The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-07
the smoke Of the burning vessels mado
landmarks against tho skies" q!


mer. and. on June 90 waddell captured
two whaiers. which had lcrt tan Fran
cisco I'm April and had on bos papers
OF April II, in which was f6s.nd tho
correspondence between General Grant
and General Lee, and statement OF
the surrender at Apponattox; but the
same papers also contained President
Davis's proclamation from Danviile,
declaring Lee's surrender would only
cause the prosecution OF the war with
renewed vigor
How narrowing must have been this
news to these daring Confederates,
then amid foes OF Ice in tho Polar.
Ocean. But they were mon or nerve.
White says: I'VE felt that the South
had sustained great reverses; but at
no time did we feel n more impera-
tive duty to prosecute our work Will:
yigor. Between June 23 and IS we
captured twenty-four whaling vessels,
eleven being taken on the 2Sth.
Some OF the, prisoners expressed
their opinion that the war was over;
but, Notwithstanding. eight of the
prisoners taken that day enlisted on
board tho Shenandoah.
On June 20 the Confederate flag
was flying in the Arctic Ocean. but on
that day WaddelI turned his Prov
away from the pole and passed south
ward through Boring Strait.
/! On July 5, they passed the Aleutian
Islands. one of which was volcano
and was in n state of eruption, smoke
and fire issuing from its peak. That
was the last land seen by the Shenan-
doah for many days.
On August 3, when in north latitude
Is degrees aid 122 west longitude.
seeing a sailing bark, the Shenandoah
1pdn cI,a
and overhaulcd her at o'clock in the
afternoon. II proved to De the British
bark Barraconta, thirteen days out
from San Francisco EN- route to Liver
pool When the British captain was
asked for the news of the war, he In
CURED in Advertisements:
What WARP
The war between the United States
and the Confederate States
Why said he. that war has been
over ever since April. What ship is
that?"
The Confederate ship. the shenan-
doah" was the reply.
Then came the information OF the
surrender of all the Confederate
forces. the capture of President Davis,
and the entire collapse Of the confed-
crate cause; and the additional inform.
alton. says Whittle. that Federal
cruisers were searching for US every
where. and would deal summarily with
US, II caught. Files of recent papers
confirmed II all. The information was
appalling. We we're bereft OF coun-
try, bereft OF ground OF hope or as
piration, bereft Of a cause for which
to struggle and to suffer.
We knew that every effort would
be made Tor our capture. and felt that
falI f,,t~, 49,
fired as their hearts were, we could
not hope for fair trial and Judg
ment. Even during the war, we had
been opprobriously called pirates. and
we knew, ii captured. we would be
summarily dealt with as such.
These were reflections that dlsquiet.
ed us, but shey caused no demoraliza-
ton, or craven fear. but wore borne
by true men with clear consciences,
who had done their duty as they saw
II. with all the powers given them by
God 1t was n situation desperate to
a degree, to which history furnishes
no parallel. The first duty, WAS to sus-
pend hostilities and to proclaim such
suspension.
The following entry was made In
the log book August 2, 1865, the
Shenandoah then being OFF the coast
of Mexico: Having received by the
bark Barraconta the sad intelligence
OF the. overthrow OF the Confederate
government, all attempts to destroy
shipping or property of the United
States will cease from this date, in
accordance with which First Lieuten-
ant W. c. Whittle received the order
from the commander to strike below
the batter and disarn the ship and
crew.
CT 20
with some strong nation, strong
enough TO maintain the ruling OF the
law OF nations and resist any demand
for our surrender to our enemies, so
that we might have full and fair
trial"
And 30 Waddell determined 10 sail
for England. No longer did he have
legitimate authority. for his commits
sion expired with the collapse of the
Confederacy; yet so we'll disciplined
had his crew become that to the very
end the conduct OF his crew was re-
markable
On the 18th of September, running
at the rate OF fifteen miles an hour,
the Shenandoah turned Cape Horn,
and took her course northward for
Liverpool we passed many sails"
says Whittle, but exchanged no
signals. We were making no new ac-
quaintances." They crossed the equator
for the fourth time on October IL,
1865. On october o5 in the afternoon,
when about 500 miles south of the
Azores. they sighted a supposed Fed
eral cruiser. Their courses converg-
ed, the stranger was apparently
waiting for the approaching vessel.
Quoting now from Captain waddell:
THE situation was one of anxious sus-
pense. Our security, If any remained,
depended on a strict adherence to our
course. Deviation would be fatal:
holiness must accomplish deception.
Still we forged towards the sail, and
IT would he madness to stop Dark
ness finally threw her friendly folds
around the anxious hearts on the little
ship and close the space between the
vessels What relief! We could
not have been four miles away"
The Shenandoah's head was then
turned southwark and steam ordered
1t was the first time she had oeen un-
der steam since crossing the equator
on the Pacific side; indeed, the fires
had not been lighted for distance or
more than $4,000 miles. The Shenan-
doah ran fifteen miles to the east