Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-11-06
WITH THE ALABAMA.
A New Story OF the Con fed
crate Cruiser.
Ona Of Her Grew Tells how She Once
Los. Rich Yankes Priss.


story Of his vessel, the Confederate
cruiser Alabama in the Detroit Fee
Press
In 1863, as the Conftde. ate cruiser
LETT Bahia for Cape Town 10 prey upon
Federal commerce wherever found, she
captured the Jlstina only few miles
cas-; OF the port mentioned. Then she
headed to the south and picked up
the Jabez Snow, the Amazonlan, the
Talisnan and the Conrad in succession
on that course When below Rio |
Janeiro and ready TO shape her course to
the east, she picked up the Anna
Schmidt, and four days later the Elk
press. From tina. point we made the
long voyage to the Cape without secur-
ing another victim, though we sighted |
several which escaped US Ny story has
to do with one of the latter incidents
Que afternoon, as we We're holding our
course under sail, with the fires banked
aud steam down, sail was sighted to
the north. After time she was made
out to be large ship, and was holding
her course for the Cape. For long
time some of the officers held that she
was English, and as we were both gradu
ally nearing each other the engineer re-
ceived no orders to get up steam. There
was good sea on, aud the promise of
nasty night, when, an hour before sun
down, the two crafts, running the legs
of a triangle, as it were, approached
each other within about two miles.
Then we hoisted the United States
flag, although by this time it was we'll
known that she was American. After
few minutes the ball was run up to her
masthead and broke away to unfurl the
Old stars and stripes. We had made
ourselves believe that we hated the old
flag, but when we saw it given to the
breeze above the swelling sails Of a noble
clipper out there on the broad Atlantic,
we men fet like cheering
Down came the flag of deceit from our
masthead, and up went the flag of the
Southern ConfeIeracy in its place. 1t
! must have been great surprise to the
/ Yankee, and upon my word | felt sorry
at the thought OF such a noble craft be-
! ing given over to the flames The wind
was from the northwest, and brceZing up
stronger all the time. We cast loose q
gun and fired shot across the clipper S
course, and according to the usual order
of things she should have heaved to and
submitted to the inevitable. We all
looked for such action, especially as We
were now not over mile apart and she
we'll under our guns. There was some
thing like futtcr Of excitement aboard
OF her for o moment, and then her moss
pointed up to the north, her men
swarmed aloft, and in five minutes she
was a pyramid OF canvas and walking Of
like race horse. DurinG
this interval we had been beat
ing to quarters and casting loose tie
guns, and as it was seen that she meant 4
run away from US we opened on her with
everything that would bear. She wa
now almost stern-on to lis, and IN E
raking position, but we soon found that
the heavy sea running materially inter
fered with our gunnery. Sac had II,
doubt calculated OF this, and thougl
some Of our shots gave her close shave
she gave her whole attention TO gettint
away. We soon saw that sAs could out
sill US, and orders were z wen u get U
steam. We kept peGging away al her
hopes to cripple her alott, but before "
had accomplished anything darknes
came down. We sent men aloft wit
glasses to keep her IN SIGHT, and reserve
our ammunition until we should get I
: close quarters. We clapped on all tt
canvas we could carry, and If or tin
/ had steam to help Us along, but befol
the propeiles hai made q revolution II
: men aloft had reported tha, the c.ipps
, was out ot sight.
Our only recourse was to follow to Il
S northeast in IA pes OF picking her =
when daylight came. bu, when d.
l broke after long and wary night Il
ocean was clear Of sal. The day "
k reached Cape Town we saw our fuciti'
C safely anchored in the harbor Two
three days later. when I was on sho
|, leave, Iran across some Of her crew. au
5 was told by them ;ha, - soon as. $
was beyond our si-4t sac turned on Il
&c heel and ran 10 the south, thu. cross.t
cur bows and making every yard we II
take Us farther away from her
u midnight she bore . the Eas. again, 81
I was in C4pe Town four DAYS ahead