A correspondent gives the following particulars of the capture of the privateer
Beauregard:
The
W. G. Anderson,
Lieutenant Commanding W. C. Rogers, United States Navy, entered the port of
Key West, Fla., from a cruise the morning of the 20th of November.
She was accompanied by a prize schooner carrying on her desk an ugly-looking rifled gun. On boarding the
Anderson, we learned that the prize was the rebel privateer
Beauregard, of and from
Charleston, S. C., and commanded by
Capt. Gilbert Hay.
She was captured on the morning of the 12th, one hundred miles east-northeast of Abaco.
No resistance was made by the
Beauregard, the superiority of the armament of the
Anderson being so great that it would have been madness to measure their strength.
While the
Anderson was approaching her, the crew were engaged in throwing over shot, shell, muskets, &c., and before the capture, most of the ammunition was lost — only powder, a few pistols, one or two rifles, and the pivot gun on deck, remaining.
The crew, twenty-seven in number, were at once placed in irons and transferred to the ship.
Prize-Master Davis, with a picked crew, took charge of the schooner, and safely brought her to
Key West.
Captain Rogers, on arrival, immediately consulted with the civil authorities as to the disposal of his prisoners, when it was decided that they should be placed in the hands of the United States Marshal.
After an examination on board, the officers and crew were taken to the shore and placed in the county jail, where, properly guarded, they will remain until their trial.
Captain Gilbert Hay, the master, was born in
Scotland, was naturalized in
Charleston, where he has lived twenty-eight years. He testified that the
Beauregard sailed from
Charleston on the 7th of November.
She was commissioned by
Jefferson Davis on the 14th
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of October to act as a private armed vessel in the service of the
Confederate States on the high seas against the
United States of America, their ships, vessels, goods and effects, and those of their citizens, during the prevailing war.
The
Beauregard saw no vessel previous to her capture, and did not fire a gun after leaving port, not even for practice.
Captain Hay says the vessel is owned by a stock company, and that her bills, when ready for sea, were fifteen thousand dollars.
Mordecai Himes was the agent of the company.
Captain Hay served on board the
Jeff. Davis as prize-master.
He also taught the young midshipmen navigation.
When the bark
Alvarado was taken, he was placed in charge as prize-master.
She was chased ashore by one of our fleet and burned.
John B. Davis, the
first lieutenant, was on board the Confederate man-of-war
Winslow when she seized a vessel off the
North Carolina coast.
While the
Anderson was overhauling the
Beauregard, this officer attempted to fire the twenty-four pounder, but was prevented by the crew.
Archibald Lilley, of
Charleston, is the purser of the privateer.
He could not have had access to the Treasury Department of the
Confederacy very lately, for his fiscal balance showed the amount of cash on hand to be twenty-five cents.
Paymaster Lilley is a very seedy-looking individual, and by no means a fair specimen of the chivalrous South Carolinian.
Joseph H. Stuart,
second lieutenant, was born in
Clifton, England.
He is a seaman, and was on board the brig
Mary Goodel when she was captured by the Jeff.
Davis. He enlisted in the
Davis as boatswain, and while on board, the brigantine
Santa Clara and bark
Alvarado were captured.
He was also in the
Davis when she was lost on
St. Augustine bar. The names and nativity of the crew are as follows:
Oliver Ruse, carpenter, aged twenty-one, born in
Charleston;
Wm. Dangler, cook, aged twenty-six, born in
Redbank, N. J.;
Peter Parry, seaman, aged eighteen, born in
South Carolina--was on the Jeff.
