| Dan Seavey | |
|---|---|
| |
| Actor | Hugh Thompson |
| Seen | Pirates of the Great Lakes |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Historical |
| Job | Pirate |
| Comments | This is an article about a fictional representation of an historical character, location or other entity. |
History
The Great Lakes pirates were some of the most fearsome and burly of any waters on the map. The most notorious Great Lakes pirate, though, may be none other than Roaring Dan Seavey, who started as a regular sailor in the U.S. Navy. After leaving the military he found himself a poor man with only his ship, Wanderer, to his name and took up a life of plundering only to later become the only man known to be formally charged with piracy on the Great Lakes.
Seavey was a thief who had eyes for large shipments of venison and alcohol, to then later sell at a higher price. Anyone who tried to stop him faced the cannon he held on board. He also was known for putting up fake lights that simulated a port so that incoming ships would crash on the rocks and he could steal their cargo.
Seavey’s most famous escapade was his takeover of a schooner docked named the Nellie Johnson. The clever seaman invited the Johnson’s crew to drink with him, staying mostly sober himself. He then threw the drunken sailors off their ship and sailed it to Chicago, where he sold the Nellie Johnson’s cargo.
Seavey retired sometime in the late 1920s, and settled in the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. He died in a Peshtigo nursing home on 14 February 1949 at the age of 84. [*]
Appearances and Mentions
Pirates of the Great Lakes
- When asked by Brackenreid if he’s a pirate as the bartender believes him to be, Dan tells him, “You know, people spin tales based on their own childhood fantasies.”
Trivia
- Roaring Dan's Rum (maple flavored rum) by Great Lakes Distillery is named after him and his image graces its label.
