The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-13
STEAMBOATS, CAREER.
The Confederate Cruiser Destroyed Ship
ping 10 the Amount Of $l,l00,000.
SECOND ONLY 10 THE ALABAMA
She Was Never Ovortnken by Fedora,
Mcn.eE wnF-Thc Famous Privatcer
Continued Her Operations for Sow
orni Months After tho wnr Had End.
cd-.FinnIly Delivered 10 England.

washington Letter in Baltimore Sum-
The agents of the Navy Department
who arc engaged in the compilation Of
the official records OF the Union and
Confederate navles In the late war have
ern resources. a mass Of hitherto unpub
lishsd information OF curious interest
and value relative to the operations of
| the Confederate privateer Shenandoah.
In dcstructiveness OF Union property
the work of the Shenandoah was Sec
ond only to that of the Alabama md
the former enjoyed the peculiar dis
tlnction 0f having far outstrIpped the
| records OF all other cruisiws IN the
length OF her voyage. and the fact that
she never met with the slightest oDpo-
sftion from Union arms In her path OF
destruction and continued her depre-
| dattons after the conclusion Of the war
II Is worthy Of remark that the Navy
F! Department at Washington was in pos
| session of information relative TO her
| route and plans early In the summer of
FSS5, and though THE United States
Ships Santae. Wachusett. Iroquois, Wy
omlnE, ana the European and Pacific
| Squadrons at large were successfully or
dered In pursuit of her, none of them
ever succeeded In coming up with her.
| much less engaging her in combat In
| The fall OF 1865 her commander gained
| conclusive information that the war had
gone against the South, and he lelsurely
and uninterruptedly made his way TO
| ENGLAND. wherefhe gave himself and nils
ship into the hands CT the British gov
| eminent.
The Shenandoah was full rugged
with battery of four S-inch guns-tw-o
32-pounders and two 12-pounders. She
was originally the British ship Sca
King. built in 1863 for the East india
! trade.
On her return to England after her
fr7t voyage she was purchased by Con-
federate agents in Enrope and fitted
out as n cruiser In the Confederate SER
vice, primarily to dispense and destroy
the New England whaling fleet in the
northern seas. She had baen designed
as transport for troops, had spacious
decks and large air ports, and was we'll
suited for conversion into a cruiser
~ fast sailer under canvas, her steam
power was more than auxiliary as she
could exceed eleven knots without
pressing. Provided with fifteen months
stores She sailed from London on Oc-
reber s, 1864, in command CT her Eng
fish master. Captain Corbett. for Ma
deira. Ten days later she was delIv-
cred over to her new commander, Lieut.
James i. Waddell, who had taken pass-
age from Liverpool with the officers
and men detailed for his command.
Among the latter were some picked men
from the famous Alabama, which had
been sunk by the Kearsarge a few
months he fore. The Shenandoah was
commissioned on October 10, and TINT
day cleared for Madeira.
The Journal of Commander WaddilI
Is new DIN the possession Of the Navy
Department, and It is most interest
dOah.
On October 30 the cry OF "sail hom
rang out from the Shenandoah's mast
hsad. immediately she bore down upon
tnc distant vessel. an Amarican bark.
the Alma. of Seaport, Me- bound for
Buenos Ayres with railroad iron. She
was on her first voyage. thoroug;,ly
equipped. nicely coppered, and bcauti-
luny ciean-a tempting prize Defense
on her Fart was out OF the question. and
the Confederates boarded and scuttled
ner' arter appropr!nting such of her
furnishings as they could make use Of
and taking the crew prisoners. six nj
whom afterwards volunteered their ser.
wees as active seamen on the Shenan-
aoah. me Alma was valued at sos. O0O
On November is the Shenandoah
crossed the equator. The course thence
aE south along the coast OF Brazil
Nothlng or interest occurred after cross
me tne line except the interchange OF
outes!es WIN neutral vessels until De-
cembef !, when the American whaleshin
Edward, of and out of New nedforh
three months. was sighted and contured
near the island Of Tristan. Thy. ed
W9rd was cutting out" when "a pturpd
| ner crew being so occupied win tho
lSn that the Shenandoah had co,oa
WsVhln easy range Of her without oh.
scrVation: The Edwards outfit was of
sNcciiSnt quality, and the Confcde tes
iaS by Two days supplying their steam
] or with nccessaries The w-haloebI,
was then burned. and WaddiIi Ia,]da5
Ior day at Tristan and made arrange
mehts with the native governor ITO "a.
ceiNe tne Edwards crew, most of u,bIo,,
were Sandwich Islanders.
coon after the departure from Tr5s-
tan It was found that a serious occ,.
ven. mad happened to the propeto1. sba r.
ol me shenandoah, and 1t became nnces,
- ~ seek some considerable port for
repairs. Cape Town was ne,raet H..
Commander Wadd!m preferred Ina, IN,
Melpourne If possible, the course tbiihes
Elhs nearer the more freomer, ad
tracks or The United States yessals Tho
voyage WIS marked by the cap.ure If
several merchantmen va
ne character OF the Shenandoah
was known Mt Melbourne. and she Sronl
pen anchor in Hobaon's bay cbeered
ana surrounded by the steamers In ira
maven. me mex, day the work of re-
ralrlhE tne ship was begun. and during
me delay several CT the crew em;hra ce6
,ne opportunity to desert. all OF them
neiSs men who had Joined che shenan-
.otn ron captured ships. The at
Tempt Of Waddill to pursus am, b,.i,, :,