The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-24

ported to me that the Brooklyn was
absent from her station, [ Icaused steam
to be generated, and getting under
hcadway ran down toward the Pass.
As we approached the mouth of the
river we discovered the Brooklyn with
our glasses standing back under steam
and sail to regain her station, and it
was for some time a little doubtful
whether we could pass the bar before
she came up. To add to my perplexi-
ty the pilot protested that he knew
only the bar of the Southwest Pass,
and could not undertake to run me out
Of the Pass L'Outre. [ continued
on, however, hoisting a signal for a
pilot at the fore. AS luck would have
it, pilot happened to be present at
the pilots station, little above the
light house, and as we ran by it the
gallant fellow pushed off in his boat
and was soon on board, and in fifteen
minutes we were outside the bar. The
next few hours were, of course, very
anxious ones for me, as the Brooklyn
had the reputation Of great speed and
our relative powers were to be tested.
Owing to the frothing Of our boilers
the enemy at one time gained on US,
but this having subsided we soon be-
gan to drop him gradually under the
Joint influence Of steam and sail, and
by $3.50 clock Capt. Poor gave up the
chase. AS he bore up | sent my men
in the rigging, and we gave three
hearty cheers for the flag Of the Con-
federate States, thus for the first time
thrown to the breeze on the high seas
by ship of war"
Capt. Semmes' destruction of Uni
ted States merchant ships was chiefly
in and around the West Indies, and
late in the autumn of the year he pro-
ceeded to France and thence to Gil
braltar. Early in the winter the Sum-
ter was surveyed, and in report to
the Confederate Secretary Of the Ma
Wy, Semmes reported her unfit for fur
ther service and she was then sold.
Capt. Semmes's private diary Of his
career during his command of the YES
sci gives more actual facts of what
transpired during that period than are
contained in his official reports to the
navy department. In the log of one
of his early prizes he found the fol-
lowing entry, which he quotes: eve
have a tight, fast vessel, and so we
don't care for JEFF. Davis" To this
Semmes adds: ''My unfortunate pris-
oner hallooed before he got out of the
woods" In speaking Of another prize
he captured, Semmes says: 81 felt
truly thankful to a kind Providence
for this windfall, for we were running
short Of provisions, beef, bad and
wormy bread, and here were more than
we needed Of the best pork, beef, hams,
-four, bread, etc. This was truly
Yankee cargo. A busy day with boats
passing to and fro, and men busy on
both ships with boxes, barrels, etc.
To get at the cargo we threw over
board the superintendent articles and
strewed the sea with Connecticut
woodenware and brooms.'
Two days later in October Semmes
overhauled the Danish brig Una. and
after OBTAINING her few minutes per-
mitted her to proceed on her course.
"We showed her the United States
colors," he says. That evening
Semmes sent to one Of the prize
schooners near by for something in her
cargo, and the master taking offence
was placed in irons. The offensive
remark made by him, which led to his
arrest, was that he hoped semmes
would go to h, and that if he wanted
anything more from the vessel he could
have it, from shirt down. Noven-
Der found Semmes anchored at St.
Pierre, W. l., and few days after the
United States steamer Iroquois ar
rived. Semmes found himself block
AIDED in the port by the enemy on No
vember %, and then determ' ned to
make an attempt to get to sea before
more ships arrived. At about eight
o'clock that night the anchor chain
was slipped and the Sumter stood out
of the harbor, the enemy being on the
starboard bow and apparently stand
ing toward the north point OF the
roadstead. Sc much on the lookout
were the townspeople that he had
hardly moved twenty yards when a
shout rent the air, and there was a
confused murmur of voices as though
Roha1 bod heen LEFT loose.
AS he neared the French steamer
Acheron, lying in the harbor, signals
were made to the enemy by means OF
blue lights from one Of the Yankee
schooners in port, perceiving which
and knowing the signals were so ar
ranged as to designate his direction,
IT doubled and came back" he says,
"under cover of land, where | stopped
once or twice to assure myself the en-
emy was continuing his course in the
opposite direction. AS we approached
the north end Of the shore gaye,her
all the steam possible and stood out.
AS we neared the end of the island
the fates, which before had seemed
unpropitious to us, began to smile,
and a rain squall began to envelope US
in its friendly fold, shutting in our
dense smoke, which was really the
worse tell-tale we had to dread.
Capt. Semmes closes his diary with
this on February "a, 1862: "a board
of survey to-day condemned the boil
ers, and so the poor old Sumter is to
be laid up. Well, we have done the
country some service, having cost the
United States at least 81 100000 in
one way or another.
During the nine months cruise Of +
the Sumter she captured total OF
eighteen United States ships, seven
of which were burned.
He Forgot the Word.