DEC 2018 THE VOYAGE CONTINUES Part III Safe Haven
Part II Kliff Seney letters to his brother Michel, in the late spring of 1800 General Duhesme’s Divisions which we were now part of, were moving to the Southeast away from the Austrian gold that we hid after ambushing Evermond. Comte Evermond had the responsibility of ensuring the safe return of the Austrians gold. Now le Comte Evermond was a ruthless noble of the first estate who missed the Madame Guillotine by the frog’s hair in 1790. After his escape from France he entered the Austrian Army and with quick promotion was made a Colonel in the Austrian intelligence service. Where he was known as the French spy! We all agreed that there was no use worrying about the gold it is as safe as we could make it. Then we received new orders and a couple of new troopers, ordered to scout the Mantua Road. We bid farewell to our new ami, the two drummer boys of the 81st line Monsieur Benoit and Matthieu their Noir cart driver Monsieur Raymond, also the survivors of the 6th Legers. There was a real problem among the men, most of them were thinking about the gold. I knew that there was only one way of getting that off their minds. What we needed was some real activity not just a reconnaissance mission but some real action maybe a bon fight. We were on a certain scouting mission into Austrian held country around the Bormida Bridge that is west of the village of Marengo; we noticed that the Austrians were moving many troops over the bridges north not south like command thought. Kliff knew that the ground between Alessandria and Tortona was almost flat and mostly restricted to the line of sight. Therefore, we sent two of the new troopers back to our Capitaine to let him know what we saw. We, in the meantime kept to the many grape vines growing on the side of the new road on this mild spring day. There were many Austrian Cavalry units in the area mostly lights, Hussars or Ulhans. We noticed some corn fields with high corn growing near the road so we went into them and dismounted. While moving through the corn field we were watching the enemies’ movements that were on the main road. That is when we saw a very large group of Austrian Hussars with what looked like a very important officer at the head of them. I learned later that he was GFM.O’Reailly (Austrian Advance Guard Commander) with a full squadron of Hussars (very fancy dressed light cavalry) moving fast to the Northeast behind them, we saw three companies of Grenzers (elite light Hungarian troops) about five hundred men. Could this mean that they were moving in for the attack? I knew in my mind that our outposts could not stand up to their numbers. Then we saw Artillery moving also! Kliff ordered his troops to mount up and ride to the Southwest away from both the French and the Austrians lines. We were hoping that our two troopers got back to warn our company in time! We later found out that many of our company where killed defending our outpost. It came to us that our Capitaine Theophile was more interested in glory and promotion than the well-being of his men. He knew that the knowledge that he stood and fought to the last man (all but himself) would go all the way up the chain of command. That he held his post after being attacked by the Austrians advance guard and how he delayed the Austrian advance, Monsieur Theophile with a few others out of the one hundred fifty were the only ones that escaped alive! Now was the time to find a safe haven to retreat too, until we can return and pick up the treasure that we left in Italy in 1800. Kliff would tell them of the opportunities that were at sea as freebooters. Kliff told them about all the money that they made off Dutch Merchant fleets and the Spanish Merchant ships. The Merchant brought their goods back to Europe to sale them. Most of the goods that the Merchants had stolen from the Native peoples of Mexico and the slave mines there. A very interesting point rose, to get a garcons mind running. Why get killed for nothing when you could earn money doing the same thing. The French Merchants were too busy transporting Slaves to their holdings in the West Indies. The English and the Americans also were mostly interested in slavery and slave ships. Kliff told us that all the Merchants ships had a few guns aboard their ships and traveled without escort. If a man were smart, enough he could get a crew of men to follow him and they all would be wealthy. That appealed to many of them who were barely eating and the last time we got any pay was only after a victory over the Austrian and their Italian allies. This company of solders found themselves following Kliff to the nearest port to embark on this new Adventure. We all knew that the Austrian was after the ones who took their gold and they had the best hunter of men in Count Evermond. We found this out sometime later. Kliff told us that his father met his mother when he was working at the naval department in Marseille. The family sent to Strasbourg to work for the Department of the interior. There Kliff found out that being a mulatto in an all-white area was hard on the family. It was very fortunate that one such as Jean Bernadotte took an interest in the garcon. Jean Bernadotte was a sergeant at this time, which spent much of his time watching and patrolling the mean streets of a major city in the eastern part of the Kingdom. While Kliff was in school most of his schoolmates were shorter and not as well built as Kliff. So not only because of his color, he stood out also because of his size. It was truly lucky that a certain sergeant in the National Guard noticed Kliff. That sergeant’s name is Jean Bernadotte who would someday be King of Sweden. Monsieur Bernadotte took an interest in the garcon when he saw him fight off a crowd of bullies trying to do Kliff some harm. Single-handed Kliff used a piece of wood as a club to fight off ten or more bullies many of them were grown men. The way that Kliff fought was with his head, he was in control of his own destiny and the bullies were out of control throwing wild punches and using anything that was near them. Kliff would disarm them and then retreat then attack. He would knock out the biggest first picking the ones that had the most scars on their faces and body. Kliff learned early on that the only way to survive in a city like Strasbourg was to keep your wits and guard up at all times. Kliff was born to a bourgeois father who was then working for the peoples department of deeds, and his mother is a Moor from Northern Africa. The year was 1779, when France was still under the rule of Nobles. Monsieur Bernadotte offered to take the young garcon to the Port near where he was born, Pau, Pyrenees-Atlantiques. This was the beginning of many Adventures for the young garcon. The French Revolution was in full bloom! Many people are arrested and hunted down for no reason, but then being able to eat during King Louise VII was a plus. Monsieur Sent family was one that was on the list of the Republicans people represented. Their only crime that led to their arrest was for treason, which was not known until after the reign of Terror. Life in Strasbourg was a life of peril, for the family of six. After many battles with many ruffians, Kliff got a repartition as a dualist. The next step in his young life, he learned the art from a sword master in Strasbourg, who also took a liking to the garcon. Now learning to be a sword master at such an early age he was forced by reason to leave with Monsieur Bernadotte. Therefore, Kliff found himself on a Dutch ship headed to the West Indies. With no money, this was a very good reason to leave France. Now he found himself working hard as an able bodied seaman and not a poor begger fighting for his next meal. He also found out about why so many poor boys were sailors, pressed into a life on a ship that was almost like slavery. The garcons pay is very little especially after the officers kept most for room and broad. When out at sea life was a real peril, day-to-day fighting nature, and starvation. Kliff then went on to become a midshipman in the French Navy. Once aboard a fighting ship Kliff was in his element. He asked and got after his midshipman training was then up to being assigned to the Naval Marines. Now an officer in the French Marines he wore the uniform of a mounted Hussar. JOIN US THE FIRST OF THE YEAR 2019 IN THE FIGHT FOR HONDURAS
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Monsieur René and Captaine Redd were duly thrown in jail for trying to sell counterfeit jewelry to a local woman, who also happened to be the paramour of the Chief Gendarme. René worked his charm on the cook, and soon passed us a message that all was ready on the inside. As our next step, one of our most ravishing cantinières, Mademoiselle Anne, took to visiting the prison, flirting with the guards, under the guise of a laundress. She soon had the run of the place, and was able to signal René that the break was for that night.
