The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-03
BETRAYED BY A ROOSTER.
How Admiral Jouett Captured the
Blockade Runners

washington Cor. New York SUM-
OF no officer in the navy are more
amusing stories told than of the late
Admiral JOuett. He was not only a
conscientious and brilliant officer. but
also one of the kindeSt men. the merri-
est souls and the eleverest story tellers
that ever wore the navy blue
A favorite tale with him. and one
that his cronies never tired Of hearing
repeated, was his account of the cap
ture of blockade runner which came
about by his hearing a rooster crow.
In the early days of the war, the
admiral would say, Il was a youngster
of a lieutenant in command of the
Montgomery, an old sea monster of a
merchantmen converted into a man-of-
war, which, like the Mary Dunn OF
Dover, had three decks and no bot
tom.
Her battery was poor. and the case
gun, a ten-inch Column bad. had been
condemned years before The powder
was wet and the fuses Of the she'll de-
fective.
I'VE were cruising off the coast. OF
Louisiana, out of sight of land, await
ing the supply steamer from the north.
There was little to eat nothing TO do
and 1 was still suffering from the
wound / received when we captured
the Royal Yacht.
"One denseiy foggy morning at about
O'Clock / was pacing up and down
the deck with the midwatch, when 1
suddenly heard rooster crow. It was
some moments before the significance
OF that crow occurred to me. Then,
turning to one of the officers, 1 said:
& Are there any chickens aboard?'
q No, sir
Didn't the boats bring of any yes
terday?'
- think not was the answer.
north heard a rooster crow. A block
ade runner has certainly gone out Call
all hands. Make sail'-it was stiff
| wind-'for Havana Send word to the
engineer to give me all the steam he
can and send extra men to the fire
ROOM
II had been i'll for a long time, dan
gerously i'll, and at this order the IN
der officers exchanged significant
glances.
No, gentlemen said I, divining
their thoughts. I am not crazy. I
heard a rooster crow and We'll find him
when this fog lifts
when the fog lifted at 1880 a. m.
before us lay a schooner, all sails set,
making for Havana. The condemned
gun was fired, but the powder was
worse than the gun, and the ball, after
rolling on the water for half d mile,
/ sank.
! We soon overlook her, however. She
was flying the Louisiana state flag.
/ showing pelican, and as we ranged
! alongside her we found fourteen hard
and desperate looking men in the
/ stern.
Haul down that rag 1 yelled at
p, the top of my voice.
! MY order met with no response.
| Thirty marines stood on the poop deck
of the Montgomery with muskets
| loaded with ball and buckshot cart
ridges.
Sergeant, ready!' was the COM
! mand. Haul own that - rag, -
YOU 1 called out again, and down fell
the pelican from its proud position.
How in thunder did you know we
were off here?' asked the captured
captain.
You've got a rooster on board re-
piled I, and he gave US warning of your
vicinity at o'clock this morning
| I'll wiring his neck!' grOwled the
furious rebel.
No you won't I sharply an
| nOunced, hes mine by right of cap
I ture.' and since then I have always
maintained that the Biblical rooster
was not the only historic chanticleer'