 but a crewman with binoculars saw Smalls and his compatriots waving frantically from the deck. Once the captain of the Onward boarded the planter, Smalls reportedly asked if they had a Union flag for the ship to fly. Incredibly, Smalls' audacious plan allowed him to not only steal a Confederate warship from a well-defended port and deliver it as a prize to the Union, but also to deliver nine families from slavery.