Voyage of the Enchantress

The Union gunboat Albatross recaptures the schooner Enchantress, July 22nd, 1861 (note Jacob Garrick in water at lower right)

November 21, 1861: The editors of the New York Times had some difficulty deciphering the handwritten letter they'd received (and the forwarded letter included with it), but as the contents were highly newsworthy they published the best interpretation they could manage. "Our Prisoners in Richmond," read the headline. "LETTER FROM A LIEUTENANT OF THE SIXTY-NINTH."

In his letter to his brother, Lieutenant Gannon initially explained that prison life offered little to write home about: "I have nothing of any importance to [???] the dull and [???] of a [???] life would be a somewhat [???] tale..." was the Times interpretation. No news would be welcome news under the circumstances - but a few days earlier an exception had occurred. Their captors made the senior ranking prisoners draw lots; the losers were removed to another location to await death by hanging.

The paper's readers would already be familiar with the essential background facts, as coverage of a recent (and now-related) courtroom drama in Philadelphia had been something of a sensation in the North. The same New York Times article that had announced the Union victory at Ball's Bluff ("THE FIGHT NEAR LEESBURGH.; The National Troops Successful at all Points") had also briefly noted the start of the trial.

The United States Circuit Court has commenced the trial of WALKER W. SMITH, of the pirate Jeff Davis, who was captured on board the schooner Enchantress. Six of the jury have been selected.

In the days since, both stories had been followed closely in the pages of the Times - with news of Ball's Bluff eliciting mounting anger and frustration among readers, and progress of the piracy trial considerably more satisfaction. (Though responses of those readers whose sympathies were with the South were reversed.)

Jacob Garrick's adventure had begun in early July, when the schooner Enchantress set sail. Little did the ship's cook expect he'd serve three crews before returning to port. The first change came on July 6th, when the Confederate ship Jeff Davis captured the Enchantress off the coast of Delaware. Five members of the Jeff Davis crew transferred to the Enchantress to bring her to Charleston, while the civilian crew of the Enchantress were taken as prisoners aboard the Jeff Davis - with one exception. Jacob Garrick was a black man; he was to be taken to port with the ship, and sold into slavery. ("He'll bring $1,500 when we get him into Charleston" was the estimate made by Smith - the new captain of the Enchantress, according to the trial testimony of her original First Officer.)

From the prosecution's opening statement at Smith's trial:

Aboard the captured ship there was a heart as brave as Caesar's, one Jacob Garrick, a poor black man, who was to become, in the hands of Providence, the instrument for the safe deliverance of this captured ship, and whose devotion to the right has brought this prisoner to the bar of his country for the punishment he deserves. Jacob Garrick will tell you the story of the voyage of the Enchantress after the 6th of July. He is the solitary witness of what transpired on board the schooner after the capture, and what he saw he will tell you simply but truthfully. On the morning of the 22d of July, the Enchantress made the light-house at Cape Hatteras; but about two o'clock in the afternoon of that day, the United States gun-boat Albatross came in sight. Gentlemen of the jury, you can picture, better than I can describe it, the scene of consternation and dismay upon the deck of the Enchantress, created by the appearance of our national vessel. The men had agreed that if a United States war ship crossed their path they would impersonate the captain and crew of the schooner, if they found it impossible to escape, and that in the event of capture, they would either burn or scuttle her.

Garrick, the cook, was ordered to go below, as the Albatross came down upon them, but he ran to the galley, prepared and ready to frustrate the plans of the pirates when the moment should come for him to act. As the gun-boat approached, Garrick leaped from the vessel's side into the sea. exclaiming as he jumped, "She is a prize of the privateer Jeff Davis, and they are taking us to Charleston."

A boat was sent from the Albatross to his relief, and he was taken breathless and exhausted from the water. The Enchantress was immediately boarded by officers of the Albatross, the prisoner and the rest of the prize crew were soon safely in irons...

