Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-02
THE STEAMBOATS, CAREER.
American Shipping valued n
Sf,1OO,OO0 Destroyed.
Washlngton Letter.l

F
The agents Of the Navy Department
who are engaged in the compilation Of
the official records OF the Union and
Confederate navies in the late war have
recently brought TO light. from south
ern sources, a mass Of hitherto unpub-
lished information Of curious interest
and value relative TO the operations Of
the Confederate prlvateer Shenandoah.
In destructiveness TO Union property
the work Of the Shenandoah was Sc
cond only 10 that Of the Alabama, and
the former enjoyed the peculiar distinc-
ton of having far outstriped the records
OF all other cruisers I'm the length Of her
voyage and the fact that she never met
with the slightest opposition from Union
arms in her path Of destruction, and
continued her depredations many months
after the conclusion OF the war.
1t is worthy Of remark that the Nevy
Department at Washington was I'm pos
session Of information relative 10 her
outfit and plans early IN the summer
Of 1864. but no active search was in
stituted until January, 1865, and though
the United States ships Santee. Wachu-
sett, Iroquois. Wyoming, and the Eu-
ropean and Pacific squadrors at large
were successfully ordered in pursuit Of
Ifls Oilt u IFil tNtA taNNf'NANA go
coming up with her. much less I'm en-
gaging her in combat. In the fall Of
1866 her commander gained conclusive
information that the war had gone
against the South. and he l~eisurely n
uninterruptedly made his way TO Eng
land, where he gave himself and his
ship into the lands Of the British COY
eminent.
The Shenandoah was q full-rigged ship
Of 1000 tons and 2J0-horse power. with
a battery cf four s-inch guns-two 81
Founders and two 1~2-pounders. She was
originally the British ship Sea Kin built
in 1853 for the East India trade. on her
return 10 England from her first voyage
she was purchased by Confederate agents
I'm Europe and fitted out as a cruiser in
the Confederate service. primarily TO dis
perse and destroy the New England
whaling feet I'm the northern seas. She
had been designed as a transport for
troops. had spacious decks. and large
air ports, and was well suited Tor con-
version into a cruiser. a fast sail-r
under canvas, her steam power was more
than auxiliary. as she could exceed T.
knots without pressing. Provided with
fifteen months stores, she sailed from
London on October S, 1854. i'm command
Of her English master, Captain Corbett,
for Madeira. Ten days later she was
delivered over TO her new commander,
Lieutenant James 1. Waddell. who had
taken passage from Liverpool with the
officers and men detailed for his COM
mand. Among the latter were some
picked men from the famous Alabama,
which had been sun by the ke2rsar9e
a few months before. The Shenandoah
was commissioned on October 18th. and
that day cleared for Madeira.
The journal Of Commander Waddell
is now in possession Of the Navy Depart
ment, and ii is Il most interesting record
OF the career of the Shenandoah.
on October 30th the cry Of sail ho!'
rang out from the Sheuareoah's mast
head. Immediately she bore down up0I
the distant vessel. an American barb
the Alma, Of Seaport, Ne, bound for
Buenos Ayres with railroad iron. she
was on her nrst voyage, thoroughly equip
ped, nicely coppered, and beautifully
clean-a tempting prize. Defence on her
part was out Of question, and the Con-
federates boarded and scuttled her, after
appropriating such of her furnishings as
they could make use Of and taking the
crew prisoners, six OF whom afterward
volunteered their service as active men
on the Shenandoah. The Alma was
valued at sos, 900.
On November 10Th, the Shenandoah
crossed the equator. Tho course thence
lay south along the coast Of Brazil. No
thing Of interest occurred after crossing
the line except the interchange OF courte-
sizes with neutral vessels until Decem-
Der 4th. when the American whaleship
Edward, Of. and out of, New Bedford
three months, was sighted and captured
near the Island Of Tristan. The dward
had taken a whale and was cutting
out" when captured, her crew being so
occupied with the fish that the Shenan-
doah had come within easy range OF her
unobserved. The Edwards outfit was OF
excellent quality, and the Confederates
lay by two days supplying their steamer
with necessaries. The whaieship was
then burned. and Waddill landed for a
day az Tristan and made arrangements
with the native Governor to receive the
Edwards crew, most Of whom were
Sandwich Islanders.
Soon after the departure from tristan
It was found that a serious accident haa
happened to the propeller SHAFT OF me
Shenandoah, and it became necessary TO
seek some considerable port for repairs.
Cane Town was nearest, but Commander
Waddell preferred making Melbourne, II
possible, the course thither lying nearer
the more frequented tracks or the Ohlteu
States vessels. The voyage was Marked
by the capture OF seNtIdi mS4NH"hNhH~h
The character Of the Shenandoah was
known at Melbourne, and she dropped
anchor I'm Hobson's Bay. cheered and
surrounded by the steamers In the haven.
The next day the work Of repairing the
shin was begun. and during the delay
several Of the crew embraced the oppor-
tunity 10 desert, all of them being men
who had Joined the Shenandoah from
captured ships. The attempt Of Waddeii
TO pursue and bring back these men was
obstructed by the United States Consul.
as well as by the Australian authorities.
The Shenandoah. in a fortified British
port. was i'm no position TO resist these
acts. and on February 18th, the repairs
and coaling having been completed. the
port was cleared.
The delay Of the steamer at Melbourne
had operated against success for the
Shenandoah IN the South Pacific. The
whaling fleets Of that ocean had received
warming of the presence of the rrivateer
and had departed for sheltering ports OF
the Arctic Ocean. Learning from a pass
ing steamer that some United States
whaling vessels were TO be found in a
harbor OF the Caroline Islands, Waddell
directed his course thither. reaching the
islands early in April.
An English pilot. who had been living
there for years. volunteered his services
10 the Confederate, and brought the
steamer 10 anchor In sight OF four vessels
a.,f.~ tha Apoarfcau fac The fac of |