yes, and musical tongues, in the neighboring village of San Roque, only a pleasant canter over into Spain, from Gibraltar.
Chapman was, unfortunately, going from London to Nassau, in a blockade runner, while I was returning from the latter place to Liverpool, preparatory to joining the Alabama. It was thus we missed each other; d by me, for his worthlessness, went over to the enemy, and became one of Mr. Adams' hangers-on, and paid witnesses and spies about Liverpool, and the legation in London.
As a preparatory step to embracing the Yankee cause, he married a mulatto woman, in Kingston, Jamaica, (though he had a wife living,) whom he swindled out of what little property she had, and then abandoned.
I was quite amused, when I saw afterward, in the Liverpool and London papers, that this man, who was devoid of every virtue, and steeped to the lips in every vice, was giving testimony in the English courts, in the interest of the nation of grand moral ideas.
This was the only recr
e was a running about the decks, and an evident indecision for a few moments, as to what was best to be done; but it did not take the masters long to take an intelligent view of the situation.
There was nothing to be done, but surrender; and this they did, by hoisting their colors, and heaving to their ships.
We now shortened sail, and laying the maintopsail to the mast, lowered a couple of quarter boats, and boarded the prizes.
One of them proved to be the Brilliant, from New York, for London, laden with flour and grain; and the other, the Emily Farnum, from New York, for Liverpool, with a similar cargo.
The cargo of the Farnum being properly documented as neutral property, I released her on ransom-bond, and converting her into a cartel, sent on board of her all my prisoners, of whom I had fifty or sixty on board the Alabama, besides those just captured in the Brilliant. The latter ship was burned, and her destruction must have disappointed a good many holders of bills of exchan
e sun had set, and it was blowing half a gale of wind.
Our boats had a rough job before them, but they undertook it with a will.
The first ship boarded was the Gilderslieve, and the second, the Justina. The former was a New York ship, last from London, with a cargo of coal, purporting to be shipped for the service of the Peninsular, and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, but there was no certificate of neutral ownership on board.
Ship and cargo were therefore condemned.
The Justina was a Bal her, but was prevented by the regularity of her papers and the circumstances surrounding her. She was a Maine-built ship, but had evidently been bona fide transfeared, as her master and crew were all Englishmen, and she was then on a voyage from London to Calcutta.
She received on board from us, a couple of the passengers—an Irishman and his wife—captured on board of the Talisman, who were anxious to go to Calcutta.
For the next two or three days, we had a series of blows, amounting almost to
of June, we overhauled two more American ships, under English colors.
One of these was the Azzapadi of Port Louis, in the Mauritius.
She was formerly the Joseph Hale, and was built at Portland, Maine.
Having put into Port Louis, in distress, she had been sold for the benefit of whom it might concern, and purchased by English parties, two years before.
The other was the Queen of Beauty, formerly the Challenger. Under her new colors and nationality, she was now running as a packet between London, and Melbourne in Australia.
These were both bona fide transfers, and were evidence of the straits to which Yankee commerce was being put. Many more ships disappeared from under the flaunting lie by sale, than by capture, their owners not being able to employ them.
The day after we overhauled these ships, we boarded a Bremen bark, from Buenos Ayres, for New York, with hides and tallow, on Yankee account.
The correspondents of the New York merchants were taking the advice of the latter,
Admiral, by the Consul, that the transactions which have been related as taking place at Angra Pequeña, had taken place at this island, in violation of British neutrality.
In what the evidence consisted I did not learn, but the Consul, in his distress and extremity, had probably had recourse to some more Yankee affidavits.
It was this charge which Captain Bickford had come on board to ask an explanation of. The following letter from Sir Baldwin Walker, to the Secretary of the Admiralty in London, will show how easily I brushed off the gadfly, for the second time:—
With reference to my letters, dated respectively the 19th and 31st ult., relative to the Confederate States ship-of-war Alabama, and the prizes captured by her, I beg to enclose, for their lordships information, the copy of a statement forwarded to me by the Collector of Customs at Cape Town, wherein it is represented, that the Tuscaloosa and Sea-Bride had visited Ichaboe, which is a dependency of this colony.
