Under the Black Flag

Exploits of the Most Notorious Pirates

Don C. Seitz

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780486146720
• Topic: Tecnologia e ingegneria
• Subtopic: Trasporti marittimi

Riveting account traces careers of buccaneers of many nationalities across 2 centuries and around the globe — from the West Indies to the South Seas. True stories of such notorious brigands as Captain Kidd and Edward (Blackbeard) Teach, as well as such lesser-known pirates as John Quelch, Christopher Scudamore, and Erasmus Peterson.

XXXVIII

THE CUBAN PIRATES

AFTER almost a century of freedom from more than sporadic ventures at lawlessness on the sea, another development occurred, this time under the sheltering arms of Spain. Following the indiscriminate pillagings of the “privateers” of the South American republics and the liberation of those states, Cuba remained the only considerable possession of all that Columbus had given Castile and Leon in the Western world. The commerce of the island, as well as that of the parent country, had suffered much from these aggressions, and the islanders now began to retaliate. The islets southwest of Santiago de Cuba and the commodious bay of Rio Medias afforded concealment and harbors for the piratical vessels which soon became numerous and active, American and English shipping being the principal sufferers.

Stirred by the growing boldness of the pirates, the United States Government sent the Hornet, eighteen guns, Master-Commandant Robert Henley; the Enterprise, now altered to a brig, twelve guns, Lieutenant Lawrence Kearney; the Porpoise, twelve guns, Lieutenant James Ramage; the Grampus, twelve guns, Lieutenant Francis H. Gregory; the Spark, twelve guns, Master-Commandant J. H. Elton and the Shark, twelve guns, Lieutenant M. C. Perry, to safeguard the trade routes and hunt down the marauders. This proved to be a difficult task, for the pirates were tacitly protected by the Cuban authorities and their spoil was openly sold in Havana, while some of the venturers operated directly from that port.

The industry in Cuba was not confined to vessels able to take to the sea. There were frequent cases of offshore robberies, where the pirates assailed becalmed vessels from open boats. One instance was that of the schooner Swan, Captain Carter, from Havana to Mobile, which was stopped near the Cuban coast, thirty miles from Havana, by nine men in a longboat, armed with muskets, pistols, and cutlasses, who overpowered the crew, stripped them of their clothes, shoes, and valuables and even robbed a Spanish priest who was a passenger of $800 in cash which he possessed. The schooner was then released and ordered to steer east by northeast, keeping within three leagues of shore, it being their intent to return in the dark and take her. The captain had the courage to disregard threats and keep on to Mobile.

The Boston brig Cobbossocontee, Captain Jackson, was assailed four miles off Moro Castle, Havana, on October 8, 1821. The mate was beaten and strung up by the neck as a method of extorting money. The compass was broken, rigging cut, and considerable plunder removed, beside the captain’s watch. In the effort to force knowledge of concealed specie from him, the captain was slashed with a knife and nearly bled to death from the wound. He had seen the pirate’s sloop lying at Reglia in Havana harbor the day before he sailed.

During the same period the New Brunswick brig Three Partners, from Jamaica for St. John, was robbed by a Spanish pirate off Cape Antonio, her captain being strung up to the Yard-arm and so tortured until nearly dead. The brig Sea Lion, from Cape Hatyien to Belfast, Ireland, was another victim, while the Harriet, Captain Dimond, from St. Jago to Baltimore, with sugar, lost her cargo and three thousand dollars in coin off Cape Antonio, on October 12th. Two schooners were engaged in this enterprise and Captain Dimond was strung up by the neck until senseless. The Dutch brig Mercury was also relieved of $10,000 in goods by the thieves at Cape Antonio, reporting her loss at Havana on October 16.

The ship Liverpool Packet, of Portsmouth, N. H., Captain Ricker, was another victim. She was boarded off Cape Antonio by the crews of two barges, coming from as many schooners. They carried off everything movable, including a ship’s boat that chanced to be in the water, taking along a boy who happened to be in it at the time. Captain Ricker was beaten black and blue and his mate strung up to the crosstrees until insensible. The day before the pirates had burned a brig and murdered all her men. Those on the Liverpool Packet were threatened but not harmed, the spite being wreaked on her officers.

On October 13th, the schooner Combine, a Catskill-on-Hudson, New York, Jacob Dunham, master, was working past Cape Antonio en route for Jerimie, when three small schooners, a sloop, and an open barge were noted at anchor about two miles off shore. What followed is best told in Captain Dunham’s own words in his “Journal of Voyages,” published some years after the event:

“In about the space of fifteen minutes the whole fleet got under weigh and bore down for us. One of the largest schooners ran down within musket-shot of us, fired a gun, and we have too, while the rest of the fleet surrounded us. The largest schooner immediately sent a boat alongside of us, containing eight or nine men, who boarded us with muskets and drawn cutlasses in their hands, each of them having a long knife and a dagger slung by his side. Immediately after getting on deck, one of them cried out, ‘Forward,’ two or three times in broken English, pointing at the same time toward the fore-castle. The mate, sailors, and two passengers who were on board, ran forward and jumped into the fore-castle. I being very weak, dragged along slowly, when the man who gave the order commenced beating me severely with the broad side of his cutlass. I remonstrated with him, saying I was sick and could not walk any faster; he answered me, ‘No intende.’ I then discovered he was a Portuguese, and not understanding that language, I excused myself as well as I could in the French language, hoping he understood me; but I found it did not relieve my back, as he continued to beat me all the way to the fore-scuttle, and there giving me a heavy blow on the head as I descended, closed it, where we remained about half an hour; they in the meantime appeared to be searching the vessel. After letting us up from the fore-castle they ordered the sailors to work the vessel in near the land and anchor her, which was soon accomplished. While beating the vessel toward the shore, they told me if I would give up my money they would let me go with my vessel. This I readily complied with, hoping to save the vessel and cargo. I then gave them all the money I had, consisting of four hundred and eighty dollars in gold and silver. After they had received it they broke open our trunks, seized all our clothes, taking the finest shirts and vests, and putting them on one over another.

