The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-12
THE GALLANT CRUISE.
OF the Confederate Cruiser Shenandoah
Graphically Described BY Capt. WhittIe.
sixty THOUSAND MILE SAIL.
The STORY Told by u distinguished
hurSiyOr.-BuSI Meeting Offl.e
Cnaip-Flov,crs Wnnsc cd -'rh g order
for Memorial DRy Exercises oli
Thurstlny-Othc Bnalnrss.

| Despite the warning clements large
ana cultured audience gathered at the
hall OF the Pickett-Buchanan Camp last
night at the invitation Of that u.sani-
cation, and spent Il most enjoyable and
protitablc hour and Il quarter listening
to Captain W. G. Whittlc tell Of the
unique and daring adventures Of the
FAMOUS Confederate cruiser Shenandoah,
OF which he was executive officer, on her
! memorable cruise around tic world.
Captain Whittle. after paying COM
pliment to the ladies present, introduced
his subject with an account Of how he
happened to discuss It ut the recent
Pickett-Buchanan banquet. and then
proceeded to enter into some detail or
the conditions surrounding The Southern
navy, and the causes Which led un to
the lifting out Of the Shenandoah. her
MISSION being to destroy the whaling
trade of the Federal government
He told how the British steamer Sea
hlnE mad been bought. a vessel built for
me East Indian trade, full rugged ana
iuil sallmaS,ed. 20 feet long, 50 feet
beam. .l60 tons burden. and $50 horse
power engines. The officers had col
Madeira on the propeller steamer I.au-
rel. where they We're met by Captain
white on the Sea King. Officers. men
anu large stores OF ammunition. a we'll
as armament, consisting of four S-inch
smooth bore guns, Two 32-poundcls and
Two l2-pounders signal guns. This
was October 18th. 1854 Captain James
j. Waddeil was in command, with Can
tain Whittlc. first lieutenant, as exc
cutive officer and Irving S. Bullock,
sailing master. The Sea King was then
rechriStcncd the Shenandoah. But 10
men volunteered for crew and these,
with - officers. made IL souls aboard.
vessel which should have been mann
ed by $50 men. Nevertheless, after some
discussion. 1t was decided to take the
sea. and the gallant Shenandoah
started out to lead a torchlight process.
sion around the world" and carve for
herself fame unparalleled in the his.
Tory or the navies of the world
\ LONG CRUISE.
All hands fell to work to convert the
Vesset INFO ship OF war, and in eight
Gays port holes had been cut and plIns
mounted The first capture was made
on October 3oth. when Il vessel loaded
WIN rail"oad iron was seized and scut-
lied, seven OF her crew enlisting. Then
followed long list Of CAPTURES the
shenandoah passing through the Indian
ocean then to Australia for repairs:
thence up the lisiatic coast into the
i,ehrlnE sea; through Behrlng strait un-
~ she ran her nose against Arctic ice,
destroying whalers as she went.
On June 18th. 1862 she left RebrInr
sea On this day she captured
Whalcr, and Captain Waddell was shown
paper containing an account Of Lees
surrender on April 9th, over two months
before but the paper also had Presi-
dent Davis proclamation, saving thai
the war would he prosecuted with even
greater visor so Captain Walden de-
c,deu mat he war was not over, and
me cruiser continued her work Of de-
struction.
ON July 9Th she came back into the
Pacific, and on August I'd off the cons,
Of California;, caught up with m Enr.
lSh park after 4 hard chase. From the
c'plalh or the vessel 1t was learned that
the war had been over for several
months 1t was decided that The Shcn-
ahdoah should be surrendered to Eng
land. and accordingly she was headed
for Liverpool. rounding cape Horn on
SeP'ember 10th and reaching ST
"co:ge's channel on November 5th The
next day at 10 o'clock she vas turned
over TO the British government, which
upon demand, transferred her Ia the
United States authorities pcrmittiue, .u
on board TO so where they chose FREQ
men. 'e' iiee
ne shenandoah left London thirteen
months before. and in that time deticd
az pursuit; had captured IS vessels
worth 81, l12.223; had circunnayigated thn
globe, sailing 10000 miles, without th[.
loss OF 4 man or a spar
me United States authorities al
tempted to bring her home. but the new
captain encountered Il storm 4 short
Instance ont and returned to I,ivcrnooI
minus considerable canvas and \ mum
Der OF SpaiS. She was sold to the sultan
or Zanzibar, and fourteen years after
mat foundered on a. coral reef.
captain Whites splendid address
was listened to with the closest attention.
ana much applaudcd throughout. At lis
conclusion he was presented with q
aa''"S"ine bouquet of magnificent roses.
IN BUSINESS SESSION,
After Captain Whittle's address ,hn
camp met IN business session, with th,.
following present:
.; \: Marsden, commander: G. NJ.
Todd, first lieutenant commander: thn
ReV -. ID. Tucker, chaplain: r.. Il. lack
son, adjutant; G. w. Wilson. paymast,.r.
| Past Commanders Garnett, Tlvlor ana
| Woodhouse; Executive COMMITTEES
washington Taylor. chairman. and r.
y. Dobie, r. w. Gwaltney; II. r Jncnbs
sergeant major. There were prssen. ,,sn
| q large number of comrades
| The camp was called 10 nranr ana
PRAYER was offered by the chaplain,
| The camp entered into the TRANSACTION
! OF routine business
An invitation from Stonewau Camn
{. ". Of Portsmouth, 10 the camn =,
attend their memorial exercises on Nav
| 14tl accented with