The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-13
A SHOT TO HEAVE TO.

mantled then turned over to the natives to
plumber. After that they were burned.
From that point the cruiser steered direct
for the arctic regions in the track of the
whalers. She sailed in the Okhotsk sea
three weeks in May and June, 1865, max
ing but one capture She next headed for
Behring strait, the cruising ground of
the whaling fleet. In one week, between
June % and 49, "a whalers were run down
All were burned except four that were
ransomed to carry home prisoners. At one
swoop eight prizes were taken, all New
England whalers They were fired together
in group. The Shenandoah and two ran
somed vessels loaded with prisoners an
chored near by, and the last hostile act in
the civil war; u conhagration that lit up the
silent northern sea- was witnessed by few
hundred souls who could never forget the
strange and impressive scene.
Not one of the band engaged in those
acts of war nor one Of the victims knew
that the strife had ended more than a
month previous and that during all her
depredations in the northern seas the Shen-
andoah had been a ship without country
and flag. In other words, she was a pi-
rate. Lee had surrendered six weeks before,
and meanwhile a nominal truce had exist
ed among all combatants within reach of
mails or telegraph The Shenandoah was
beyond the reach of signal or summons, in
seas navigated only at intervals On June
30 she left the strait and steered for San
Francisco. On Aug. 2 n British bark was
spoken that had news of the surrender of
the Confederate armies and capture of JEFF
Davis. The cruisers cannon were at once
dismantled, her ports boarded up and
whitewashed, and she once more appeared
the peaceful merchantmen that had
steamed away from London 10 months be
| fore In her brief career she had destroyed
| "a ships and ransomed 4. The total value
of her captures was over 81 100000. Under
| the menace of her guns, but without shot
| fired except as signal to lie to, she had
obliterated the whaling industry of the
northern seas. Thus had the Alabama
been avenged.
1t was u life and death run for the Shen-
| ondoah to the shelter of England's home
| ports after Captain Waddell learned that
his good ship was liable to be pounced upon
any moment and dispatched as an Ishmael
of the sea by the United States cruisers.
| She reached Liverpool Nov. 5, 1865, without
having spoken vessel ON the long voyage
| from the California coast, an experience
in solitude that not soul on board of hel
had reason to lament. The crew of the
| Shenandoah had ceased to yearD for the cry
| of Sail, hop
The Liverpool pilot clambered over the
side of the cruiser at midnight, and find
ing the scene strange one curiously asked
What ship is thiss"
"The late Confederate steamer Shenan
doah," was the bold answer.
''The devil you say! Where have you fel
| lows come from lastIo
From the Arctic ocean. What new!
from the war in American"
at has been over SO long people have go
through talking about it. JEFF Davis is il
Fortress Monroe, and the Yankees have
feet of cruisers out looking for you"
The newspapers made an hours sensation
over the affair, but denounced the officer
as pirates" The formality of swear
ing the crew upon their American citizen
ship was gone through, all hands babe tn
good ship adieu and after three cheers fo
the commander broke ranks and scuttere'
over the sides. Thus was disbanded tn
last war company of the confederacy.
| GEORGE l.. kILMER.