The first element of our strategy was Anne; with this delightful person visiting the salle de garde, teasing and flirting her best, the guards would be much inclined to neglect their boring duties of watch and ward. Meanwhile, we were going to blow open the front gate of the prison with one of our cannons. I had a number of the ex-royalists dress up in their old uniforms; this band of supposed émigrés loomed suddenly out of the darkness, nearly frightening the goggle-eyed sentry out of his wits, and shouted: "Open in the name of the King! We come to free the Duc du Touquet!” (The Duc was the only prisoner of note held at the Montréal Prison). I was with a group of the Africans, leading them over the back wall of that Prison, while this spectacular distraction riveted the attention of the guards at the front. We found our way to the place where we had arranged to meet with the cantinières Anne, who then led us to the cell shared by the cook and René also Captaine Redd. The Africans rendered the turnkey unconscious, and we soon had our men free! Returning over the wall with them all, we made our escape at the same time, as the gunners were blowing open the gate with the cannon, sending the terrified guards scurrying for cover. The tocsin was sounding, and the village was in an uproar; we knew that we did not have long before reinforcements of mounted gendarmes and the National Guard would be on us. We made a quick escape though the nearby woods to a prearranged place, where we changed into our regular uniforms, then headed back for the town, to appear as if we were there to help. Once we reached the Prison, the chief gendarme asked us, "What is a large detail of mounted Artillerymen doing this far from the camp?” We solemnly explained to the policier that we were out on night maneuvers, and showed him an order from our commanding officer for us to do it in this area. The prison guards, now freed from their earlier terror, were puffing out their chests and claiming they had beaten off an attack by a whole battalion, no, a regiment of the émigré army, with a battery of enormous siege-guns, and prevented the royalist devils from freeing the Duc du Touquet; surely they should all receive medals and commendations? We now had our cook and Captaine; he was to prove that he had well deserved his prestigious former employment in the Royal kitchens. (One can tell, looking at the portraits of Louis XVI, that our late monarch had appreciated good food.) One of the best cooks around! Perhaps you are wondering why we went to so much trouble just to get a cook? You see, the second most important thing in an Army, after ammunition, is the science of cooking! Join us next month as the journey continues!! It was on one of these patrols that Kliff and I met the Mexican Pirate Capitaine Miguel Martinez.
The ship that Kliff was on, which was a small scooter was stopped by the much larger Pirate ship and boarded. Since there was no cargo just a company of French Marines and a few sailors, there was no fight and the Pirates let them continue on there way. Once the small scooter that Monsieur Kliff was part of reached it’s destination, they unloaded the few Marines and what food and livestock that Capitaine Miguel Martinez left for them. It was an out of away small French island off the cost of Hispania. The marines landed to keep order. There had been an uprising on the mainland and the French planters feared that it would spread to their other islands. By using these French troops, the planters were sure that the slaves would be in hand. Little didthe French know that Capitaine Miguel Martinez had his eye on that island. This island had at one time been the home of the worst Pirates in History. The Captain of this ship called the Graf was Captain Redd the reason that they called him Captain Redd was his coat and hat that were bright Red so that anyone could see that he was the captain and the prime target. What most did not know was Captain Red was a Prussian Officer who took to the sea and one of the finest swords men in Europe who once was in a contest with the best swordsmen in Europe Monsieur Saint Georges a Mulatto who was considered the best swordsmen in Europe. This captain was hired by the French to carry important Officers back to France under the cover as a Natural ship Captaine. Redd was a jolly old Captain who drinks too much and was a womanizer in every port we went too. The women were all over Captaine Redd they just could not resist that red coat and that hat he was the talk of the ports. If anyone got out of line, they had to deal with Captaine Redds Nubian first mate a tall black fellow with a bad demeanor who would love cutting you to little tiny pieces just by the drop of the Captains hat. There were ten of us there from the unit in Italy and we stayed pretty well to ourselves fearing the worst with these ruffians. Being use to the sea life I showed my fellows the ins and outs of being a good deck hand many of them caught on fast. Nevertheless, there was always that one who was slow and he was sent to the galley to be the cook’s helper, which in its self was a good thing because he learned about the likes and dislikes of the crew. Who was doing what and who was liked and disliked by the crew as we sailed away from the besiege city of Genoa with the wounded General Marbot the elder and his staff. We stay clear of them so not to be noticed by any of the staff who might be agents of Evermond. This hiding lasted till we made it to a French port and unloaded the French General and his staff then we set sail to the North maybe England to pick up some information but to my surprise we were going hunting for English Cargo ships and Dutch cargo ships. The guns that were hidden from the view of the French were set up the long nine is what they called them and they were able to cause much damage to any Merchant ship. We were operating south of the English island of Wright selling our goods in Brest, my fellows were becoming find Mates and we enjoyed the earning from the booty. Nevertheless it was not long before the British sent two corvettes after we were cornered off the east cost of the Island of Wright and abandoned ship it was every man for himself. That’s where I saw the red hat of Captain Redd floating in the water. Monsieur René and Captaine Redd were duly thrown in jail for trying to sell counterfeit jewelry to a local woman, who also happened to be the paramour of the Chief Gendarme. René worked his charm on the cook, and soon passed us a message that all was ready on the inside. As our next step, one of our most ravishing cantinières, Mademoiselle Anne, took to visiting the prison, flirting with the guards, under the guise of a laundress. She soon had the run of the place, and was able to signal René that the break was for that night. The first element of our strategy was Anne; with this delightful person visiting the salle de garde, teasing and flirting her best, the guards would be much inclined to neglect their boring duties of watch and ward. Meanwhile, we were going to blow open the front gate of the prison with one of our cannon. I had a number of the ex-royalists dress up in their old uniforms; this band of supposed