Shore business--Our new consignee, Mr. C.--Collision with a
transport--Loss of our main-boom--Increase of business at
Galveston--Difficulty of getting compressed cotton--Arrival of my
friend Flagg--He plays a joke upon me--He makes amends for it--I wish
to leave quickly--Load with uncompressed cotton--A small cargo--Clear
for Vera Cruz.
As soon as we were anchored, I went ashore and reported to the
British Consul, and deposited with him the vessel's register and crew
list. I then called upon Mr. C., and, having handed him the
manifesto of the cargo, requested him to get the vessel entered at
the custom house.
Mr. C had some connection or relationship with my partner in
Brownsville, and I had seen him when we were in Texas on the first
trip, and this was why I had proposed him as consignee when arranging
with Mr. B. M. for this trip. He seemed a plain, quiet, honest man,
but not a very extensive merchant, and had had very little to do with
blockade-running, and had no great influence with the officials. He
was, however, none the worse for this, at least as I thought from
past experience, and I thought now that for what was required in that
line I was learning to have a fair amount of cheek myself, although
my cheek was not always governed by prudence and sound judgment.
He told me that Mr. P., my partner's representative, was not in
Texas, but had gone to Havana on a steamer which had not arrived at
Havana when we left. This, however, was not of much importance.
General Magruder was not in Galveston at the time, and the goods for
the Confederate Government were to be delivered to the Post
Quarter-master.
At the request of Mr. C. I called upon that gentleman, and he said,
if I could deliver the goods at once, he would send a transport
steamer alongside of the schooner to receive them as soon as a permit
was got from the custom house. A permit to discharge was got the
same evening, and next morning a transport steamer came alongside to
receive the goods.
The norther was still blowing, and the steamer coming up from
leeward, intending to cross our stern, by some clumsy handling fouled
the end of our main-boom, and, after pushing us ahead for some
distance, the boom snapped in the middle.
Commodore Smith, chief of the Marine Department, who was standing
upon another steamer close by, after having sworn furiously at the
pilot in charge of the transport for his carelessness, turned to me
and said--
"Captain, you go to Captain ----, of the Transport service, and tell
him to give you a spar out of the Transport shed to replace your
main-boom. Tell him to give you one of the spars of the _Harriet
Lane_."
I may here observe that the _Harriet Lane_, before being sent to
Havana, had been dismantled, and her spars and rigging stowed away in
the sheds of the Transport Department.
Having discharged the goods for the Confederate Government into the
transport, we soon after got a berth at the wharf, where we
discharged the rest of the cargo.
The state of things at Galveston was now very different from what
they were when we came in last trip. We were then the first vessel
that had entered the port for months, and our arrival caused
considerable excitement, and we were to a little extent lionized; but
now it was quite different. Several steamers had lately arrived, and
our arrival was scarcely noticed. All the better, I thought. To get
loaded and slip away quietly is the most profitable, but I soon found
that to get loaded was not going to be an easy matter. Some four or
five steamers were laying there waiting for cargoes, and all wanted
to get compressed cotton.
There was plenty of cotton to be got in the ordinary bales, but that
would make a great difference in stowage, particularly in a small
vessel like the _Rob Roy_.
Cotton bales compressed into such a small and compact body as we had
had on the last two trips were unusual and not always to be had.
These bales, though containing over five hundred pounds of cotton,
were little more than half the size of ordinary bales, and so heavy
that they would scarcely float in water.
There was only one cotton press at Houston which had the power to
press bales into such a small compass, and this had been got up
expressly to suit the stowage of the small blockade-running
schooners; and as it often got out of order, and the arrival of so
many steamers had created such a demand upon it that, if we waited
our turn, it would be uncertain when we would get loaded.
In the meantime I must get the damage to the vessel repaired, get a
new main-boom, and a new topmast if possible.
Notwithstanding the verbal order of Commodore Smith, I knew there
would likely be the usual red-tape shuffling when I went to apply for
the spar, but I would just have to persist.
Just then another steamer got in from Havana, and upon her, in the
capacity of first mate, was my friend Flagg. He had not taken the
command of the schooner after all, but had got tired of their
humbugging, as he called it, and shipped as mate on a steamer.
Bill was still the same devil-me-care sort of a fellow. He was now
in his element; he knew every one about Galveston in office or out of
office, and made himself on easy terms with them all; he would have
his joke, and cared little who might be the victim of it. Learning
that the _Rob Roy_ had got in, it was not long till he came on board.
