Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-10-14

BY A CONFEDERATE PRlvArEERsNAx

l was one Of the first men who
signed with the much vaunted Con.
federate cruiser. the Alabama, and my
service in her did not end until she
sailed into an English port with the
Confederate flag flying. You will
thus realize that I participated in the
capture Of several dozen Federal mer-
chantmen and whalers. There was a
samsness about cur .mannsr q. making
captures which We were glad to have
broken now and then. 1t was rarely
that vessel was overhauled during
the night. II We were in chase of her
We simply kept her in sight, or tried
to, until daylight came. While We
could not anticipate any stubborn re-
sistance, the right sort of skipper might
fire volley into boats crew or go
to some other uncomfortable extreme.
As a rule We had only to close in on
our victim, fire n solid shot across his
course, and he would heave to and
put the best face possible on bad
matter. The First Lieutenant would
be sent off to him with boat and half
a dozen marines and in the course OF
half an hour his fate would be decided.
If 1t was thought best to bond him
the papers were made out and signed,
and he was permitted to go his way.
If his craft was to be destroyed, the
men were allowed to bring up their
clothing and Eick-nacks, the officers
to pack up their personal effects, and
inside Of an hour the craft would be
ablaze and We would be sailing away
in search of another victim.
When We ran around in search of
whalers We came upon a Yankee skip
per who didn't know what surrender
meant. We were just well to the
west OF the stormy cape, when, one
morning after breakfast. We raised
whaler. He was headed up the coast,
and about noon We ovethauled him.
He paid no attention to the first shot
and it was only when the second one
hulled him that he came into the wind.
1t was then seen that he had fifteen
or sixteen men aboard, and that all
were armed with muskets and meant
to defend the ship. The Lieutenant
was sent off with his boat, but no soon
er was he within fair musket range
than the whsler opened on him, kill
ing one man and wounding two at the
first volley. The officer pushed ahead
and demanded surrender, but he
got another volley and the reply that
the whsler Would sooner 60 to the
bottom before he would surrender to
d rebel /!
The boat was recalled, and our gun
ners were instructed to hull the whalel
with solid shot. We approached him
within rifle range and opened FIRE
Every one of the balls pumped
through his side at and above the
water line, and he answered with his
muskets, severely wounding two men.
He was repeatedly hailed to surrender,
but in reply he encouraged his men to
maintain their fire. We soon had the
sea pouring into his starboard side
through dozen holes, and when it
was seen that he would soon go down
We ceased firing and again demanded
his surrender. can remember just
how he looked as he sprang upon the
rail-tsll and gaunt. hair flying and
eyes blazing, and shouted in reply:
The Ben. Scott don't surrender
Come and take us-if you can"
Five minutes later his craft settled
down bow first. We lowered the boats
to save his crew, and strangely enough
not man was lost. When we brought
them aboard, the Yankee skipper
walked up to Semmes. bareheaded,
barefooted and coatless, and said:
III Id only had one old cannon
aboard we'd have licked ye out OF yer
butes Here We are, and what are ye
going to do with US -
He was voted jolly good fellow.
and the crew were better treated than
any other ever forced aboard. In
order to give them their liberty the
very next capture We made was bond
ed and they were put aboard to sail
g. l. n..s