The Portland daily press., 1895-04-06

northward, we were in a few moments out
side OF the bar. The Brooklyn had by this
time approached us within bout four miles
and was making every effort to OF erhaul us
A oeeply exciting chase comme need and |
was for some time doubtful of my success
| The Brooklyn had the reputation of BEING
| very fast, both under sail and steam, aud
was very doubtful whether my gallant little
ship bad the heels of her. The Brooklyn
having made SAIL we did the same, hauling
IN gradual curve seaward The Brooklyn
having emerged from sqlall in which sne
had been hid. loomed up very large with
her heavy battery and tall spars, her flag
being plainly distinguishable at her peak
AT length 1t began to be perceptiDle that we
were dropping her by slow degrees, and my
excited nervous system experienced a par
fIal relaxation from the tension to which il
had been strained for the last three hours
AT 5:3 the Brooklyn, seeing that We had the
heels of her, gave up the chase and bore
up to the northward. Called all hands, sent
them into the rigging and gave threecheers
Tor the Confederate flag, after which by in
YitatioD, l met the officers in the ward
room and drank glass of wine with them in
honor of the event. 1t was positive luxury
as the evening set in to breathe the pure
air and look over the vast expanse of blue
! waters, with the feeling OF liberated pris-
oner.'
Within three days the work of destruction
had begun. "Soon after meridian" Semmes
writes in the diary, made two sails nearly
ahead. Gave chase and came up-frst with
| Spanish brig, and secondly with the I'm
| ted States ship Golden Rocket of Bangor.
Took out of her provision and few other
| articles for the ship, and 10 P. M, having
accomplished this and brought the master
and crew aboard. set fire and burned her
Our first prize made a beautiful bon fire and
We did not enjoy the spectacle the less be-
cause she was from the black Republican
State OF Maine. The Golden Rocket was
worth from SS0000 10 $4,000. -
In three days the Sumter steamed into
TIL harbor of Cienfuegos with six prizes
following. ''As we passed the fort" the diary
reads. I'VE were hailed and at the same
time a couple of muskets were fred at US.
and we were directed 10 anchor. which
we did. then sent Lieutenant ashore
to call or the commandant and ask an
explanation of our being stopped Lieut.,
Evans reported that he oommandant said
he did not recognize that is, know our
flag, and that it was the order of the mort
to stop all vessels until the flag could be
distinguished.
The next day Semmes began to realize tie
drawbacks of priyatearing. The Spanish
authorities took charge of his six prizes to
make an investigation. Without waiting to
see what might come out of the inquiry the
commander left. 1t wac the intention of
Semmes to make his way TO the coast Of
Brazil, but he discovered that be had made
a serious miscalculation in the amount of
coal the Sunni er required. So he cIuised
about the waters of theWest Indies, making
captures and disposing of them in various
ways. Some he started with prize crews
for the blockade. Others he burned. One
of is notable captures was the Joseph
Maxwell, the crew from which he landed at
Trinidad.
Before setting them ashore, he writes
II sent for the two mates and told them
/ had brought them to this place because it
was a mail station at which could receive
lare news from the United States, and that it
was my intention. had the Government
dared to carry cut its barbarous threat of
treating the prisoners of the privateer Saw