émigrés loomed suddenly out of the darkness, nearly frightening the goggle-eyed sentry out of his wits, and shouted: "Open in the name of the King! We come to free the Duc du Touquet!” (The Duc was the only prisoner of note held at the Montréal Prison). I was with a group of the Africans, leading them over the back wall of that Prison, while this spectacular distraction riveted the attention of the guards at the front. We found our way to the place where we had arranged to meet with the cantinières Anne, who then led us to the cell shared by the cook and René also Captaine Redd. The Africans rendered the turnkey unconscious, and we soon had our men free! Returning over the wall with them all, we made our escape at the same time, as the gunners were blowing open the gate with the cannon, sending the terrified guards scurrying for cover. The tocsin was sounding, and the village was in an uproar; we knew that we did not have long before reinforcements of mounted gendarmes and the National Guard would be on us. We made a quick escape though the nearby woods to a prearranged place, where we changed into our regular uniforms, then headed back for the town, to appear as if we were there to help. Once we reached the Prison, the chief gendarme asked us, "What is a large detail of mounted Artillerymen doing this far from the camp?” We solemnly explained to the policier that we were out on night maneuvers, and showed him an order from our commanding officer for us to do it in this area. The prison guards, now freed from their earlier terror, were puffing out their chests and claiming they had beaten off an attack by a whole battalion, no, a regiment of the émigré army, with a battery of enormous siege-guns, and prevented the royalist devils from freeing the Duc du Touquet; surely they should all receive medals and commendations? We now had our cook and Captaine; he was to prove that he had well deserved his prestigious former employment in the Royal kitchens. (One can tell, looking at the portraits of Louis XVI, that our late monarch had appreciated good food.) One of the best cooks around! Perhaps you are wondering why we went to so much trouble just to get a cook? You see, the second most important thing in an Army, after ammunition, is the science of cooking! Join us next month for more tales!! The Hound was not far from us, Captaine Jack took over from Captaine Richards after he lost the Moroccan ship. Candy and the rest of the crew were not happy in how he was managing the ship. With three ships the best in El Captaine’s fleet, it was unheard of losing such a prize. It did not take them long to vote him out and off the ship, he was set adrift somewhere off the coast of South Carolina. Captaine Jack and his first Mate Charles was sure that the Moroccan ship was not east of them but due North headed for Charleston to take on supplies and to get a American escort . “I know where the black guards are headed.” said Candy. They are going to Virginia to get a treaty with them rich landowners for more slaves to be delivered by them with the protection of the American fleet.”
I found the will and the courage to talk to the men who were loading the ship “My fellow seamen and slaves we have one chance to free ourselves, we out number the English four to one they might have guns but they can fire once and we be on them. Now is the time to show some boldness and courage mon ami before it’s too late. Let us have at them are you with me?“ For the men, they all followed me to the attack, the English were so busy watching what we were carrying aboard the ship that they did not see the fury coming at them. In less time than it takes them to load and fire it was over. Not many of the Noir slaves or my garcons were hit, nevertheless the English laid dead at our feet. We thought the Captain and his officers over the side of the main deck and were ready to leave port before the alarm went out and the Charleston police showed up. The American Militia were busy rounding up slaves and keeping the three thousand freeman in check. I knew that if I went due north and the time I spent on the quarter deck was paying off. All garcons and the freed slaves voted me quartermaster till we found a man who would be our Captain. I knew that after the Moroccans sold us to the English that they were making good time up the coast of South Carolina with a favorable wind we could catch their fleet. Then it hit me, what if we did, we have no guns nor cannons to overwhelm them what were we going to do? My only hope was that we somehow reach the Hound or the Hound sees us. Then we could help the Hound hunt the Moroccan fleet before they reach Virginia no doubt in my mind to get an escort from the Virginia commonwealth back to Africa. We were in need of a top flight Captain and the only one that I knew was way south of us . We searched the latest English newspapers that this ships Captain had to see who is wanted in the general Area . Only one that was to be trusted was the Jamaican Whaler wanted as a runaway slave. It is said that Jamaican Jack was the Mulatto son of the famous Calico Jack who was hung fifty four years ago this could not be his son maybe a grandson or some poor Jamaican whores bastard son . Maybe she told the boy that his father was Calico Jack nevertheless there were many so call Mulattoes running around whom grandfathers were the famous pirates of yesterday. Just maybe we can get in touch with this Kid Creole somehow but as for now the wind was in our favor and we were headed North at a surprising speed. The crew took to sailing easy and if the garcons were hard on them it was so as they would learn faster . The freed slaves had only one purpose in mind and that was to catch the Moot’s and bucher them like they butchered them . Many were torn from their wife and children and branded with the brands of the new owner who were the Charleston Shipyard commonwealth company that owned every slave that worked on the docks of Charleston . As the ship made headway I knew that my time on the quarter deck of El Captaine was really paying off. We were windward at a rate of speed that will over take any ship. Most of the cargo holes were empty and the crew was no more than seventy men, to many men for this small cargo ship nevertheless the weight was in cargo not in men. And with this many men we had the manpower to train and maneuver the ship. I charted that after a few days we were passed the northernmost South Carolina Island called Myrtle Beach. “Sails, sails”, yelled the look outs. I see sails, three of them!” yelled the look out. “What colors do they fly?” I yelled back at the look out. “They flying the Black Mon ami” The look yelled back.“ Host the flag of surrender I yelled!” Turning the ship as the three ships approached us.“Who are you and what is your cargo” Someone yelled !