From the July 26, 1923 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

Two old shipmates had a fine “gam” the other day out in Dartmouth. They had not seen one another since they parted in New Bedford sixty years ago.

The two friends were Ulysses Everett Mayhew, of West Tisbury, on the Vineyard and Benjamin W. Taylor whose home is at 341 Orchard street, but who is now spending the summer at Russels Mills, in Dartmouth.

Last winter Mr. Mayhew was in Florida, and his brother, Sanderson Manter Mayhew, Town Treasurer of West Tisbury, clipped an article from The Standard carrying Mr. Taylor’s picture and a sketch. It told of his whaling days. Sanderson Mayhew mailed the clipping to Ulysses Mayhew who at once recognized his friend on the bark Lafayette in the good old whaling days.

So Mr. Mayhew sat down and wrote to Mr. Taylor at once; and in due time came the reply. And the next thing was the visit — the “gam.”

It came this past week. Mr. Mayhew made a special trip over from the Island for the purpose, and he and Mr. Taylor talked youthful days for several hours together.

A “thar she blows” and a slap on the back, and the two face one another and noted what changes time had wrought in the almost exactly three-score year period since Ben waved a farewell to Lyss on June 18, 1863. Neither had heard of the other from that day until the Standard story of last winter.

On the Lafayette, Ben was a foremast hand, and Lyss was cabin boy. The skipper was William Lewis, a noted whaler.

On the 20th of May, 1862, “the good ship set sail, never to return,” said Mr. Mayhew. And what follows continues his story of the voyage:

“Twelve days out we captured our first whale, and cut-in on Sunday. This was followed by shark-hunting. Late in the summer we turned southward, and touching at the Azores, learned of the havoc being wrought by the Alabama. They told us she had burned the following vessels:

“Ocmulgee of Edgartown, the quarterboard of which is still to be seen at Edgartown. This was the first Union ship captured by the raider. Schooner Starlight, Boston; Bark Ocean Rover, New Bedford; Bark Alert, New London; Schooner Weather Gauge, Provincetown; Brig Altamaha, New Bedford; Ship Benjamin Tucker, New Bedford; Schooner Courier, Provincetown.

“Naturally, learning all this excited us a good deal. We met Captain Osborn of the Ocmulgee. I thought Captain Osborn the handsomest man I ever saw.”

“We met a number of ships and on board some were good friends from home country. Thus we sailed about a year getting plenty of whales. We had successfully evaded all the Confederate privateers and felt pretty good. Captain Lewis and Flanders decided to stop in at Fernando de Noronha, a Brazilian island.

“We all rejoiced at the sight of land for it meant fresh meat and vegetables. We observed three craft innocent looking enough all of them.

“We were taken completely by surprise when one of the trio steamed toward us; and by the way she maneuvered we became suspicious, and soon saw our fate was sealed — it was the Alabama!

“It struck us like a shock. We later had a chance to get our money together and other valuables. Captain Lewis, ashore, had his gold sovereigns sewed in his undergarment.

“We on the ship among other things got together a bag of $100 in silver and turned it over to Frank Cottle, our mate and father of the popular Zadoc Cottle of the Vineyard steamboat line. He hid the money and saved it for us.

“In a short time we heard the voice of Semmes himself —

““Haul back your yards, shorten sail, and we’ll send a boat to you.’

“We were boarded and got orders to leave our ship within 15 minutes. We had already hidden about our persons what we could; when the Alabama officers demanded to know where our slopchest was, Mate Cottle refused to tell them. We were then ordered into our boats without delay.

“We were put aboard the Cory and spent that night aboard her.

“Soon the prisoners began coming ashore. The Lafayette had been burned already; soon the Cory was set afire; and a day or so later the Alabama sailed away.

“Now for the closing chapter. We finally got to Pernambuco where our consul made arrangements for us to ship on the brig Mary Garland, Captain James, sailing the English flag.”

“On May 20, 1863, the Mary Garland set sail for New York.

“I served as cabin boy, and Captain James gave me $2.50 in gold for my 26 days work washing dishes and waiting on his table.

“We arrived in New York in June. About June 18, we landed in New Bedford, and there Ben Taylor and I bade one another farewell, and did not see each other until sixty years had rolled by almost to the exact day.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

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