Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-03


Mr.. James Morris Morgan, formerly an
officer in the Confederate navy. Just now
Mr. Morgan can lay claim to the honor
cf the title above quoted, to employ rain
err anomalous phraseology, requires some
amount of explanation. But 1t can be
hest led up to, perhaps, by an anecdote
which he himself tells to the following
effect:
..While I was consul general in Aus
traIa, during President Cleveland's first
term of office | attended dinner at the
government house in the capital OF the
colony During the course of the enter
tainment the governor general exclaimed:
Gentlemen are you aware that you
have a pirate among you?
-.One of those present. an English mer-
chant who had a branch establishment IN
the COLONY seemed considerably inter-
ested by the abrupt ana somewhat SIN,
ssIar information, and at once PROCEEDED
to relate an experience which had be-
fallen him.
my lord he said. with a great deal
of emphasis, addressing the governor
i once had adventure with pirate on
the high seas, and it tended to utterly
dispel the ideas / had formed or those
gentry from reading the bloody exploits
was proceeding in my vessel from Eng
land to the colony, when We were consld-
erably astonished one day by having
shot fired across our bows and being or
dered to lay TO by a clipper-looking craft
we had hailed. Being unarmed. ! need
hardly say We complied with the injunc-
ton, when a boat put off from the pirate.
Now from the pirate literature | have
mentioned | fully expected to be boarded
by murderous-l looking fellow over six
feet in height with fierce mustac hios and.
perhaps a brace OF pistols stuck in a red
sash at his waist.
Imagine my anna cement, therefore,
when there came over the side of our
vessel an infant. This beardless youth
spoke us very politely and pleasantly. and,
upon learning nationality and pur-
pose regretted the mistake which has
captain had made in taking US for a dis
guiSeG Yankee The vessel which ha d
stopped our course unceremoniousiy
was the famous Confederate states
cruiser Alabama, which at that time was
creating. such havoc among American
shipping.
Il listened to the English merchant
narrative with considerable amusement.
and. at its conclusion, took occasion to
remark:
There is only point. MIR, up
on which / can question the accuracy of
your recollection of that incident. The
vessel which hailed you was not the
Alabama, but the Confederate cruiser
Georgia.
But. sir said the Englshman. rather
heatedly, L distinctly remember that ii
was the Ala bama. and was so informed
by the midshipman who boarded us.
was there at the time. and should be &C
Quainted with the facts.
II also / replied, was there at the
time. In fact, I was the infant who
t,na led | yvill q
exactly what you did on the occasion.
You took me into the cabin and made me
g. present of neat parcel in which.
with other delicacies, i found some of
the best cakes l ever tasted.
-
Very true, said the Englishman, but
did you not tell me your vessel was the
Alabama
- AT that time l returned, the Ala
bama found it highly desirable to keep
her real destination and the scene OF her
further exploits as profound a secret as
possible To this end the Georgia was
enjoined to masquerade as the Alabama,
and thus to spread, whenever feasible
false scent for the enemy. Our captain
recognized you an English merchant
man. with whom he had no manner OF
concern, but he found 1t desirable OPP
portunty to spread the misleading In
formation to the whereabouts OF the
Alabama 1t is just possible. therefore
that in this respect the infant ma.
have lied.
AS a matter of fact" continued MIR
Morgan. "a number of reports were re-
ceived at that time in different quarters
which seemed to indicate that the Ala
bama possessed the quality which the
Irishman attributed to the bird-that oil
being in two places at the same time. The
cause of this. however, may be readily
seen
There are a number of mistaken i'm
pressions and statements regarding thu
Alabama, the Georgia and other Con
federate vessels of this class, some OF
which are found in school histories in USE
today. These vessels, for example, are