Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25
BATTLES and leaders, . The CYL WARAI

no ships specially fitted for war could
safely be purchased in England. He
a merchant vessel which should answer
the requirements Of the commerce-de.
stroying service: speed, sail-power and
sufficient strength for battery and
difficult to find, but Bulloch, by good
luck. discovered one that answered his
purpose-the Sea King. vessel built for
the Bombay trade. which had made only
one voyage, and in September she was
purchased, her ostensible owner being a
British subject who acted privately as
Bulloch'S agent.
On the Sth of October the Sea King
cleared from London for Bombay. carrying
coal as ballast and with Lieut.. Whittle
of the Confederate navy on board a
passenger. On the same day the Laurel,
a fast steamer, purchased ostensibly for
a blockade-runner, sailed from Liverpool
with a cargo containing six guns and
their appurtenances, and nineteen passen-
gers. who consisted of Capt James |.
Waddell and eighteen other Confederate
officers. The two vessels proceeded d.
rectly to Madeira. On their arrival they
withdrew to the Desertas, group OF
barren islands in the neighborhood. where
the passengers and cargo were trans
mission as the Confederate states ship
Shenandoah, under the command OF Wad-
dell. Contrary to his expectation, most
OF the Seamen who had shipped for
Shenandoah's crew, when her real char
acter was known. She was therefore
obliged to start with only twenty-three
seamen instead of one hundred and
twenty, which was her complement.
x u
The Shenandoah proceeded first to
Melbourne. On her way she met nine
American vessels. seven of which were
nd ha ofh al
the crews of the captured prizes waddell
succeeded in obtaining twenty-four sea-
men who consented to enlist on board the
Shenandoah. making her total number
forty-seven.
The Shenandoah arrived at Melbourne
the 18th Of January. 1865. Here she was
admitted to q building slip on the ground
that she needed repairs. She was also al
lowed to remain at Melbourne nearly
four weeks, to put her machinery in thor
ough order at her leisure and to take on
board 200 tons of coal. Her crew, which
had now been reduced by assertions tn
thirty men, was reinforced with an addi-
ton of forty-two new recruits, notwith-
standing the urgent representations OF
the United States consul. Leaving Mel
bourne February Is. the Shenandoah pur-
sued her course to the northward. Three
vessels were captured in April and one in
May.
In the latter part of June, approaching
Boring strait. she fell in with the New
Bedford whaling fleet. In the course OF
ty-five whalers were captured. of which
four were ransomed and the remaining
twenty-one were burned.
The loss on these twenty-one whalers
and. considering that 1t occurred in June,
1885, two months after the Confederacy
had virtually passed out Of existence. IL
may be characterized as the most useless
act Of hostility that occurred during the
whole war.
The first fntimation received by Wad-
dell Of the progress Of events at home
was June %. when the captain Of one OF
the whalers told him that he believed the
war was over: the statement, however.
was unsupported by other evidence, and
Waddell declined to believe It. The ed
he received from one of his prizes San
Francisco newspapers of a sufficiently
late date to contain news of the fall of
Richmond. The war was not yet ended.
however. and subsequently to the receipt
Of these newspapers fifteen whalers were
destroyed.
The 18th OF June, the work of DESTROYING
the fleet having been completed. WaddeiI
started to return home. On his way
southwark. August 2. he met the British
bark Barracuda, from which he received
positive information that the Con rederacv
was at an end. He thereupon dismounted
his battery and shaped his course for
Liverpool where he arrived the 9Th OF
November. having made his voyage OF
1900 miles without speaking a vessel
The Shenandoah was surrendered on
her arrival to the British government.
which. in turn, delivered her to the Emitted
States.
Copyright. 1914. by the Century Company