The Freeman's Journal, Or, New Hampshire Gazette

LONDON August 10.

The Method by which the Yankee privateer was taken was as follows: Captain Johnson (of the Yankee) Hodges and Ross, were sitting together in the cabin, when Johnson having inadvertently laid down his cutlass, Ross and Hodges took the advantage of it, one coming behind Capt. Johnson, seized and threw him down, while the other got possession of the cutlass. The guard stationed on the quarter deck, having at the same time laid down his cutlass to go forward, one of the Ross's or Hodges's people, who had been let into the conspiracy, immediately seized it, and gave the alarm; on which either Ross or Hodges ran upon the quarter deck, and got possession of the arm chest before the privateer's men and those of the merchantmen, who were at large and confined, though then down in the hold, could get upon the main deck. One of the Americans took up a scrubbing brush, and advanced to the quarter deck, he was told by the man possessed of the cutlass, that if he came a step farther, his head should be cut off. The privateer's men thus finding the quarter deck and their arms all in possession of their adversaries, and their Captain a prisoner in the cabin, submitted without further resistance, being promised good treatment, & to be landed, as soon as possible, in some part of America, and then be at liberty to go where they pleased. So far from this promise being complied with, the men were put in irons, and closely confined in the hold of the privateer, and all of them brought into the river Thames; since which they were, in the night of Saturday last, hurried into a man of war's tender, and smuggled to some place of confinement, but where is not yet certainly known.

Capt. Johnson complained heavily of the illiberal behaviour & cruel usage he suffered, by being insulted frequently at sea, calling him by the most opprobrious names, and threatening him with the cruellest and most savage punishments, and also for suffering many people to come on board after they arrived in the river, to insult him in the basest and grossest terms, though he was then a prisoner; and when his brother came to see him after a three years absence, they would not permit them to talk together one minute in private.