The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-11

|
tian Islands until the beacon light in st.
Georges channel was seen exactly where
it was looked for. We had sailed $4,000
miles without seeing land and still saw
| the beacon exactly where we expected.
The daily calculation Of the ships posi-
tion was very accurate when that fact is
considered.
I received pilot after night and when
he was informed of the character of the
vessel. he said Il was reading a few
DAYS ago of her being in the Arctic
ocean" | asked for American news. He
said the war had gone against the South.
That was in November Lees surrender
was in April.
The quiet satisfaction seen in all
countenances, says Capt. Waddell, "for
our success in reaching a European port
| was unmistakable!'
We should think indeed there was
cause. The chief danger was now past.
On the morning Of the 9Th of November
1865. the Shenandoah steamed up the
! Mersey bearing aloft the Confederate
| flag. few moments after she had an
chored British naval officer boarded
| her-to ascertain tse name OF the
| steamer-and he gave Capt. Waddell Of
fetal information that the American war
had terminated. No longer was there
any Confederacy! The Southern States
were again part OF the United States!
The Confederate flag-representng then
neither peOple-nor country-an emblem
! OF that had closed in the history
| OF mankind-Was then sorrowfully low
cred, this historic act taking place at 10
a. III. on the 9Th OF November, 1865. The
vessel was then given in charge to the
| British government.
| For a day or two some correspondence
was in progress between the British and
American authorities in regard to the
! Shenandoah, her officers and crew. But
on the Sth of November the crew We're
| suffered to depart and soon the British
government turned the vessel over to the
| United States authorities, by whom she
was sold to the Sultan of Zanzibar, and
later she was lost at sea.
| She was the only vessel that carried
! the Confederate flag around the world,
and she bore it at her mast head seven
months after the surrender of the South
ern armies and the oblteration of the
Southern Confederacy.
In her cruise of thirteen months she
ran IS 900 miles and met with no acct
| dent, and for a period OF eight months
she did not drop her anchor. She de-
stroyed more vessels than any other ship
of war known TO history, except alone the
Alabama. and inflicted severe loss on the
commerce of the United States.
The feeling in the United States was
SO intense against Capt Waddell that he
fingered some time in Europe before VEN
turing to return to America. Finally he
came, and in 1875 the Pacific Mail Com
pany. owned largely by Englishmen
running lines of steamers from San
Francisco to Japan and Australia, en-
gagged him as commander of one of its
fine steamships. For some years he
continued in that service but on one of
his return trips, as he was nearing the
coast, his vessel truck rock or bar,
not laid down in any chart, some thirteen
miles from shore, which had doubtless
been recently thrown up by an earth
quake. He had 400 passengers on board,
many being women and children. He at
once took personal command, and by the
perfect discipline he had maintained
among the crew, he controlled the ex
cited passengers. Indeed his was per-
sonality that. would inspire confidence
under all circumstances. Through an
opening fifty feet long water poured into
the vessel. He put all men at the
pumps, turned towards the shore and got
his boats and life RATS ready. He got
within three miles of land before he
found it necessary to abandon the sink
ing vessel Rapidly he had the women
and children transferred to the small
boats, and then the men, and then the
crew-until at length he alone remained
the sole human being upon his fated ship.
Then hurrying the boats away, he him
self stepped on a life raft, and when not
more than fifty yards away the great
vessel plunged into the waves, creating a
vortex OF waters, from which he barely
escaped. But no soul was lost. His per-
feet self command, his perfect discipline,
secured the safety of every passenger.
They were landed without trouble on the
neighboring shore, and the admirable
conduct of Capt. Waddell won the high
est praise.
But after that, he determined to aban-
don career upon the sea, and eventual
ly returned to Annapolis.
Later, there being much trouble in
controlling the fleet of oyster boats on
the Chesapeake that set at defiance the
laws OF Maryland, the Governor of that
charge of the State guard boats in the
Chesapeake. He soon established order
and made the oystermen respect the law.
He continued in this service at An
napOlis until his death, March Is, 1886, |
being then in the 62d year of his age.
The Legislature of Maryland was in ses
sion at the time and adjourned to do him
honor The Confederate soldiers formed
in line and marched to his residence.
Gen. George H. Steuart acted as marshall
and the pail bearers were Capt. Morris.
Capt. Murray, Capt. White, Gen. Brad
ley Johnson and other distinguished per
sons, while the escort of honor was COM
manded by Col. William Morris. The
Governor and State officers participated.
Indeed it was State funeral-the only
one, that we remember, ever accorded
to a Confederate in a State north of the
Potomac.
Thus was laid to rest this brave Pitts
boro boy. who never ceased to love his
native soil, and his friends and kindred
in North Carolina. His life was full OF
ycsstude, but his guiding star was
honor, and he was a shining example or
all that is admirable in human charac-