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Captain John Crane, 1800 - 1815

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The lines above these stars were the last that I wrote in my lodgings at Southsea. It was really true that terms of peace had been agreed upon between the two countries and the war was at an end. Great Britain made overtures for peace as early as December, 1813, the British government sending them to the government of the United States by a schooner, the Bramble, bearing a flag of truce. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, Jan. 1, 1814; and as soon as the President received the communi[305]cation he informed Congress, which immediately took action. The United States met the overtures in a spirit of conciliation, and each of the two powers appointed three commissioners to negotiate a treaty. When the American commissioners reached England they remained unnoticed for some months, and then the ministry endeavored to avoid the question by proposing several places of meeting, one after the other, and so consumed more time. In this way half a year was used up, and the commissioners of the two governments did not come together until August, 1814, their meeting-place being at Ghent, in Belgium. Four months later the treaty was signed, and it was speedily ratified by both governments. It stipulated for the mutual restoration of all places taken during the war, or which might be taken after the signing of the treaty, declared that all captures made at sea, on both sides, should be given up if made after the signing of the treaty, and required each party to put a stop to Indian hostilities and endeavor to suppress the slave-trade. It provided for the settlement of all disputes about boundaries; but it left untouched the question of impressment of seamen, which was the principal cause of the war. But it is my opinion, in which Captain Graham agrees with me, and so does everybody else whose[306] views are worth considering, that Great Britain has learned a lesson which will make her regard the rights of Americans in future, as she has not regarded them in the past. I venture to predict that never again will an American sailor be impressed into the British navy, and we shall not hear again of British officers exercising the "right of search" on the high seas. It is now more than a year since the war ended, and there has been no report of a single instance of search or impressment. A few days after the arrival of the news of the treaty of peace I bade farewell to my friends at Portsmouth and went to Plymouth, in the hope of doing something towards the release of the crew of the Marguerite. But all my efforts, even when backed by the influence of Captain Graham and other officials, were of no avail. I was not allowed to see the prisoners, or even to communicate with them, and they did not know of the end of the war until fully three months after the signing of the treaty of peace. Even then the inmates of Dartmoor prison obtained the intelligence surreptitiously, and not officially, and from that time on they were in daily expectation of release. The delay of the authorities in making arrangements for sending them home caused much impatience among the prisoners, and they became muti[307]nous. On the 4th of April, 1815, they declined to receive the hard biscuit that was served to them, and demanded bread. Two days later many of them refused to retire to their quarters when ordered to do so; and they displayed such a spirit of rebellion that Captain Shortland ordered the soldiers to fire upon them. Five prisoners were killed, and thirty wounded. The Americans regarded the affair as a wanton massacre, while the British claim that it was justifiable under the circumstances. Finding that we could accomplish nothing, and that the interests of the prisoners, when released, would be looked after by the American consul at Plymouth, Haines and I, having been liberated from our paroles, embraced the opportunity of coming home on a brig that was leaving Plymouth for New York. Before leaving, we told the consul where the dunnage-bags of the Marguerite's crew could be found, and put him into communication with Joe Waghorn, of The Blue Anchor. The day before we sailed we had the good fortune to meet our old friend and captor, Captain Woods, who had been appointed into the Royal Navy; and, if I may use Haines's expression, "had brass enough about his uniform to make a cannon of!" When we reached New York, the first man I asked for was David Taylor, my old schoolmate, friend, and shipmate. [308] "He was luckier than you were," said the head clerk of the owners of the Marguerite and Hyacinth, "as he came into port all right and safe, though he was badly cut up and didn't believe he could have kept afloat three days longer. He had thrown overboard all his guns and shot in order to lighten his schooner while being chased by two men-of-war, so that he required a new armament. By the time the Hyacinth was ready for sea again the probabilities of peace became so great that the owners decided not to send her out. Taylor went to his old home in New Hampshire, and he's there yet; but I believe he'll be back soon to take command of a vessel that is to sail for the West Indies. Oh! here's a letter for you that came several days ago." I saw that the letter was from David, and so I stepped aside and opened it. It contained good news from all the members of both our families, and the announcement that, after another year or so of sea-life, he would abandon the career of a sailor and settle down on shore. His share of the proceeds of the captures by the Hyacinth was sufficient to make him and family comfortable; but he said he did not propose to live a life of idleness. He had not fully made up his mind what to do, but thought he would buy a farm a few miles from New York, and devote a large share of his time to its management. [309] Haines and Herne decided that they were getting too old for sea-life; their prize money, in addition to previous savings, was sufficient for all their wants; and after many consultations they decided to become farmers. They went into partnership and bought a small farm on Long Island, about seven miles back of Brooklyn, and with it an assortment of live-stock, including horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. They have two horses and a pair of oxen. The horses have been named Foremast and Mizzen, and the oxen bear the nautical appellations of Starboard and Larboard, their position when under the yoke being indicated by their names. Their three cows are Washington, Hyacinth, and Marguerite, and the greediest of the pigs is designated by the name of one of the sailors of the old Washington who was famed for his abilities in the eating line. Haines told me, when I visited them, that the horses and oxen were bothered a good deal at first by the nautical expressions of their masters instead of "gee!" and "haw!" to which they had been accustomed, but a few weeks set them all right. "Them oxen knows what 'Belay!' means just as well as I do," said Haines; "and you ought to see old Foremast and Mizzen heel over to leeward and lay to their work when I calls out 'Give way, boys!' They make me proud that I'm a farmer." [310] While Herne was feeding the pigs and chickens, Haines and I took a stroll over the farm in the direction of its western boundary. I remarked that their neighbor had a good house; whereupon Haines became visibly embarrassed, and with some hesitation told me that the house was the property of a nice widow, and her farm was quite as large and good as the one possessed by the two sailors. "Are you acquainted with the widow?" I asked. "Yes,—that is, Herne's acquainted with her, and I know her somewhat. Fact is, Herne's engaged to her, and I'm engaged to her sister, who lives with her, and we're to have a double wedding here about a month from now. Herne's going to live on the widder's farm; I'll buy him out in this; and we'll hope to be neighbors and friends a good many years. Won't you come out to the weddin', Cap'n, if you're not away at sea when it comes off?" I promised the good fellow I would do so, and I did; and one of the members of the firm went along with me. We had an enjoyable time, and an opportunity for seeing many of the inhabitants of that region who had been invited to the affair. Most of them were of Dutch descent; and the two sisters who respectively became Mrs. Haines and Mrs. Herne showed in their substantial figures and ruddy faces that they were descended from the people who emigrated from the dykes and marshes of Holland to live under the rule of Peter Stuyvesant and Wouter Van Twiller. As for myself, I've abandoned the sea, and hope to spend the rest of my days on solid ground. The owners for whom I have sailed have made me some excellent offers, and if I needed the money you may be sure I should be off very soon on another voyage. I think I shall buy a farm near New York, marry, and settle down; and if time hangs heavy on my hands I can lighten it by running over in memory my experiences as a sailor in peace and war. THE END. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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