The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-20

tiers. y and Y. being blinds
The First OF Its Kind.
Shortly before the sumter nut ia
sea, Captain Semmes received Governor
Moore. OF Louisiana. and John Sliu.ll
on board with appropriate honors-
this being the first occasion on which
Confederate man-of-war had ever
accorded honors to visitor. During
this visit the preliminary plans Tor
the mission abroad or Mcssr. Mason
and Slidell. whose forcible removal
from the British steamer Trent by OF
hcers of the United States snip san
Jancinto, came very near resulting In
war between England and the North,
were drawn up and discussed
On the morning Of June 80. 1861.
captain Semmes received telegram
from the pilot station stating that the
blockading squadron was nowhere in
sight. Immediately calling all hands
TO quarters, Captain Semmcs headed
out Pass Outrc, ana proceeded un-
der All steam and sail for the Cuban
coast
As he cleared the pass. the United
states ship Brooklyn closed IN for :,
ehase. and. well knowing the Sumter
could not face her superior gun ,rc,
the captain resorted 10 Il ruse To get
away Ordering large brig to head
in "a direction opposite to him, AS IL
attempting TO RIM the blockade in he
stood out from land The Brooklyn,
seeing IL impossible 10 make both cap
lures, decided on taking; the one head
Ing inshore. and later on trying to
outrun the one proceeding to sea. AS
had been planned, the brig .nshore
was run aground and destroyed while
the sumter managed TO show her heels
10 the Brooklyn. and make good her
escape
Having escaped the Brooklyn. Cap
tain Semines hove the vessel TO- and.
calling all hands aft. read the orders
placing her in commission, christened
her sumter. hoisted the stars ana
Bars 70 the peak and amid the roar
OF Il national salute, checred ship. This
brief ceremony completed, the Sumtor
now commenced her deprcdations on
Northern commerce. and In four days
took no less than seven valuable
prizes. AS Spain. at that time, had
not denied entrance OF prizes IN her
colonial ports, Captain Sempes gent
the seven ships into Cicnfucgos to be
adjudicated by Confederate prize
court. The prizes were all splendidly'
built vessels. loaded with sugar ana
molasses, and ought to have brought
fine prices. With the money thus OBJ
tanned. the sumter would be able 10
cut loose from the Confederacy ana
run at no cost TO the home govern
mcnt
When Spain Hacked Down.
~ this Juncture, however. the Fed
eral government demonstrated to
Spain. declaring that all prizes taken
gerent should Dc Immediately. freed
ana restored to the original owners
The matter was laid before the King
OF Spain. who decided that ncither
party had the right to bring prize
INTO any Spanish port, and ord red the
seven prizes restored to their original
owners. Captain Semmes argued that
TINS action was breach OF the neu-
trniity Spain had proclaimed mas
much as he had no port into which ne
might run his prizes-all southern
ports being blockaded--while the North
cFn cruisers might send any prizes
they took into any number OF parts
This point was held 10 be one of the
fortunes OF war, however, for which
spain was In no way responsible ana
thcnceforth no prizes were ever taken
by either side into neutral ports
Bitterly disappointed at the final out
come of the matter. Captain Semmes
now headed the Sumter for the South
american coast, and after capturing
nihe additional prizes In twenty-eight
days, ran into Trinidad for water. sup
plies and dispatches. While in this
port he read in the Northern news
papers that the Union authorities had
decided not to hang the crews of Con
federate privateers-ofii ciany cIasscd
pirates when captured on the high
seas Calling the captains OF the nine
vessels he had recently taken into
MS cabin. Captain Semmes told them
how glad he was to receive that news.
as he could now set them ashore in
freedom. instead Of hanging them from
INC Sumtcr's yard arm as he had orig
ihaiiy intended. in retaliation for the
hanging Of an equal number OF Con
rederates This was glad news FOR
the unfortunates. who, upon reaching
new York. lost no time I'm commune
eating il TO Secretary Wens, who
forthwith ordered that all Confederate
privatcersmen should be treated as
prisoners of war till exchanged
Queen Incident.
Leaving Trinidad. the Sumter now
steamed leisurciy off the coast OF
Brazil, and in the South Atlantic she
took and burned a great number OF
valuable prizes. One OF these, the ADJ
ny bradford, brig two months out
from Hong Kong with n cargo of
opium and tea Captain Semmes de-
termined to send into New Orleans. rs
the medical department was sadly in
ticcu Oh the OPIUM Unfortunately, the
olockading fleet had been strongly re-
ihtorced the day the prize arrived or
the mouth of the Mississippi and she
was easily retaken. a case OF the
opium. nevertheless. reached its in
tended destination by series OF
strange circumstances
Thc Bradford's cargo. after being adj
Indicated by Northern prize court.
was shipped North, and n large part or
the opium was bought by the medical
department Some OF it was sent in
n supply train to the army of the
Potomac, and was captured by Cen
eral j. e. B. Stuart, during his famous
cavalry raid. after which it found its
way to Richmond. Quite round about
trip; but as successful as the one orig
lnally planned by Captain Semmes
During all her cruises, the sumter
was constantly followed by Union
cruisers, determined to take her at