New Bedford Whaler Catalpa Rescues Six Irish Prisoners from British Penal Colony in Australia

The Catalpa whaleboat out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, pulled off one of the most daring rescues of the 19th century when it retrieved six Irish prisoners from a British penal colony in Freemantle, Australia. The escape plot was hatched for months by Irish leaders in America including Fenians John Devoy and John Breslin, who masterminded the escape plan, and writer John Boyle O'Reilly, who had himself escaped from the penal colony in 1869 on another New Bedford whaler, the Gazelle.

The Catalpa was captained by George S. Anthony, an experienced sailor who faced down an Australian attempt to re-capture the freed prisoners on the high seas. According to the Boston Evening Transcript, the Georgette, an Australian war steamer, pulled alongside the Catalpa as it was making its escape and demanded to come aboard to search for the prisoners, which Captain Anthony quickly denied. The Australians then fired a cannon at the Catalpa's stern, and threatened to blow up the ship if they did not relinquish the prisoners. Anthony immediately hoisted the American flag and said in response, "Fire if you dare. I'm on the high seas, and that (American) flag protects me." The Australian captain capitulated and sailed away.

The ship, which rescued the prisoners in April, 1876, pulled into New York harbor on August 19, 1876, after the daring high seas adventure. Once on American soil, the six Fenian prisoners were hailed throughout the country, especially in Boston and the New England states. On September 24, 1876, a massive celebration for the prisoners was held at Boston Music Hall, where happy Bostonians greeted Captain Anthony, Breslin, and the prisoners themselves. Also present was Gazelle whaling boat Captain Hathaway of New Bedford, who had rescued O'Reilly in 1869.

The daring rescue, including the events leading up to it and the aftermath, are included in a book by Z.W. Pease entitled, The Catalpa Expedition, published in 1897 in New Bedford by Captain Anthony.

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