Otway Burns was an American Hero in War of 1812

As a privateer, Otway Burns plundered British shipping without being considered a pirate. Burns plundered British shipping between Nova Scotia and South America. The Snapdragon, of Newbern, N. C., captured a brig with a cargo, mainly dry goods, worth half a million dollars, and got safely into port with her. Burns captured cargo worth more than $2,000,000 on one trip alone. In the 1800’s this is equivalent to more than two billion dollars today. He “created such grief" for the British in both hemispheres that the British put a hefty $50,000 reward for his capture. (They never caught him.)How did he manage to be so successful?