600 



NAVY, CONFEDERATE. 



On the 27th of December, the Oreto again 

 left Mobile bay, fully armed for a cruise, under 

 the command of John Newland Maffit, who 

 was born in Ireland, and when quite young 

 was brought to this country by his father, a 

 celebrated preacher of the same name ; was 

 appointed to the United States navy from the 

 State of New York. He originally entered the 

 naval service in the year 1832, and became a 

 citizen of Georgia. 



After the sale of the Sumter her captain, 

 Semines, was active in England in building a 

 new vessel, and it was soon ascertained that 

 one was in a forward state for the Confed- 

 erate service. Complaint was made to the 

 British Government of infringement of the 

 neutrality laws, and means were taken to pre- 

 vent the departure of the vessel as she ap- 

 proached completion. The orders came, how- 

 ever, too late. Meantime a barque had loaded 

 ih London with arms, and sailed from the 

 Thames. The United States ship Tuscarora was 

 at the same time watching for the Alabama to 

 make her appearance, but she avoided her by 

 taking the North Channel out. After a short run 

 she arrived at the Western Islands, giving an ex- 

 cuse to the authorities for making harbor there. 

 Soon after the barque arrived, alleging stress 

 of weather. The Alabama at once hauled along- 

 side of the barque, and cranes were rigged by 

 the order of the Alabama's captain. When in 

 readiness he began to transfer the cargo, and 

 this infringement of quarantine rules excited 

 the ire of the Portuguese authorities, but it was 

 alleged that the bark was sinking and it was 

 necessary to save the cargo. On the following 

 day, when the transfer was nearly completed, 

 the British screw steamer Bahama arrived, 

 bringing Capt. Semmes and other late officers 

 of the Sumter, the remainder of the armament, 

 and 20 more of the crew. This arrival exhaust- 

 ed the patience of the authorities, and all three 

 vessels were ordered to leave at once. The 

 Bahama handed over to the Alabama what 

 was destined for her and left immediately, follow- 

 ed by the "290" towing the bark. They went 

 a few leagues to Angra bay and remained 24 

 hours, when they were again ordered to leave, 

 which they did, all being now in readiness. 

 The bark left for Cardiff to load coal for the 

 Alabama. Capt. Semmes then took command, 

 mustered the crew, read his commission as 

 post captain in the Confederate navy. It was 

 a document duly attested at Richmond, and 

 bore the signature of " Jefferson Davis, Presi- 

 dent, Confederate States of America." He 

 then opened and read his sealed orders from 

 the President, directing him to assume com- 

 mand of the Confederate sloop-of-war Alaba- 

 ma, hitherto known as the 290, in which (hav- 

 ing been duly commissioned) he was to hoist 

 the Confederate ensign and pennant, and "sink, 

 burn, and destroy everything which flew the 

 ensign of the so-called United States of Ameri- 

 ca." Captain Semmes then ordered the first 

 lieutenant to fire a gun, and run up the Con- 



federate flag and pennant. The gun was fired 

 by the second lieutenant (Armstrong, a relation 

 of the famous inventor), and ere its smoke had 

 cleared away, the stars and bars of the Con- 

 federacy were floating on the breeze, and the 

 ceremony was complete ; Captain Semmes de- 

 clared the vessel, henceforth to be known as 

 the Alabama, to have been duly commissioned. 

 The next step was formally to engage the crew 

 to serve and fight under the Southern flag, 

 which having been done, the men were ad- 

 dressed by their captain, who informed them 

 that if any of the crew were dissatisfied they 

 could leave in the Bahama about to take her 

 departure for England. The offer was declined, 

 the two vessels parted company, the Bahama 

 for England and the Alabama in chase of a 

 whaler. The operations of the vessel were 

 very active. The following is a list of vessels 

 captured and destroyed by her : 



6 Ship Ocmulgee Edgartown, Burned. 



Schooner Starlight Boston, " 



Bark Alert 



Schooner Weather Gauge Provincetown, 



Bark Ocean Rover Mattapoisett, " 



" 13, Ship Benjamin Tucker. . New Bedford, " 



Bark Osceola 



Bark Virginia, Tilton . . . . " " " 



Ship Elisha Dunbar, Gif- 



ford u " " 



Brig Allamaha Sippican, 



Schooner Courser Provincetown, " 



Oct. 8, Ship Brilliant, Hagar.... New York, 

 " 3, Ship Emily Famhain, 



Simms " " Released. 



" 10, Ship Tonawanda Philadelphia, Bonded, 



" 15, Ship Lamplighter New York, Burned. 



15, Ship Manchester " " 



15, BrigDunkirk " " 



23, Ship Lafayette, Small... " " 



23, Schooner Ocean Cruiser. " 



26, Schooner Crenshaw " " 



28, Bark Laurietta, Wells... Boston, " 



29, Brig Baron de Castine, 



Saunders Bonded. 



Nov. 2, Schooner Alice 



8, Ship I. B. Wales Boston, Burned. 



18, Steamer Ariel New York, Bonded. 



Ship Lev! Starbuck 



" 80, Bark Parker Cook, Ful- 

 ton Boston, Burned. 



Dec. 5. Schooner Union Baltimore, Bonded. 



Ship Lafayette had a cargo consisting of 13,869 bushels of 

 wheat, 47,663 bushels of corn, and 16,850 Ibs. of lard. 



Bark Lamplighter had a cargo of 800 hhds. of tobacco. 



Bark Laurietta had a cargo of 1,424 bbls. of flour, 225 kegs 

 of nails, 998 bbls. of flour, 205 boxes of herring, and 7,200 

 staves. 



Schooner Crenshaw had a cargo of 1,293 bbls. of flour and 

 9,272 bushels of wheat. 



Ship Manchester had on board 45,141 bushels of wheat and 

 14,666 bushels of corn. 



Brig Dunkirk had a cargo of 2,967 bbls. of flour and 6,000 

 staves. 



Ship Tonawanda, her cargo being insured in England, was 

 released on giving a bond for $80,000. She had a cargo of 

 48.700 bushels of wheat, 40 bbls. of flour, 86 hhds. of br.rk, 

 172 cases of wine, 128 bales of hemp, and 50 bales of hops and 

 rags. 



The course of the Alabama was to destroy, 

 since under the regulations of foreign powers 

 she had no means of landing and condemning 

 her prizes. Her case is certainly a very pecu- 

 liar one. She has neither register nor record, 

 no regular ship's papers nor evidence of trans- 

 fer, and no vessel captured by her has ever been 

 sent into any port for adjudication and con- 

 demnation. All forms of law which civiliza- 

 tion has introduced to protect and guard pri- 



