The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-05

tested. Owing 10 the frothing Of our boil
ers the enemy at one time gained on Us.
put this having subsidized, we soon began 10
drop him gradually under the Joint in
nuenee OF steam and sail. and BY $50
O'Clock Capt. Poor gave up the chase. As
he bore up I sent my men in the rigging.
and We gave three hearty cheers for the
nag OF the Confederate States. thus for the
nrst time thrown to the breeze on the high
seas by ship OF war"
Capt Semmes' destruction OF United
states merchant ships was chiefly in and
around the West Indies. and late in the
autumn OF the year he proceeded TO France
and thence to Gibraltar. Early In the win
ter the sumter was surveyed. and in a
report 70 the confederate secretary Of the
navy Semmes reported her unit for
further service, and she was then sold
capt. Semmes' private diary Of his career
during his command OF the vessel gives
more actual facts of what transpired dur
ing that period than are contained in his
ohlcial reports 10 the navy department In
the log OF one Of his early prizes he found
the following, entry, which he quotes:
We have tight fast vessel and so we
don't care for JEFF Davis" To this
semmes adds: My unfortunate prisoner
hallooed before he got out Of the woods"
In speaking of another prize he captured
Semmes says: Il felt truly thankful 10 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.
mans, hour, bread, etc. This was truly a
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 overheard the super
incumbent articles and strewed the sea
with Connecticut woodenware and
brooms."
Two dave later a, Octopor cor,~,o.. $500.
hauled the Danish brig Una, and after de-
tanning her few minutes permitted her to
proceed on her course. I'VE 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 offense was
placed in irons. The offensive remark
made by him which led to his arrest was
that he hoped Semmes would 20 to h.
and that If he wanted anything more from
the vessel he could have Il, from a shirt
down. November found Semmes anchored
at ST. Pierre, w. l., and few days after
the United States steamer Iroduois ar
rived. Semmes found himself blockaded
IN the port by the enemy on Nov. %, and
then determined to make an attempt to
get to sea before more ships arrived
AT about O'Clock that night the anchor
chain was slipped and the Sumter stood
out of the harbor. the enemy being on the
ward the north point of the roadstead. So
much on the lookout were the townspeo-
pie that he had hardly moved twenty yards
when a shout rent the air, and there was
confused murmur of voices as though
Babel had been let 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 arranged
as to designate his direction. Il doubled
and came back" he says under cover of
land, where / stopped once or twice TO as
sure myself the enemy was continuing his
course in the opposite direction. AS we
approached the north end of the shore |
gave her all the steam possible and stood
out As we neared the end of the island
the fates which before had seemed unpro-
pitious 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 Feb. a. 1852: "A board of survey to-day
condemned the boilers, 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 a total of eighteen
United States ships, seven of which were
burned.