“We are a cargo ship out of Charleston I yelled”“Prepare to be boarded” was the next words we heard. then their watch yelled “they are a bunch of Noir”.As they throw their hooks and lines pulling our ship closer to the ship that was close to us. The Captain ask what are you doing out here, where did you get this ship and where is the cargo? I replied “I‘m Monsieur Sent of the Cargo ship Les Freedom former Quatermastermate to El Captaine Miguel Martinez, captured many months ago. By Moroccan fleet as we made our turn south sold to the English in Charleston. These men are all that is left of our crew and the Noir’s are slaves we freed in Charleston. We were sure that you are part of the Hound’s escorts. That is why we are following you!”I was taken to see the Captain of the fleet Monsieur Jack I told him my story and he told me that he would send his own Quarter Master to Captain our ship. He told me welcome to the fleet and welcome to the hunt of the Viceroy of Morocco. I was glad to have a experienced man at the helm of our ship nevertheless; I got us were we needed to be and that was a plus in my cap with the crew.Enter Boatswain’s mate Monsieur LaMotte Jean LaMotte We were amazed that they sent us a plain old salt whose main job was to make men work ! Just maybe that is what they wanted us to do. Oui that was just what they had in mind if the Moroccans did work us day and night, LaMotte was going to best them not only were we trained but everyone of us started in the Boatswain’s locker learning to tie knocks. Then we had to learn how to rig a ship, paint, and side clean! The Moroccans were more worried how the inside of the ship was free of holes and worms then they were of us learning how to be sailors . Oui most of us have lost what we had learned and this was a refresher course for all of us. As we move towards our pray on a westward course we notice that the ex-slaves were getting excited, they said that they were Mandinka, from Mali in Africa. They said that they too are Muslims, but the Moroccans brought them from a jealous King who wanted to get rid of them because they belong to a lesser prince who would inherit the Kingdom with the help of these fighters. I asked the fighters first who taught them French they said that a French woman on the travels from Mali to the coast taught them, for they would be headed to Haiti. With the rebellion in Haiti, they were sold to the Americans who need strong dockworkers. A man must be able to carry his weight for ten hours without rest. Captaine Jean was very interested in them for some unknown reason ? As time wastes for no man, we sighted the Moroccans, we did not know what ship this was, but we were sure it was one of their decoy ships. Captaine Jean told us to put up the Union Jack so as the Moroccans would give us a clear birth to pass though their trap. At the same time, Captaine Jack and Candy were setting up their own trap by staying below the horizon. This was looking like a epic battle, only time would tell . Join us in Ostober to see if there is going to be an Epic Battle!! The darkest night came and went and so the wind picked up and carried the ship Northeast. Captain El Said Ben Bay was the luckiest man I have ever met and the best ship Captain. He did not raise the sails till first light, by then the Hound and her escorts sailed by her on a eastward direction. With the winds like they were it would take weeks to catch her even with the most favorable winds. The only thing that could slow us down now was a great storm at sea that would throw us off course. We all were praying that would happen and we known that a storm would mean death to many, if it did not sink the ship. Well after sunset and they ordered us below I looked and saw the black clouds that we prayed for, this will slow the Moroccans down and with out any escort or decoys she would be easy for Captaine Richards and the Hound and her escort to catch us. Then I thought why was the Hound hunting this of all ships, there was just a few of El Captaine’s crew on broad? After a few years at sea you get use to weather changes, nevertheless this was the worst storm I can remember. Could this ship take it being to tossed back and forth the main sails were gone and the crew were hanging on to life lines below all we could do was hold on to anything that was not moving. I felt sorry for the woman that the Viceroy brought; the rolling of the ship would be extra bad on their weak bodies. As morning slowly came we were still alive and the ship did not sink, thank God. I tried to think where can we be after being driven off the heading that we were on. The Sun was to my back so that was west and we had to be heading east towards who knew where. The Hound could have sunk or worst yet passed us, nevertheless we were hopeful that it was slowly following us . I still could not understand why the Hound was following us? As we tried to pull ourselves together Captain El Said Ben Bay put more work on us, cleaning up what the storm left behind. Then we were put in a long boat to clean the side of the ship, the weather must have been in the hundreds. As I watch the European ship mates fall out close to death that’s when the first mate to El Said Bay ordered us up to the hole. We clawed out of with no water or food for all the food and water was destroyed in the storm. We knew that this ship would be a large coffin in a few days if we do not sight land, but where could land be if we were headed east away from the nearest islands. Death would be following this ship and not the Hound. It would be a frightful sight to see these Moroccans beautiful woman die. Where was Captain El Said Ben Bay taking us, as they said only Allah knows. We tried to listen as much as we could, the Moroccan crew not knowing what they were saying was a great disadvantage. So when I was near Cadman, who spoke Spanish, I asked him where were we headed. He stated that he didn’t know and the Vice Roy was acting strange ! What was out here that we were headed too that we as sailors did not know of that was our biggest question . One of the oldest mates said that the only Island that could be this far Northeast was the Bermuda Island’s ! I had heard of this northern island before and that they were not far from America. By now all of us knew that the next stop was to the Bermudas there were many stories about Bermuda. One was that it was the home of the devil himself told by ole sailors to scar younger sailors. One story goes that a flash of fire once fell from the sky into the Triangle. Once we landed the fear that the youngsters had was gone and we had a ray of hope. Just maybe the Captaine of the Hound would guess that this is where the Moroccans were. Nevertheless, I was still wondering why the Hound was hunting this ship. I guess information was handed over to El Captaine that an important person was on this ship .Who could be more important then the Viceroy of Morocco here to make a treaty with the Americans. He would be a nice catch and held for ransom by the Ship that captures him. The Americans would pay dearly for him. Once we were ashore loading the ship I felt we were not going back. My enter voice was right they sold us to a British sea captain who was in need of able body sailors. He told us directly that if any of us tried to jump ship we would be hung from the Yardarm. Now wasn’t this a find pot of fish, here we were sailing for the Island with El Captaine then captured by Moroccans. What next we said to one another what few of us that were left we started out with thirty now we are half that. I still had my bag of