentleman; was
very liberal to unfortunate seamen, and one of the greatest tyrants to
exercise authority over them that I have ever heard of. He had at that
time two sailors lying in the stocks near Taylor's house, with their
ancles two feet above the ground, they lying out of doors on their
backs, their bodies exposed to the sun for two or three days. He
informed me that he had captured a prize some time previous, and the
prize-master and crew had run away with the vessel; that he then took an
oath to shoot any of the crew if he ever saw them again. A few months
after, he visited Corn Island, where one of the crew happened to arrive.
Some of the inhabitants cautioned the man to keep out of his sight. He
boastingly replied that Mitchell dared not shoot him. Mitchell said he
hoped the man would not appear in his presence, as he did not want to
kill him. "But," said he, "one day when I was taking a walk on the
island he (knowing I had made the threat) presented himself a short
distance before me, when I took a musket and shot him dead."
Some of the inhabitants informed me that the negro cook belonging on
board his vessel asked him one day what he should cook for his dinner.
Mitchell told him to kill a pig which they had on board. The cook did
not understand his answer, and knowing his ungovernable temper, dared
not ask him a second time, but built his fire and had his water
boiling. At twelve o'clock Mitchell asked him what he was cooking for
dinner, to which the cook replied, "I did not understand what you wanted
for dinner." Mitchell seized him by the hair of his head with one hand,
and with a ladle in the other poured the boiling water on him until he
scalded him to death. One of the sailors told him he thought that was
hard usage. Mitchell immediately drew a pistol from his belt and shot
the sailor dead and then threw him overboard.
Captain Mitchell informed me that some years since he was cast away on
the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and found it necessary to cross over the
country by land to the Atlantic coast to get home, that he was arrested
for not having a passport to travel. He was thrown into prison and for
some misdemeanor was put into the stocks, where he had to lie on his
back for some months, and while thus confined he had taken an oath that
he would never die in peace until he had killed one hundred Spaniards
with his own hands. Some three years after this time I accosted him in a
humorous manner, by saying, "Mitchell how many have you due now?" He
replied, "Seventeen, by G--d, Dunham, I have killed eighty-three with my
own hands."