Since
ed.
The flag and the pennant fly over them both, and they are both withdrawn from the local jurisdiction by competent commissions.
On principle you might as well have undertaken to inquire into the antecedents of the Alabama as of the Tuscaloosa. Indeed, you had a better reason for inquiring into the antecedents of the former, than of the latter; it having been alleged that the former escaped from England in violation of your Foreign Enlistment Act. Mr. Adams, the United States Minister at London, did, in fact, set up this pretension, and demand that the Alabama should be seized in the first British port into which she should enter; but Earl Russell, in pointed contradiction of his recent conduct in the case of the Tuscaloosa, gave him the proper legal reply, viz.: that the Alabama being now a ship of war, he was estopped from looking into her antecedents.
A simple illustration will suffice to show you how untenable your position is in this matter.
If the Tuscaloosa's commission
here is no doubt that a great many more would have perished.
Captain Winslow has stated, in his despatch to his Government, that he desired to board the Alabama. He preserved a most respectful distance from her, even after he saw that she was crippled.
He had greatly the speed of me, and could have laid me alongside, at any moment, but, so far from doing so, he was shy of me even after the engagement had ended.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Federal Navy, published by Mr. Adams, in London, a few days after the engagement, he says:—I have the honor to report that, toward the close of the action between the Alabama and this vessel, all available sail was made on the former, for the purpose of regaining Cherbourg.
When the object was apparent, the Kearsarge was steered across the bow of the Alabama, for a raking fire, but before reaching this point, the Alabama struck.
Uncertain whether Captain Semmes was not making some ruse, the Kearsarge was stopped.
This is probably the e
s lighted every hill.
But along with the rejoicing there went up a howl of disappointed rage, that I had escaped being made a prisoner.
The splendid victory of their iron-clad over a wooden ship was shorn of half its brilliancy.
Mr. Seward was in a furor of excitement; and as for poor Mr. Adams, he lost his head entirely.
He even conceived the brilliant idea of demanding that I should be delivered up to him by the British Government.
Two days after the action, he wrote to his chief from London as follows:—
The popular excitement attending the action between the Alabama and the Kearsarge has been considerable.
I transmit a copy of the Times, of this morning, containing a report made to Mr. Mason, by Captain Semmes.
It is evidently intended for this meridian.
The more I reflect upon the conduct of the Deerhound, the more grave do the questions to be raised with this Government appear to be. I do not feel it my duty to assume the responsibility of demanding, without instructio
was drawn out of the water by his boat's crew, and taken on board his yacht, after the battle.
It was quite natural that Mr. Seward's Yankee correspondents in London and Paris, and Mr. Seward himself, should suppose that money and stealings had had something to do with Mr. Lancaster's generous conduct.
The whole American war,sioner at the Court of London, thanked Mr. Lancaster for his humane and generous conduct in the following terms:—
24 upper Seymour Street, Portman square, London, June 21, 1864.
dear Sir:—I received from Captain Semmes, at Southampton, where I had the pleasure to see you, yesterday, a full report of the efficient servies.
The reader will recollect the circumstances under which I became acquainted with the latter gentleman, when I laid up the Sumter at Gibraltar, and retired to London.
He now came to insist that I should go again to my English home, at his house, to recruit and have my wound cared for. As I had already engaged quarters at Mill
Chapter 56:
Author makes a short visit to the continent
returns to London, and Embarks on his return to the Confederate States
lands at Bagdad, near the mouth of the Rio Grande
journey through Texas
reaches Louisiana, and crosses the Mississippi; and in a few days more is at home, after an absence of four years.
all care and responsibility, as soon as I had wound up the affairs of the Alabama, and went up to enjoy the hospitality of my friend Tremlett, at Belsize Park, in London.
Here we arranged for a visit, of a few weeks, to the continent, and especially to the Swiss mountains, which was carried out in due time.
One other gentleman, g, with or without their papas and mammas, and boasting of the Confederacy!
Most of these carpet-knights had been in Europe during the whole war.
Returning to London, in the latter days of September, a few days in advance of my travelling party, I made my preparations for returning to the Confederate States; and on the 3d of O