Smith's trial was not a lengthy one. On the 25th of October,

He'd been charged with piracy and found guilty; the punishment for piracy was death. His trial was followed by those of the remaining Jeff Davis crew members. All but one were found guilty, and more captured Confederate privateers were awaiting trial...

Two views of Libby Prison (a former tobacco warehouse) in Richmond, Virginia. Above: 1865 photograph. Below: an illustration from Lieutenant William Harris' book.

Lieutenant William Harris of Baker's "California" Regiment was among the hundreds of Union soldiers captured at Ball's Bluff and confined in Richmond. Years later he described the Confederate response to the piracy trials.

On Sunday, November 10, 1861, General John H. Winder, commanding the Department of Richmond, accompanied by his staff, was observed to alight at the prison-office. It being an unusual occurrence for his visits to be attended with such ceremony, much surmise arose as to its cause and consequences; but we readily believed that it portended evil, as his visits invariably curtailed our restricted prison-privileges. A few moments elapsed, and he entered the building, attended by the staff, in full-dress uniform. Directing one of them to clear the room of all persons excepting the Federal officers, he took a position in the centre of the floor and announced that he had a most unpleasant duty to perform. He then read the following order from the Confederate War Department :

" C. S. War Department,

"RICHMOND, November 8, 1861.

"Sir : -- You are hereby instructed to choose by lot, from among the prisoners of war of the highest rank, one who is to be confined in a cell appropriated to convicted felons, and who is to be treated in all respects as if such convict, and to be held for execution in the same manner as may be adopted by the enemy for the execution of the prisoner of war Smith, recently condemned to death in Philadelphia. You will also select thirteen other prisoners of war, the highest in rank of those captured by our forces, to be confined in the cells reserved for prisoners accused of infamous crimes, and will treat them as such so long as the enemy shall continue so to treat the like number of prisoners of war captured by them at sea and now for trial in New York as pirates. As these measures are intended to repress the infamous attempt now made by the enemy to commit judicial murder on prisoners of war, you will execute them strictly, as the mode best calculated to prevent the commission of so heinous a crime.

"Your obedient servant,
"J. P. Benjamin,
"Acting Sec. of War.

"To Brig.-Gen. John H. Winder, Richmond, Va."

Announcing that it was necessary to draw by lot five of the Federal colonels and prisoners of war to be held as hostages for Smith, General Winder caused the names of the officers to be written on separate slips of paper, which were placed in a tin case, from which Hon. Mr. Ely was requested to draw one of the names. It proved to be that of Colonel Michael Corcoran, of the 69th Regiment New York State Militia.

General Winder then stated that, as only ten Federal field officers were held as prisoners of war, the captains would be chosen by lot, to complete the required quota of hostages.

Once the process was completed, several of the captured officers from Ball's Bluff found themselves among those selected. Colonel Cogswell of the (Tammany Hall) New York 42nd, Colonel Lee and Major Paul Revere of the (Harvard) 20th Massachusetts, Captains Henry Bowman and George Rockwood from the 15th Massachusetts and Captain Francis Keffer of Senator (deceased) Baker's Regiment were now condemned to share whatever fate was suffered by the privateers.

Harris' first-hand account would not be published until after the war. For now New Yorkers would have to make do with the version provided by Lieutenant Gannon. "That if SMITH be hanged so shall [???]," Times readers were told.

A month after it was fought and lost, the battle at Ball's Bluff had become an even bigger disaster for the North.

Next: Thanksgiving on the Potomac

Footnote:

"All but one were found guilty..." from the trial transcript:

"A little surprise was manifested at finding LANE, of Massachusetts, in such company," the Philadelphia Ledger reported when the prisoners (the Times used the term "pirates" - arguably accurate but definitely the point of a trial) were brought to the city, "and he seemed to be ashamed of it."

In explanation, he said that he sailed from Liverpool for Charleston last Spring, arriving there on the 16th of May. The port was soon after blockaded, and he could not get away. Being without means, he was compelled to accept any kind of service that offered. He was the navigator; none of the others, though two of them were pilots, having any knowledge of navigation. LANE is twenty-seven years old. He has friends in this city.