The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-18
CAPTAIN WHITTLE'S
REM NARRATIVE
The Cruise of the Shenandoah, Dreadnought Of
the Confederate Navy-lts Record Of Dam
age to the Union Naval Strength--Kept
Fighting Four Months After
ny PHILIP ALEXANDER BRUCE.
Appomattox.

BY PHILIP ALEXANDER BRUCE.
That stir OF the blood witch we fel,
IN our boyhood in reading the biogra-
plies OF the great Elizabethen sea-
dogs, men so full OF the spirit OF ad-
venture, and so cShilratcd by the
sense OF danger, has been again
aroused IN US by reading Captain WI.
liam e. Whites remarkable nara
tive Of the cruise of the Shenandoah.
which has been recently Issued in
pamphlet form. 1t has that delightful
simplicity, freshness and directness o,
expression which we find in the old
sea tales, and which leaves an impress
sion of vividness which no mere art
OF composition can create III brief,
1t has that very flavor which is pres
ent In every story OF extraordinary
adventures by land or sea that is told
IN tho ulladorncd Language of every
day---tie flavor which has its noblest
illustration IN the poems OF the Had
aud the odyssy, in Caesars Common
taries and In Iiakluyt's Travels. The
record Of such events require no she'
lyrical establishment. The psainIr
and the more modest the relation. the
more clearly does the character of the
deeds appear. IL is this fact that has
MAUI traHIdln " ulNk.t . ildlIdAlNt one
OF the most unique accounts OF adven-
lures hy sea that we can recall. II
vii be Interesting 10 give a synopsis
Of this narrative as constituting the
most romantic chapter in the history OF
the conflict on the ocean between ting
Moth ard the south.
lie Confederate states having at
thcoutsct OF the Civil War no cruisers
OF heir own. were compelled 10 pur-
chage them secretly abroad. II was
in This way that the Alabama, tho
flofda. tho Nashville and other ves-
selScane to be acquired These ships.
as Well known. made very de.
strGtive raid on the Federal Merchant
munnc plying In the Atlantic waters.
Hut II was not until the autumn OF
1856, only few months before the
CLOG Of hostiiitics. that the Confed-
craze government decided TO dispatch
q social cruiser against tho large and
sahable whaling fleet belonging to
the North. which. from the beginning
of the contest. had. without moiesta-
tlol, been annually garnering their
thelr great sea harvest In the region
of the Pacific. For this expedition a
vessel OF special construction was re-
CURED. The points necessary were
good sail-power. to cconomizc coal; and
also good steam-power to carry her
through the Gains of the tropics. and
TO enable her to escape from the per-
lis of Arctic Ice. She must have
propeller that could, when not in USE
he detached and hoisted out of the
water. so as not to impede her head
day under sail. She must have the
means OF condensing steam into fresh
water for drinking purposes. She must
have comfortable and healthy quarters
for tho crew, and strength OF con-
structlon TO support her battery with
case
All these qualifications seemed to
be combined in the makeup of the
Sea King. an English vessel built for
the East Indian trade. with the capac-
ity to transport q large number OF
troops. The Confederate agent in Eng
land Captain Bulloch. determined to
buy her. an act requiring extraordinary
caution and secrecy. owing to the !
espionage of which he was the object.
In October. 1864. the Sea King was
ready to clear from the port OF Lon
don, with load of coal, her commands
ing officer having received from the
owners n power of attorney to sell
the vessel at, any time after setting
sail. The first step in transferring
her to tho Confederate government Is
thus described by Lieutenant William
c. Whittle. who had been chosen to be
her executive officer after her conyey-
sion into a cruiser:
con October O. / was ordered by
Captain Bulloch to take the r. NJ. |
arrival, to register at Woods Hotel,
High Halborn, as Mr.. w. c. Brown"
l was to appear the next morning for
breakfast in tho restaurant of the
hotel, and while reading the morning
paper, to have n napkin passed through |
3 hutton hole Of my coat. So seated ]
would be approached by stranger
With, Is this Mr. Brown To which
] was to reply, Is this Mr.. Wright%
Upon an Affirmative answer | was to
say Yes and Mr. wright and !, after
finishing breakfast, We're to retire to
my room. All this was done
In the early morning Of the Sth, |
Lieutenant Whittlo clambered up tho
aldo OF tho Sea Kins, and shortly after
wards the ship left the dock and moved (
down the Thames on her way out to
sea, BY all but the captain, who was
a party to the secret. Whittle was
to be simply q supercargo,
coal, The vessel proceeded Without any
Incident to Madeira. BY a preconcert-
cd arrangement she was met there by
the Laurel, which had cleared from
Liverpool ostonsibly With general
cargo for Havana, but In reality Will,
a great quantity of guns, ammunitions|
and other supplies intended for the
future cruiser, Tho little hand OF pas4l
Fengers which she also carried We're
really the officers and the nucleus OF
The crew who were to operate that
vessel.
The two ships anchored close to.S
9cther out of sight behind q rockyl
slet' lying near the coast Of Madeira.
and here the transfer from the holo
IF the Laurel to the hole Of the Sea
King rechristened the Shenandoah,
was quickly effected. Captain Waddell
took command OF the latter. and when
she sailed he had under his orders a
total company Of forty-two, an inad-