gold hidden in my pants where no man would want to look which made me look like I was well hung ha ,ha . I still had that ace in the hole or I should say in the socks ha-ha. We were in need of a savor and we didn’t know who that would be for we thought that life on the Moroccan ship was bad but this was worse. You were beat for the slightest thing. All major insults to the Captain or his Mates and officers were met with the cat and nine tails. You were up before the sun and down after the sun set to work in the cargo hole. We carried out all watches and any man caught asleep was flogged twenty five times. I could tell by the first star we saw at night that we were headed west towards America. The cargo was not slaves therefore we must be picking up cotton or tobacco and that meant back braking all day work parties. The Hound would not be hunting us but still after the Moor’s . We were lost to our own devices if we had any will power we would be our own savor. Once we landed in Charleston, South Carolina to pick up cotton and tobacco we started to load the ship. There were many Noir slaves working just as hard as we were, one asked me why you sailors working like slaves? I told him that we are slaves sold to this ships Captaine by Moor’s. “Moor’s, he said in his broken English, Me hates them with a passion they sold all of us to the Euro-man years ago. We would do anything to be free and kill them, if Allah wills it. There was about fifty of them the slaves that is and fifteen of us that would put the odds against the English four to one. Even if they had guns, we did not only have courage and bold moves, which would get us a ship and cargo. Join us next month for bold moves and courage! Cadman Saballa was one of the Moroccans Viceroy servants he
told me later that he was not a Moor or a Moroccan but a Nubian from the sands of Egypt. We met Cadman as we all were setting on the deck in the heat of the day all trying to cool off. There was no wind and the crew and the mates had to get into long boats and row this ship till we caught the wind. Funny how you find the strangest ami in the most difficult situation. He said that he was a servant and not a slave. He said a slave is someone who is won in battle or captured in the way that they kidnapped those Noir slaves. He was hired out to serve by his family when he was very young. I could not see the difference in what he was saying. He was not free to go anywhere but following the Viceroy his master. We became very good ami and I look forward in the evening talking to him. He would tell me of all the places that he has been, from the Kremlin in Russia to the gates of the Hong Empire in China to the mighty Empire of Java to the capital of the United States. The Moroccan were trying to make peace with the rest of the world while the Barbary Pirates were at war. We are not Barbaric like the Barbers he said they are cut throats. As we began to work together the crew and my mates began to develop friendships Captain El Said Ben Bay was not going to have any of that for now on the crew and my mates did rowing at different times and the work was done at different times. Cadman Saballa asked me what part of Africa did I come from before we were separated. I told him that I was born in France in Northeastern France near the Baden Border. He looked at me in amazement, he said “ France “.I told him that my father was French and my mother was from Morocco the city of Said, Sidi Said, Morocco (is a hamlet in Morocco located at 28° 27' 36" North, 10° 34' 12"). He was in total Amazement then I told him that these are not my people that I feel myself to be French more then I ever felt Moroccan. He said but your mother is Moroccan that makes you a Moroccan and a Moor. I just did not know what to say after that I cannot not even speak Moroccan. And the only words that I learned where at El Kidi a few years ago. “Sails”, a loud shoot rang out “now more sails!” We knew that it was the Hound and its decoy ships! Boom ,boom, bang ,Bang went the guns in the far distance. Then a huge explosion, we could tell by the downward looks on the Moroccans that their escort ship had caught on fire and sunk. It would be hard for Captain El Said Ben Bay to out maneuver the Hound and it’s support ships, the only thing that saved them that day was the darkest night I have ever seen. The Hound would not find this ship with the small amount of wind and the crew rowing from the front in this god awful darkness. We could lose the Hound and it’s escorts in the darkness and they could sail right by us and we would never know. There must be a way to signal the Hound, I have yet to come up with a plan. One of the mates said if we could light just a small light the Hound could see us . the only problem with that is none of us were allowed to light anything or be on the main deck after lights outs. Only the Moroccans were allowed above deck during this crisis and only the rowing crew had a light and that was put out after dusk. Join the Crew next month(August) Looking for hope in a dark place It was my luck that she spoke to me first in French, she
said that she was captured in Spain and wanted to be free. I was dumbfounded why did she pick me to speak to? The Guard did not understand what she was saying, lucky for me or my tongue would have been cut out. I replied in French, so as the guard could not overhear our conversation.. I told her how lovely she looked and I too was captured in a attack by the Moor’s in the open seas. Before she went into her cabin she said that she would talk to me more when she saw me here, this is the only place they let her come too. It was one hardship after another for us on this godforsaken ship the Captaine was with out mercy and he worked us from sun up to sun set giving us potato soup every meal. Some of the garcons were talking about jumping overbroad than continuing going through this hell on the high seas . It was all I could until I stepped up and took my place as a leader. I kept reminded them that the Hound was on their trail and the many changes in direction was proof. I also was aware that this ship had it shadows, also we saw them once or twice and the Hound would have to deal with them first one at a time . My question was what made this ship so important that they gave it protection as slow as it was. Another day of early morning work and toil, we were not even awake when the Moor Boatswain’s mate woke us with whips and chains. Wash and scrub the bulkheads and the deck, we never kept any ship all the years I been at sea as clean as this one. Then one night as I was given permission to go to the poop deck I saw a tall dark mysterious figure stand looking at the moon, this had to be a very important person for them to keep the ship so ship shape and the many course changes. The Moor ‘s that were with him called him Sultan Ben Yuri Ali Bay and never raised their head up. I was surprised by his elegances and beauty. He was just standing there smoking a long pipe looking at the waves. After they saw me they hurried him off to his stateroom, you dog one of the guards said and they whipped me. I protested and said that I had to use the poop deck nevertheless they beat me till I