Davis;
James McGivern, seaman, aged twenty-two, born in
Liverpool;
John Burns, seaman, aged forty-five, born in
Dublin;
John Conway, seaman, aged thirty, born in
Philadelphia; joined a French company of Zouaves in New Orleans; went to
Warrington, deserted, arrived in
Charleston destitute, and enlisted on the
Beauregard from necessity;
Daniel Culle, seaman, aged sixteen, born in
Glasgow;
Henry F. Randolph, seaman, aged twenty-five, born in New York — he is deaf; was seduced on board, and not allowed to leave the vessel;
Wm. Boyd, seaman, aged twenty-six years, born in
Ireland; Charles Butcher, seaman, aged twenty years, born in
Prussia, was formerly on the steamer
Isabel, running between
Havana,
Key West, and
Charleston; he testifies that the
Isabel is being transformed into a gunboat; she is nearly ready for her armament;
Captain Rollins, the former captain, will command the
Isabel;
John Cameron, seaman, aged thirty-two years, a native of
Scotland, was on the Jeff.
Davis when she captured the barks
Alvarado,
Enchantress, and schooner
Waring; received as his share of prize-money, five dollars;
Thomas McBurney, seaman, aged twenty-seven years, born in
Ireland;
Alanson T. Swan, seaman, aged twenty-five years, born in
South Carolina;
Michael Kenney, seaman, aged thirty years, born in
Ireland;
Andrew Jackson, seaman, aged twenty-two, born in
Ireland;
George Valentine, seaman, aged twenty-five, born in
Maryland; deserted from his company at the
Charleston Arsenal and enlisted on the
Beauregard voluntarily;
Henry Maylan, seaman, aged twenty-two, born in
Ireland; has been deck hand on the New York and
Charleston steamers;
Henry Pahlow, seaman, aged forty-two, Prussian ;
Richard Robinson, seaman, aged forty-seven, native of
England;
William Perkins, seaman, aged forty-five, born in
Ireland, was ten years in the Third regiment United States Artillery,
Col. Yates;
Richard C. Busey, seaman, aged forty-one, born in
Baltimore ; was decoyed on board while drunk and forced to sign the ship's articles; he was a member of a company stationed on
Sullivan's Island at the time of the bombardment of
Sumter; he says but one man was killed at
Moultrie by the bursting of a shell;
John Sommer, aged twenty-seven, native of
Germany, was paid twenty dollars advance when he shipped — could get no work at
Charleston;
Frederick Kleinca, native of
Germany.
The above twenty-seven men are the hardest-looking, most desperate and wretched set it has ever been our lot to encounter.
We pity the fate of the unfortunates who might have fallen into their power had they not been arrested in their wicked career by the gallant
Captain Rogers.
That such a vessel, such a crew, and so miserable an armament and outfit should have been permitted to leave the harbor of
Charleston, is most wonderful.
Their cause must be a desperate one when defended by such ragamuffins as now disgrace the walls of the jail of
Key West.
The following is a true copy of the letter of marque and reprisal:
Jefferson Davis,
President of Tee
Confederate States of America: To all who shall see these presents, greeting :--Know ye, that by virtue of the power vested in me by law, I have commissioned, and do hereby commission, have authorized, and do hereby authorize, the schooner or vessel called the
Beauregard, (more particularly described in the schedule hereunto annexed,) whereof
Gilbert Hay is commander, to act as a private armed vessel in the service of the
Confederate States on the high sea, against the
United States of America, their ships, vessels, goods, effects, and those of their citizens, during the pending of the war now existing between the said
Confederate States and the said
United States.
This commission
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373]
to continue in force until revoked by the
President of the
Confederacy for the time being.
Given under my hand, and seal of the
Confederate States, at
Montgomery, 14th October, 1861.
By the
President:
R. Toombs,
Secretary of State.
Schedule of description.--Name,
Beauregard; tons, 101 4-95; armament, one gun; number of crew, forty.
The following is a list of the officers of the sloop-of-war
W. G. Anderson:
Lieutenant Commanding--
W. C. Rogers;
Executive Officer--
Henry C. Pitman;
Second Executive Officer--
Thomas Hutchinson;
Sailing Master--
William Bailey;
Master's Mates--
Warren Hallett,
Robert C. Carey,
Russell Davis.
The
Anderson has six thirty-two pounders and one rifled cannon.
and a crew of one hundred and ten men. [See
Doc. 172 1/2.]