Fremont Journal

Fremont Journal

Ohio, etc. Salvage Awarded—to a Colored
Man—Thrilling Scenes at Sea.

It will be recollected that in July last the
schooner S. J. Warring left New York
with a valuable cargo for Buenos Ayres,
and was captured by the privateer Jeff. Da-
vis when about 200 miles at sea; that a
prize crew was placed upon her, with or-
ders to take her into a Southern port, and
that when near the South Carolina coast,
three seamen and one passenger rose and
overpowered the crew and brought the ves-
sell to New York.

The case has recently been before the
United States Court in New York, on a
claim for salvage brought by Wm. Tillman,
Wm. Stedding, Donald McLeod and Bryce
Mackinnon. The judgment of the Court
has not yet been fully rendered, although
the share of Tillman, the colored man, and
leader in the rescue, is fixed at $7,000—
The estimated value of the vessel and cargo
was $45,000.

The following thrilling account of the
rescue and of Tillman's coolness and bravery,
will be read with deep interest:

After parting with Jeff. Davis the prize
master headed the Warring for South Car-
olina. When in the latitude of Charles-
ton, about 40 miles to the eastward of the
Gulf Stream, the prize master informed
Tillman, the Steward, that he should not
attempt to enter Charleston harbor, but
should endeavor to run into North Edisto
Inlet, which is a considerable distance south
of Charleston, and that he thought he
should reach there the next morning. This
was on the 16th of July. From the time
of the capture down to the rescue, Tillman,
Stedding and McLeod continued to do duty
under the prize master, and, at his request,
aided in working the vessel. But very soon
after the capture both Stedding and Till-
man conceived the idea of retaking the ves-
sel. The thought seems to have been
quickened in Tillman's mind by the fear of
being sold in slavery. A remark made by
one of his captors had aroused in his breast
this apprehension. After several consula-
tions Tillman and Stedding came to the de-
termination to retake the vessel if any op-
portunity offered. They both applied to
McLeod and urged him to join them in the
enterprize; but he declined on the ground
that he was in no danger, for being a Brit-
ish subject he would be protected by his
Consul, wherever he might be carried. He
declared himself unwilling to shed blood
for the purpose of regaining the possession
of the vessel. Nothing was said by Till-
man or Stedding to Mackinnon. The latter,
being a passenger, was well treated by and
on familiar terms with the prize master and
his mates, and on this account Tillman and
Stedding had some fears of trusting him
with the secret of their designs.

These two men seem to have kept their
plan of retaking the vessel steadily in view.
though deferring its execution until the
last moment, hoping to fall in with some
man-of-war on the coast who would recap-
ture them, and thus spare them the peril of
the undertaking. On the night of the 16th,
finding that they could safely defer it no
longer, they proceeded to carry their plan
into execution. Tillman had concealed his
hatchet some time before, so that he could
lay his hand on it at the moment he need-
ed it; and that night, when Stedding went
to the wheel, the latter took a knife and
small pocket pistol with him. The Cap-
tain, or prize master, and one of the mates
went into the cabin and turned in. Till-
man afterwards went to his berth in the
cabin as usual, so as to avoid suspicion.
This left on deck Stedding, who was at the
wheel, one of the mates, and the two sea-
men that had come from the Jeff. Davis;
McLeod was asleep in the forecastle.
Agreeable to an understanding between
Tillman and Stedding, the latter, as soon
as the prize master and his mate below had
fallen asleep, and when the mate on deck
also was asleep, put his wheel into the
rope, slipped off his boots and went in the
cabin to the berth of Tillman, and aroused
him to the work, and then returned to the
deck. Tillman immediately sprung out of
his berth, got his hatchet, and going to
the prize master's state room, struck him
two blows, which was undoubtedly mortal.
He immediately went to the second mate's
stateroom, and as he was just arousing up,
struck him a blow, closed his stateroom
door, and then went on deck. As he
reached the deck he found Stedding aiming
his pistol at the mate, and fearing that if
he fired, the report would awaken the two
seamen forward, he told him not to fire.
By this time the mate was nearly on his
feet, and inquiring what the noise was in
the cabin, when Tillman struck him a blow
with the hatchet, and he fell across the
companion-way slide. Stedding and Till.
man immediately seized him and threw him
overboard. They then went below, and,
after another attack by Tillman on the
mate in the cabin, they seized both him and
the captain and threw them overboard.
After having, with some assistance from
Mackinnon, put the other two of the prize
crew in irons, they waked McLeod, inform-
ed him of what they had done, and of their
intention to take the ship to a Northern
port, and asked him if he would assist. He
promised to do this. The vessel was then
headed for the North, the watches organi-
zed, and after four days and six hours un.
remitting vigilance and exertion, they ar-
rived, with the vessel and cargo all safe, at
the port of New York.