STREWING THE SEA WITH VALUABLES.
The Alabama had now made some fifty captures, and American vessels were
taking circuitous routes in order to avoid her. In some cases they had
been sold to British owners, and doubtless there were many pretended sales
for the purpose of obtaining the protection of the neutral flag. Several
vessels were overhauled off the Brazilian coast by the Alabama, where a
real or pretended transfer to neutral owners had been made. The papers
being regular in each case, Captain Semmes had no alternative but to
release them. But woe to any ship or cargo in whose papers any technical
flaw could be made to justify him in disregarding them!
In the afternoon of May 25th the Alabama's lookout reported a sail in
sight and the cruiser had hardly made ready to pursue before another sail
was descried. On nearer approach both were pronounced Yankee, but the
Alabama was not able to overhaul them until after sunset. The first ship
boarded was the S. Gildersleeve, of New York, with a cargo of coal. The
cargo was from London, and was probably owned there, but no proper
certificate of that fact being found, ship and cargo were condemned to the
flames. The other vessel was the bark Justina, of Baltimore, with a
neutral cargo, properly certified. The Justina was released on ransom bond
and the crew of the S. Gildersleeve transferred to her. The sea was very
rough, and the transfer of the prisoners after dark was no easy task. The
light having gone out on one of the boats, it came very near being run
down by the Alabama while changing position. At eleven o'clock that night
the Gildersleeve was ready for the torch.
The next night about 8:30 the Alabama began a chase by moonlight which
lasted all night. With very careful handling the cruiser was able to gain
slightly on the chase, which was also well handled and carrying a press of
sail. After daylight the next morning the chase obeyed the signal of a
blank cartridge and proved to be--a Dutch vessel!
Forty-eight hours later another night chase yielded better results. The
vessel overhauled this time was the Jabez Snow, of Rockport, Maine, with a
cargo of coal, and bound from Cardiff, Wales, to Uruguay. A certificate of
neutral ownership of the cargo was produced by the master, but not being
sworn to, no attention was paid to it, and the ship was burned.
June 2d at half past three o'clock in the morning the Alabama passed a
large ship on the opposite tack. The cruiser made sail in pursuit. At
daylight the fugitive was still six or seven miles distant, and refused to
obey the Alabama's gun. At 10:30 the cruiser had crept up within four
miles, and a shot from the "Persuader" brought the chase to a stop. This
prize was the Amazonian, of Boston, also bound for the coast of Uruguay.
The cargo was an assorted one, and there were two claims of neutral
property; but Captain Semmes picked flaws in both of them, and the ship
was condemned to be burned. In searching for some boxes of soap and
candles which were needed on the Alabama, the ocean was strewn with boxes
and bales, many of them containing articles of high value. Pianos, cases
of fine shoes, and the like, were dumped like so much rubbish until the
coveted soap was brought to light. Having secured what was deemed
necessary, the ship was set on fire. The next day an English brigantine
was boarded, and by presenting her master with a chronometer, of which
there were now a great number on the cruiser, taken from prizes, and a
considerable quantity of provisions, Captain Semmes persuaded him to take
the Alabama's prisoners, about forty in number, to Rio Janeiro.
June 5th just before daylight the fine clipper ship Talisman ran within
gunshot of the Alabama before discovering her presence. She was bound from
New York to the coast of China, and had on board four brass twelve-pounder
cannon and ammunition for them. Two of these cannon were transferred to
the Alabama, with the ammunition and some provisions, and the vessel was
then burned.
During the next two weeks no less than three "Yankee" ships were fallen in
with, which had been sold to British owners, and an American cargo was
found bound for New York in a Bremen ship. The Confederate commander was
exultant over these multiplying proofs of the terror which his arms had
inspired.
The 20th of June brought a new departure in the Alabama's career. On that
day the bark Conrad, of Philadelphia, homeward bound from Buenos Ayres
with a cargo of wool, was captured. There were declarations of English
ownership, but Captain Semmes pronounced them fraudulent. Instead of
burning this prize, however, he determined to fit her out to assist in the
work of destroying American commerce. A crew of fifteen men was sent on
board under command of Lieutenant Low, with Midshipman William H. Sinclair
as his first officer. The two twelve pounders taken from the Talisman were
transferred to her, with a supply of rifles and revolvers, and the vessel
was rechristened the Confederate States bark Tuscaloosa.
The Alabama was now south of the tropic of Capricorn and on her way to
the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Semmes still hoped to find the Agrippina on
the South African coast, but after spending some days on the voyage, the
ship's bread was discovered to be nearly destroyed by weevil, and it
became necessary to put back to Rio Janeiro for a fresh supply. On the
first day of July the Alabama was again nearing the locality where she had
parted from the Tuscaloosa. After overhauling no less than eleven neutral
ships during the day, chase was given to the twelfth at eleven o'clock
p. m. As the day broke the chase developed into a fine tall ship with
tapering spars and white canvas. At the summons of a blank cartridge, she
showed the United States flag, but her master refused to heave to, and was
evidently determined not to permit his ship to be captured until the last
resource of seamanship had failed. It was not until the cruiser had crept
near enough to throw a shell screaming across her bow, that she shortened
sail. The prize proved to be the Anna F. Schmidt, bound from Boston to San
Francisco with a valuable assorted cargo. If she had been fitted out as a
supply ship for the Alabama she could hardly have met the needs of the
hour better. An abundance of bread put an end to the need of another visit
to unfriendly Brazil. Trousers and shoes for the sailors, and plenty of
warm underclothing, so much needed in the colder region which the cruiser
was now approaching, were dug up out of the hold. The whole day was
consumed in the looting. Great quantities of crockery and glassware,
lamps, clocks, sewing machines, patent medicines and so on, were flung
overboard in order that the needed articles might be found, and at night
the match was applied to what remained.
As the cruiser stood away from the blazing ship at 9 p. m. she fired a bow
gun to bring to a large ship speeding northward. The stranger answered
also with a gun. Aha! a man-of-war. But why this haste? Why carry royals
in such a gale, unless safety depends upon it. The stranger must be a
"Yankee" gun boat and one afraid to meet us, judging from the heels he
shows. Or perhaps a valuable merchant ship playing man-of-war in order to
deceive. So reasoned Captain Semmes, and pressed on both steam and sail
to overhaul the fleeing stranger. At midnight the Alabama was near enough
to hail.
"What ship is that?" shouted Lieutenant Kell through his trumpet.
"This is her Brittanic Majesty's ship Diomede," was the reply. And so
vanished alike the captain's hope of a rich prize and the sailors'
thoughts of a battle. As ships of war are not expected to obey a summons
to heave to and show papers, the Diomede flew away on her course, and the
Alabama shortened sail and banked her fires.
July 6th the Express, of Boston, bound for Antwerp, with a cargo of guano,
said to be the property of the government of Peru, was captured. Captain
Semmes found flaws in the certificate of neutral ownership, and the vessel
was burned.
July 29th the Alabama reached the coast of South Africa and anchored at
Saldanha Bay, an excellent but secluded harbor about ninety miles north of
Cape Town. Here the Alabama was repaired and painted and word sent to the
governor of the colony that the neutrality laws would be carefully
respected. The first loss of life since the beginning of the cruise
occurred August 3d, when one of the engineers accidentally shot himself
while returning from a hunting expedition. Three days later, finding that
there were no Union cruisers about the colony, and the Agrippina not
having put in an appearance, the Alabama proceeded to Cape Town. On the
way she spoke the Tuscaloosa, and Lieutenant Low reported that he had
captured the Santee, which ship, having a neutral cargo, he had released
on bond.