TALLAHASSEE DAYS

The Story behind our Pirate Festival ‘Tallahassee Days’

The Tallahassee was a twin screwed metal steamer. Its top speed was twenty knots, making it one of the fastest and most manoeuvrable ships of the day during the American Civil War.  In August of 1864, the Tallahassee was employed as a Commerce Raider under the command of John Taylor Wood, (nephew of Jefferson Davis; cousin to Robert E. Lee; and grandson of President Zach Taylor).

After a successful ten day cruise, the Tallahassee found itself in need of repairs and supplies. She headed for Halifax where news got out about her whereabouts and all available U.S. Navy ships were sent to intercept and destroy the Tallahassee. To escape the U.S. blockading fleet, Wood hired a local pilot from Ketch Harbour Jock Flemming, who led the Tallahassee through the supposedly un-navigable Eastern Passage.

John (Jock) Flemming was one of the best known Harbour Pilots in Eastern Canada.   His brother owned the Repair Shop in Woodside where the Tallahassee was temporarily docked.  Everyone in Halifax knew who ‘the best’ Pilot was to hire for the job, none other than ‘Jock’, born in Ketch Harbour in 1811.   The Crew began to intentionally spread rumours around the city that the Steamer would be leaving Halifax Harbour in a different direction, knowing full well that ‘news travels fast when it’s not supposed to.’

The escape of the Tallahassee was a nautical feat never repeated by a ship of such size and it was accomplished in pitch darkness on the night of August 19, 1864.  Halifax was a ‘neutral’ port and our Festival gives no preference to either the South or the North, firmly noting that there is no political agenda whatsoever to those folks always looking for controversy.  We celebrate the Nautical manoeuvre of the unlikely passage, and the keen instincts of local Jock Flemming more than anything.

International law entitled Captain Wood 24 hours to make repairs and then, the Vessel would have to leave port or his ship would be seized.  Wood was instructed to head for Woodside on the Dartmouth Shore for supplies, coal and to make repairs to the mainmast.   Two Union ships were closing in on the Tallahassee, the Nansemont and the Huron at this time.  When the workers & Owner of the repair shop, Mr. Flemming, were asked to recommend the Best Harbour Pilot, there was no question as to whom would be suggested ... Mr. Flemming's brother  Jock.  A bargain was made.  If Jock could find enough water, Capt. Wood would ‘keep her in the channel’.  Flemming said "I've never been shipmates with such things, but if you keep her pointed right, I'll take her out."

Capt. Wood said he believed that "Flemming knew the harbour as well as the fish that swam in it".  And he did.   At darkness, the Tallahassee steamed through the Eastern Passage, and the most the ship touched was eel grass. Flemming slipped ashore in his flat boat close to what is now Hartlen Point, and the Tallahassee steered for the broad Atlantic in the opposite direction of the rumors.

Years afterwards, Captain Wood gave the following pen picture of Jock Flemming. "He was six feet in height, broad, deep chested and with a stoop. His limbs were too long for his body and his head was pitched forward and covered, as was his neck, with a thick stubble of greyish hair. His eyes were small and bright, almost hid behind over-hanging eyebrows. His hands were as hard, rough and scaley as the flipper of a green turtle. Browned by the exposure of sixty years of storm and sunshine, he could tell of many a narrow escapes. He was honest and trusty."

Up almost to the day of his death, Jock Flemming continued in good health.  At the age of 97 years he accomplished another wonderful feat for a man of any age:  rowing from Ketch Harbour to the city of Halifax, a distance of twelve miles, without showing any signs of fatigue. He was known as "Bravo" from one end of the western shore to the other.

In 1867, Captain Wood came back to Halifax and entered the shipping and marine Insurance Business. He built a house on Morris Street in Halifax and died there on June 19, 1904 at the age of 74 years.  He  is buried in Camp Hill Cemetery. He became Treasurer of the Halifax Pilot Commission and often met his friend Jock, "over a glass of beer at Capt. Bird's."  During turbulent times, good friends can still be made from unlikely sources.

