Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-25

bled his horses, cooked his dinner,
waited on his guests, washed bis linen,
made his bed and marked bis game of
billiards, and all at a ridiculously low
rate of hire. If there had been a
baby to nurse it would have been all
the same"
THE ONLY RELIC.
The fitting up of the privateer fin
ished, Captain Semmes sailed away.
When he next appeared at Singapore
it was after the sinking Of the Ala
bama by the Kearsage off Cherbourg,
France. He had in his possession
the flag of his gig, and assured Mr..
Beaver, to whom he then presented
the bunting, that it was the only relic
OF the dreaded cruiser. Mr.. Beaver
was rejoiced at obtaining possession Of
the pr~ivateer's flag, declared it should
never leave his hands, and during his
lifetime always kept it under lock
and key. Last fall MI. Beaver died
at Singapore, and among his effects
was found the flag, with a number of
autograph letters from Captain
These articles came into the
possession of the dead merchants
brother, Mr.. K. Atwood Beaver, of
Liverpool, who, as stated, handed
them over to Boynton. Following is
a copy Of the letter received by the
latter with the flag:
LIVERPOOL, 18th February, 1885,
L. w. Boynton, Esq, Hartford,
Conn; Herewith | beg to hand you
the flag of the Alabama. The particu.
lars of how | became possessed of it
are as follows: My brother III. r. b.
having rendered Captain Semmes great
service as southern agent at Singa-
pore in fitting out the good ship for
her cruise, had this given to him by
Captain Semmes as the only relic of
the ship. Navigating Lieutenant
Bullock now resident in Liverpool,
but who at that time was serving on
board the Alabama, recognizes the
flag and writes to me as inclosed re-
garding it. This was Semmes' own
flag, and Lieutenant Bullock tells me
was the first made with the stars
thereon on board the ship. Believe
me truly yours,
r. ATWOOD BEAVER.
"P. S.-During my brothers life no
money would have purchased this to
him most dear to him treasure, but
since his death, in Singapore, last fall,
it has come into my possession"
The Enclosure he referred to is a
note from Lieutenant j, s. Bullock,
dated February %, and worded as
follows:
"The Confederate flag in your pos
session was the one used in the cap
tain's gig of the Alabama. 1t was
made on board by the signal quarter
master, by my command as sailing
master of the late Alabama. Captain
Semmes presented it to your late
brother at Singapore. | am glad your
friend is going to take it where it
once, in kind, waved, and where |
deeply regret it is NOT now firmly
planted"
sEMMES' AUTOGRAPH LETTERS.
To obtain possession of the flag Mr..
Boynton went expressly to Liverpool.
There he was also given by Mr.. Bea-
YER some of Semmes' autograph let
ters to the Singapore merchant. The
FIRST Of these was written two days af-
ter the Alabama left Singapore, and
reads as follows:
CONFEDERATE STATES, STEAMER
ALABAMA, STRAITS OF MALAGA,
Dec. %, 1863.-My Dear Sir | cap
5ured an enemy's ship yesterday, un-
Ter English colors and register. She
vas formerly the Texan Star, of Bos-
,on-her assumed name, under her
lew c%olors, being the Martaban, of.
Maulmain-her false papers having
been prepared at the latter place three
lays before the capture-the master,
nate and the white portion of the
rev being citizens of the United
As | am in the habit Of being
naligned for all my acts, it is quite
likely that a false aspect will be at
,empted to be given to this exercise
If my belligerent rights. | therefore
to you a certified copy of the
masters deposition, from which you
will perceive that the whole transac-
ion Of the change of flags and papers
vas a barefaced fraud-just such a
raud, in fact, as the whole yankee
leet in these seas would perpetrate if
hey thought it would avail them.
Keep quiet for a few days, and if your
,ress or public seem to be getting
wrong impressions from the false
tatements Of my enemies, publish the
deposition in some one Of your news
,apers. With respect to the cargo,
here being no certificate on board Of
t being neutral property, nor any other
PAPER connected with it, except the
ordinary bill Of laden it, of course,
the fate of the ship-the pre-
sumption of law being that all prop
irty not satisfactorily shown to be
Neutral, found on board an enemys
is enemy's property.
II may as well state here that the
fact of a transfer of an enemy's
hip to a neutral during war has a
amt Of suspicion about it to begin
With and that | will spare no ship
where the bona ida Of the transaction
s not perfectly apparent. Yours
Tery respectfully,
r. SEMMEs, Captain.
"P. S.-December 81 opened
letter to say that | burned two
,ther yankee ships this morning, the
and the Highlander.
The certified copy of the masters
deposition referred to above is now
n Mr.. Boyton's~ possession, and is as
'ubjoined
DEPOSITION OF s.. B. PIKE, OF THE