On seeing the main-boom broken, he asked how it happened. I told him
how it happened and what Commodore Smith had said, but I said I had
forgot the name of the captain in the Transport service that I was to
apply to.
"Oh," said he, "it is old Bricktop who has charge of the spars. You
go to him. If Commodore Smith has ordered you to get a spar, he will
not refuse it."
Sometime afterwards I went to see about getting the spar. I passed
near to where Bill's vessel lay, and saw Bill in company with some
friends on the wharf. I thought him a little jolly, and quite ready
for a lark of some kind.
"Have you got your spar?" he said.
"I have not," said I, "but I am going to see about it now. What do
you say is that captain's name that I am to apply to?"
"Bricktop," said he. "Just go up to the Transport office and inquire
for Captain Bricktop."
I went up to the office, and saw two clerks writing, and a man with
very red hair sitting at the table at the far end of the room.
"I wish to see Captain Bricktop," said I.
The clerks looked at me with astonishment, and, as I thought,
suppressed merriment, but said nothing.
"Who the devil are you?" cried out the red-haired man in a fierce
tone.
I was rather astonished at his manner, but, being well used to the
arrogance of men in office, I stood up boldly, told him who I was,
and said that Commodore Smith had ordered me to come to him to get a
spar to replace my main-boom, which had been broken by the clumsy
management of one of his transport steamers.
"And did Commodore Smith order you to come here and insult me?"
"He did not; and I have not done so."
"You have, sir; and I order you to leave this office and come back
when you have learned to address me properly."
"What tremendous high rank do you hold," said I, turning round,
looking at the clerks, and walking towards the door.
Just as I had got out to the top of the stair one of the clerks came
out after me. I turned round and said to him--
"What high functionary is that of yours? What does he mean by saying
that I insulted him?"
"So you did," said he.
"Why? How?"
"By calling him that name."
"What name? Captain Bricktop--is that not his name?"
"No," said he. "Who told you that was his name?"
"Bill Flagg," said I.
"Oh," said he, "just like Bill. He has been wanting to play a joke
on you. That is a nickname on Captain B. on account of his red hair,
and he hates it mightily."
"I will sort Bill for that," said I, starting off to look for Bill.
Bill had got on board of his vessel, and was surrounded by his
friends, all convulsed with laughter. They all surrounded me,
laughing and trying to appease me; but I was in a rage, and demanded
an apology. I said to Bill that I thought he ought to have known me
better than to try to make a butt of me. Bill came forward laughing,
and said that he would make a hundred apologies, and he assured me
that it was out of no disrespect to me, but really the chance that
was offered to have a bit of fun with old Bricktop was so good that
he could not lose the opportunity, even if it had been his own father
that was in my place.
I said that was all very well so far as the joke was concerned, but
he had done me an injury, because I would now have trouble in getting
the spar which I was applying for.
"Oh, don't concern yourself about that," said Bill; "I will get the
spar for you, and the best that is in the spar-shed."
I was not quite satisfied and had my doubts about it; but he said--
"You leave it to me. I will have the spar on board of your vessel
to-morrow morning."
I wondered how he was going to manage it; but Bill was an offhand
forward-going fellow: he had taken an active part in the capture of
the _Harriet Lane_, was very popular, and was so well acquainted with
everything about the marine department at Galveston that he seemed to
have the whip hand of most of the officials.
Next morning sure enough Bill came down with a gang of negroes
carrying a fine large spar. I feared he might have taken it without
warrant, and there might be some trouble about it; but the negroes
assured me it was all right--that the big captain knew all about it.
"Now," said Bill, "you will want a carpenter. I will send over our
'chips,' he is doing nothing else, anyhow; but you want a top-mast,
too."
I said I wanted a topmast, but I had no order to get that; I had lost
that at sea, and must try and get one for myself.
"Oh," said he, "they owe you one for the trouble they have given you.
There are plenty of studding-sail booms in the shed, one of them will
make you a first-rate topmast. Come along," said he to the negroes,
"and I will give you one to bring down."
"Stop, Bill," said I, "take care and not get us into any trouble. I
had no authority to get a topmast."
"Confound the authority!" said he; "if you intend to abide by
authority, and go all through their red-tape orders and formalities,
you will never get anything. These spars would be in the shed till
they rot, and no one would get them, unless one has the cheek just to
go and take them. Mind you, what is everybody's property is nobody's
property; and you have as good a right to the spars as anybody else;
and I will take the responsibility," and off he went, and soon came
down with a long studding-sail-boom. "That," said he, "will make you
a famous topmast, and enough cut off to make you either a fore-gaff
or a jib-boom. Now I will go and send over the carpenter," and off
he went.