“As soon as they had anchored my vessel they hauled their largest schooner alongside, while the rest of the fleet were lying within a few rods of us, and then all hoisted the bloody flag, a signal for death. I was ordered into the cabin, where one of the pirates, having found a bottle of cordial, took it up in one hand, and drawing his cutlass with the other, struck off the neck and handed it to me, flourishing his cutlass over my head, and making signs for me to taste it, which I found it difficult to do on account of the broken particles of glass. After I had tasted it he went to a case of liquor standing in the cabin, took out the bottles and compelled me to taste of them. After this ceremony was over one of the pirates drew a long knife from its sheath, and taking hold of the hair on the top of my head, drew the knife two or three times across my throat near the skin, saying, ‘Me want to kill you.’ Another pirate soon approached me with a dagger, with which he pricked me lightly in the body, two or three times, saying, ‘Me kill you by and by.’ I was then dismissed from the cabin and driven into the fore-castle with sailors and passengers. My cook was put on board the schooner lying alongside of us. Some of the pirates went aloft on board my vessel and cut loose her square-sail, top-sail, and top-gallant-sail, and afterwards took our fore-sail, boat, oars, loose rigging, one compass, one quadrant, all our beds and bedding, tea-kettle, all our crockery, knives and forks, buckets, &c. leaving us destitute of every kind of cooking utensil except the caboose. We remained some time in the fore-castle, when suddenly the fore-scuttle was opened and the mate called on deck, and the scuttle again closed, leaving us in the dark in a state of uncertainty. We soon heard them beating the mate; after that noise had ceased, we heard the word, ‘Fire,’ given with a loud voice, then after a moment’s pause another voice was heard, saying, ‘Heave him overboard.’ I had a desperate sailor, called Bill, who flew to his chest for his razor to cut his own throat, saying he would be damned before he would be murdered by them rascals. The pirates had previously robbed the sailors’ chests of all the articles they contained, and among them Bill’s razor. After a little while the scuttle was again opened, when they called for a sailor. There were four in the fore-castle, who looked earnestly at each other, when Brown, a favourite old sailor; arose and addressed me, saying, ‘Captain, I suppose I might as well die first as last,’ then taking me by the hand gave it a hearty shake, saying, ‘Good bye.’ I told Brown to plead with them in the French language, as I thought I had seen some Frenchmen among them, and knew that he spoke French fluently. When he had got upon deck I heard him speak a few words in that language, but soon after we heard them beating him severely. As soon as they had finished beating him we again heard the word fire, and soon after, heave him overboard. Shortly after, the scuttle was again opened and the captain was loudly called. I crawled up the scuttle, being very feeble; they then told me if I did not tell them where the money was they would serve me as they had the mate and sailor, shoot and then throw me overboard. I still persisted that there was no money on board, and entreated them to search the vessel. An old Spaniard was pointed out to me who they said was the commodore. I asked him what he wanted of me, looking him earnestly in the face. He replied, he wanted my money. I told him I had no money, but if I had I would give it to him; that the property belonged to him, but he had no right to take my life, as I had a family depending on me for support. Previous to this, the man who had flogged me before had made a chalk ring on the deck, saying, ‘Stand there,’ beating me with the flat side of a heavy cutlass until the blood ran through my shirt. During my conversation with the commodore, finding all my entreaties unsuccessful, and my strength much exhausted, I took a firm stand in the ring marked out for me, hoping to receive a ball through the heart, fearing if I was wounded Should be tortured to death, to make sport for the demons. Two of the pirates with loaded muskets took their stand and fired them toward me, when I cast my eyes down toward my feet looking for blood, thinking that I might have been wounded without feeling the pain. During this time the man who had beat me before commenced beating me again, pointing aft toward the cabin door, where I proceeded, followed by him, beating me all the time: he forced me into the cabin, at the same time giving me a severe blow over the head with his cutlass. When I entered I found both the mate and sailor there whom I supposed had been murdered and thrown overboard. The next person called out of the fore-castle was Mr. Peck, a passenger, who was immediately asked where the money was; he told them he knew of no more money on board. One man stood before him with a musket and another with a cutlass, they knocked him down and beat him for some time, took him by the hair and said they would kill him. He was then ordered to set upon the bit of the windlass to be shot and thrown overboard, as the captain and others had been. He took his station by the windlass, when a musket was fired at him; he was then driven into the cabin. They then called up the remainder of the men from the fore-castle, one after the other, and beat and drove them into the cabin also, except a Mr. Chollet, a young man, passenger, who escaped beating. We were kept in the cabin some time, and after repeated threats that they would kill us, were all driven into the forecastle again. They took all our cargo, consisting of coffee, cocoa, tortoise-shell, eight kedge anchors, all our provisions, except part of a barrel of beef and about thirty pounds of bread. After they had taken all the cargo, spare rigging, &c. of any value, they shifted all the ballast in the hold of the vessel in search of money, and calling us on deck, we were told to be off. After getting under weigh we proceeded but slowly, having no other sails left but the two jibs and the mainsail. We looked back with a great deal of anxiety, and saw the pirates seated on the deck of the largest schooner, drinking liquor and making themselves merry, while we feared that they might change their minds, pursue us and take our lives. Night beginning to approach, I thought best to go down into the cabin and see what we had left to eat or drink. As soon as I had reached the cabin, it being dark, I stumbled against something on the floor, which I found to be our cook, whom we supposed we had left behind, having seen the pirates put him on board the schooner which was lying alongside of us, but knew nothing of his return. I spoke to him, but received no answer, I hustled him about the cabin, but could not make him speak. I at last got a light and looked about for some provisions, cooking utensils, &c. and found about thirty pounds of bread, a little broken coffee, and most of a barrel of beef, but no cooking utensils except the caboose, with one or two pots set in it. The next morning I called all hands into the cabin, showed all the bread we had left, and told them it was necessary to go on allowance of one biscuit a day per man, which was agreed to, until we could get further supplies. I then questioned the cook, (knowing that he was driven into the hold of the pirate schooner,) as to what kind of a cargo she had. He said there were calicoes and all kinds of dry goods scattered about, and more than a hundred demijohns; and ‘0 captain, it was the best old Jamaica rum that you ever tasted.’ I told him if the pirates had caught him drinking their rum they would have killed him. He said it looked so tempting he thought he would try it. I suppose that after having drank a large quantity he made his escape on board of the Combine before he felt the effects of it, as he was not aware of our release.” The day after being released, Dunham hailed a Spanish war vessel, requesting her commander to pursue the pirates. This she refused to do on the ground that they were outside his cruising limits. He also declined to give the Combine any food. Dunham soon reached Havana, and there found friends and relief.

