Trial of the Officers and Crew of the Privateer Savannah on the Charge of Piracy Part 21

_Q._ Do you recognize Captain Baker in court?

_A._ Yes. As soon as they secured my crew they hauled the brig on the other tack, and stood into the westward, with the privateer in company.

Captain Baker desired me to ask my mate to take the sun, as he had a chronometer on board, and the privateer had not. At 3 o'clock the privateer stood back to find out the longitude; while so doing she got astern of the brig, and about that time the brig Perry hove in sight, steering southward and eastward. When they saw the brig Perry they hauled the privateer more on the wind, because she would go a point or two nearer to the wind than the brig Joseph, so as to cut off the Perry if they could. They went aloft a good deal with opera gla.s.ses, to find out what she was, and they made her out to be a merchant vessel, as they thought. Then they saw the Perry's quarter boats, and rather mistrusted her. They backed ship and stood the same as the Perry. The Perry then set gallant stern-sail, and kept her more free, because she got the weather-gauge of the privateer.

_Q._ At the time of the capture of the Joseph by the Savannah did you observe all the crew, and in what att.i.tude they were on deck?

_A._ I saw them working around the gun and hauling at it. Whether it was loaded or not, I could not say.

_Q._ Were any of the men armed?

_A._ None at that time that I know of; but after I went on board I saw them armed with a kind of cutla.s.s, and old-fashioned boarding-pistols; and they had muskets with bayonets on.

_Q._ At the time you left your vessel for the Savannah, in what att.i.tude were the men on board the Savannah?

_A._ They were all around on deck. Perhaps half of them were armed.

_Q._ How was the gun pointed?

_A._ The gun was pointing toward the brig.

_Q._ Who were about the gun?

_A._ Before I went on board I saw that a man was stationed beside the gun; I could not say which of them it was.

_Q._ What crew had you?

_A._ I had four men, a cook, and mate.

_Q._ Were they armed?

_A._ No, sir.

_Q._ Were you armed?

_A._ I had one old musket that would go off at half-c.o.c.k.

_Q._ Was there any gun on board your vessel?

_A._ None except that.

_Q._ How many men did you see on the deck of the Savannah? _A._ Some 16, or 18, or 20.

_Q._ Were you transferred to the Perry from the Savannah?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ And from the Perry to the Minnesota?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ And from the Minnesota to the Harriet Lane?

_A._ No; to the Savannah. I came to New York in the Savannah.

_Q._ Then the Savannah sailed to New York before the Harriet Lane did?

_A._ Yes, sir.

_Q._ Where were you born?

_A._ In the Duchy of Holstein, under the flag of Denmark.

_Q._ You have been naturalized?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ In what Court?

_A._ In the Court of Common Pleas, New York.

_Q._ When did you come to this country?

_A._ In the winter of '47.

_Q._ Did you hail from here ever since?

_A._ I hailed from almost all over the States. I never had a home until lately. I have hailed from here about a year. Before that, wherever my chest was was my home.

_Q._ You have resided in the United States ever since you were naturalized?

_A._ Yes, sir; I have never been out of it except on voyages.

_Q._ You have continued to be a citizen of the United States since you were naturalized?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ And to reside in the United States?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ Do you recollect the names of your crew?

_A._ No, sir; none except the mate; his name was Bridges.

_Q._ Is he here?

_A._ Yes.

_Q._ When the Joseph was seized by the Savannah, what was done with the Joseph?