I was thus saved a great amount of trouble, for I had anticipated
there would be some formalities to be got through; and I could not
help thinking that there was some truth in his remarks about the
folly of always abiding by red-tape formalities, although I was not
in a position to act as he had done. However, for the favour he had
done, I thought I could afford to forgive him for the joke he had
played upon me.
In a few days I had the new main-boom rigged out, and a new topmast
sent up, and all ready for sea again; but the chance of getting
loaded was very remote. The cargo had all been disposed of, but of
course not for specie, such a thing was out of the question, most of
it had been sold to the Government for cotton warrants. For the seed
potatoes there had been quite a rush, a few barrels had been sold for
specie, but the greater part was sold, one barrel for a bale of
cotton; and there were warrants to obtain cotton sufficient to load
the ship twice over, but, unfortunately, it was all in ordinary
bales, and the great difficulty was to get it compressed.
I went up to the press at Houston to see what chances there might be,
and how long it would be before I could get a cargo compressed; but I
could get no promise, several steamers were before me, and they would
be obliged to take uncompressed cotton for their deck-loads, but they
must have compressed cotton to stow under decks. The press was in
very bad order, and constantly breaking down, and they could not get
it repaired, through want of proper men and material.
While at the cotton-press I learned that Messrs. R. and D. G. M. had
been making some inquiries about the _Rob Roy_, and when she would be
likely to get her cargo.
This might be natural enough, but somehow it aroused my suspicion,
and I wondered whether they might be concocting some plan to get the
vessel detained on some pretence, in order to get me to come to their
terms in regard to last trip.
Seeing this state of matters I began to consider what was best to be
done. To load with uncompressed cotton we could not stow in the
vessel more than two-thirds of what she took out last trip, and not
more than one-third of the cotton which had been got for the inward
cargo, and all that was left behind would be dead loss, as nothing
could be got for it but Confederate scrip, or cotton bonds, which was
now valueless outside of the Confederacy; therefore, to go out
short-loaded when the whole question of profits depended upon the
amount of cotton carried out would certainly be bad policy.
On the other hand, if we lay here for two months or more, waiting for
compressed cotton, there was no saying what might happen. We would
be subject at any time to be pressed into the service of the
Government. There was also constant expectation of an attack being
made on the place by the Federal forces, in which case every vessel
in the port would be seized or destroyed, to prevent her falling into
the hands of the enemy. There would also be the expense in wages and
provisions, which could not be replaced, as well as damage to the
vessel by her bottom fouling. I therefore thought the latter policy
as bad as the first, and determined to load with uncompressed cotton.
I stated my intentions to Mr. C., who merely said, "Very well, I
think it is the best thing you can do; but what," said he, "shall I
do with the balance of the proceeds of the inward cargo?"
I did not know what was best; but it was arranged that he should get
me a cargo, as much as I could take, of good cotton, in the best
packed and pressed bales that was to be had, and the balance in
cotton bonds, which he would forward with the account sales of the
inward cargo to Mr. R. M. in Havana.
I requested that he would get me my cargo immediately, as I wished to
get off while the days were short and the winds were good, and I
should like to be ready to sail before the change of the moon.
He showed me twenty-four bales which he had got for twenty-four
barrels of seed potatoes, which were all good and well packed and
pressed, and he would get me about one hundred more in a day or two.
In a very short time we had the vessel loaded, but she only took
about one hundred and forty-five bales and some half bales, one of
which was crammed into the dingey.
I then got a clearance from the custom house, and a permission to
pass the Forts. This latter I got very easily this time, through the
instrumentality of my friend Bill Flagg. As to the breach of
regulations last trip, in going out without a permission to pass the
Forts, I knew that would never be brought up, if remembered at all,
as it was a mere military formality of the moment.
Having now got all ready, we stood away to the east side of the bay,
to take observations of the position of the blockading fleet, and be
ready to run out on the first favourable night.
I may here say that Mr. C., the consignee, had told me that he had
received a letter from Mr. R. M. in Havana, complaining in bitter
terms of the very high charges which had been laid upon his cotton by
the consignees in Tampico, and the great delay and high freight and
heavy premium of insurance in shipping from that port to Liverpool;
and requesting him, Mr. C., to ask me to try and make Vera Cruz if
possible.
I therefore cleared for the latter port, leaving it open to go into
Tampico if necessity compelled me, but having letters of introduction
from Mr. C., to a firm in Vera Cruz if I made that port; the vessel
and cargo as usual being consigned to master.