THE   "COMET"—PRIVATEER

BY   JAMES   BARNES

Harper's Weekly

January 19, 1895

 

Image from Harper's Weekly showing the Comet running the British Blockade of Baltimore Harbor

 

DURING the War of 1812 the American privateers sent home to United States ports so many hundreds of British vessels that the printed list makes quite a volume in itself.  The names of the prizes taken, their tonnage and value, were published in Niles' Weekly Register, of Baltimore, and each week during the progress of the war the number grew, until it seemed that the stock of Laughing Lassies, Bouncing Besses, Arabellas, Lords something-or-other, Ladies this or Countesses of that, must surely be exhausted.  In they came to Baltimore, to New York, or Boston by the scores-—brigs and barks, schooners and ships, sloops and transports.  Some were next to worthless, some were valuable, and some were veritable floating mines of wealth; some were heavily armed and had been captured after fierce fighting; others had been picked up like ripe fruit and sent home under prize-masters.  Each one, however, was stamped with the seal of her captor, who might be cruising anywhere from the China Seas to the English Channel.  Eager for racing, chasing, or fighting, the American privateers were watching the highways of British commerce.  What did they care for armed consorts or guard-ships?  They could show a clean pair of heels to the fastest cruisers that carried the red cross of St. George, or turn to and fight out of all proportion to their appearance or size—and this latter was proved true in many well-recorded instances.  They were the kestrels and the game-cocks of the sea.  The names of some of them were familiar to every school-boy eighty-odd years ago—Revenge, Atlas, Young 'Eagle, Montgomery, Teaser, Decatur, General Armstrong, 'Comet.  Here were some tight little craft that caused their powder-monkeys fairly to smell of prize-money on their return from each successful cruise.

 

All of these vessels were oversparred, overarmed, and overmanned.  It was the privateersman's business to take risks, and many paid the penalty for rashness; but their fearlessness and impudence were often most astounding, and their self-reliance actually superb.

 

Up to the end of the first year of the war Maryland alone had sent out more than forty armed vessels, and, as a writer in the Weekly Register naively remarks, "not one up to date has been even in danger of being captured, though frequently chased by British vessels of war."

 

But to come to the affair of the Comet privateer, of Baltimore.  Her name had become familiar all along the Atlantic coast, her "winnings" were anchored in almost every harbor, and she could have the pick of the seamen lucky enough to be ashore at any place where she put in.  Her 'tween-decks was crowded with extra crews and prize-masters to man her captures when she sailed out again.

 

The Comet was commanded by Captain Boyle, an intrepid sailor, and a man liked and trusted by his crew of 120 well-trained tars.  She was as handy as a whip, and sailed like a cup defender.  She carried six guns in a broadside, a swivel, and a gun amidships.

It was on the 9th of January, 1818, that Captain Boyle spoke a Portuguese coasting-vessel which had just left the harbor of Pernambuco, Brazil, and learned that in the harbor were three English vessels loaded and ready to sail for Europe—one large armed ship and two armed brigs.

 

Upon hearing this welcome news Captain Boyle shortened sail, and tacked back and forth for five days, waiting and watching.  On the 14th of the month his sharp lookout was rewarded by the sight of not three but four sail coming off shore before the wind.  The Comet sheered away to the southward, and lay by to give the strangers an opportunity of passing her.  When they had done so she put after them.  It was quite late in the afternoon, a tremendous sea was running, and a freshening breeze lifted the Comet up the sides of the huge waves and raced 'her down into the hollows.  She overhauled the other vessels as if they had been anchored.  They kept close together, rising and then sinking hulls out of sight in the great seas.  They evidently had no fear of the little vessel bearing down upon them, for they made no effort to spread their lighter sails.  The Comet was under a press of canvas, and the water was roaring and tumbling every now and then over her forward rails.

 

At six o'clock, or thereabout, the reason for the leisurely movements of the chase was discovered—one of the vessels was seen to be a large man-of-war brig.  She was hanging back, evidently awaiting the American's approach.  The speed of the Comet was not lessened, not a stitch was taken in, but quickly the guns were loaded with round shot and grape, and the decks were cleared for action.  Then Captain Boyle hoisted the American flag.  The other hoisted Portuguese colors.  As the Comet sheered up close, the stranger nailed and requested the privilege of sending a boat on board, saying he wished to speak with the American captain on a matter of importance.

 

Accordingly the Comet hove to, and her commander received the Portuguese officer a few minutes later at the companion way.  The conversation, in view of the subsequent proceedings, must have been extremely interesting.  The officer was a little taken aback when he saw the men standing stripped to the waist about the guns, the look of determination, and the man-o'-war appearance everywhere.  But he doffed his hat, and informed Captain Boyle sententiously that the vessel he had just left he-longed to his Majesty of Portugal, that she carried twenty 32-pounders, and a crew of 165 men.

 

Captain Boyle replied that he had admired her appearance greatly.

 

The Portuguese officer then went on to say that the three other vessels ahead were English, and were under the protection of the commander of his brig.