Today, Eastern Passage has an Elementary School named after the Tallahassee simply to commemorate our area’s place in Nautical History.  If you visit Fisherman’s Cove and walk to ‘The Narrows’ between the Boardwalk & Lawlor’s Island, you’ll see where the Tallahassee escaped on that August night.   And if you come to the Annual ‘Tallahassee Days Pirate Festival’,  you’ll meet Ancestors of famed Pilot Jock Flemming (like Joe Flemming, Resident of Eastern Passage) retelling the story  of his Great, Great, Great GrandFather … you’ll see ‘The Tallahassee Dance’ performed by local Scottish Country Dancers (their original routine), you’ll hear ‘The Tallahassee Jig’  (written/performed by the Creators of ‘Tallahassee Days’ themselves) & you may even catch a glimpse of our fairies, the Elders whom  (it is rumoured) were in the tall grasses the night of the escape ... Jr. York saw it all !

During the Weekend you’ll be entertained by a variety of local Dancers, Musicians, Pirates, REAL Mermaids (yes, they are), a ‘Mussel Fest’ at Boondocks Restaurant, face-painting, & a Treasure Hunt for the Wee Pirates in training at ‘Treasure Inlet’.  You’ll have an opportunity to place someone you ‘love’ in our Prisoner Stocks, you can be formally sworn in to the ‘Sou-Westers’ Club if you visit Derek at Shore Things (not for the faint of heart - rum is involved),  and on Saturday night you’ll see local vessels mimicking the escape of the Tallahassee as they ‘sneak’ through the same ‘Narrow’s’, only lit up like a brilliant night sky for the viewing pleasure of the Land-lubbers watching from Shore!

You’ll have a chance to play ‘Minstrel’ at Buccaneer Jean Plume LaFitte’s Karaoke Saturday evening and you can even partake as a fellow Swashbuckler during the Weekend by dressing in Pirate or 1864 attire yourself … costumes are welcomed and encouraged!  The Festival closes on Sunday  with live music and a ‘Pirates & Pets’ Parade around the Shops, led by Capt. Edward T. Blackspoon &  Dianne the Parrot Queen of Liverpool!  Why ‘pets’ you ask?  It’s been rumoured that the only 2 sentient beings who heard the Tallahassee’s escape that dark night … were Jr. York & Jimmy Naugle’s dog who "barked until his throat was raw".    Local Fisherman weren't sure if the barking was because of the unusually large vessel moving through the Narrows ... of if Junior's dog was notifying everyone that he spotted the MerHorse frolicking about?  Still a controversial discussion to this day.  During our Festival, you can hear a reinactment of Jr. York himself as he recounts the story of the escape through his reading of ‘The Adventures of Mary Blueberry’ .  And, we've honoured the keen instincts of the Naugle dog by including ‘pets’ in our Parade!

Our Community begins the 'Pirate People' lawn ornamentation some time in July to prepare for the Tallahassee Days Event as well.  Our MLAs, our local Radio Station, local Businesses and the general Residents as well display their own original creations of Pirates to join  in on the fun.

And last but not least (as there’s so much more to tell), our local  Community Theatre Group (The Passage Players) mingles amongst Crowd-goers  in period costume & in character to boost the morale of attendees ... & of course THE PIRATES OF THE CRIMSON KNOT are in top form over the weekend as they lead the Treasure Hunts & fire their Canons & Blunderbusts!    Beware:  any scallywags who come with evil intentions ... you'll see what happened to the last unwelcome soul who attempted tom-foolery at our Festival.  He's been sentenced to an eternity in the Crow's Nest atop our Main Mast at the entrance to our Cove ... at the head of the Crick!   "Where did we get our name EASTERN PASSAGE ?" you ask.   Captain Cook who (while assigned in Halifax) aptly called it, ‘The Eastern Passage out of the Harbour”, long before he sailed to Hawaii & Tahiti & became world-famous.  Our roots are steeped in sea-worthy folklore!

So join us, everyone nautically famous does (and non-nautical ... like Mr. Charles Dickens did in 1842.)!  We’d love to have you at what has been voted THE 2015 BEST PIRATE FESTIVAL IN CANADA according to 'L'Echo Des Mers' Pirate magazine ... and anyone who's ever attended!

AAARRGGHH ...