passed out. When I awoke I was full of sweat and blood and my garcons were standing over me, fanning me. “You ok mon ami”, I heard from one of them it was Kliff Sent who said that . “You were pretty banged up there mon ami, what did you find out for all your troubles?” I told them that there is a very important Sultan abroad this ship and the course changing is because something is closing in on them. That’s when I passed out once more. When I woke the garcons were gone, it was daylight and I could hear shoots and chaos above me. What was going on I wondering as I made my way to the cabin door. I heard in French “Look there sails, look over there more sails”. The Moor’s flanking ships were closing in on their prey at that moment, could it be the hound? All at once, over the horizon we saw the most unusual sight, rockets were fired high in the sky. Could the Moor’s have encountered the British fleet who patrol these waters or could it be a ray of hope fired by Captaine Richards on the Hound? Only time would tell. At that same moment the Moor’s rushed us off the deck and locked us in the cargo hole. The smell was still there after we worked like dogs to clean it. That told me that the Sultan was transferred onto this ship a few days after they attacked us and kept us in this god awful place what seemed like forever, That gave me the time and days we had been sailing west then southwest then due north we had to be close to the American state of Gorgonians, they call Georgia. All we could do is try to catch our breath and breathe. We knew something big was happening top side by all the yelling and shouting going on . Yet we could not hear this ships guns fire. The battle must be over the horizon, and if it was the Hound, she would be facing two Moorish battle ships. We felt the ship turn. then turn once more she was heading different now, away from the battle not towards . What could be the meaning of this? If she joined the other Moroccans ships she could add her guns to the flanking ships! As night fell on us we could not hear any gun fire and we were allowed to get fresh air as the garcons lay on the deck out of breath. I searched the sky for direction ,we were headed south now not north that meant we would be going back to where we came from. Why was the Captaine going back? That night I had to wait till all the garcons used the Poop deck, I was hoping that she was on the wayward side of the ship like she said she would be. As I made my way up to the main deck I noticed how all but one of the garcons clothing were all rags. The only thing that we had to clean ourselves was the clothing on our back, any jewelry that we had or good clothing was taken off of us and the Moor’s wore our good clothing and jewelry. A man of the sea, all that he owns is on him till someone takes it off of him. I was glade that I put my good clothing on the El Captaine’s ship in a foot locker with my bag of Austrian gold . If I had not done that one of these Moor’s would be a wealthy man ha, ha. I knew that the garcon who had his clothing in good repair must be the mole that the Moor’s put with us. In time we were going to take care of this pigeon. She was were she said she would be . I said very quietly “Madame Lissa?” “Oui” she replied. “Glade that you waited for me.” I said . “I don’t have much time Monsieur the Sultan will check on us shortly,” she said. I asked what is he and why is he on this voyage? She told me that he is the Moroccans Vice Roy sent to America to broker a deal on slaves with rich American planters and plantations owners! Join us in July. Does she care for me, or is it just a dream? Part 5 Part 3 Cadman was the only Moor on the Ship that had any thing to do with us, a very different type than the other Moroccans. The ship we were on was slower than the others in the Moroccan fleet so we knew that the Hound would get her first. Then there was their Captain, Ben something, Bay. A dark and evil man if there ever was one. He worked his crew day and night to keep up with the rest of the Moroccan fleet. There was something going on that made us feel that they were being hunted by someone and we hoped it was the Hound. Every so often the ship would change directions. Then come back on the old course to stay with the Moroccan fleet . The Moroccans have been pirates much longer than any other nation and they looked the part , the light skin northern Moroccans and the tall dark skin southern Moroccans made us look like child plays in comparison. The fair skin, blonde hair Lissa was all that and I knew that the others felt the same way as I did and it was all we could think of . Whenever she was above deck the air seemed fresher and life was more bearable. Captain Ben Bay was always looking over his shoulders whenever we were let top side. On deck we had to work just as hard as the crew to keep up with the rest of the Moroccan fleet .We knew that his ship was being hunted but we could not see by who. We were not allowed to go up on the crow nest or keep watch . We were also running out of stores, that meant that they would have to find a island to stop at to provide them with enough food and fresh water to make the northern turn to Florida. We heard the crew say that the Captaine name was El Said Ben Bay from the southern most part of Morocco and that he had been a sailor most of his life. What we wanted to know was how many woman was he keeping in his small cabin, as his own personal Harem? When ever El Said Ben Bay came on deck the crew went into a frenzy, working that much harder and pushing us to work also harder. We had to stop or in a short time his crew would also be out of food and water, not to say that his Harem needed food also. The mates would take bets to on how many woman were in that harem . We were let down to know that he had no harem just European woman that were to be sold in Charleston as breeders for rich land owners. There was only five of them. And they were kept in their own cabin guarded by El Said Ben Bays personal body guards. One hot morning as El Said Ben Bay was looking for a safe place to re-supply his ship and to catch up with the rest of the Moroccan fleet. I noticed something, strange there was another ship not far off. I was put to the task of washing the main deck of the ship, the flag was Spanish alright and it was no more than a day away from the ship. Was she there to attack or was she a escort ship, only time would tell. I knew now that we were some where near Spanish Florida and the many islands to the east of the main land. As we slept that night I told the others what I saw and to wait to see if it would be a fight or flight? At first light it was a fight, the first thing that was hit was our top sail! Boom went the forward guns aiming at the same top sails of the Spanish ship .We could not see how big she was because we were kept under lock and key. As the fire intensified and the howling of dead and dying Moroccans grew louder we cowered together knowing that this fight was not ours. Nevertheless, at the same time we knew that if the Spanish won we all, Noir and blanc, would be sold into slavery in the Spanish sea port of New Orleans. Then as it seemed like El Said Ben Bay was losing the