Trial of the Officers and Crew of the Privateer Savannah, on the Charge of Piracy, in the United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York. Warburton Adolphus Frederick
Was he a seaman or officer?
A. He stood aft with the rest of us, and assisted in working the vessel.
(The prisoner, Del Carno, was directed to stand up, and witness identified him as being the steward. He also identified Henry Oman as attending to the cooking department. The prisoner was directed to stand up, and was identified by the witness.)
Q. In what capacity was he?
A. The same as the rest—a seaman.
(Witness also identified William Charles Clarke, Richard Palmer, and John Murphy, as seamen, and Alexander C. Coid, as seaman. Martin Galvin, the prisoner, was directed to stand up, and was identified by the witness.)
Q. Was he a seaman?
A. I do not think he was either seaman or officer.
Q. What did he do on board?
A. Little of anything. There was very little done any way.
Q. Did he take part in working the vessel?
A. Very little, if anything at all. I believe he took part in weighing anchor.
Q. You identify Captain Baker as captain of the vessel?
A. Yes, I could not well avoid that.
Q. How many more were there besides those you have identified?
A. Some six. I think about eighteen all told, not including Knickerbocker and myself.
Q. How many went off on the Joseph?
A. There were six of them.
Q. Did any of those that are now here go off on the Joseph?
A. No, I believe not. I know all here. We have been long enough in shackles together to know one another.
Q. Do you remember the names of those that went on the Joseph?
A. I know two of them—one named Hayes, and Evans, the Charleston pilot.
Q. The same Evans who went on board with you?
A. Yes, sir; he was a Charleston pilot.
Q. What did Hayes and Evans do on board?
A. They did the same as the rest—all that was to be done.
Q. Were either of them officers?
A. Mr. Evans was the Charleston pilot. He gave the orders when to raise anchor and go out. He acted as mate and pilot when he was there. I presume he had as much authority, and a little more, than any one else; he was pilot.
Q. What did Hayes do?
A. He was an old, experienced man—did the same as the rest—lived aft with the rest. He was a seaman.
Q. The other four, whose names you do not recollect, did they act as seamen?
A. Exactly, sir.
Q. Any of them as officers?
A. No, sir; if they were, they were not inaugurated in any position while I was there.
Q. What did you do?
A. I did as I was told by the captain's orders—steered and made sail.
Q. What time did you get off from the bar in Charleston?
A. We got off Sunday afternoon and made sail east, outside of the bar, and proceeded to sea.
Q. Do you remember any conversation on board when any of the prisoners were present?
A. Yes; we talked as a party of men would talk on an expedition of that kind.
Q. What was said about the expedition?
A. That we were going out privateering. The object was to follow some vessels, and that was the talk among ourselves.
Q. Did anything happen that night, particularly?
A. No, sir; nothing happened, except losing a little main-top mast.
Q. What course did you take?
A. We steered off to the eastward.
Q. Did you steer to any port?
A. No, sir; we were not bound to any port, exactly.
Q. What directions were given in respect to steering the vessel?
A. To steer off to the eastward, or east by south, just as the wind was; that was near the course that was ordered.
Q. When did you fall in with the Joseph?
A. On Monday morning, the 3d.
Q. Do you remember who discovered the Joseph?
A. I think it was Evans, at the masthead.
Q. What did he cry out?
A. He sung out there was a sail on the starboard bow, running down, which proved afterwards to be the brig Joseph.
Q. State all that was said by or in the presence of the prisoners when and after the vessel was descried?
A. We continued on that course for two or three hours. We saw her early in the morning, and did not get up to her until 9 or 10 o'clock.
Q. How early did you see her?
A. About 6 o'clock. There were other vessels in sight. We stood off on the same course, when we saw this brig,—I think steering northeast by east. We made an angle to cut her off, and proceeded on that course until we fell in with her.
Q. What was said while running her down?
A. When near enough to be seen visibly to the eye, our men, Mr. Hayes, and the others, said she was a Yankee vessel; she was from the West Indies, laden with sugar and molasses. The general language was very little among the men; in fact, sailor-like, being on a flare-up before we left port, not much was said.
Q. State what was said?
A. Well, first the proposition was made that it was a Yankee prize; to run her down and take her. That was repeated several times. Nothing further, so far as I know of.
Q. During the conversation were all hands on deck?
A. Yes, sir, all hands on deck. In fact, they had been on deck. It was very warm; our place was very small for men below. In fact, we slept on deck. No one slept below, while there, much. It was a very short time we were on board of her—from Saturday to Monday night—when we were taken off.
Q. What was said was said loud, so as to be heard?
A. Yes; it was heard all about deck. That was the principal of our concern in going out; it was our object and our conversation.
Q. When you ran along down towards the Joseph, state what was said.
A. That was about the whole of what occurred—the men talking among themselves.
Q. When you got to the Joseph what occurred?
A. She was hailed by Captain Baker, and requested to send a boat on board.
Q. Who answered the hail?
A. I believe Captain Meyer, of the brig.
Q. Would you recognize Captain Meyer now?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. State what Captain Baker said?
A. Captain Baker, as near as I can bear in mind, hailed him, and told him to come on board and fetch his papers.
Q. Did Captain Meyer come on board?
A. He lowered his boat, and came on board with his own boat and crew. Captain Baker said to him that he was under the Confederate flag, and he considered him a prisoner, and his vessel a prize to the Confederate Government.
Q.