Retribution was, however, very near. On the 15th of October, the British brig Aristides, Captain Couthony, was halted off Cape Antonio in the early evening by the same vessels that had robbed Dunham. Nine men came on board from the open boat, knocked the captain down and, taking the helm, headed the brig for the shore. Perceiving their purpose to ground the ship, Couthony remonstrated and was again felled to the deck, but permitted the crew to lower an anchor when in shoal water. All personal articles of value were taken and notice given that all hands could prepare for death, as their captors were pirates and intended to leave no living witnesses. During the night the vessel pounded heavily on the shoal and the pirates compelled the raising of the anchor, at which the brig drifted ashore, and, the light vessels coming alongside, removal of the cargo began. The captain and mate were repeatedly beaten to compel the revelation of hidden coin and the cabin boy nearly strangled for the same purpose.

By sunrise one schooner was well laden with spoil and the plundering was proceeding rapidly when at seven o’clock a sail appeared in the offing, whose rig plainly showed her to be a warship. The cutthroats debated killing their captives, but, having little time, concluded to flee without slaying them, and made haste to get away. The cruiser proved to be the Enterprise, under Lieutenant Lawrence Kearney, who at once sent a boat in and Couthony told his story. The American ship Lucier and the British brig Larch were also being held and, recruiting from their crews, Kearney made sail after the pirates, who worked their vessels inside the cape, ran them all ashore, and took to the woods. A boat party under Lieutenant McIntosh captured the vessels, but the barge got away. One of the five was set on fire by the fugitives and destroyed. The others were hauled off and became prizes. Kearney loaded all the vessels with spoils. The Aristides was badly bilged and so was set on fire and abandoned. One of the pirate captains thus discomfitted was Charles Gibbs, of whom more will be heard later.

The Hornet, cruising among the West India Islands, took a schooner called the Moscow, on October 29th, and sent her into Norfolk as a prize, and the Porpoise seized a boat laden with plunder off Cape Antonio, on November 8th. The crew escaped.

Though zealous, the United States force was too small to accomplish much and the territory covered was too wide and too full of retreat and protection to make its task easy. So the freebooters continued to prosper. A piracy of peculiar picturesqueness was that committed upon the schooner Experiment, Boston for Trinidad, Barnabas Lincoln, master, December 15, 1821. The Experiment was of 107 tons burden, the property of Messrs. Joseph Ballister and Henry Farnam, of Boston, which port she had left on the l3th of November, with a cargo valued at $8,000, consisting mainly of provisions. Her crew, beside the captain, included Joshua Bracket, mate, of Bristol, Rhode Island; David Warren, cook, of Saco, Maine, and four seamen, Thomas Goodall, George Reed, Thomas Young, and Francis de Suze.

The Experiment, had reached the keys off Cape Cruz on the date noted, which chanced to be Monday, when at three o’clock in the afternoon a schooner was sighted coming out from the keys into a channel, charted as the Boca de Cavalone. The wind being light, she worked toward the Experiment with sweeps, flying the flag of the revolting Republic of Mexico and was soon near enough to reveal the presence on her decks of some forty armed men. She hailed and ordered Lincoln to come on board with his papers. He lowered his boat for the purpose, but she filled before the captain could get into her. The Experiment was then ordered to lay by until a boat could come aboard. Soon a lieutenant called Bolidar, with a gang of heavily armed ruffians, reached the schooner and drove Lincoln into it, when two rowed him to the Mexican, which was the name of the vessel. The rest kept possession of the Experiment. The captain whom Lincoln names “Jonnia” instructed Bolidar to follow the Mexican into an anchorage at Key Largo, a shelter some thirty or thirty-five leagues from Trinidad. By six A. M. she was anchored in eleven feet of water under the guns of the pirate, which she soon proved herself to be.

Early the next morning the pirate captain visited the Experiment and made a survey of her cargo and fittings, after which the pillaging began again. Such spirits as were on board, together with some bottled cider, gave the material for a general carouse. The third day the pirate moved his anchorage to Brigantine Key, but the robbing of the schooner continued. The navigator and interpreter was a Scotchman named Jamison, called Nichola by his comrades, who explained that he had joined the company as a legitimate privateer and had no heart for her piratical proceedings. It seems ...