Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-09-07

INV Anna Schmidt anO Hkpt IS z, 9IlUNU
Here We pause TO point ont that thus far We have
scheduled half the career Of the Alabama She served
the Oonfederates for cxIolly trenty,W0 )nths aud
We have given the dss Of her operations in the first
bllf Of that pstiod-namely tlsven months. II tAAt
tine then the amount oil property which she oe5oyed
an the h gh seas amounted, ne estimated by Oaptain
S,mmes 20 a little more thRn 81 600 900. NOW, com
mare Ibis with tie latter halt of her OF hei
ast eleven months ih we're no lees than seYen In
which Il does not appear that suy captures were made
10 the r,mRinng fouf- namely, IN Oeio6er, Nysmesr
aud December Of last year aud in January OF the pres
cor year, she secured the DunHtS the Amanda, the
Winged Racer thu Contest the Texan Star, the S.nors
ths Highsnder and the Emma Jane, IL all eight va
ned At S6f2 co., The comparison Ia Instructive, fer
n shows that the Alabama snd her slater ships bed
done their work ,fectualy Ia tlo last eleven months
of her cruising she did no more 6amnge thSn in the
Acct eleven m9nths she had been known 10 do in sin
ele month, as the month of o,tober 1882, or the
mouth OF May, 1888
Considering this fact We eau the more easily UNDER
saad the determiual on which Captain SHINES form,
of going out to ght she Kesrsage. There ere strong
in6aIous throughout these volumes that gradually his
W9rk was becoming irksOme 20 him. Success hid
brought with IL the Wea mess of inaction, and the
federate Captain ready for any desperate nterpse
tina, would brighten his lasors. II March OF last year
he vro In his journal " Sea life s becoming al
more dis;es.e vi to me. The isoE 10 am reaching
age when men long for quiet ard rep9se," This was
hoSever, when his hands Nee ul OF work, and when,
chat with bciterous March WiIds and plenty OF prizes
to DO caught he rcarCtly al moments res 10 tie
Nav fol oSiag the most olIG OF all the months 20
him. ne wrote 10 bis diary 4" en- quite bomeslck, tn
"a et Sunday morning. am new two long, long
Years away from my family, and there are no signs OF
an abatement OF the var" Then on another Sunday
IA last ct mSer h Wrote-'Ano.her lonely Sabbath
day-lonely, thong in the midst OF $50 people. Away
away from home by bali the eiIcum ereLcs Of the
globe 0Re Of the mos fnqlent and unpleasant OF
nv exoerieI css since entered the O1na sea % an OPP
preesiTe senas OF great distance from home, and the ut
ter strsngeness Of every thing round me, almost &c
though had entered snOher planet" s i'll ha pants
for home, ard writes yet again "Well, We are on the
ga once more with head turned westward or home
ward Shlll we ever reach that dear home which
h three years ago, Oni which We have yearaed after
fir, gently since; Mill Il be ha tia OF ehipWreek, or
nei' nsrf And when We reach the North Atlantic viii
IL be still var or pesceY when will the demonlite
pasons of the Norlb be stll,dt These nie solemn aud
Interesting questions for Us, and an a-Wise Prosi-
d,nce hss kindly hidden tie answers behind the
curtain of fa,e" The who go wrote came 10
Elrtps With the Alabama sadly neediJg repair. Hsr
copper needed 70 be replaced and her boilers TO be
oVCTbauled. Her sailrg powers we're much beneath
her mark and she Cherbourg, one mgt tsay,
cripple Yet was 10 this plight Capt Semmee, without
waiting for Tepars made up his mnd 10 out OF haEboT
70 6Qhs the ,arssge, and h' lest the battle manly be-
cause the enemy, having Iter speed was enabled to
DreBcrDo the cOlQlllOus VI tuo uSbb Auo OVyoOb vi
mt mmes Ap oarently was to b:a the enemy, ard
from deficiency OF speed be unable to carry cut bis
intention Tast in these circumstances he chose to
6Rht and override the remOnsaucei OF bis friends eau
but be- psined 10 largo ent By the precious state
Of bis mind Mid was harass'd by COT fc;ing feel
ings On the hand, he and his shipnates lad Ia
,ely little to do and psuting for some great cue
ces4 On the other hand, he was longing Tor repO
al had, perhaps, secret thrcushts Of striking
gscat blow that Woud justify him 10 Geek ng for rsea
from the peculiar duties Whol the Alabama imposed
upon him.
CAPTAIN Sammes has done his work WE'LL but ss We
read the narrative of seizure se sez re stEuek
IN the important part which mere audaoity aud te-
nacty play IN the achievement OF such success Spite
of the iirg powers with which the Alabama Was On
do we'd, and which in their perfection rendered escape
from her almost an impossibity, there occasions
when merchantmen had chance Of escape II they only
knew t. and VII IN the victory OF the Alabama was due
entirely TO the fear which she inspired.