FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD BOOK. 105 



The Pirate Tacony's Raid upon the Fishermen, 



The town was thrown into a most intense excitement on the morn- 

 ing of Wednesday, June 24th, 1863, by the announcement that sev- 

 eral of the fishing fleet had been burned by a rebel pirate. The news 

 was brought by the schooner Cadet, Capt. Williams, who arrived 

 Tuesday night, having narrowly escaped being captured. He reported 

 that on Monday, while at anchor in the South Channel, he saw a 

 barque bearing down toward them. Having suspicions that she was 

 one of the rebel piratical crafts which had been reported as cruising 

 along the coast, he immediately hove up anchor, and there being a 

 light wind, got his boats out and commenced towing her. While 

 engaged in this, they saw several boats put off from the barque and 

 board four other fishing vessels which were at anchor. A thick fog 

 then shut them from sight, which gave Capt. Williams an opportunity 

 to escape ; a good breeze also sprang up, which greatly favored him, 

 and he made the best use of these favorable auspices. That night he 

 saw the light of four burning vessels, and while rejoicing at his own 

 escape, his heart was full of sympathy for those of his comrades who 

 had thus lost their vessels. 



A director's meeting of the Cape Ann Mutual Fishing Insurance 

 Company was called Wednesday morning, for the purpose of devising 

 some means for the protection of the fishing fleet. A committee of 

 three, consisting of Messrs. Joseph O. Procter, Capt. Sylvester Cun- 

 ningham and Epes W. Merchant, were chosen to visit Boston and 

 have an interview with Governor Andrew, who advised them to tele- 

 graph to Washington, which they did. Subsequently they visited the 

 Navy Yard at Charlestown, and were informed by the Commodore 

 that all the available vessels were on duty ; but he would do all in 

 his power to secure suitable vessels to be sent in search of the Tacony, 

 and for the protection of the fishing fleet. Another spirited meeting 

 was held in the evening, and a committee comprising Capt. Gorham 

 P. Low, Joseph O. Procter and Benjamin II. Corliss, were appointed 

 to serve as a committee to visit Washington and present a memorial 

 asking for two small steamers to be commissioned for special service ; 

 one to cruise from Cape Sable to Cape Canso, and the other in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, for the protection of the fishing fleet during 

 the season. 