 

"By what right?" answered the captain of the Comet.  "This is an American cruiser.  We are on the high seas, the highway of all nations, and surely they belong to America as much as to the King of Great Britain or the King of Portugal."

 

The officer upon this asked to see the Comet's authority from her government.  This Captain Boyle courteously showed to him.  After reading the papers carefully, the officer began to advise the American captain in a manner that provoked the following reply: " I told him," writes Boyle, in the log-book of the Comet, "that I was determined to exercise the authority I had, and capture those vessels if I could.  He said that he should be sorry if anything disagreeable took place; that they were ordered to protect them, and should do so.  I answered him that I should equally feel regret that anything disagreeable should occur; that if it did he would be the aggressor, as I did not intend to fire upon him first; that if he did attempt to oppose me or to fire upon me when trying to take those English vessels we must try our respective strengths, us I was well prepared for such an event and should not shrink from it.  He then informed me that those vessels were armed and very strong.  I told him that I valued their strength but little, and would very soon put it to (he test."

 

What a fine old fighter this Baltimore captain must have been!  Here were four vessels, each of the three smaller ones as large as his own, and one nearly twice as large, against him; the Portuguese mounting twenty guns, the English ship fourteen, and the smaller brigs ten guns apiece.  Fifty-four guns against fourteen.  But the American was undaunted, and the Portuguese lieutenant rowed back to his ship.

 

Shortly afterwards the brig hailed again, asking Captain Boyle to lower his boat and come on board.

"It is growing too dark," shouted Captain Boyle, through his speaking-trumpet, and he squared his yards and made all sail for the nearest English vessel—the big ship.

 

So fast a sailer was the Comet and so quick in stays that she could shuttle back and forth through the little fleet in a manner that, to say the least, must have been confusing to the others.  The moon was now coming out bright as the sun went down; but little of daylight was left.

 

The Comet came up handily with the English ship (the brigs were sailing close by), and Boyle ordered her to back her main-topsail or he would fire a broadside into her.  So great was the headway of the privateer, however, that she shot past, and had to luff about the other's bows, Boyle again hailing, and saying he was coming down on the other side.

 

The man-of-war brig had crowded on all sail, and was hard after the American, but the latter now let drive her broadside at the ship and one of her smaller consorts, tacked quickly, and then found the man-of-war close alongside.  The Portuguese, disregarding the policy of "minding one's own business," opened up her broadside upon the American.  The Comet returned this with tremendous effect, and tacking again let go her starboard battery at the third Englishman, who was_ now closing in.  Nothing but bad gunnery and good sailing must have saved the daring little vessel at this moment.  But she loaded and fired, and the enemy appeared to be confused and frightened.  The Comet stuck close to the English vessels, letting go whole broadsides into them at point-blank distance, and firing at the man-of-war whenever she came in range.  The British vessels separated at last to give their "protector" a better chance, but it availed them very little.  By the time the Portuguese was ready to fire the Comet had spun about on her heel and was out of danger.  It was the clever boxer in a crowd of clumsy bumpkins.  At eleven o'clock the big ship surrendered, being cut almost to pieces and quite unmanageable.  It was broad moonlight ; but the moon would soon go down, and in the ensuing darkness Captain Boyle feared the others might escape him.  As soon as the ship hauled down her colors he gave the first brig a broadside that ripped her bulwarks and cut away her running-gear; immediately down came her flag, and she surrendered also.  She proved to be the Bowes, of Liverpool.

 

The sea was yet running very high, but a boat was manned and lowered away with a prize-crew, and made straight for the latest capture.  When the heavily laden boat was a short distance from the Comet, around the bows of the captured ship came the man-of-war.  She fired a broadside at the row-boat, and nearly swamped it there and then: half full of water, it returned to the Comet.  Taking the boat's crew on board once more, the privateer headed for the Portuguese.  Captain Boyle's blood was now up with a vengeance, and in the hot exchange that followed the bumptious foreigner had so much the worse of it that he withdrew from the engagement, and left the third English vessel to her fate.  Like the others, the last hauled down her flag to save herself from further punishment.  The situation was unusual.  It was almost pitch-dark, and heaving about to leeward, the three captured vessels were hardly discernible.  The Bowes was taken possession of, she being the nearest, and the captain of the ship George, of Liverpool, reported that he could hardly keep his vessel afloat.  The other brig, the Gambler, of Hull, was in much the same condition.  Captain Boyle determined to stand by them both until daybreak.

 

As soon as it was light it was seen that the little fleet had drifted in towards land, the wind having changed during the early morning.  The Portuguese had once more joined them, and made a feint of desiring to fight again.  The Comet sailed to meet her, but the brig turned tail, signalled the George and the Gambler to make for shore, and followed as quickly as she could.  Captain Boyle did not overtake them, and the three reached Pernambuco in safety, the ship in a sinking condition, the brig likewise, and the cockpit of the man-of-war, which was badly cut up below and aloft, filled with dead and wounded.  The Comet and the Bowes reached the United States in safety, the former making several more important captures, and sailing through the entire English blockading squadron in the Chesapeake Bay to her wharf in the city of Baltimore.

 

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