The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-20

piping aud then shouting, "AIl hands secure
| prize. First and second cutters, awayl"
Such excitement and talking and congratu-
lations; everybody was in good spirits, for we
had captured a prize. Even our good Captain
seemed pleased and relieved. boat was sent
to bring the Captain and his papers on board,
snd another boat was getting ready to take on
board prize crew. The first boat returned with
the Captain his papers, and one OF two others.
Our boat crews soon found the liquors on board
and helped themselves freely, besides good
many other things from the prize. As no one
was allowed to leave the boats, they had to carry
the burdens Of confiscsted relics Of the COnfed-
eracy about their person inside their shirts
Some had attained immense proportions IN cir
conference in a very short time.
The captured steamer was the Neptune, an
iron steamer of about 200 tons. Her length
was 200 feet and % feet beam, with feathered
floats. She was very fast boat. and had been
successful in evading the blockade twice on
her last trip to Mobile. One million dollars of
Confederate money was offered for her. and re-
fused. She was from Havana. The Captain
who brought her from Glasgow navigated her
at sea, and another one was on board when she
got near the blockade.
It was near four bells IN the dog watch be-
fore we got everything shipshape; a prize
crew and some coal on board of her, and her
crew and passengers over to us. Ali the petty
Two hOwitzers were trained on deck-one for
ward and the other aft. Ali knives and weap-
ons were taken from the captured. The Cap
tain was taken in the ward-room; the Engi-
neers with the Engineers mess.
When all hands were called to man the boat
falls in the evening, the Master-at-Arms was
.e..l for, the marine guard stood at the gang
way, and as the boats crews came out of the
boats they were ordered to stand at the mast
They made poor effort to stand, for they
reeled and staggered, and lauded the First
Lieutenant to the skies; they would die for
him, etc. They were told to unburden them
selves, and as the Master at Arms helped them
at this it was laughable sight to see the
quantity and variety of things they had gath
cred from the prize Cases were opened and
broken, lying everywhere on deck, they said,
and liquor enough to swim in. Those that
had taken so much as to be continuously noisy
and abusive were taken to the brig until sober.
The rest went to their messes and duty.
large hawser was now passed TO the prize,
which was under the command of Acting
Master Owens, and the engines under William
Fisher, Second Assistant Engineer. We now
headed back for the blockade under easy
steam, the prize just taking off the strain of
the haWser. All the watch had to be kept
moving through the night. There were about
45 crew and passengers taken from her, and
some violent expressions were uttered by some.
1t became so abusive that one had to be bucked
aud gagged to keep his tongue quiet. The first
night passed without anything transporting to
apprehend any fear or danger from our cap
tiVeS.
On Monday, the 18th, we were steaming
along with our prize in tow when we were
again startled by the lookout at the mast shout
ing: Black smoke on the port bow"
Our prize was called up, the hawser hauled
in, and the prize went off at rightangles to
hPaH NJ "a c nri2 aD1a
up alongside TO receive orders, we had good
chance to see her lines and how easily she
moved through the water The Captain that
| brought her over was sitting on the carriage of
No. gun with the writer of this when he said :
If / had had that Engineer on board yester-
day morning would have given 81, 900 in golG
coin" He also said that they had trouble with
the Engineers that brought her out. They
wanted higher wages and more privileges in
carrying cotton, ETC., to which the owners
| would not accede, and they left. In their
places they shipped some Spanish Engineers,
/ who were not well acquainted with the marine
| engines. And that was the reason we caught
a blockade-runner that could steam Is knots
an hoHr. The black smoke was soon seen along
| the line of the horizon stretching away for q
mile, and in an hour steamer was in full
sight. She soon saw that she was cornered,
and commenced to throw overheard her cargo
| Of cotton. We fred across her bows two or
three times without the effect of stopping her.
| One of the empty shell went through her pad
| dle-bo into the cotton piled on deck. As
/ We neared her we saw smoke issuing from
several places, which were evident signs that
she had been fired. At short range aud with
/ one or two shots that struck her cotton-b bales,
| we brought discretion TO bear on their valor,
| and down came the flag. Again the Boatswain
and his Mates piped, "All hands secure prize"
A boat was manned and sent aboard for the
Captain and his papers, while another boat was
| sent with two officers and crew to put out the
fire burning on board the prize.
When the boat returned, bringing the Cap
| tain, who was very abusive aud insulting to
everybody, but who delivered his papers TO
our Captain and said the steamers name was
the Planter, from Mobile, bound to Havana,
and in the strongest terms protested against
| the capture.
We were about four hours transferring crews
and getting things straight for long tow back
to the blockading feet We had the Planter
| next the Lackawanna, and the Neptune to the
| Planter. She was one of these old sidewheei
river boats, with everything cumbersome and
! ancient ia her machinery so that it was i'm
possible for her to keep up with u.s. About
midnight of the 18th, or Monday, it commenced
| 10 be breezy, so that on Tuesday morning there
was a considerable chop of a sea on, that made
| it dangerous for our tow. She would almost
| plunge under bow first at times. It blew strong
all day on Tuesday, and we thought we should
have TO abandon the Planter by setting her on
fire and leaving her prize TO the sea. An.
other new hawser was passed over, and the
length of the other extended some, for her tc
ride easier.
We got back about shutdown on Friday
when two of the gunboats were sent out to SEE
who we were coming in. It certainly was
surprise to the flagship and the whole fleet to
come back after a weeks absence with two
prizes in tow. The Lackawanna was visited
on Saturday by every ship on the blockade
asking questions about the chase.
They were both sent to New York and ad
Indicated on as lawful prizes by the Admiralty
Court. The Planter had on her when captured
625 bales of cotton and 120 barrels of resin
The only one sharing in the prize money be
sides the Lackawanna was Admiral Thatcher
of the Colorado, he being Fleet Admiral
Michigan Monuments at Gettysburg.
On June IL the State of Michigan dedicate,
her monuments on the battlefield of Gettys
burg. On account of rain the exercises wer,