(Written for the Richmond Dispatch.)
the cruise of the "Tallahassee."
[Concluded.]
Thursday, 13th.
--Morning came in cold and wet — the dense fog that hung heavily over the water lacking only the name to be a shower.
We made Sambro Head at an early hour, and then ran along the rocky coast towards the mouth of the harbor.--Presently we saw a small boat coming through the mist, and a cheery Irish voice asked if we wanted a pilot.
To be sure we did — and a red-faced weather-beaten young fisherman clambered over the side.--At the entrance to the harbor, or rather Chebucto bay, we stopped to fire the guns, the law prohibiting, or, at least, courtesy forbidding, us going into a neutral port with shotted guns.
A regular branch pilot now came off to us and took the ship from the fisherman, who was only permitted to take in vessels when no pilot was at hand.
He was satisfied, however, and went on his way rejoicing with two or three pounds of tobacco in his pocket.
Being wet and disagreeable on deck, we saw but little of the scenery in going up the bay. Getting short glimpses through the open ports, we saw the shore was well cultivated and dotted here and there with little white villages.
There are also some fine farms that stretch back from the water — the green pasture lands covered with sheep and cattle.
It is eight miles only to the city, and in less than an hour we were anchored off the town.
For some days back the Yankee papers have been filled with the doings of the pirate "Tallahassee," and a large number of small boats soon surrounded the ship, filled with curious individuals, anxious to see what she was like.
A few friends were permitted on board, but a majority were refused, and had to be content with an outside view.
Several boat loads of Yankees were pointed out to us; probably sent off by the Yankee consul for the purpose of gaining information.
About 9 o'clock, Captain Wood called upon the Admiral Sir James Hope, and upon his return we were permitted to go on shore.
Halifax is a city of some forty thousand inhabitants.
The houses are built principally of wood, and have an air of age, although the main portion of the town is comparatively new. Along the bay is the business portion, and back upon the hill the residences of the merchants and the military.
The land upon which the city is built rises rapidly from the water into a hill, crowning which is the citadel, a strong and heavily-armed fortress, protecting the town and commanding the harbor.
At the present time the garrison consists of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth battalions, with detachments of the Royal Artillery.
In the harbor is St. George's island, also heavily fortified and garrisoned by the artillery.
Halifax is quite a business town, and stores and warehouses increase with great rapidity as the trade annually enlarges.
Its fine harbor gives it many natural advantages.
It would be superfluous to enter into a detailed description of the town in this diary, and I pass it by with the few remarks already made.
The people generally are very friendly to the South, but in too many instances I can but think it an interested friendship.
They derive great benefit from southern trade, and, undoubtedly, are honest in their sympathy and in their admiration for Confederate valor.
A few men can be mentioned who have done a great deal for our cause, and have shown their sympathy in something else besides empty words.
Among these are Dr. W. J. Almon, Dr. Slayter, B. Weir & Co., A. Keith, and Mr. Pillsbury, editor of the Journal, who has taken a strong stand in our favor.
Dr. Almoh, especially, has done all in his power, and we were indebted to him for many kindly acts.
Through his energy we obtained a mast to replace the one lost, and his whole time while we were there seemed devoted to us. I have reason to be very grateful to him, and many other Confederate officers can say the same; for he is never weary of good deeds.
A son of Dr. Almon is an esteemed surgeon in our army.
The archbishop, also, is very friendly to us, and his heart, his house, and his purse, have ever been open to needy Confederates.
The British officers are unanimous in their expressions of friendship; but I notice a great change in their feeling.
Policy seems to control them, and the fear of their Yankee neighbors is evident.
I had an acquaintance in the Seventeenth, Captain --, who, when I was in Halifax last winter, was very warm and open in his sympathy for our cause.
Now, I could but notice the cautions manner of his expression.
There is a change in the feeling plainly seen, owing, probably, to the course of the Government, which grows daily inimical to us. The colonial administration is controlled entirely by Lord Lyons at Washington, who is, as is well known, completely under the thumb of the Yankee Minister of State, Mr. Seward.
In every instance where the governor of one of the colonies, or other high official, was friendly to the South, he has been removed and another of the Lord
Lyons school appointed. This is seen in all the Canadian appointments; in the removed of Lord Melgrave and the appointment of Dr. Richard McDonald, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova ; the removal of Admiral Milne, and of Governor Balley, of Nassau.
