PERILOUS TRIP ACROSS MEXICO AND VOYAGE ON BLOCKADE RUNNER ENTER
INTO NARRATOR’S EXPERIENCES ON VISIT TO JEFFERSON DAVIS.
_Southerners in California Form Plan to Intercept Gold Shipments on
Pacific Mail Liners from San Francisco to Capital._
I was broken-hearted at the turn of affairs in California. Needless
to say, I was one of those who voted “yes” on the memorable night
when the committee disbanded. The actions of General Sumner, which
were needlessly severe and autocratic, tended to make the tension
more severe. Just for some idle expression of sympathy for the South,
all sorts of really inoffensive people were clapped into Alcatraz and
subjected to indignity and loss. President Lincoln later on realized
that Sumner was only making matters worse and sent General Rice to
relieve him, who at once adopted a policy more pacific and wise.
But this is no part of the story. The idea of interrupting the gold
shipments by the Pacific Mail, very essential to the Government at
Washington, again took form. This was to be effected by seizure on
the high seas. A number of prominent men were interested and I was
requested to become one. I had no stomach for downright piracy, though
ready for any risk. I stipulated that I must first receive a regular
commission from the Confederate Navy. This being agreed to, the sum of
$250,000 was subscribed, of which $50,000 was mine.
In company with H. T. Templeton, a well-known Californian, later a
familiar of the Crocker family, we traveled by steamer to Acapulco.
Mexico was then in an uproar over the threatened French invasion. The
American Consul, a son of John A. Suter, advised us that it was little
short of madness to cross the country to Mexico City, which we gave as
our destination. But Templeton was brave as a lion and I was young,
reckless and confident in my luck. Heavily armed, with a single guide,
who, by the way, fled in terror at the first sight of danger, we set
out on a venturesome journey.
That trip would make some story by itself. We had several pitched
battles with small bands of “ladrones” or robbers. Once both our horses
were shot from under us. My previously acquired knowledge of Spanish
stood us in good stead in securing fresh equipment, knowledge of the
way and sometimes hospitality, and shelter. Finally, after great
hardships and danger we reached Mexico City, and thence proceeded
without incident to Vera Cruz, which was a sort of rendezvous for
blockade runners. Here Templeton and I parted company with mutual
regrets. He took a ship for New York and returned to California. I
boarded a blockade runner and during a rainy night we slipped past the
Federal warships into Charleston.
I had no difficulty in reaching Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate
capital. It was a vast, hustling, military camp. Troops were marching
and counter-marching, officers on horseback dashing to and fro on
mysterious missions and everywhere the atmosphere of war.
It was a couple of days before I saw President Jefferson Davis. I laid
my plans before him fully, to his great interest, and later we had
several interviews. He did not come to a swift conclusion. To my way
of thinking at the time he was over-deliberate in making up his mind.
That was a youthful illusion. I think of him now as a very great man,
lacking only one thing--luck.
He fully realized the importance of shutting off the great gold
shipments to the East from California. President Davis said it would
be more important than many victories in the field. At the same time,
he saw grave difficulties in the way. He did not believe that a vessel
could be outfitted for the purpose in any of the Pacific ports without
arousing suspicion, disclosure and capture. He warned me that my
associates and myself were taking an awful risk, almost sure to result
in ultimate disaster. Moreover, he was uncertain whether under any
circumstances the enterprise could be justified under international law
and whether the proceeding would not fall under the head of piracy,
against which he resolutely set his face.
All these questions were submitted to one of his Cabinet officers,
Judah P. Benjamin. Mr. Benjamin was of Jewish ancestry and one of the
ablest men who guided the way of the Confederacy. After the general
breakup, he escaped to England, became a leader of the bar of London,
counsel to the Queen and won the highest honors of his profession
before he died. This distinguished gentleman examined with great care
the questions involved, particularly on the piracy point, and he gave
an opinion that it would be entirely within the scope of international
law to equip and sail a vessel out of any port of the United States
provided no overt act against commerce were committed before a foreign
port was reached, letters of marque exhibited there and the open
purpose of those in command declared. So for what followed I had at
least the advice of eminent counsel and I still believe that the advice
was absolutely sound.
In due course of time I received a commission as a captain in the
Confederate Navy. I had never been on a man-of-war in my life, but that
made no difference. A fresh water naval hero may be as good as the salt
water kind. Also I received letters of marque in blank, the names to be
filled in when the vessel reached a foreign port. Besides that I was
intrusted with quite a bundle of mail, addressed to leading Southerners
in California and doubtless of a highly compromising character.
[Illustration: JEFFERSON DAVIS
The able and illustrious leader of the Lost Cause]
This literary consignment nearly got not only myself but many other
people into a peck of trouble, which I might as well tell of now,
although it is somewhat ahead of my story. Returning to California,
liking not the route through Mexico, I had the blockade runner land me
at Aspinwall, where I joined the passengers of a Pacific Mail liner
and embarked at Panama for the run north. As we were approaching San
Francisco I became uneasy about my documents, fearing that enough about
my movements might be known to cause a close personal search.
On board the steamer was a lady long famous in California, Mrs. Charles
S. Fairfax. Her husband was the lineal Lord Fairfax of the British
peerage. She was a niece of John C. Calhoun, a woman of great beauty,
wit and resourcefulness and an intense Southern sympathizer. We became
rather confidential on the way up and I told her about the package and
my fears.
“Why, what stupid fools men are, anyhow,” she laughed, “give that
package to me and set your mind at rest.” The suggestion looked good,
for, of course, I could assume responsibility if the documents were
found. That night Mrs. Fairfax left her door just a bit ajar and as I
passed it something was slipped to her. No one saw the transfer.
When we reached San Francisco what I feared came true. Not alone
my luggage, but my person were subjected to a search that hardly
overlooked my soul. While I was in the hands of the minions of the law,
who seemed sadly disappointed over their fruitless quest, Mrs. Fairfax
swept by in her stately way; all the same I seemed to catch a twinkle
of humor in her eye.
Two days later, the lady handed me the package. The seals were broken,
but the contents intact. “You gave me a lot of bother,” said the lady,
“I had to sit up all night sewing these wretched papers in my dress.
What was worse still, I never dared to change it. Just imagine what the
other women thought of me.”
I passed the letters around to various leading lawyers, bankers,
financiers, and so on. Without mentioning any names I told them how
near they came to falling into Federal hands. Many a cheek paled and
jaw dropped as they heard the story.
We have been told much of what women did for the North, very little of
what the women did for the South. That is a noble and inspiring story
that remains to be told.
But to return to Richmond. The Confederate cause seemed at its zenith.
Everywhere was abounding confidence in the final result. And now came
a whisper that a great battle would soon be fought that ought to be
decisive. I was eager to see something of the war game and with letters
from the Secretary of War, hurried westward, arriving at Corinth,
Miss., on April 4, 1862. Here a small Confederate army was assembled
under the same Albert Sidney Johnston, not exceeding 5,000 men. Nine
miles away, General Grant was encamped at Shiloh with 35,000 men,
confidently awaiting the arrival of General Buell with 30,000 more, to
begin the invasion of the South.
At the risk of criticism by experts I am going to tell briefly what a
great, old-fashioned battle seemed like to a raw looker-on.
[Illustration: JUDAH P. BENJAMIN
One of the ablest Confederate Statesmen]