Davey Dog Crusher

I may be relocating to southwestern Oklahoma in the very near future. Is there any word of any crews in that area, including the pan-handle of Texas? All the links I've found are WAY old (angelfire & myspace old). Relocating from the mid-Atlantic region, so I think I may actually be marooned.

Mates, I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the SIXTH Annual Fell's Point Privateer Days/Baltimore Pirate Invasion this year. I recently parted company with a crew and started looking at doing events "solo" in order to grow my impression and discover for myself what kind of events are out there. I was made to feel VERY welcome by the folks/members of the Colonial Seaport Foundation, Vigilant Crew, Crew of the Archangel, and others whose names I unfortunately cannot remember. They let me add some of my gear/props to their displays and, more importantly, allowed an unknown to jump in and interact with the visiting public. I am horrible with names and there are so many that I would like to personally thank for allowing this "marooner" to be a part of a GREAT event. Thanks to ALL of you, mates! You are FIRST RATE Pirates! Davey

I'll be leaving the Hampton Roads area for Baltimore/Fells Point about 4:30-5:00 am Saturday. Plan to depart for the return trip Sunday in the morning. I have room for two comfortably. Any takers? Contact me via message on my profile. Dave

Here are some exerpts from "The Narrative of Joshua Davis" (AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, WHO WAS PRESSED AND SERVED ON BOARD SIX SHIPS OF THE BRITISH NAVY) 1811. Also from www.history.navy.mil, also a bit later than GAoP. HANGING AT THE YARD-ARM. If you prefer being hung, a day is appointed for your execution--the master at arms comes down and knocks off your irons, and takes you up on the quarter deck, and from thence to the forecastle, where you stand until the captain of the forecastle goes on the end of the fore yard, and reves a rope through the block prepared for the purpose. One end of the rope is sent down, in order to put round your neck; the other end is run in under the fore yard, and reved through a block under the fore-top, and let down by the fore mast to the forecastle, and from thence to the ship's waist. The boatswain calls all hands on deck. The master at arms says to you, "go up on the cat-head," and ties the end of the rope fast round your neck, and says to the people, "set tort, men," when every man and boy on board, takes hold of the fall. The chaplain then comes up to the forecastle, and makes a short prayer--after which the master at arms turns to you, and says, "You are to be hung by the neck under the yard, until you are dead, dead, dead; and may the Lord have mercy on your soul;" then orders the people to run you up, and you are run up until your head touches the yard, when he takes the rope, and belays it, and thus you hang about half an hour. The boats are all hoisted out, in order to take you to the grave. The long boat is brought along side, with your coffin in it; when the master at arms takes off the lid, and you are lowered down into it; he then cuts the rope, leaving the knot on your neck; your clothes are all kept on, and your hat put on your face, when the lid is nailed down. The boats are all made fast to each other, in a range, the captain's barge ahead, then the lieutenant's pinnace, the black cutter, the blue cutter, the yellow cutter, and the red cutter follow, which are made fast to the long boat, which has your body: these all go to low water mark, when four men jump out into the mud, and dig a hole three feet deep, in which you are deposited, for the next tide to roll over you. FLOGGING THROUGH THE FLEET. If you choose to be flogged through the fleet, the day is appointed, when you go into the long boat with the master at arms, where you are tied up by your hands to a machine made for the purpose. The boatswain's mate comes down and gives you fifty lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails. The lieutenant orders all the boats belonging to your ship to be ranged as before, to tow you to the next ship, the boatswain's mate of which comes down and gives you fifty lashes more. In this manner you are carried from ship to ship, until you get the number of lashes imposed upon you--(during this, the drummer beats the dead march, and the bell strikes half-minute strokes.) If you live through it, you are taken to your ship, your back washed with brine, and cured as soon as possible--but if you die before you receive the complement, you are taken to every ship, and get every lash the Court Marshall ordered. Finally, you are put into your coffin, carried to low water mark, and there deposited. On the 28th Dec. 1784, while we were laying in Plymouth sound, with a number of other ships, waiting orders, a man belonging to the Queen, of 98 guns, struck his first lieutenant, on the nose with his fist, which occasioned two black eyes. The man was tried by a court martial, and sentenced to receive 800 lashes. The day he was punished, after he had been flogged along side 13 ships, he was bro't to ours. The blanket was taken off his shoulders by our master at arms, when I observed his head hung back. Our captain ordered the doctor to feel his pulse, and found that the man was dead. Our boatswain's mate was then told to give him fifty lashes; "but," says the Captain, "lay them lightly on his back." He might as well have said put them lightly on his bones, for I could not see any flesh on him, from his neck to his waist. After this he was carried to two other ships, and received fifty lashes at each, and then carried to low water mark, and there buried in the mud. RUNNING THE GAUNTLET. IF you are caught in the act of stealing, you are put into irons, and there kept, to wait the pleasure of your officers. They generally sentence you to run the gauntlet, which is done as follows: you are brought upon deck the boatswain pipes all hands, and orders his yeoman to bring up a quantity of tarred rope yarns, of which every man is ordered to make a nettle by twisting three yarns together and making three knots at one end. The men are then ordered to stand in two ranks round the deck, at five feet distance, and face each other. You are told to strip to your trowsers and get in between the ranks. The master at arms walks before you, with a sword under his arms, the point towards you, to prevent your running forward--and two corporals walk behind, with swords in their hands, to keep you from running back. The boatswain starts you by a stroke on the back with the cat-o'-nine-tails--every man then strikes you as hard and fast as he can. You have to go round the deck three times in this manner, in common time. When you reach the break of the forecastle the boatswain's first mate gives you a cut with his cat-o'-nine-tails; the second another, and the third another, when you get round to the boatswain again, he gives you another, and so on, until you have been round the deck three times. It is in vain for you to cry, scream, jump, roll, for you must grin and bear it, as none will pity you. Finally, you look like a piece of raw beef from your neck to the waist of your trowsers. You are taken down to the cockpit, and there have salt brine rubbed on your back, by the doctor's mate. If you should be so fortunate as to get over this, you must go to work again.

