The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-27

feats of the war is credited to her. In
the open daylight on the afternoon OF
Sept. 4th. 1862, she dashed into Mo-
bile bay. her guns not in commission.
her crew short handed. and an cpl
demic OF yellow fever aboard. the guns
OF the Oneida. the Wlnona and the
Rachel Seaman meanwhile playing up
on her at close range with heavy shell
and shrapnel. For allowing the Flor
ida to break the blockade. Comman-
der H. Preble OF the Oneida. ranking
officer present. was summarily dis
missed from the United States Navy,
but Lincoln five months later reap
pointed him. The Fiorida's passage OF
the blockade was made the subject OF
an investigation by naval court of
inquiry In 1879 and John New1and
Mafit, one OF the notable officers IN
tho Confederate Navy. waA born al
sea- His father. q preacher. helped to
launch. Al Nashville the predecessor
OF the Christian Advocate. the organ
OF the Southern Methodist Church. The
sons career in the Confederate Navy
was full OF thrills. his final assign
ment being as commander of block
ade runner.
A youngster who came to the Florida
while she lay in Mobile Bay being re-
paired. was Charles w. Reed. of Mis-
sissippi then only % years of age. but
a veteran OF the fight with Farragut
below New Orleans and OF the dash
az the ram Arkansas out of the Yazoo
river. through Farragut's fleet, 70 the
wharf at Vicksburg, July IS. 1862. His
cruise up the Atlantic coast in the
captured brig Clarence, IN the Tacony,
another prize, and the Archer. still
another prize, to the harbor of Port
land. Me-. where he cut out the reve-
nue. cutter. Caleb Gushing, only to be.
captured while getting away Swith the
vessel. was one of the most successful
commerce raids that a handful OF men
che had but twenty ever engaged in.
Reads raid lasted from May 6. 1853,
70 June 27, in the course of which he
captured twenty vessels, one an ocean
liner off New York and another an i'm
migrant ship off Boston, though TWEEN
ty United States war ships and as
many more chartered vessels were sent
out TO capture him. New York City
for the moment was even in a state
of panic lest the raider attack it. The
lad concluded his Confederate naval
career by desperate attempt to take
the ram, William H. Webb. out Of Red
River, down the Mississippi and into
the Gulf.
The final chapter of the Confeder-
ate history was written by the navy
by the cruiser Shenandoah, James /.
we lda1I ,4oy,ayoaudar
"The Shenandoah" her commander
wrote, "was. actually cruising but eight
months after the enemy's property,
during which time she made 80 cap
lures, an average of a fraction over
four per month. She released six on
bond and destroyed 80.
she visited every ocean except the
Antarctic ocean.
''She was the only vessel which car
ried the flag around the world, and
she carried It six months after the ov-
erthrow of the south.
"She was surrendered to the Brit
ish nation on the 9Th of November
1865. The last gun in defense of the
south was fired from her deck on the
22nd. of June. 1865, in the Arctic ocean.
"She ran distance of $4,000 statute
miles and met with no serious injury,
during a cruise of Is months
she never lost a chase. and was
second only to the celebrated Alaba-
ma"