Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-07-07
PURE GRIT.
story Told by q Confederate Priva.
teersman.

story Told by q Confederate Priva.
teersman.
From the Detroit Free Press.
l was one of the first men who signed pa
pers with the much-vaunted Confederate
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 merchant
men and whalers. There was a sameness
about our manner of making captures which
we were glad to have broken now and then.
1t was but rarely that a vessel was over
hauled during the night. If 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 resistance,
the right sort of a skipper might fire vol
ley into boats crew go to some other
uncomfortable extreme. AS rule we had
only to close in on our victim, fire solid
shot across his course and he would heave to
and put the best face possible on bad mat
ter. The first lieutenant would be sent OFF
to him with boat and half dozen ma
rines, and in the course of half an hour his
fate would be decided. IF if was thought
best to bond him the papers were made out
anu sighed, anu u0 WAS " SO LIS
way. If his craft was to be destroyed the
men were allowed to bring up their clothing
and knicknacks, the officers to pack up their
personal effects, and inside of an hour the
craft would be eblaze and we would be sail
ing away in search of another victim.
When ran around in search of whalers
came upon Yankee skipper who didn't
know what surrender meant. We were just
we'll to the west of the stormy cape when
one morning after breakfast we raised a
whaler. He was headed up the coast and
about noon we overhauled 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 sooner was he
within fair musket range than the whaler
opened on him, killing one man and
wounding two at the first volley- The Off
GERS pushed ahead and demanded surren-
der, but he got another volley and the re-
ply that the whaler "would go to the bot
tom before he weuld surrender to d
rebell'
The boat was recalled and our gunners
were instructed to hull the whaler with
solid shot. We approached him within II.
he 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 main
tain their fire. We soon had the sea pour
ino into her starboard side through dozen
holes, and when it was seen that he would
90 down we ceased firing and again de-
handed his surrender. 1 remember just
how he looked as he sprang on the rail
tall. gaunt, hair flying and eyes blazing
and shouted in reply:
.sThe Ben. Scott don't surrender! Come
and take us-if you can"
Five minutes later his craft settled down
how first We lowered the boats to save
his crew and strange enough not a man
was lost. When we brought them aboard