Image made by Tim Joyce on November 11, 2012. www.timjoyce.com

Image made by Tim Joyce on November 11, 2012. www.timjoyce.com
sadly, this cemetery has been greatly vandalized.Please read this story from Mystic history on Capt. Ambrose H. Burrows:
An adventure of Captain Ambrose H. Burrows gives us
a glimpse of conditions existing in the early part of the
nineteenth century. On January 24, 1823, he sailed from
New York in the brig "Frederick" bound for Lima, Peru,
on a trading expedition. The vessel and cargo were owned
by Captain George Haley, Enoch and Silas E. Burrows and
the Captain.

Arriving at Callao after a stormy passage of one-hun-
dred and fifty-eight days he found the city in a state of
insurrection against the Spanish Government and all busi-
ness suspended. Shortly after his arrival, however, came
the noted General Bolivar with reenforcements from Colom-
bia and quiet was restored. In about two months, having
disposed of his cargo, he took on board another and sailed
for Pisco on a trading voyage. Here he was succeessful
and after a trip to Callao, from which port he shipped home
in specie the proceeds of his voyage, he sailed for Quilca,
the seaport of Arequipa, the capital of Upper Peru.

Arriving off the port late in the day he did not venture
to enter but laid to until morning. At about ten in the
evening he was fired upon by a strange vessel and soon
after was boarded by a boat's crew from the pirate brig
"Quintanelia," commanded by an Italian named Matalena.
With the exception of the first officer, William L. Hill, all
the officers and crew of the "Frederick" were transferred
to the pirate brig. It was finally concluded to send the
prize to the island of Chiloe, the pirates' rendezvous, but
as navigators were scarce, Captain Burrows accepted the
proposition to navigate the vessel with a crew of a prize-
master and nine men from the pirate.

Captain Burrows had persuaded Matalena to allow him
to keep with him his son Brutus, a lad of sixteen years. He
had secreted in his stateroom his pistols and those belong-
ing to his mates, together with a supply of powder and
balls. For several days Captain Burrows cherished the



356 GROTON. CONN. 1705-1905

hope of falling in with some man-of-war that might re-
capture his vessel, but finding that hope in vain he resolved
to act for himself, so arming himself and his son he called
the prize-master into the cabin and informed him that he
was determined to regain possession of the vessel and he
must remain neutral or die. He chose neutrality.

As the captain and his son were armed they went on
deck and at pistol's point drove the crew into the fore-
castle, from which they called them one by one and securely
bound them, placing them in positions where they could
not free one another. Captain Burrows now found himself
three hundred miles from land with only himself and son
and the prize-master, with two of the crew whom he had
released to assist in working the ship. The situation re-
quired sleepless vigilance and as the strain was becoming
unendurable, he decided to rid himself of his prisoners.

Equipping a whale boat with sails, oars, compass, pro-
visions and water, he placed the seven men therein, un-
loosing the last one as he went over the side. They were
given explicit directions as to the course to steer to reach
the land, which was about one-hundred and fifty miles
distant.

On the third day after the recapture of the brig Captain
Burrows dropped anchor in Callao. But a revolution broke
out there soon after his arrival so that for several weeks
he was subjected to trouble of various kinds. Robbed by
insurrectionists and fired upon by rebels and also by friends,
he was in danger until the Spaniards recaptured the town.

While Captain Burrows was absent on business at Lima,
the boat's crew that he had set adrift put in an appearance
and claimed the brig as their property, and he returned to
find a guard of soldiers in possession, and but for the timely
arrival of Commodore Stewart in the United States frigate
"Franklin" he might have been robbed of his whole prop-
erty. Commodore Stewart had as prisoners on board the
"Franklin" a boat's crew from the "Quintanelia,'' among
them being Augustus Bennett, one of the crew of the "Fred-
erick." Mr. Hill, chief officer of the brig, had been put



SHIP BUILt)ING, ETC. 867

ashore by Matalena, so Captain Burrows had recovered two
of his crew.

But the state of affairs was so unsettled that he concluded
to sell his vessel and return to the United States. The
frigate "Constitution," Commodore Hull, came to relieve
the "Franklin" and Captain Burrows took passage for home
on the latter ship. The ship called at Valparaiso en route,
and as they were leaving that port they had the pleasure of
seeing a French frigate enter the harbor with no less a
prize than the pirate "Quintanelia." Her commander,
Matalena, was sent to France and executed for piracy.