Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-12-05
JUDAS.
A Story Of the Civil War.

1 met him yesterday. He has at
tanned name, and fame, and fortune.
He didn't remember me, and I'm glad
he didn't. He has done some remark
able work, and he has succeeded. :"
Yesterday had the chance of shaking
hands with the great man.
l did not shake hands with him; the
fact is, couldn't. There are some
people you can't shake hands with, you
know; there are some sins impossible to
forgive some crimes so base that neither
time nor repentance can ever blot them
out. When 1 saw his photographs I
said to myself, I've seen the face before
somewhere; and when l saw him it all
same back to me-
1t was in 1856. I am not going to
give you the exact year. 1 had shipped
as an able-bodied seaman on board the
Qet us say Columbia. The Columbia
was man-of-war, and belonged to the
federal navy. We the federals) had
almost wiped out the so-called Con-
fcderate navy. but there We're one or
two blockade-runners that still both
cred us. Among them was that notori-
GUS vessel the Harbinger, and hitherto
the Harbinger had succeeded in show
ing the ships of the federal fleet clean
pair of heels. She had actually shot
across our bows in a thick fog into
which she disappeared; and we fired
three hurried shots at her with our
great DaAlgren gun, one of which car
ried away her funnel. I called her
Il 0a1- Il INST 1,,,%
looked upon her as little better than @
pirate. She began as blockatle-runner,
armed UnitSd States vessel She sunk 81
burned her, taking the crews prisoners,
and then showing them ashore in I'M
comfortable places. We knew that she
was lying in hiding in one Of the numer-
Gus bayous of the western coast of
Florida, and it had been reported that
her engines had broken down. OF
course, il we met her at sea naval
duel would take place, and either the
Columbia or the Harbinger would have
to 60 to the bottom. We knew per-
fectly we'll that Admira! Sykes, as he
called himself, OF the Confederate navy
would never surrender. Couldn't, you
see, because at least third of his crew
consisted Of deserters from the federal
army OF navy, and had price upon
their heads, and as my American ship
mates put it, chad Just got to he
hanged"
We had searched inlet after inlet; the
men were worn out with accommodating
in boats and rowing for hours in the
glowing sun, in the muddy inlets and
silent bayous which were badly marked
i'll the charts, and where the soundings
could not be depended on. One third
of the crew was down with fever, ano
deaths occurred nearly every day; but
we knew that the Harbinger had to be
taken. If we could only find her, and
il her engines were really broken down
she would fall comparatively easy
prey. Our chief fear was that she
might be able to repair damages and
slip out past us under cover of thicl
night, and recommence her depreda
tions.
We had three weeks Of it. The night
was thickish, and was on duty on the
maintop crosstrees. Not sound broke
the stiffness of the night. Ever and
anon the light of the moon would breal
forth fitfully, only to disappear agar
between the driving clouds. There was
a sort of Scotch mist of rain which
wetted one to the bone and made me
and the companion of my watch (there
were couple of us in the crosstrees
actually suffer from the cold, though il
was summer night.
"Pard,' said my shipmate to me
whats that?'
We could see an indistinct something
moving slowly through the mist toward
the Columbia; we knew it was boa
of some sort by the slight phosphores.
cent trail it left upon the calm water
we guessed it must be canoe, for the
strokes were not synchronous. I hur
ried down and reported to the officer Of
the watch. When we had first sighted
the canoe it must have been some hall
a mile off, and l need hardly say that i,
was absolutely invisible from the deck.
But the officer of the watch came w
into the top, and it was plain enough
that the advancing object was a canoe
padded by single man; and then the
officer of the watch raised rife to his
shoulder and let fly over the mani head
he didn't mean to hit him, you know
only to brighten him.
"For Gods sake don't shoot ?" shouted
the man; and lie lighted pine-knot
and held it above his head. "I've come
to surrender!"
The officer ordered him to come
aboard and report himself. We flung
him rope and lie clambered up th.
side.
A "mean whitc," evidently. He hai
on pair Of old tattered trousers blacl