The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
THE STEAMBOATS, STORY.
Told By an Officer Of the Last Con-
fedeTate PTiVateeT.

MOmenrouB news Inar came on
Board in the Paciho-The Last Flap
of the Confederate Flag-A Ships
Crew of Men Without a Country.
From the St. Louis Republic.
DR.. F. J. McNulty, of zoo Huntington
avenue, Boston, was one Of the officers of
the confederate war ship Shenandoah,
which, on the 5th of November 1865, flung
to the breeze for the last time the stars
and bars. Asked by the writer to relate
the story of the cruise of the Shenandoah
and the last wave Of the southern flag, a
few days since, the doctor told this thrill
ing tale of the last terror of the seas,
whose track was marked by line of fire
around the earth, from the tropics to the
Arctic, while she gave the whaling ma
rine of the United States its fatal blow:
ION the evening of the Sth day of Octo-
Der 1864, said he, there met on Prin-
cesses dock, Liverpool, twenty-seVen men.
They were nearly unacquainted with
each other, and knew nothing of their
destination. All were officers Of the con-
federate navy, by commission or warrant,
and each had his distinct order to report
ct this place at the same hour. My COM
mission was that of assistant surgeon. A
tug was waiting, and we were hurried
upon its deck with great haste. In the
stream lay the steam blockade runner
Laurel In the shortest time magma
bic we were hustled on board this
the stream. AT the same hour,
casting of her lines from her London
dock and moving down the Thames with
her grim dogs of war concealed between
her decks ostensibly merchantmen and
bound for Bombay, sailed the English
-, Co lot 4laas
met in the harbor of Funchal, Madeira.
But the captain of the port ordering US
out of his waters in the name of his SOW
ereign of Portugal, we raised anchor and
found an Ohing beside the three great
Desertas, massive rocks that rise out of
the blue bosom of the Atlantic. Here
the ships were lashed together, and the
Sea King received from the Laurel, which
was loaded deep, arms, ordnance, and
coal sufficient for an extended voyage of
man-of-war
This done, the crews of both vessels
were ordered on board the Sea King,
when James L Waddell, going down Into
her cabin, soon reappeared on deck, clad
in full uniform, and bearing the side arms
Of confederate naval Captain. Holding
his commission for such office in his hand
he read it TO the assembled crews and
closed in brief address, declaring that
this ship, late the Sea King of England
now anu forever DC known as IQe
confederate states war ship Shenandoah;
that her object should be to pray upon
and destroy the commerce of the United
States, and that all Of either crew. the
Laurel's or the Sea Kings, who wished
to enlist their lives and services in the de-
fence of the confederate cause on board
this ship might now do so.
Immediately after this the lashings
were cast of and guns of salute in part
ing fired by the two vessels. The Laurel
turned her PROV to England and we to the
South Seas. Never before was ship be-
set by difficulties apparently so insur-
mountable. Demanding a complement
of 100 men, we bore away that day a ship
of-war with forty-seYen men all told. Al
though liable at any hour to meet the
challenge shot of the enemy, we entered
upon our duties without fear. There
was work for every man to do, and every
man put his heart In his task Boxes,
trunks, casks of beef and bread, coal and
ordnance, lay promiscously about the
ter days Of toll with biistered hands. all
was stored properly below and while
the carpenter and his mates cut port
holes for the guns, the captain took his
trick at the wheel, and officers aud men.
regardless Of rank, barefooted and with
trousers rolled up, scrubbed and holy
stoned decks. Yet in that strangely
gathered body of men was some of the
best blood OF the south. Historic names
were there. Lieut.. Lee, son of Admiral
Lee, commandant of the PHILADELPHIA
navy yard at the opening of the war and
nephew Of Gen. Robert E. Lee. was our
third lieutenant and had seen service on
the Georgia and Florida. Our chief en-
glneer and paymaster were from the Ala
oama and every commissioned officer was
graduate of the naval academy at An
napolis and had seen previous service.
The Shenandoah was built of teak and
Indian wood. She had quarter-inch iron
plating as well as iron knees and stanch-
ions. OF ], 100 tons English register 800
feet In length and 80 in breadth, her av-
erage speed was thirteen knots, though,
when entirely under sail, with propeller
unshipped and sails up, she often outdid
this. AT one time, sailing down the IN
dian Ocean, she made for four cousecu-
tive hours the high average rate Of eigh-
teen knots.
i"The morning of Oct. 90 was clear and
bright, and was made memorable by our
nrst visitors on board. The stranger
showed chase, but quickly changed his
mind when hustling shot across his
bows said, DO come and see u.s. the first
Of fifty pressing invitations. or this YES
seiis complement Of ten men, eight Joined
our crew. After our first capture, sail
ing steadily to the South Seas, and de-
stroylng ship nearly every other day,
on the evening of Nov. is we were on
the equator Here his most saline and
anciently enthroned majesty came
on board and brought with him his
numerous retinue, and the ceremony of
becoming naturalized citizens of the deem
had to be submitted to, many of the OH
GERS, including the assistant surgeon, un-
dergoing the tonsorial brushing up of old
Neptune. In these warm southern wa
tiers, with clear sky and little to do.
our quota Of men was now nearly made
up--the hours seemed like links of sun
shine. In the enchantment of the bright
dream one would forget that our occupa-
ton was less than peace. Then suddenly
sail would be deserted, and all would
be hustle, topsails would be shaken out,
and forging ahead, our gun would ring
out the iron voice of war The lowering
OF a flag and transferring of a crew would
follow and then in fame would
go up to the blue sky one more of the en-
emy's ships, leaving blot in the memory
OF an otherwise cloudless tropical day.
ION Dec. % we made the harbor of the
Island of Tristan de Acunha, the prin-
cipal OF group of islands in the South
Atlantic In its seventeen families nearly
all the principal nations are represented.
here we landed our prisoners and left
them three months supply of provi-
slons. Fortunately for u.s. we made a
short StOn at this island for n % o,,,.-,,,.7 :