PRIVATEERING. 



593 



habitants. The Nashville sailed again from 

 :da on the 5th, and from the next day 

 until the 17th she experienced a succession of 

 from all points of the compass. Nothing 

 of interest further transpired until the 19th, 

 when she (lost royed^ the United States mer- 

 clianT ship Harvey Birch. She then proceeded 

 up the English Channel, and arrived at South- 

 ampton on the morning of the 21st. 



Captain Robert B. Pegram, commander of 

 > 'ii federate steamer Nashville, was former- 

 ly attached to the United States navy, in 

 which he held the position of lieutenant. He 

 w:i- born in Virginia and appointed from that 

 State. His original entry into the navy was 

 in the month of February, 1829. His total 

 sea service was about seventeen years, on shore 

 about eight years, and the balance of his time 

 was unemployed. He was in the navy nearly 

 thirty-two years. He had been lately engaged 

 on the coast survey. Lieutenant Pegram had 

 won fur himself the respect of the public at 

 large, and of his fellow-officers, by the good 

 qualities lie had always shown and his cool 

 courage. He had rendered himself popular by 

 his connection with the affair of the "Water "Witch 

 in the Paraguay waters, was with the Japan ex- 

 pedition, and was present during the war waged 

 by the English and French in China. First 

 Lieutenant Fauntleroy was aide-de-camp to 

 General Johnston at the battle of Manassas. 

 Second Lieutenant Bennett served there in the 

 naval battery, while one youngster on board, 

 named Gary, received his appointment as mid- 

 shipman in the Confederate navy as a reward 

 for distinguished gallantry in the same action. 



The Government, under the impression that 

 the Nashville had the Confederate commission- 

 ers, Mason- and Slidell, on board, despatched the 

 armed steamers Alabama and Augusta in pur- 

 suit. It turned out, however, that these gentle- 

 men took their departure in the Theodora, to 

 the "West Indies, and then took passage in the 

 British steamer Trent, whence, on the 8th of 

 November, they were forcibly taken by the 

 United States steamer San Jacinto, under cir- 

 cumstances which caused the United States 

 Government to declare their detention illegal. 



The most remarkable of the Confederate ves- 

 sels is the Sumter, formerly the Marquis de la 

 Habana, belonging to Gen. Miramon. She was 

 captured by the United States, and taken to 

 New Orleans. She was there taken possession 

 of by the Confederate Government, fitted 

 out and officered as follows : commander, 

 Raphael Semmes ; lieutenants, John Kells, R. 

 F. Chapman, "W. E. Evans, J. M. Stribling; 

 paymaster. Henry Myers ; passed assistant 

 surgeon. Francis I. Golt ; lieutenant of ma- 

 rines, Beckett K. Howell ; midshipmen, R. F. 

 Armstrong, Wm. A. Hicks, A. G. Hudgins, J. 

 I). Wilson ; first assistant engineer, acting as 

 chief. M. J. Freeman ; second assistant, "W. P. 

 Brooks. 



She had a crew of 65 men and 25 marines. 

 Her large gun ranged 2.000 yards. Her ap- 

 38 



pearance when the smoke-stack was lowered, 

 which sometimes was for disguise, was that of 

 a clumsily rigged bark. Her commander pos- 

 sessed remarkable boldness and energy. She 

 left the Mississippi on the morning of June 30, 

 pursued by the United States steamer Brook- 

 lyn, but soon dropped her, and immediately 

 commenced capturing prizes. On the 3d of 

 July, off the Isle of Pines, she captured the ship 

 Golden Rocket, 600 tons, belonging to Bangor, 

 worth $40,000. On the 4th, she captured the 

 brigs Cuba and Machias, both of Maine, loaded 

 with sugar, and sent them into Cienfuegos. On 

 the 6th, she took the bark "West "Wind, the bark 

 Louisa Kilham, and the brig Naiad, owned in 

 New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, 

 and laden with sugar ; they also were sent to 

 Cienfuegos. The Sumter then ran in and 

 asked leave for the prizes to remain until ad- 

 judicated. The Government took them in 

 charge, until orders from the home Government 

 should be received. The Sumter coaled and 

 sailed on the 7th. On the lYth she again coaled 

 at Curacoa ; on the 25th, she captured the Abby 

 Bradford of Boston, and sent her to New Or- 

 leans. This vessel was recaptured August 30, 

 by the United States steamer Powhatan. The 

 letters found in her stated that the Sumter 

 was to cruise in the Spanish main. Meantime 

 the Sumter had captured the Joseph Maxwell, 

 August 7, and sent her into Cienfuegos. The 

 Sumter was recognized by the Dutch Gover- 

 nor of Curacoa as a vessel of war, and he sup- 

 plied her with coal. The Sumter then went 

 under sail to Surinam, and sailed thence August 

 31, having obtained coal of an English mer- 

 chant. On Sept. 16, she touched at and left Mar- 

 anham where she had been received with great 

 favor. The United States steamer Powhatan, 

 in chase of the Sumter, was looked upon with a 

 great distrust, and $500 were offered to any one 

 who would sink her. No information could be 

 got as to the destination of the Sumter, and the 

 United States vessel gave up the chase. In 

 November, the Sumter made her appearance 

 at Martinique, and requested coal, which the 

 Governor refused to supply, but allowed her 

 to go to St. Pierre, where she was supplied by 

 English merchants. The United States gun- 

 boat Iroquois, Capt. Palmer, then made her 

 appearance. The Governor interposed, how- 

 ever, to prevent any infraction of belligerent 

 rights, and ordered the Iroquois either to 

 anchor one marine league from shore while 

 the Sumter was in port, or remain twenty-four 

 hours after the departure of the Sumter. The 

 citizens all sympathized with the Sumter, and 

 she finally escaped the rule of requiring one 

 belligerent to remain twenty-four hours after 

 the departure of another, enabled her to do so. 

 She finally crossed the ocean and arrived at the 

 port of Tangier in Africa, where a difficulty 

 occurred between some of her officers and the 

 American Consul, who caused the former to be 

 seized, and sent them home. The vessel was 

 subsequently sold. 



