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[Illustration: CAPT. GEORGE S. ANTHONY
Commander of the Catalpa]
THE CATALPA EXPEDITION
by
Z. W. PEASE
With Illustrations
[Illustration]
New Bedford, Mass.
George S. Anthony
1897
Copyright, 1897,
by George S. Anthony.
All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION
One hundred years after the Declaration of Independence, an American
whaling captain, George S. Anthony, commemorated the event by enforcing
another declaration of independence which set free the Irish political
prisoners who were sentenced to a lifetime of servitude in the English
penal colony in Australia.
The story of the rescue of these prisoners in 1876 is a brave incident
of history which has hitherto been told too briefly. When Captain
Anthony, commanding the bark Catalpa, landed the men for whose relief
the expedition was planned, at New York, public interest in the
romantic voyage was very intense. The boldness of the raid upon the
English colony and the remarkable features of the conspiracy, excited
universal curiosity concerning the details of the affair.
At that time international complications seemed certain, and there were
many reasons why those concerned in the rescue furnished only meagre
information of the inception of the plan and its progress during the
two years which were spent in bringing it to a successful consummation.
Brief newspaper accounts appeared at the time, and this material has
been worked over into magazine sketches. The frequency with which
the original newspaper story has been revived during the years which
have elapsed suggested that the interest was still alive and led to
the writing of the story which follows. The facts were contributed by
Captain Anthony, who placed his log-book and personal records at the
disposition of the writer, and the present version is authorized by the
man who was most prominent in it.
Some of the incidents of history which led up to the Fenian conspiracy
in 1867 are compiled from familiar sources. The records of the
court-martial are from transcripts of the proceedings made in Dublin
expressly for this book, and have never previously been published.
No attempt has been made to embellish the narrative. It has been
the effort of the writer to tell it simply, as he knows the gallant
commander would best like to have it told.
New Bedford, Mass., 1897.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Sailing of the Catalpa 1
II. Fenian History 4
III. The Irish Political Prisoners 9
IV. The Court-Martial 16
V. The Court-Martial continued 35
VI. Banishment to Australia 51
VII. O'Reilly's Escape 54
VIII. Other Escapes and Rescues 58
IX. Appeals from Australia 66
X. The Plot 70
XI. The Vessel and the Start 75
XII. Whaling 82
XIII. A Hurried Departure 91
XIV. An Awkward Meeting 96
XV. A Strange Episode 103
XVI. Arrival at Australia 107
XVII. The Land End of the Conspiracy 110
XVIII. Meeting of Anthony and Breslin 116
XIX. Arranging the Details 122
XX. A Critical Situation 127
XXI. Leaving the Ship 132
XXII. The Escape 135
XXIII. In The Open Boat 142
XXIV. An Awful Night 148
XXV. A Race with the Guard-Boat 152
XXVI. Overhauled by the Georgette 157
XXVII. Bound Home 162
XXVIII. A Cordial Reception 167
XXIX. Settlement of the Voyage 183
Appendix 186
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Portrait of Capt. George S. Anthony _Frontispiece_
Portrait of John Devoy 24
The Jail at Freemantle where the Prisoners were
confined 52
The Catalpa Outward Bound 80
Portrait of Samuel P. Smith 94
Portrait of John J. Breslin 112
The Town of Freemantle, Australia 124
The Rescued Prisoners 138
The Race for the Catalpa 154
The Catalpa Homeward Bound 164
Portrait of James Reynolds 184
A Cartoon from the Irish World 202
THE CATALPA EXPEDITION
CHAPTER I
SAILING OF THE CATALPA
On an April morning in 1875, the whaleship Catalpa lay at anchor in the
harbor at New Bedford, ready for sea. Although the whaling industry
was waning on the ebb tide, there were yet over a hundred whaleships
sailing out of the port of New Bedford, and the departure seemed to
call for no unusual notice.
It was a pretty spectacle, to be sure. The still waters, the green
pastures running down to the shore of the lower harbor, and the ship,
trim and taut. For, while a whaleship suggests to many a greasy, clumsy
hulk, the outgoing whaler is actually as ship-shape and clean as a
man-of-war.
The yellow sun shone on the yellow hull of the Catalpa. Her rigging was
aglow with fresh tar, and her gaudy colors and signal flags gave her a
holiday appearance alow and aloft.
Presently the sailors are on the yards, shaking out the sails. The
captain, with his papers under his arm, the very picture of a captain,
by the way, strong and athletic in figure, with ruddy cheeks and life
and fire in his bright eyes, goes aboard with the agent and a few
friends, who are to accompany him down the bay.
The pilot instructs the mate to get under way, the anchors are soon
on the bow and the chains stowed. The vessel sails out of the harbor,
for in these days tugs are a luxury which the sailor despises, and
soon the Catalpa is sailing briskly under fore and main topsail, main
topgallant-sail, spanker, gafftopsail and staysail and flying jib.
Late in the afternoon the captain says good-by to his friends. The wind
is blowing freshly from the southwest.
"Stand on the port tack two hours longer, then tack out and you will be
clear of land," said the pilot, and, with the prosaic wishes of "good
luck," departs.
Later the wind hauls to the southward. Before midnight the captain has
the vessel under short sail and is working off shore.
And this seemingly commonplace commencement of a whaling voyage is, in
truth, the story of the departure of one of the most boldly conceived
and audacious expeditions against the English government which was ever
planned,--the only important Fenian conspiracy which was ever entirely
successful.
* * * * *
Standing upon one of the wharves on the waterfront, a man in a dark
frieze ulster watched the incidents of the morning with absorbing
interest. His eyes said a fond good-by to the captain as he rowed out
to the vessel, for he dared not risk an appearance in the group which
had assembled about the captain for a handshake. He was one of the few
men who knew that greater perils than those which usually await the men
who go down to the sea in ships must be met by the captain if he was
true to a great trust, and that the vessel was going out in response to
the cry of men who were outcast and in chains because they loved their
country.