File:The naval history of the United States (1896) (14804319343).jpg

Identifier: navalhistoryofun02abbo (find matches)
Title: The naval history of the United States
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John), 1863-1934
Subjects: United States -- History, Naval To 1900
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and company
Contributing Library: University of Massachusetts, Boston
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Boston

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ploits of theConfederate commerce-destroyers, privateers, or, as the Union authoritiesand the historians of the war period loved to call them, the Rebel pirates.In the course of this narrative we have already dealt with the career ofthe Sumter, one of the earliest of these vessels. A glance at the careerof the most famous of all the Confederate cruisers, the Alabama, will beinteresting. This vessel was built in England, ostensibly as a merchant-vessel,although her heavy decks and sides, and her small hatchways, might havewarned the English officials that she was intended for purposes of war.Before she was finished, however, the customs-house people began to suspecther character; and goaded on by the frequent complaints of the UnitedStates minister, that a war-vessel was being built for the Confederates,they determined to seize her. But customs-house officials do things slowly;and, while they were getting ready for the seizure, Capt. Semmes, who had704 > o m O Hm 7^ m>x > Cm c
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BLUE-JACKETS OF 61. 7°5 taken command of the new ship, duped them, and got his vessel safelyout of English waters. Private detectives and long-shore customs officershad been visiting the ship daily on visits of examination ; but, by the aidof champagne and jolly good-fellowship, their inexperienced eyes wereeasily blinded to the manifest preparations for a war-like cruise. Butfinally came a retired naval officer who was not to be humbugged. -Asailor on board thus tells the story of his visit : He was evidentlya naval officer, alert and resolute, and soon silenced the officers explana-tions. He looked at the hatchways, shot-racks, and magazines ; and, sur-veying the hammock-hooks on the berth-deck, said, Youll have a largecrew for a merchant-steamer. We had taken on board some heavy oakplank, that lay on the main deck ; the officer remarked that they were foranchor-stocks, and was shortly answered, Wouldnt make bad gun-plat-forms, sir, which, indeed, was just what they were intended f

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