The appointees are in every instance strongly against us. Dislike of slavery is at the bottom of all this, and, also, fear of the Yankees.--Every day it becomes more and more evident that we have no hope from any friendly feeling in England or her colonies.
Friday, 19th.--Went ashore about twelve to-day, but had been there but a short time before an order came to go on board at once, as there was a rumor of some difficulty with the authorities.
since our arrival the telegraph to the States had been monopolized by the American Consul, Judge Jackson, and it was understood that Lord Lyons had telegraphed a very emphatic order to "send that vessel to sea. " During the day, Judge Jackson had made a requisition upon the Government for the steamer, demanding, very modestly, the crew and officers be delivered up in chains.
This demand was laughed at; but still affairs began to look serious.
The "Tallahassee" was on the Dartmouth side of the river taking in coal from a brig, and nearly all her officers were on shore.
Early in the evening, without a word of warning, several armed boats and launches were sent down to us with orders to go to sea at once, and forbidding us to take over one hundred tons of coal, enough, it was said, to take the vessel into the nearest Confederate port.
A naval officer was put on board to see that all dispatch was used, and the boats anchored alongside.
This was rather galling to our pride, and entirely unnecessary, for a simple order from the Admiral would have been sufficient without all this armed display.
All haste was now used to get the vessel to sea. Nearly one hundred tons of coal was taken on board, and a small quantity of oil and engineer stores, absolutely necessary.
About dark we hauled out into the stream, and only waited the return of a guard party, sent out to look up some runaways, to go down the bay. Through the attention of Dr. Almon, we got a spar and hauled it up on the deck, ready to ship it as soon as we arrived in some port where we should be permitted to remain long enough for the purpose.
About nine o'clock the guards returned and reported twenty-seven men missing, evidently enticed a way from the ship by Yankee emissaries.
Judge Jackson had a hand in it, and it was remarked that this is not the first time he has been guilty of such dirty work.
We could wait no longer, and, after dropping the naval officer into his boat, got under steam and soon left the town behind us.
Of course we were much disappointed with our treatment in Halifax, and it was little expected, since so much friendship had been expressed by the people.
But they are hardly responsible for the acts of the Government.
Perhaps we expected too much; at any rate, despite our condition, the law, custom or sympathy, we were peremptorily ordered to sea. I learned that the Queen's counsel decided while we were there that the vessel of a belligerent power has the right to go into a neutral port and remain long enough to make all necessary repairs, take in coal, and twenty-four hours afterwards.
Considering the feeling against us, I doubt if Captain Wood had seen fit to beg permission to remain, it would have been granted.
While in Halifax, we saw the Yankee papers, containing accounts of our captures, and learned the excitement regarding us. Several vessels have been sent out in pursuit.
A Washington telegram says: ‘
"The first information of the depredations of the pirate Tallahassee was received by the Navy Department, on the 12th instant, after office hours.--Secretary Welles immediately ordered the following vessels in pursuit, namely: Juniatta, Susquehanna, Eolus, Rontoosue, Dumbarton and Tristam Shaudy, on the 13th; the Moccasin, Aster, Zantic, R. R. Cuyler and Grand Gulf, on the 14th; and on the 15th, the Decotah and San Jacinto.
These were all the vessels available in the navy." ’
All these steamers, and more, starting out daily after one small vessel, short of coal and sadly in want of repairs!
British neutrality!
I stood on the deck, in the moonlight, thinking of the strange neutrality that works only against one side, and that, perhaps, the weaker.
About 11 o'clock we crossed the bar and ran out to sea, the lights on Sambro and the opposite point visible on either hand.
In two hours time we were far from land.
Saturday, 20th.--Clear and calm.
Sea smooth.
We run due east for several hours until well off the coast, then turned direct for Wilmington.
In the evening, captured schooner Roan, of Salisbury, Massachusetts, from Newburyport to Long Bay, Cape Breton, for a cargo of coal.
The prisoners, stores and nautical instruments were taken, and the vessel fired.
This ends our second week out.
[Third Week.]
Sunday, 21st.