fight out of no where came two Moroccans frigates. Then I understood the movements of the Moroccans Commander the ship we were on was a decoy drawing who ever was hunting them towards an ambush .We were relieved that it was not the Hound nevertheless at the same time we were disappointed that it was not. For by sheer luck the Spanish ship took the Hounds place. We were hoping that the Captaine of the Hound could see or hear what was going on. that we did not know . Nevertheless, it was the practice of all El Captaine’s ships the Captains were to stay below the horizon with only the sharpest lookout in the crows nest to spot what was ahead. Knowing that we or I should say that I was aware that the Hound saw the battle and saw how the Moroccans deployed their ships to overpower any single ship that was foolish enough to attack them. El Said made his way to a small island and put us to work bringing on food and water. It was back breaking work ,an all day work party. The other two Moroccan ships also took on store using the many slaves they had on broad . Once loaded we saw our new man of war that they captured and put the crew to chains, more slaves to be sold in Charleston . These Moors were enterprising seamen, without a doubt used to attacking and laying traps for foolish Captains. I spotted her once we returned to the ship standing with the rest of the women. What a beautiful picture she made, hair blowing in the wind under the slick headdress that these Islamic people wore. I could not wait until I had a chance to introduce myself to her. Slavery has no color; more Spanish women were added to the women that he already had. These woman were found on the captured Spanish ship. The garcons were getting itchy after the battle many of them were about to give up and give in to the Moors. Nevertheless I reminded them that if any of the them were caught on the wrong side of El Captaine’s swords it was worst than what the Moor’s had in store for them. The chief deserter was a big Irish man who spoke out of tune all the time saying what could be better than laying with a lot of slave women used for breeding some Mulattoes pups . That was it for me. it took less than a second for me to knock him flat on his face, blood running out of his broken nose. Must I remind you that El Captaine found you in a rotten French hull starving and dying? ‘ My chance came at the most unsuspecting time a group of us were sent down below decks to wash and clean up the decks that were hardest hit in the battle. The women pass us veiled up. Nevertheless, I knew her as she made her way passed us, I could smell the perfume she used . I knew if I touched her or even tried to speak to her that would be the last words that I would ever say. I could not even look at her or the Guards would put my eyes out. Was this my fight or flight time? Join us next month as my heart runs free Part 4 Love on the high sea Part 2 We Remember Candy.. By Clifton Seeney We remember Candy, not since Anne Bonny has there been a more fearsome female pirate. Candy was taken on broad one of the sloops as we were leaving Italy a right skinny Gal she was and very feral she was, nevertheless it did not take her long to get a reputation in the fleet. After she started eating on a regular basis, she started to show promise as an able seamen able to handle her self on the top sails of that sloop. She was also like a mermaid when it came to swimming. She was one of the few that El Captaine would chose to swim to a ship that the Man of war was attacking . Once we cleared Gibraltar we headed for open waters. Not long after a British patrol was on us, the fleet was forced to scatter. Candy’s Sloop was pursued by a lone frigate. (vessels of 28 guns and above were classed as 'frigates' until 1817, thereafter ships of up to 32 guns were also counted as sixth rates) The frigate not only out gunned the sloop but was much larger and carried more men than her Sloop. The Captaine of that Sloop was Winston Grinder a very good looking man and tall and a excellent sailor . You could hear the splash of the British frigates forward guns as it tried to slow the Queen of the sea. That was the name of the Sloop, it was named that way because it carried most of the Harlots bound for the west Indies. There was also a few Irish Marines on broad her and a crew of thirty some able body seamen. Candy did not want to become any man’s play toy so she dressed as a sailor and worked twice as hard as the men. Boom, you could hear the slash of another round of shots fired at the Queen as the Frigate closed on the Queen. The MS Hound had about one hundred men compared to Queens fifty and one hundred women. Splash, splash, as the guns of the Hound were hitting the water not far from the after deck of the Queen, screams and crying could be heard from the cargo hole where the women where. More shots this time coming closer to the Queen, boom, boom , and then it tore into the Queen as skin and blood was torn from men bodies as the spenders of wood torn into them cries of pain as legs and lambs were torn off of the poor souls that were unlucky then shots fired on the Queen from the British Marines tearing into heads and bodies how much more could the Queen take? Captaine Winston turned the ship to deliver some broadsides to pay the British back for all the death. that was going on, boom, boom ,fire was called out. As the smoke of the guns made the white and brown faces black, boom ,boom was the return fire of the British as guns were torn from there placements on the Queen. Death awaited many of the her gun crews, Candy and her Van guard were ordered out of the larder side gun ports to swim to the enemy ship and catch them unaware. Closer and closer they swim as the two ships pulled together. Marines firing at each other, clearing the decks of each other’s ships. You could hear the English Captain yell “”prepare to be boarded!”. As ramps were let go so that the sailors could engage one another in hand to hand fighting, as more shots were fired from the crows nest of both ships killing the attackers. Outnumbered the Queens men were determine to win, swords of steel were hitting swords of steel cling, cling as the men fighting with swords and pistols. As the Van Guard climbed on broad the larder side of the Hound, the hounds crew unaware of the many swimmers that were there to sound a death blow to the British . As the fighting proceeded the British Captaine yelled out to Captaine Winston “Do you yield?” Just as a musket shot hit Winston in the arm and leg from the craws nest you could hear, “Sails, Sails!” Who’s ships were coming, British or El Captaine’s ship. As they closed and the black was flying high, boom ,boom as the Pirates ships fired in unison on the lone British ship winning the day for the dying Captaine Winston and his crew, a new ship to add to the pirate fleet. The British crew who did not pledge to serve El Captaine were left a drift. The Hound earned it’s name with Captaine Richard’s at it’s head and Candy leading the van guard. They were unstoppable once they reached the west Indies. Not since Jack Reckon and Ann Bonny where there ever two more exciting pirates .Raiding the south coast of what was now New