A pretty good reference to flogging in the U.S Navy (yeah, a bit late for our period) can be found at; http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/flogging.htm#brief A few of the passages presented in the "A Plea in Favor of Maintaining Flogging in the Navy" [Essay by an anonymous US Navy officer on the benefits of flogging for maintaining discipline, probably written in the 1840s.] section, are very descriptive in regard to the make-up of the crews of those sailing ships. Nowhere in the article does it give a set or scheduled time for the flogging, but it does state that; " Secretary of the Navy James K. Paulding issued an order to commanding officers that flogging was to be administered in accordance with the law and always in the presence of the captain." Anyway, it's an interesting read. Davey

I'm looking forward to seeing you folks at the Hampton 400 today (Saturday). I'm sure that will be a topic of discussion, along with the Blackbeard festival, which I also plan to attend. Although I may need to find a crew to come aboard with. Davey

How does one become a member or associate? Davey David Hatfield Norfolk, VA 23518

Where can we find registration Information? I don't see anything except an event description on the Holly Point/Deltaville site. This looks like a really worthwhile event. Any other "marooners" going up from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area? Want to carpool and/or maybe look into coming together to do some of the crew events? Davey

Depending on the way the Navy exchange does their pricing, I either buy from them or cross the border to NC. Either way, $35-$40 per carton. My wife was able to quit, but she has more will-power than me. I've at least been successful in smoking less than a pack a day instead the pack and a half or two packs that I was up to. Nicotine is allegedly more addictive than heroin. Davey

Thanks for the information mates. I haven't been in the area for almost 30 years, and even then only one week-end a month to do Navy Reserve duty at Rickenbacker. If I'm able to make it, I'll be bringing my "dog & pony" stuff that's shown in my gallery. I can set up a display, or mill about in a piratical manner. Either one is good for me. I'll continue to check for updates here and on the web-site. Thanks again. Davey

I'm trying to work it out so I may be able to make it up there. Does anyone know of a decent campground where I may drop off the camper? I'm all for spending the nights aboard, but my wench wouldn't go for that. How is/are the crew(s) made up? Anyone need a marooner? Davey

Mates, I'm looking at attending some 2010 events that I've missed in the past few years. I'd like to be able to come aboard with one of the crews in attendance, if possible. Please contact me if that might be a possibility. I'll be posting some more photos so you can see what I look like and what accessories I can bring along. ~Fells Point~ April 9&10 ~Pirate Fest Upper Marlboro, MD~ May ~Holly Point~ June 3-6 ~Blackbeard Festival~ June 9-11 ~Havre DeGrace~ July ~Beaufort Pirate Invasion OR Rock Hall, MD~ August 13-15 (Happy Birthday to me) Maybe next year I can look at getting a little further south and make some of the Florida events. Depends on if my 401k (lottery) pays off. Davey