How a pregnant teen bride in 1856 took command of her ailing husband’s ship

Joshua Patten was a clipper captain in the 1850s, racing bravely – and perhaps recklessly – through the most dangerous waters in the hemisphere to transport goods in hopes of earning a huge payday.

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But he was also deeply in love, so his diminutive teenage bride Mary Ann accompanied him on his trips from New York around Cape Horn to San Francisco. And it’s a good thing she did, because in 1856...