The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-13
Caroline, Islands. waddiil directed his
course thither, reaching the islands

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early In April s. IS IL @ SIiT
sA AI pilot, who had been Iiy-
,Eg 9hefe for some years, volunteered
ms services to the Confedera tea and
Drought the steamer to anchor In eight
OF -FOUR vessels flying The American Tag
The flag OF the Shenandoah was NOT
yet displayed. After anchorage WAS
secured four armed boats were dis
patched with orders to. Capture the yes :.
sells. and bring their officers, ships
papers,. log books. instruments for
navigation and whaling charts to the
shenandoah. After tine boats had left
the steamer the Confederate flag was
displayed and a gun fired. This signal
announcing the character of the war
Ship brought down The American flags
and the seizure was Immediately made.
Waddli remained some days In the
harbor., where he made friends with
the native king" a savage.
The course Of the Shenandoah was
thence for many days toward {, the
north, and beset with violent storms.
Finally the STOW covered Kuril Islands
were sighted, and on May 81 the sea OF
Olohotsh was entered, under the coast
Of Kamschatka.
A few days later the whaling bark
Abigail OF New Bedford was lover
taken. captured and burned. The
shenandoah continued as far north az
the mouth of Chij.nsk bay, but being
forced away by the Ice, she stole along
the coast of Siberia on her still hunt
amid frequent storms and great dan
ger from foa ting ice, on June IA, no
ships having been sighted, Waddill
changed his course toward the Aleu-
tan Islands, entered Bering sea on the
next day, ard almost Immediately fell in
with a couple of New Bedford whalers
One OF them, the William Thompson,
was the largest out OF New England
and valued ait $4,000. These ships were
burned.
The following day five vessels were
sighted near an Ice foe The Confed-
crates hoisted an American flag, bore
down upon them, and ordered ,.he near
est, the Milo, of New Bedford, to pro-
d1ice her ships papers. Her captain
compiled. but was enraged to flnd him
self thus entrapped. He declared the
war was over. Wadd.ll demanded
documentary evidence, which the cap
tain could not produce. His vessel
was seized, and the Shenandoah start
ed after che companion ships with the
usual result. For several days follow
Ing the Shenandoah had things all her
own way and the prizes were frequent
and valuable. She struck fleet after
fleet of whaling ships only to consign
them and their contents 10 the flames
On June 26 alone five ships, valued
collectively ait 100000. were destroyed.
and day or two later she reached the
climax Of her career. burning. within
eleven hours eleven ships, worth in the
aggregate S500,000
The Shenandoah was now over
crowded with prisoners. most Of whom
were afterward transferred to passing
hi ,i,,.r tot.,
for q week or two longer, and sighting
no more ships, she turned her prov
southwark again. Her dep.edasions
were at an end, for early in August she
spoke bhe English bark Barriconta,
from San Francisco to Liverpool, and
from her received conclusive evidence
OF the end Of the war between the
States. Commander Waddill could
n1t persuade himself to enter an
American port. and for some time aim
lessly secured the seas. Later It was
and on November g. 1865, the Shenan-
doah entered st. Georges channel,
having sailed $4,000 miles without see
ing land. On November she steamed
up the Me:sey, and the Confederate
flag having been hauled down. Wad-
dill sent communication to the Eng
lish minister of foreign affairs, Earl
Russell. placing the ship Mt the dis
posal Of the British government.
Through Earl Russell the vessel was
transferred to the jurisdiction of the
American minister, Charles francis
Adams. who caused her to be conveyed
to this country to be dismantled.
Such Is the record of the Shenandoah.
She was actually cruising for Usion
property but eight months. and during
that time nhe captured and destroyed
vessels to Tine value OF more than ST.
100000, and the Union had never been
able to direct blow against her. She
had visited every ocean except the
Antarctic. covering a distance OF $1,000
statute miles. The last gun in defense
of the South was fred in the Arctic
ocean from her deck on June 90, 1865.