January 13, 1861, The New York Herald
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN WHITING.
The report which was circulated in this city on Friday last that Captain Whiting, of the steamer Marion, had left his vessel at Norfolk, and his non-arrival at this port, led to considerable apprehension as to his safety among his friends.
In consequence of this, a party of gentlemen from the office of Messrs. Spofford, Tileston & Co., corner of Morris street and Broadway, left this city for Jersey City at twelve o’clock on Friday night, and having arrived there chartered an engine and passenger car to convey them to New Brunswick. This action was taken in consequence of intelligence having been received to the effect that the captain of the steamer had stopped at that point to visit his wife who was unwell. Immediately on their arrival at New Brunswick the gentlemen proceeded to the captain’s residence, and had a lengthy interview with him. After remaining there about two hours they left again for Jersey City, where they arrived early yesterday morning.
The information supplied by Captain Whiting concerning the seizure of the Marion is very interesting. The steamer arrived outside of Charleston Harbor at about five o’clock in the morning, and approached the shore through a dense fog. When the mist began to clear away the port lighthouse became visible, but no buoys were seen, as many of these had been removed by the action of the State authorities within the last few weeks. The steamer General Clinch, with an armed force, was soon after seen coming down the channel, and on reaching the outer buoy she hove to. The officers of the Marion hereupon concluded that she had come out to guide their vessel safely into port. On nearing, however, the General Clinch ran alongside, and inquired what steamer was in the offing. The captain of the Marion had not met or spoken any steamer, and therefore could not supply the desired information. The question was very likely prompted by the supposition that the Star of the West was coming up. The captains of both vessels then entered into a conversation concerning the removal of the buoys, the destruction of the beacons, and other cognate matters. While this colloquy was in progress the Marion struck on the North Breaker Shoal. Captain Whiting immediately turned his attention to the safety of his ship. After making such dispositions as he thought necessary under the circumstances, he called upon the commander of the General Clinch to aid him in relieving the ship by taking a hawser and towing her off the shoal. The Captain, however, only replied by turning his vessel seaward, leaving the Marion hard aground in a dangerous position and with a rapidly falling tide. The General Clinch again came alongside of the Marion, in about an hour afterwards, when Captain Whiting asked her captain why he had not warned him of his danger and thus prevented the grounding of his vessel. Captain Relyea replied that the State authorities had placed a pilot on board, and that it was none of his business.
The Marion remained hard aground all day, but the weather was fortunately very calm. At three o’clock P.M. the steamer Gordon arrived, and under the superintendence of Captain Lockwood, her commander, the Marion was extricated from her perilous position and enabled to reach her dock safely and uninjured in about an hour afterwards. A requisition was then made upon the captain […..] Charleston stockholders having been previously obtained. Strong assurances at the same time were given by Gov. Pickens that the owners should be amply reimbursed for any loss they might suffer, giving as a reason for his summary demands that the State had urgent need of the vessel, and that the welfare of the State justified the irregularity of the proceeding. The captain, under these circumstances, yielded up the Marion to the Charleston officials, but the Governor eventually reinstated the captain in possession of the vessel. The owners do not consider the affair in the light of a seizure, although neither the Charleston stockholders nor the company’s agents in that port had any legal right to dispose of the Marion at any price. When Captain Whiting left the vessel was coaling, preparatory to a return to New York, and she is expected to arrive on Tuesday next.
From despatches received, Messrs. Spofford & Tileston judged it proper to detain the Columbia beyond her usual time of sailing. Their Charleston agents now assure them that the authorities will at present throw no obstacles in the way of usual trade, and the Columbia will therefore sail on Wednesday and the James Adger on Saturday–the company intending to despatch two vessels each week as usual.