United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction
We were lying not more than a hundred yards from the Marguerite, and
tears came into my eyes as I saw what a hopeless wreck had been made of
her, and how the water had risen so far up her sides that her sinking
would not be long delayed. Haines was still on board with ten or twelve
men of our crew, and they were helping the British sailors to remove
barrels and boxes of provisions, and casks of water, from the schooner
to the barque. I should have stated that our captor was a barque,
mounting fourteen guns, and having a crew proportionately large. She
was disguised as a merchantman, and no one looking at her would suspect
that she was as dangerous as she proved to be on close acquaintance.
"All's fair in love and war," says the old adage; and I have no reason
to complain of the deception that was practised upon me. Tricks of this
sort are heard of in all wars; and I bear in mind that I had not been
averse to deceptions in several instances, and successful ones too.
Two hours from the time we struck our flag, the decks of the Marguerite
were almost awash, and the danger was imminent that the schooner would
go down and carry with her some of the men who were still on board.
So the order was given to abandon the vessel, and very quickly it was
obeyed. Five minutes after the last of the boats left her side, she
disappeared below the waves, and went to rest in the bosom of the
Atlantic.
It was a sad sight for me and my men to gaze upon; but, after all, I
had much rather have it so than see the Marguerite brought as a prize
into a British port. I know that the same feelings animated my men; and
so the cloud that settled upon us was not altogether without its silver
lining.
When the privateer was gone from view, the Reindeer filled away in the
direction of England. At a suggestion from Captain Woods, I called my
men together and told them that by giving their honorable promise not
to enter into any conspiracy against their captors, they could have
certain privileges not usually accorded to prisoners on shipboard. They
would be divided into watches, and each watch would have the privilege
of the deck alternately for four hours every day, under the supervision
of their first and second mates. The sailors readily entered into the
agreement, and promised to keep to it faithfully. Most of them got
on good terms with the British sailors, while some remained sullen,
and refused to be friendly with those who had captured them. Some of
the victors were inclined to bully the captives; but the bullying was
stopped by the orders of Captain Woods, though not until one of the
offenders had been triced up and flogged, by way of a hint to the rest
as well as to himself.
Eleven days after our capture we passed Land's End, the most southerly
point of England, and on the next day we reached Plymouth Sound, where
we cast anchor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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