Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-07-14
Alsxanaria 6szette,
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY ii, 1896
AN EARLY WAR INCIDENT.

How Robert Smalls, the well known
negro politician of Charleston, took pos
session of the Confederate steamship Plant
cr in Charleston harbor during the war and
delivered her to the Federal authorities
forms the subject of one of the most inter-
esting war claims now before congress-
At that time Smalls received part of the
prize money, but the full amount TO which
he was entitled was never paid him, and
there is now before the house bill, favor
ably reported, which appropriates $50 600,
to be paid over to him for the performance
of one of the most daring feats of the re-
bellion. The case is not entirely new in
congressional history, for MIR. Smalls has
not been idle all these years, and the meas
ure has been previously considered by the
committee and favorably recommended
But comparatively few persons know the
history of the case, which is given in de-
tail in one of the reports recently made to
the house from the committee on war
claims.
On May 49, 1862, the Confederate steam
ship Planter, the special dispatch boat of
General Ripley, the Confederate post COM
mander nj Charleston, was taken 10y Rob
ert Smalls under the following circrIn-
stances from the wharf at which she was
lying, carried safely out Of Charleston har-
Dor and delivered to one of the vessels Of
the Federal fleet blocknding that port.
On the day previous, May Il, the Plant
er, which had for two weeks been engaged
IN removing guns from Coles island to
James island, returned to Charleston
That night all the officers went ashore and
slept in the city, leaving on board u crew
of eight men, all colored Among them
was Robert SmallS who was virtually the
pilot of the boat, although he was only
called wheelman, because at that time
no colored men, in fact, could have been
made pilot For some time previous he
had been watching for an opportunity 10
carry into execution plan he had con-
ceived TO take the Planter to the Federal
feet. This he saw, was about Us good
chance as he would ever have 10 do So and
therefore he determined not to lose it, Con
sulting with the balance of the crew,
Smalls found that they We're willing to CO.
operate with him, although two of them
afterward concluded to remain behind
The design was hazardous in the extreme
The boat would have to pass beneath
the guns of the forts in the harbor. Fail
ur>e and detection would have been certain
death Fearful was the venture, but it was
made The daring resolution had been
formed, and, under command Of Robert
Smalls, wood was taken aboard, steam was
put on, and, with her valuable cargo of
guns and ammunition intended for Fort
Ripley, n new fortification just construct
ed in the harbor about 2 O'Clock in the
morning the Planter silently moved off
from her dock, steamed up to North At
lantic wharf, where Smalls' wife and two
children, together with four other women
and one other child, and also three men,
were waiting to embark. All these were
taken on board, and then, at 1926 Il. IN,
May 10, the Planter started on her peril
GUS adventure carrying nine men, five
women and three children. Passing Fort
johnson, the Planters whistle blew the
usual salute, and she proceeded down the
bay Approaching Fort Sumter, Smalls
stood in the pilothousc leaning out of the
window, with his arms folded across his
breast, after the manner of Captain Relay,
the commander of the boat, and his head
covered with the huge straw hat which
Captain Relay wore on such occasions,
The signal required to be given by ali
steamers passing out was blown as coolly
as If General Ripley was on board going
out on tour Of inspection. Sumter an
swered by signal, "All right" and the
Planter headed toward Morris island, then
occupied by Hatch's light artillery, and
passed beyond the range of Sumtcr's guns
before anybody suspected anything was
wrong. When at.last the Planter was OBJ
viously going toward the Federal fleet off
the bar, Sumter signaled toward Morris
island to stop her. But it was too lato. AS
the Planter approached the Federal fleet
white flag was displayed, but this was
not at first discovered, and the Federal
steamers, supposing the Confederate rams
were coming to attack them, stood out to
deep water But the ship Onward, Captain
Nichols which was not steamer, remain
ed, opened her ports and was about to fire
into the Planter when she noticed the
flag of truce AS soon as the vessels came
within mailing distance Of each other the
Planters errand was explained. Captain
Nichols then boarded her, and Smalls de-
livered the Planter to him. From the Plant
or, Smalls was transferred to the Augusta,
the flagship off the bar under the COM
mand of Captain Parrott, by whom the
Planter with Smalls and her crew, were
sent to Port Royal to Admiral Du Pont
then in command of the southern squad
Ton.
Smalls continued to distinguish himself
in number of naval engagements, and
upon one occasion, in December. 1868,
while the Planter, then under Captain
Nickerson, was sailing through Folly Is
land creek, the Confederate batteries Mt
Secessionviile opened very hot fire upon
her. Captain Nickerson became democrat
ICED and left the pilothousc and secured
himself in the coal bunker. Smalls was on
deck, and, finding that the captain had
deserted his post, entered the piiothouse,
took command of the boat and carried her
safely out of the reach Of the guns. For
this conduct he was promoted by order of
General Gilmore, commanding the depart
1nent Of the south, to the rank Of captain
and was ordered to act as captain of the
Planter, which was used rs n supply boat
along the coast, until the end of the war
In September 1866, he carried his boat to
Baltimore, where she was put out of COM
mission and sold.-Washington Post.
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