France and New Orleans and carrying off slaves and goods. Sailing was calling the youth of America and it was not hard recruiting new young men to man to the Hound. The Hound along with two smaller ships, which were used to hide the real killer the Hound. It took all the power that El Captaine had to keep them from going on their own. They were hardly ever at the new kingdom he set up, only to unload their bounty and get paid by the quartermaster Mr. Tucker. After they were refitted and were off to get the wind on some unsuspecting ship with information drying up because of the Americans the highest bidder would get on information on the best ship to hunt. The Hound was bringing in twice the money as any other ship, so El Captaine let them go. Nevertheless, two French brothers were bent on stopping the Hound. The newspapers in Europe were reporting some crazy stories about a Pirate fleet that was commanded by a Spanish Renegade who recruited slaves to be his crew and that they were eating the people that they caught. The real story was that this took the minds off of what old Bony (Bonaparte) was doing. He was now Emperor of countless Kingdoms and it also was helping the Government of England since the slavers were now bringing their slave ships to Liverpool to wait for escorts to the American city. Namely, Boston this was playing into the hands of the anti – slave movement by fear and the fact that an English city was now a slave port. It was costing the Royal Navy time and men escorting these slavers to America since they were now traveling in fleets. The papers also said that the Irish regiment was causing up risings in Ireland and that it was not only a pubic notices but a national one that called for the invasion of Ireland at once. All of these stories were fabrication because at this time El Captaine fleet was south of the Bermuda island and not off the cost of Africa. Love on the high sea.. By Clifton Seeney Love on the high sea Part 1 The year is 1801 as the fleet of El Capitaine made its journey out of harms way to the promise that El Capitaine made to all, a kingdom on the Isles. I met Lissa on a Moroccan slave ship that our small sloop has been running from Moroccan pirates off the coast of Florida. We, along with many of El Capitaine Miguel’s slower ships were captured and put in chains by the Moroccan pirates to be sold as slaves in the markets at Charlestown. This was not what I ever would think that would happen to me, we were doing so well up to now. We had a fortune in gold in Italy and were on our way to set up this kingdom in the Grand Cay Islands were no one would dare to touch us. We saw the Moroccan fleet, far off bearing down on our fleet. I knew that the ship we were on was no match for the Moroccan Pirates so we pulled down the black and gave up. The rest of El Capitaine Miguel’s fleet got away yet we knew something that the Moroccans didn’t know, we had the Hound and she was well in the rear of El Capitaine Miguel’s fleet. I was guessing that the Hound would catch this fleet as soon as they turned north towards Charleston. Till then we just had to put up with the condition that we were in they put us down in the cargo hole of one of the Moroccan ships while the larger ships moved off as a van guard. This was the largest Moroccan fleet I ever saw maybe ten or more ships loaded with slaves from the Gold Coast of Africa. Their numbers meant that they were not afraid of any British fleet that might come on them. The war in Europe took many of the British ships away and the Americans had too few ships to do anything. I learned later that the Americans hired these Moroccans to deliver new slaves to Charleston. Many slaves left the southern states during the rebellion and joined the British Army or went way up north to Canada. This meant that the plantations needed new stock and the free born Noir were not good workers. Charleston had at this time the largest free and Mulatto population even more then New Orleans. These freed people were not going to return to slavery and cotton was now becoming King in the South. Life on this slave ship was harsh and conditions were almost unbearable many of the mates died that summer of 1801 many just gave up. Where was the Hound? How long would it be before they caught up with this abomination of god? We had to eat what they gave us and there was no meat or wine to wash this mess down for it was forbidden for these sons of Jinni’s to give us meat or wine to make our trip comfortable. The Europeans would be used as breeding stocks to mate with the African slaves as house slaves; the Noir’s like me would be put to work in the fields although I knew that it would not be long before the Hound picked up the trail. I knew that the Captaine of the Hound was dogging these Moroccans by the way that the ship kept changing directions. We were allowed to go top side when the weather permitted and the men were very happy to get fresh air for the smell of one another was driving even the best of friends to fighting. That is when I saw her, a unusual looking Moroccan to say the lest, walking about on a pirate ship she must be the ships Captaine’s wife or worse, for he was a god ugly man, fat and big bellied. She covered her face at all times yet we could see she had golden hair like the Europeans. All the men dream of her at night and many were lusting after her to the point of madness. One day when we were top side I noticed her looking at me with much surprise. I thought to myself how could she be looking at this dark vagabond with rags for clothing and bone sticking out. I heard the Moroccan say that the captain was going to sell her for breeding once we got to Charleston; they said that fair skin Moroccan woman were sold for a lot of gold to the highest bidder. These were wicked times and wicked people were in control of this world with the war in Europe men did things that were ungodly. They breeded people like animals and worked others to death. There were the unspeakable places also where families would send family members who were mentally sick or homosexual so that they would be out of the way, they were no better then slaves also. Where was the Hound? This was on all of our minds we talk about what we were going to do to this son of Satan when we were freed. One day on deck I was lucky enough to see her, she and the other Spanish woman were there getting some much needed sun . Many of them knew what was in store for them once they reached Charleston , the younger ones had no idea what is to happen to them. They will all go off to a breeding farm and produce house slaves in return they will be set free once their debts were paid. In many cases I learned that their debt was never paid it kept going up .The women from the jails were sent to Army camps to cook and to wash and any other things that the army camps commanders wanted them to do. There was a question in my mind how did Madame Lissa fall into bad company, she wasn’t Spanish or Moroccan . My guess she was kidnapped from one of the English tradesman’s in Said. How would I find out and how can I help her and myself at the same time ? Join us for part 2 in June |
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