The Mystery of Salem's Captain Charles Hart and the Brig New Priscilla

The brig New Priscilla left Salem port in 1828 never to return. The disappearance of Captain Charles Hart and his crew created a hum of mystery and intrigue. However, any seasoned ship master knew the answers to the knotty questions on what went down with this brig. It was the workings of busy buccaneers pinching their pockets.
19th century pirates were a beastly lot and their modus operandi included perversive torture. The crew of New Priscilla was not spared from the horrific tactics as reports reveal: “a boy of Salem, just a lad in his teens, spiked to the deck.” (Essex Register) The capture of the New Priscilla was one of the worst cases of piracy against an American vessel.
Captain Charles Hart, a direct descendant of Isaac Hart of Boston married Francis Wellington in 1815 and moved to Salem. . He joined the Salem Maritime Society in 1820 and was known to be “an enterprising and resolute man as well as a worthy citizen.”
Captain Hart went into business with Captain Stephen W Shepherd and log books at the Peabody Essex Museum registers them to own the brig Midas (voyage records 1826-1827) and the brig New Priscilla which made clearance to sail by the Custom House in Salem on September 24, 1828.
On sailing day the New Priscilla was delivered “in several four-horse stages up the wharf.” Captain Hart’s destination was the Sumatra and the pepper coast. The cash, gold and silver needed was in Spanish currency to pay for pepper cargo. The money was carted in kegs ($3000) and linen sacks ($1000) from the Asiatic bank on Essex Street down to wharf.
Captain Hart’s plan was to make a few runs from Havana to South Carolina and make his way to Sumatra. His logs show two runs and a departure for the pepper coast January 22, 1829.
Captain Hart was privy to the much circulated adventure of Captain Lamson and his crew. Lamson survived an ordeal with villainous sea rovers and shared his horrific hours as a prisoner. In fact, before Captain Hart left he promised himself and his crew that he would never to be taken by pirates.
The precautions needed to defend ships from piracy were costly. The guns and ammunition took up space normally given to cargo. The gunners demanded high pay and also took up extra rooms. Although crews feared a pirate attack many were willing to forego this plan of defense because it cut into pay and time. Captain Hart regrettably made such a decision.
A few years before the New Pricilla suffered her fate some American vessels made an aggressive campaign to ferret out the pilfering menaces. During one skirmish led by Captain Kearney along the south side of Cuba the crew discovered a cave on the Colorados, a pirate haven. The seamen identified scores of plunder tucked away in the 150 foot crypt. Spread among the prizes they found heaps of human bones which they concluded were “remains of unfortunate persons” who suffered at the hands of the ravagers.
A year later disgruntled merchants of Salem banded together one December night at the Salem Marine Insurance office to form a committee to urge Congress to amend laws on “the willful destruction of vessels upon the high seas” and “suppress pirates in the West Indies.” (Salem Gazette 1824) From this date until the capture of the New Priscilla “piracy spread to an alarming extent” and “several defenseless merchantmen were captured at the very entrance of large ports such as Havana.”
As other “outbursts of piracy” were occurring it was the tragic loss of the New Priscilla that initiated a powerful change. When the New Priscilla had fallen prey to marine hijackers the mortified ship merchants were outraged by the lack of protection provided by the port government officials. Moreover, they were not enthused about “being under the necessity of applying” to the foreign convoys.
The governor general of Cuba issued a statement offering a reward of $5,000 for the capture of the “piratical schooner and all or two-thirds of her crew.” In addition, he made another proclamation for $2,000 for the schooner and $250 for each and every one of her crew. (Niles Weekly Register)
Captain Charles Hart will never know that his 120-ton brig would make such waves. The New Priscilla would ultimately become a kind of sacrificial vessel to anchor a higher justice. What started in 1829 would trigger powerful altercations, but to create a safer sea it would take an American armada to battle the thieving scamps. By 1834 the reign of piracy would end.
When discussing the piracy issue Kevin MacDonald, curator for the Custom House Maritime Museum stated: “not too many folks know that piracy around Cuba experienced a minor resurgence in 1829, partly due to the US Navy ending active operations in the West Indies in 1828 as trade diminished, so I think it’s interesting, as well as informative that you mention it.”
Captain Anthony Kemp, master of the brig Industry was brave enough to board New Priscilla to investigate. Although foul play was cited on February 14 by Captain Conega of the Mary Jane near Dog Keyes, he did want to risk an intervention. Another letter written March 19 by Captain Weston stated he “had no doubt that Captain Hart and his crew were cut off by pirates.” (Essex Register)
Captain Kemp made a detailed report on the condition of the brig. He noted as follows: rigging cut, sails shattered and loose, boat had been cut from davits, broken chest, and several bags of rice scattered on the desk. He found down bellow lockers broken, an open bulkhead cut through, and recovered the log book. The next day he brought her in with assistance from another small schooner.
There was another mystery linked to the New Priscilla. Apparently two lucky sailors whose names are unknown did not re board at Charlestown. A divine intervention came from a hairy black creature which crossed them at right angle on the docks. The superstitious fellows decided they were not going to test the fates so they hopped a rig back to Salem. Sources say they both lived to a ripe old age. During several tavern crawls the grateful duo shared how they owed their lives to the brave boys and the courageous captain of the New Priscilla.

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Sources :

The Ships and Sailors of Old Salem, Massachusetts By Ralph Delahaye Paine

American Shipping 1923

Piracy in the West Indies and its suppression (1923) Francis Boardman Crowninshield Bradlee

Horrid Piracy Wednesday, March 25, 1829 National Aegis (Worcester, MA)

Strange Story From The Coast Thursday, May 12, 1881 Times (Troy, NY)

Interesting from Matanzas Wednesday, June 10, 1829 Georgian (Savannah, GA)

Salem Gazette Clips from Newsbank.com

Log 251, Brig New Priscilla, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA.