The vessel again repaired--Another detention--A large Federal fleet
on the coast--Capture of Captain Downs's vessel and others--The Forts
bombarded--The _Rob Roy_ again employed in the Government
service--Arrival of a schooner escaped from her captors--Captain
McLusky--Account of his capture and escape.
The wet cargo was soon got out, and the vessel being lightened, the
leak was above water, and she required no more pumping. Everything,
however, in the shape of stores, cabin furnishing, clothing, bedding,
£c., was virtually destroyed, and everything was coated with slime
and mud. She was now thoroughly scrubbed and dried out, and fires
lighted in the hold, cabin, and forecastle, to assist in drying under
decks.
The leak, which was caused by the opening of one seam in the
centre-board casing, it was thought to repair by pounding on the
deck-beams with a heavy weight until they were forced down into their
place again, and then the seam caulked up.
This, however, it was found difficult to do, as the main beam, which
had been forced up fully three inches, could not be got down
completely, and there was still about an inch of space left between
this beam and the top of the casing, but this was considered to be of
no importance, as the casing planks were securely bolted at the ends.
The casing was therefore caulked tight, and strapped up and down with
battens, and it was supposed that, when the deck-load was put on, it
would soon work the beam down to its place.
Turning to the cargo. About one hundred bales had been under water
for about ten days, and the question was how far they might be
damaged.
On opening one of the bales it was found that, owing to the hard
compressment of the bales, the water had penetrated only a few
inches, and the hearts of the bales were quite dry; but when the cost
of repacking was considered, and the abundance of cotton in the
country, the very high rate of freight, and the limited means of
shipment, it was considered the best policy to ship only the best
cotton; therefore new bales would be sent to replace those damaged.
The vessel having been thoroughly cleaned and dried throughout, new
mattrasses and bedding had to be got for the cabin and forecastle,
and much new furnishing, which, owing to the state of the country, it
was very difficult to obtain, and very costly, and things only of the
commonest kind were got.
The vessel was at length fitted up and ready to receive cargo again,
but, just as this was accomplished, another obstacle cropped up.
The alarm which had been caused by the supposed descent on the coast
by the Federal forces after their repulse at Sabine Pass had somewhat
died away, but was now again renewed, and this time with some cause.
A powerful expedition consisting of gunboats and transports with
troops was rendezvousing off Galveston, and several steamships of war
had appeared on the coast to the westward of that place. They had
opened fire on the Forts at the mouth of the Brazos River, evidently
with the object of drawing the fire from these Forts and ascertaining
their strength.
News also had come that all the vessels which had left the Brazos
River about the time that the _Rob Roy_ had sunk, had been captured;
amongst them was poor Captain Downs.
It was always an object with the Confederate Government to prevent
any cotton falling into the hands of the Yankees. The want of this
article was severely felt by the latter, and it was greatly prized
and coveted by them.
The Confederates, knowing that their enemies were suffering from want
of cotton, were as determined that they should not obtain it, and
they sought to increase the cotton famine in the North, and make the
war unpopular, and also as a retaliation for the famine which they,
the Confederates, were suffering from the blockade, and they used
every endeavour to prevent it falling into their hands. And when
they had to evacuate any place, or fall back in their territory,
especial care was always taken to burn or otherwise destroy every
ounce of cotton, no matter to whom it might belong, so that it might
not fall into the hands of the enemy. Therefore, when a blockade
runner with a cargo of cotton was captured, it was regarded as so
much gain to the enemy.
The Federal cruisers were now declared to be as thick as bees on the
coast of Texas, and orders were issued that no vessels should be
allowed to proceed to sea until further orders; and, as the only two
steamers on the Brazos River were broken down and undergoing repairs,
some of the schooners there might be wanted for the Government
service.
This last piece of information was communicated to me by Messrs. M. &
Co., with a request that I should go and see them on the matter. I
went accordingly, and they explained to me the particulars that a
large Federal force was lying off the coast. Of this there was no
doubt, and no vessel would be allowed to go to sea at present. The
service which the Government required from the vessels was a quantity
of sawn timber and other stores to be taken down to the Forts, and
some sugar and cotton, which was on some plantations far down the
river, to be brought up to Columbia.
They said it would be some weeks before they could have a cargo of
cotton ready for the vessel in any case; and it might be as well to
let the schooner be employed doing that work in the meantime, as it
would be the means of securing favour with the Government, and the
ready obtaining of a pass outward when an opportunity offered.
I said I would be ready to do the work provided the vessel was left
under my own control and management, but I had only two men and no
provisions.
They said the vessel would be entirely under my own management, and
as for men, they would give me as many good handy negroes as I
wanted, who would bring their own provisions with them.
I agreed; and they asked how many hands I would want. I said about
eight men to load and discharge the cargo, and who could pull an oar,
as I intended to tow the vessel by the boat when there was not wind
to suit.
They said the cotton and sugar was on plantations of their own, but
it had all been already purchased by the Government, but they had no
doubt but that at the plantations I could easily obtain a supply of
sugar sufficient to last the vessel for a month or two, as well as
some other provisions.
The men were sent, and the vessel was taken to where the timber was
lying. There was a large quantity of it, but, by careful stowing, we
got it all on board. There was also some other stores for the Forts,
which we took in, and started down the river, using the sails and
towing by the boat, alternately, just as the winds and the bends in
the river necessitated.
In about two days we were getting near the Forts, and we heard
distant reports of heavy guns at intervals, and when we got beyond
the woods into the open, we saw two gunboats a little to the west of
the Forts, which every now and then fired a heavy gun towards the
shore, a little to the west of the Forts.
As there was nothing in that direction for them to be firing at, I
thought they might be keeping out of reach of the Forts, and trying
the range of their guns on a parallel line with the Forts.
The negroes with me began to show symptoms of fear, and seemed
unwilling to venture down to the Forts. They said they "did not want
to have them big lumps of iron totted after them," and they suggested
that it would be "more betterer" to wait until dark, and then go down
and land the wood in the night time.
"You darkies are always up to deeds in the dark," said George, one of
my men.
Darkies or not, I thought, there was some wisdom in the suggestion,
as between us and the Forts the river took a considerable bend to the
westward, and before we could reach the Forts we would have to pass
within the range of the fire from the cruisers, and very near to the
place where the shot was falling.
I then ordered the vessel to be put about, and we retired under cover
of the woods, and made fast to the bank.
The distance from the Forts was only about two miles straight across
the prairie, and I walked over to the Forts and reported to Colonel
Evans our arrival with the timber and stores.
He said he was glad they had come, but he thought the suggestion of
the negroes a wise one, as he was expecting every minute that the
cruisers would open fire upon the Forts, and the appearance of the
vessel there would draw their fire more readily.
He showed me where he wanted the wood landed, and said if I would
bring the vessel there after dark he would give men to assist in
discharging quickly, so that we might get back under cover of the
woods before daylight set in.
Towards evening the vessels ceased firing and came to anchor off the
mouth of the river. As soon as it was dark we cast off from the bank
and made towards the Forts.
There was no wind, but the schooner's boat, which was a very large
one, with four strong rowers, towed the vessel at a considerable
speed. The negroes had also that day picked up on the river bank
near the wreck of an old barge, a pair of long oars or sweeps, as
they were usually called; they were somewhat coarsely made and
clumsy, but they passed them abaft the shrouds and pulled away. I
was astonished to see the great effect they had on the vessel, and I
learnt something from this which was of great service to me
afterwards.
In about an hour we got down to the Forts, and the negroes started
with a will to land the cargo. They were exceedingly anxious to get
the vessel discharged and get away before daylight broke, and the
gunboats opened fire again. Some men were also sent by the Colonel
to assist, and all was easily accomplished, and we got back under
cover of the woods before daylight.
Having allowed the men plenty of time to rest, we proceeded first to
the cotton plantation, where we were to take in the cotton. It was
farther up the river than the sugar plantation, but I took it first,
as I apprehended that the same cotton was to form a part of our
cargo, after being sent to Houston and compressed.
We got it all on board and proceeded to Columbia, where we landed it,
and it was sent off by rail to Houston.
I noticed on this little trip that the vessel sailed somewhat
heavily, and I suspected that her bottom must be foul.
I had imagined that the fresh water of the river would have killed
any barnacles which might have adhered to the vessel's bottom at sea,
but on my mentioning this to an old river skipper he assured me it
was quite the reverse. That if a vessel coming from sea had a
coating of barnacles, they grew fat and increased after she came into
the river.
On examining the bottom of the schooner I found it to be very heavily
coated, so that to go to sea with her in that state she would be
almost certain to be captured.
There was no dock or slip at the place, but there was at spring tides
in the river near the mouth, a rise and fall of the tide of nearly
four feet, and with a vessel drawing only about three feet of water
when light, it was very easy to deal.
I got a receipt and directions from the old skipper, and as the
spring tides were coming on I resolved to take advantage of my negro
crew and have the vessel cleaned and coated, when I went down the
river to the sugar plantation.
One part of the vessel's stores which had not been destroyed when she
sunk was a keg containing a quantity of white lead, and I obtained
from a butcher a quantity of tallow.
In the river near the sugar plantation was a fine sandbank, suitable
for beaching a vessel, and on to this bank the vessel was run at high
water, and as there was only one tide in twenty-four hours, there was
sufficient time to work upon her.
As the water left her she careened to one side, and the high side was
scraped and cleaned as the water left her, so that by the time the
tide left her, one side was cleaned down to the keel.
The tallow was put into a large pot and melted, and as it got hot the
white lead was stirred into it in a proportion of about 2 lbs. of
white lead to 3 lbs. of tallow, and the mixture heated to about 150°
Fahrenheit.
As the vessel was not coppered, but coated with verdigris paint,
blazing torches of pine knots was passed over her bottom to kill the
roots of the barnacles, or any borers which might have penetrated the
wood.
This operation, which was called roasting, was continued until the
planking was thoroughly dry and a little warm. The mixture of white
lead and tallow was then laid on hot with a brush. At next tide she
was careened to the opposite side, and the other side treated in the
same way.
The merits of this composition was that it adhered to the vessel's
bottom and preserved it while she remained in the smooth waters in
port or river, and washed off when she went to sea, leaving the
vessel clean.
When the vessel was floated off the difference in her sailing was
remarkable, the negroes declaring that she could now be pulled
through the water like a skiff.
We got to the plantation and got the sugar on board. I also got from
the planter a good supply of sugar for the vessel, also a good supply
of poultry, some fine venison hams, and a cask of very good wine,
made from wild grapes, which grew in great abundance in the
neighbourhood.
I may here say that on the banks of this river there was abundance of
deer, wild turkeys, wild ducks, and other game, and although I had
met with nothing but troubles and mishaps since I had come into it,
it was certainly a fine country.
It was late in the evening when the last of the sugar was got on
board, and the negroes said to me if I did not intend to start that
night they would like to go to a ball which was going to be on the
plantation.
They were allowed to go, but I cautioned them to take care of
themselves, and be promptly at their work on the vessel in the
morning.
This caution seemed to have been quite unnecessary, for at daylight
next morning before the men turned out, and before I came on deck,
they were busy at work getting the sweeps slung to the shrouds, the
tow line made fast to the boat, and making preparations to start with
a zeal which I thought quite extraordinary in negroes.
Of my two men, Fred had been appointed cook and George acted as mate,
and at him they inquired when we were going to start. He said he
believed it would be as soon as the tide turned, which would be about
twelve o'clock. They seemed much disappointed, and one came up to me
and said:
"Captain, are you not going to start till noon? Why not start now?"
"Because," said I, "there is no wind, and it won't be flood tide till
noon. You don't want to be pulling the vessel against a strong tide,
do you."
"Pull her, master! We will make her fly now she is clean. You just
let us take the oars in the boat, and the sweeps at the rails, and
see if we don't make her go like a steamboat."
"But you have surely got mighty anxious to work all at once. What is
the matter?"
"Did you not say, master, that this is the last trip, and we would
get home when this trip is done?"
"Oh, yes, I don't know of any more; but why are you so wishful to get
home; are you tired of this work?"
"Oh no, master; we like this work, and would like to come back again;
but you know to-morrow is Christmas, and the holidays begin to-morrow
for a whole week, and there is to be a fine ball on our plantation
to-night, and we would like to get home to be there."
"Oh, then," said I, "if that is the case you can try her against the
tide; but I think you had better get your breakfast before we cast
her off, and by that time the tide will have slacked a little, and
you can go ahead."
They were not long until they had their breakfast and were ready to
start, and George, who had already got an invitation to their ball,
promised to steer the vessel and keep her out of the current as much
as possible until the tide turned.
The vessel was cast off and they pulled away with a will, four in the
boat towing, and two upon each sweep on board. The tide was not very
strong, and I was astonished at the rate at which they pulled the
vessel along.
The distance from the plantation to Columbia was about twenty-one
miles, and they reached there about three o'clock in the afternoon,
and by six o'clock the whole of the sugar was landed on the bank.
I was so well pleased with the way they had worked, that I gave each
of them a small gratuity. They were highly pleased, saying that they
would no longer be common plantation niggers. They had served on
board of a blockade runner, and would be lions on the plantation.
They were beside themselves with joy. They had before them the same
night a ball, to them the greatest of earthly delights, to be
followed by a week or more of holidays, during which there would be
more balls. They seemed to be at about the highest pitch of
happiness that it was possible for mankind to attain.
"Happy creatures!" thought I, as they went away singing. "This war
may result in bringing you freedom, but I question much if it can
bring you more happiness."
It was notable throughout this war as far as I saw, and particularly
at this time in Texas, that the sympathies and sentiments of the
slaves were precisely the same as the whites. They rejoiced over the
news of a Confederate victory, and if news of a reverse came, the
expression would be, "Oh, never mind," "Dat is nuffing," "Our boys
will soon pay dem off for dat yet." It is true at this time the
question of the war was not supposed to be the abolition or
maintenance of slavery.
Having done all that was wanted by the Government another delay came.
This was the holidays, which would continue until the Monday after
the New Year, during which time the cotton press would be stopped,
and nothing would be done in the way of getting the cotton ready for
the vessel, and I waited patiently to see what luck the New Year
would bring.
There was, however, at this time a great movement among the military
forces. Large bodies of troops were coming by railway to Columbia,
crossing the ferry there, and proceeding westward.
It was now reported that the expedition which had been menacing the
coast was going to attempt to land at Matagorda Bay. This seemed
quite likely, as it was known that there was with the expedition a
number of light-draught vessels; but what they would do when they did
land I could not conjecture. It would be an easy and safe place for
them to land, but what would be the value of the position. It was
not the key to any place, there being only some small villages in the
bay, surrounded at the back for hundreds of miles by unsettled lands
and rolling prairies. The only object which I could suppose them to
have in view would be the interception of the trade across the plains
via Brownsville and Matamoras.
About this time a small schooner arrived in the Brazos River. She
had been captured by a Federal cruiser, but had escaped from her
captor. The manner of her capture and escape, though simple enough,
may be worth relating.
She was commanded by one Captain David McLusky, or Captain Dave, as
he was familiarly called. As I may hereafter have to refer to some
of this gentleman's tricks, I may here give a short account of him.
Dave was a Scotchman, a native of Kilmalcolm, in Renfrewshire,
Scotland. He seemed, however, like some others of his countrymen on
going abroad, to have cast off much of that cannyness or caution so
characteristic of the race.
In his younger days he had been a seaman, but some years before the
war he had settled in Galveston, and after being a few years employed
in inland navigation, he purchased a piece of land on Trinity River,
where he settled down as a farmer, but still continued to engage at
times in inland navigation.
When the war broke out and the ports were blockaded, every old barge
or river flat-boat was picked tip, and attempts made to fit them up
as sea-going craft. Dave was one of the prime movers in this
enterprise. He was not in any way fastidious about the size or
appearance of his vessel, and would venture to sea in anything that
would float. He was regarded as a sort of dare-devil, was of a
genial disposition, fond of a joke, and a general favourite with all
classes.
On this occasion he had a tolerably neat schooner, but very small,
and was inward bound to the Brazos River from some port in Mexico,
and his vessel was captured by a Federal cruiser a few miles to the
westward of the mouth of the river on Christinas Day.
The schooner being small, she was taken in tow by the gunboat, the
crew were left on board, and two men from the gunboat put on board
the prize to steer, and they proceeded to the mouth of the Brazos
River, where they anchored for the night.
The schooner was left to hang on to the stern of the gunboat by the
tow-rope and the two men ordered to remain on board as a watch.
Sometime afterwards, Dave heard the two men talking together in a
grumbling way, and wondering if they were not going to be relieved.
Hearing this, Dave got into conversation with them. They were very
much dissatisfied at having to remain on the schooner all night
without being relieved. It was too bad, they said; it was Christmas
night and there was to be a jollification on board the gunboat, and
all the others would be enjoying themselves and they had been left
out and sent to keep watch on this little rebel craft.
Dave, who was the pleasantest fellow in the world, sympathized with
them, saying it was certainly too bad; then suddenly recollecting, he
said, "Oh, so this is Christmas, and by the by I have got some
splendid brandy which I hoped to have drunk at a jollification on
shore to-night, but this confounded capture has spoiled all that, and
now I suppose that it will be taken from me; so I think that we may
as well drink it as let them get it. We are a prize and we cannot
help ourselves, and we may as well be friendly, and I think Christmas
is a time that people should all be friends; so while they are having
their jollification on the steamer, we will have our little
jollification here: so come away down, boys, and we will drink a
Merry Christmas, and peace and good-will towards men."
It was very dark and the night was somewhat dirty; the schooner was
swinging by the tow-line about 50 yards from the stern of the
steamer, and the sound of revelry was heard on board of the latter.
In a short time, the two men were seated in the little cabin of the
schooner with Dave, and the brandy was brought out.
"Tom," cried Dave to his mate, who was sitting on deck, "is the hands
turned in?"
"Yes, I think so," replied the mate.
"Then, will you just keep a look-out for a little while, and cry down
if there is any hail from the steamer, and when the bells strike,
answer 'All's Well.'"
The brandy was plied freely, cigars and tobacco were brought out; no
one could excell Dave at spinning a yarn, and the drink soon made
good-will amongst men. Dave saw the effects and took the measure of
his men.
At last appearing to recollect himself, he said, "Oh this is
Christmas night, I ought to give my poor men a little; they have had
nothing since we left port," and saying this, he drew a fresh bottle
of brandy and pouring part of it into another bottle, he went off
with it to where the men were. This was also that he might have an
opportunity of telling them what he was intending to do if all went
favourable, directing them at the same time to keep watch and repeat
the cry of "All's Well" when made on board the steamer.
In the meantime the drink had been plied freely and by midnight both
men were helplessly drunk and lying asleep on the cabin floor.
Dave still waited until the middle of the mid-watch. The sound of
revelry on board of the steamer had died away and all was still. The
night was dark, and there was now and then squalls with rain from the
south-east. Nothing could be more favourable for Dave. A rain
squall was just forming a darkness to windward of the steamer, and
under his lee about four miles distant was his port, the mouth of the
Brazos River.
The two men sleeping on the cabin floor had cutlasses in their belts.
Dave slipped down quietly and drew them from their sheaths and hid
them away, and as the squall of rain darkened round the steamer, he
cast off the line and the schooner drifted away; and in a few minutes
he had sail set and was scudding towards the river mouth. Her escape
had not been observed, no gun was fired, the darkness of the rain
squall had shrouded the schooner. The watch had probably been a
little slack that night, and the schooner was far away from the
gunboat before her absence was discovered.
Dave knew the bar as well as the pilot and had no difficulty in
crossing. He was hailed by the sentinel of the Forts, and answered,
giving his own name which they all knew, and the wind being fair he
proceeded straight up the river until within the woods, where he came
to the bank and made fast to the trees.
But the rest of the story is the part which Dave delighted to tell.
The two men having been so very drunk had never woke up and were
still asleep on the cabin floor.
Dave thought to have a joke over it, and determined not to disturb
them until daylight, and kindling a fire on the bank--as was the
usual custom, they made some coffee, and some men coming up from the
Forts to learn the news, Dave confided to them the night's adventure,
and told them that the two men from the gunboat were still asleep on
the cabin floor, and he wanted to have some fun over it before he
reported at the Forts.
As soon as daylight began to appear, he slipped softly down to the
cabin and threw himself on the sofa which was used as a bed, all the
others keeping perfectly quiet.
At length one of the men waking up from his drunken sleep began to
look around with a sort of stupified gaze. A little light was coming
down through the skylight, but the high trees around made it still
dark in the small cabin.
Dave now gave a yawn and looked around. "Oh, I am mighty thirsty,"
said Dave, "is there anything left in that bottle." The bottles had
been replaced on the cabin table as they had been on the previous
night. The man rose up and approached the bottle.
"Help yourself," said Dave, "and then hand some to me."
The man helped himself to a good pull, and then as his memory was
cleared, he cried to his companion to get up quick and be on deck
that they might be seen on the alert.
"It is surely not blowing very hard," said Dave; "it must have calmed
down."
"It must be dead calm," said the man, as he ascended the little cabin
stair.
Suddenly he uttered a loud exclamation and half-tumbled back down the
cabin stair.
"What is the matter?" said Dave, with the greatest simplicity.
"What is the matter!" cried the man, "we have got into h--ll or some
other seaport."
Dave jumped up, pretended great astonishment and ran on deck. The
men hastening on deck to show themselves on duty, instead of finding
themselves at sea swinging from the stern of the cruiser, finding
themselves in the midst of thick forests, their astonishment may well
be imagined. Having hurriedly awakened from their drunken sleep,
they at first imagined it to be some hallucination; but, on coming
more to their senses and finding their cutlasses gone, they did not
know what to think of it; and seeing men standing by laughing, they
thought that some devil's trick had been played. For the last thing
they would have thought of was that the schooner could, or would,
attempt to escape from under the guns of the cruiser.
Their eyes, however, were soon opened, when a corporal's guard from
the Forts, came to take them along as prisoners.
They were, in the meantime, parolled and allowed to wander about
until exchanged, but there was some question raised about their being
regarded as prisoners of war. They were not captured by any
Confederate force or any party in the service of the Confederate
States.
The captain of a merchantman under a neutral flag was justified in
recovering or recapturing his vessel, but it was questionable how far
he might use force to effect this if he did not hold a commission in
the service of the Confederate States. I think the men were allowed
to go and were not detained as prisoners of war.
I afterwards in Havana met with one of the officers of the cruiser,
and in course of conversation referred to the incident. He said that
those two men were addicted to drink, and the captain's method of
dealing with them was to keep them away from all contact with it, and
knowing that there must be some indulgence on Christmas night, he had
put them out on the prize so that they might not have an opportunity
of tasting it. He, the officer, thought this scheme of the captain
injudicious, and like many other schemes in that line had gone aglee.