Show A BOLD YANKEE SKIPPER Captain Pells Rescue of a Spanish Ship From English Privateers New York Sun There was recently discovered among I a mass of old papers In a Eergen county farm house some Interesting matter re latins to members of the Poll family The Pells were among the early settlers In Connecticut and came from North amptonshlre England The record shows that Thomas Pell arrived in New Haven In lIE and llam arve Pel reached Boston the same year The branch of the famIly to which the Jersey Pells belong had many seafaring members among them John B William and William W who balled from the port of New York in the first years of the century to many foreign for-eign countries including Spain India and China Their goings and comings with the names of their ships were recorded on the margins of Hutchlns Almanack and tho frequency of tho entries indicate that they never remained long In port whila their voyage were prolonged on ono occasion extending over a period of fortyone months The paper of greatest interest relates to another Captain William Pell supposed to be tho father of one of the foregoing Ho achieved distinction by a foreging daring characteristic of the American Amercn sailor In all ages In this particular case the darIn was in the intnrnsf nf thr Spanish corporation known as the Royal company of the Philippines The narra I tive presumably written by Captain Pell shows that he commanded the companys ship Columbus which left Bordeaux on May 29 Eli After a successful cruise I and when returning with a cargo stated to bo worth more than one quarter of a million dollars he was captured by the British privateer Vulture A prize crew I of a onicer and nine men was placed In charge of tho Columbus with instructions skipper to tako writes her to Gibraltar The Yankee I did not enjoy the position of a prisoner on my own ship and it was my I constant desire to regain that liberty which had been so forcibly taken But It was many days before an available plan was hit on to outdo the pirates who were In possession of our rights When It seemed that all hope was lost and wo must be taken to Gibraltar In Ignominy thu chance fell to us mot fortunate one sailor freeing himself from an imperfect Iron which in providence enabled him to aid In freeing the others Thus i care about that we fell upon tho guard In a body and placed him hors du combat be a fore he could cry out Jly men said they would not waver at tho grand liral act and right bravely they kept faith Secur ing the weapons of the guard and such other means or attack and defense ns ts could be found wo overpowered tho prize oflicer by surprise in his cabin and having thus gained possession of ample arms the men on deck wero forced to surrender after a scrimmage that was well fought vith two lives and some wounds as the penalty I was 2 by the clock in tho morning when my men did this creditable work and they did it so I handsomely that I gave them just praise I priso such as wisdom Impels and also served g Iisgo dmJ them with I a full measure fll grog Wo i I forthwith changed curse rejoicing in our great good fortune to recover our noble ship and wealthy cargo The modesty of Skipper William I I Pells narrative of his fight with the privateer Ing prize crew was in a measure compensated com-pensated for by I the Royal company of the Philippines which not only gavo tho captain and crew substantial recognition gvo o their fidelity to duty but presented to the Yankee captain a written testimonial wrten A copy of this document in testmonia manslii was found with the other papers pa-pers l was evidently translated by a Spaniard who had not acquired a complete cm plete mastery of the English but he discharged his task with sufficient die dl tinctness to convey the purpose of the Royal company in expressing Us appreciation appre-ciation of Captain Pell and Its egret at losing his further service |