Captain John Crane, 1800-1815

by Thomas Wallace Knox

"That hardly corresponds to the account which a sailor once gave of the way prize money is distributed," I remarked, at the first pause in the conversation.

"How was that?"

"He said that when prize money is distributed, it is sifted through a ladder; all that goes through is for the officers, while all that sticks is for the men."

"I don't think I ever heard that before," he answered; and then the conversation turned to the question of converting the Camperdown into a privateer. In the course of our talk we were joined by the other partners; and before the conference was over a representative of the government called to ascertain when the Camperdown would be condemned and sold. He added a hint that the government would purchase her at a good price. I was introduced as the captor of the ship, and as soon as the gentleman knew who I was, he advised me to hurry away and take more prizes of the same sort.

In four days the Marguerite was ready for sea again; and it is hardly necessary to say that she got away as soon as possible. As long as we were in port I was a daily caller at the house where the Grahams were staying. They always gave me a cordial welcome, and when I announced my departure, Captain Graham said he was very sorry to have me go away, partly because of my friendship for the family and my treatment of them, and partly because he knew that British commerce was about to suffer more depredations, unless my luck took a turn for the worse.

In the lower bay, when I reached it, there were two English vessels that had just come in, their flags showing them to be prizes. We were obliged to anchor, as the wind was unfavorable to our getting to sea at once; and it so happened that we anchored within hailing distance of one of them. I hailed her, and ascertained that both of the vessels were prizes taken by the Hyacinth, Captain Taylor; and so I was able before sailing to rejoice over the good luck of my old comrade.

Then I thought of my wager with David, and found that I had won it, as my first prize was taken a day before he captured his. I had left a letter for him at the office of the owners, and I now took the opportunity to write a few lines in addition, and congratulate him on his success.

Near nightfall the wind shifted; and as the British man-of-war that troubled me somewhat when I arrived had now gone to the southward, I had no difficulty in getting on the ocean again.

I learned afterwards that I had a narrow escape from running into a British fleet of five ships, with an aggregate of two hundred guns. It was a little to the south of the course I followed, and had already made several prizes; it was looking for the fleet of Commodore Rodgers, and also watching for the forty-four gun ship Constitution, which had gone into Chesapeake Bay, and was expected to come out again very soon.

The Constitution came out as expected; and on Friday, July 17th, she was off the coast, but out of sight of land, when she made out four sails to the northward, and soon afterwards a fifth sail. One of them was discovered to be a man-of-war, but the others were supposed to be merchantmen. The wind was light during the afternoon and evening, and also during the night. On the morning of the 18th, the Constitution found herself almost surrounded by a British fleet, consisting of one ship of the line, sixty-four guns, and four frigates, enough to make short work if they could once succeed in closing in upon her.