There's a lot of mystery surrounding Dan C.V. Like all history that blends with folklore,

some of the finer details have changed over time. It's even likely that C.V. might have created

part of his own CD, if not legendary, status all by himself. There are facts. He was born in Maine in 1865, and his father

worked as a schooner captain. At 12 or 13, he ran away from home and found work on board steamers.

From there, he joined the U.S. Navy and served three years. Eventually, he wound up in Wisconsin,

where he got married and took a job as a deputy

marshal for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. By the 1890s, he had settled down on a small farm in

Milwaukee. Then one day, his perfectly normal life took an odd turn. Dan C.V. abruptly sold his

property, abandoned his wife and two children, and began a career on the

water. He earned money the old-fashioned way for a mariner at the time, transportation services

for loggers, trappers, and lumber mills. Although the real money came from his side hustle,

smuggling, poaching, and the occasional bootlegging. And his appearance made him as notable as his services.

He stood six foot four with 250 pounds of muscle and spoke with a strong New England accent.

It was a physique that made him a gifted brawler, and if his fists weren't enough, he also

carried a pistol. With all that, it's easy to say that he had a reputation, although he

often complained that the worst stories were just rumors. Folks said that he would extinguish other

boats' guide lights, causing them to run aground. Once vulnerable, the ships were made for easy

boarding and looting. Of course, he claimed that he hadn't done anything wrong. The boats were

shipwrecks,

after all. And if that action sounds like a pirate to you, then you're not alone. Take, for example,

the events of 1908, when officials arrested him for that exact crime. Apparently, on June 11th of

that year, Dan Ceevee and two of his sailors met R.J. McCormick, the captain of the Nellie Johnson,

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