--A quiet day. Prayers were read at 10 o'clock by Captain Wood, the whole ship's crew being assembled on the quarter-deck.
Two men and a boy were found stowed away on board, and put to work.
No sail in sight to-day.
Monday, 22d.--Rain fell in torrents this morning, and there was not a dry place on the steamer.
In the collision with the ship Adriatic the decks were badly sprung, and leak like a sieve.
The sea was very rough, and the "Tallahassee," rolling in approved screw-steamer style, made it very disagreeable to all on board.
Tuesday, 23d.--In smooth seas again.
There is a light breeze from the southeast and a burning sun. None of the cruisers sent out in pursuit of us have yet been seen.
In the evening, made two sail, under the English flag, but kept on our course without speaking them.
Wednesday, 24th.--A fair and pleasant day, light breezes and smooth sea. The sky is filled with cumulus clouds, that sail slowly along, or rise like a mountain chain from the horizon.
Showery at times.
Spoke two Nassau schooners, evidently of Yankee build, but under British register.
Thursday, 25th.--The noise of the screw working rapidly roused me soon after daybreak, and, by the velocity of our motion, saw there was a chase.
Upon reaching the deck, saw a long, low, side-wheel steamer chasing us. It was a slow craft, with two masts, swinging gaffs, and high paddle-boxes.
We ran away from him with all case, and in an hour had passed nearly around him and got on our original course.
About 7 o'clock he let off steam and stopped, some accident, probably, occurring to his machinery.
He repaired quickly, and came on after us, but in a few moments stopped entirely, and seemed permanently disabled.
At this time, another steamer discovered us, and gave chase, coming down across our bows and gaining rapidly upon us. Our course was changed, and, bringing him astern, we soon left him behind, and in two hours completely out of sight.
Light showers during the day.
We are now on the coast and in the cruising ground of the Yankees; but no vessels are in sight.
Late in the evening two sail are reported, neither of them steamers.
The air is very smokey, and there is every prospect of a successful run in. At sunset, took soundings between thirty and forty miles off the coast.
Go on under easy steam in order to make the lights on shore about nine o'clock. A little later than that hour they were distinguished, and we went slowly along until the mound vertical lights were made out. Took soundings within sight of a Yankee blockader, but were unseen ourselves until we ran down across his bows, then going at full speed, and headed in. In half an hour we had him abeam, and received the first shot.
Another followed, and then we replied with the air pivot gun. It was a good shot, and the Yankee was completely bewildered.
For five minutes he showed signals and threw rockets, but fired no more.
We gave him three shots, and turned to another bearing down upon us. Two shots were received from this one before we replied, and, like the other, he immediately steamed away without replying to our guns.
We steer straight through the fleet, going about twelve knots an hour.
One more comes up, and is within five hundred yards before he is discovered.
A shot that passes over us is the first intimation we have of him. He fires two shots, both of which go wide of the mark, and then turns away as our guns open fire in return.
Not a shot came in reply, and no desire is shown to come into closer quarters.
We fire at one more, who gives us a shot, and fires into his confrere, and in a few moments get safe through the whole and close under the guns of the fort.
In every instance the Yankees seemed perfectly astonished, and gave us a wide berth.
Only one replied to our fire, and he was firing at random and far astern of us.
At half-past 10 we came to anchor inside the bar, safe at home after our short but exciting cruise.
As soon as the anchor was dropped, all hands were called to muster, and Captain Wood read prayers, thanking God for having protected us through scenes of peril, and for delivering us from the hands of our enemies, bringing us safe into our destined port.
Since returning, some Yankee commander has sent in his report, in which he claims to have chased the "Tallahassee" into Wilmington, engaging her at the time.
This is utterly untrue — but what is the use to attempt to deny Yankee falsehoods?
They have told so many about us that I am perfectly astonished at the number.
Let them go.
Thirty-five vessels in all were captured by the "Tallahassee," some of them large and fine ships and barques; the others, coasting vessels and fishermen.
Had plenty of coal been allowed us, as many more might have been destroyed on our return trip; but there was only coal enough to take us in, and had we been chased off the coast, it must have given out entirely.
Fortunately, however, we were chased but a few hours, and then were not turned from our course. Bohemian.
