race of the "shenandoah"
c'onfcMleratc eraiiser made epic* voy¬
age to find refuge from yankee ven¬
geance.
by eapt. S. a. aslie
<Thl* conclude ihr article by Capt. Ashe, published In the “,V C. Bookie»" In 1003.1
On the 15th of September, running
at the rate of 15 miles an hour, the
“Shenandoah" turned Cape Horn, and
took her course northward for Liver¬
pool. “We passed many sails." says
Whittle, “but exchanged no signals.
We were making no new acquaint¬
ances." They crossed the equator for
the fourth time on October 11, 1865.
On October 25th, in the afternoon,
when about 500 miles south of the
Azores, they sighted a supposed
Federal cruiser. Their courses con¬
verged. The stranger was apparently
waiting for the approaching vessel.
Ouoting now from Captain Wad¬
dell: "The situation was one of anxious
suspense. Our security, if any re¬
mained. depended on a strict adher¬
ence to our course. Deviation would
be fatal: boldness must accomplish de¬
ception. Still we forged towards the
sail, and it would be madness to stop.
Darkness finally threw her friendly
folds around the anxious hearts on the
little ship and closed the space be¬
tween the vessels. What a relief! We
could not have been four miles away."
The “Shenandoah's" head was then
turned southward and steam ordered.
It was the first time she had been
under steam since crossing the equator
on the Pacific side; indeed, the fires
had not been lighted for a distance of
more than 1 3,000 miles. The “Shen¬
andoah" ran fifteen miles to the east¬
ward and then steamed north for 100
miles, when a strong southwest wind
dashed her to within 700 miles of
Liverpool. A calm then ensued,
leaving the "Shenandoah” in sight of
eleven sails during daylight, but the
ship was continued under sail until
night again took her in its friendly em¬
brace. After furling all sails, the vessel
was put under steam and pushed her
way towards the desired haven.
The "Shenandoah" entered St.
George's Channel on the morning of
November 5th, just 1 22 days from the
Aleutian Islands. “We saw no land."
says Captain Waddell, "after leaving
the Aleutian Islands until the beacon
light in St. George’s Channel was seen
exactly where it was looked for. We
had sailed 23.000 miles without seeing
land and still saw the beacon exactly
where wc expected."
The daily calculation of the ship’s
position was very accurate, when that
fact is considered. It was indeed a most
remarkable record in navigation. They
received a pilot after night, and when
he was informed of the character of
the vessel, he said: “I was reading a
few days ago of her being in the Arctic
Ocean." Asked for American news, he
said the war had gone against the
South. That was in November. Lee's
surrender was in April.
"The quiet satisfaction seen in all
countenances." said Captain Waddell,
"for our success in reaching a Euro¬
pean port was unmistakable."
Indeed, there was cause. The chief
danger was now past. On the morning
of the 6th of November. 1865, the
"Shenandoah" steamed up the Mersey,
bearing aloft the Confederate flag. A
few moments after she had anchored,
a British naval officer boarded her —
to ascertain the name of the steamer
— and he gave Captain Waddell of¬
ficial information that the American
war had terminated. No longer was
there any Confederacy! The Southern
States were again a part of the United
States.
The Confederate flag, representing
neither people nor country, an emblem
of an era that had closed in the history
of mankind, was then sorrowfully
lowered, this historic act taking place
at 10 a.m. on the 6th of November.
1865. The vessel was then given in
charge to the British government.
For a day or two some correspond¬
ence was in progress between the
British and American authorities in re¬
gard to the "Shenandoah.” her officers
and crew. But on the Sth of November
the crew were suffered to depart, and
soon the British government turned the
vessel over to the United States au¬
thorities. by whom she was sold to the
Sultan of Zanzibar, and later she was
lost at sea.
She was the only vessel that carried
the Confederate flag around the world,
and she bore it at her mast head seven
months after the surrender of the
Southern armies and the obliteration
of the Southern Confederacy.
In her cruise of thirteen months, she
ran 58,000 miles and met with no ac¬
cident; and for a period of eight
months she did not drop her anchor
She destroyed more vessels than any
other ship of war known in history,
except alone the “Alabama," and in¬
flicted heavy loss on the commerce of
the United States.
The feeling of the United States was
so intense against Captain Waddell
that he lingered some time in Europe
before venturing to return to America.
Finally he came, and in 1875 the
Pacific Mail Company, owned largely
by Englishmen, running lines of
steamers from San Francisco to Japan
and Australia, engaged him as com¬
mander of one of its fine steamships.
For some years he continued in that
service, but on one of his return trips,
as he was nearing the coast, his vessel
struck a rock or bar not laid down
in any chart, some thirteen miles from
shore, which had doubtless been
thrown up by a recent earthquake. He
had 420 passengers on board, many
being women and children. I le at once
took personal command, and by the
perfect discipline he had maintained
among the crew, he controlled the ex¬
cited passengers. Indeed his was a per¬
sonality that would inspire confidence
under all circumstances. Through an
opening fifty feet long, water poured
into the vessel. He put all men at the
pumps, turned toward the shore and
got his boats and life rafts ready. He
got within three miles of land before he
found it necessary to abandon the
sinking vessel. Rapidly he had the
women and children transferred to the
small boats, and then the men. and
then the crew — until at length he
alone remained the sole human being
upon his fated ship. Then hurrying the
boats away, he himself stepped upon
a life raft, and when not more than
fifty yards away, the great vessel
plunged into the waves, creating a vor¬
tex of waters from which he barely es¬
caped. But no soul was lost. His
perfect self-command, his perfect dis¬
cipline, secured the safety of every pas¬
senger. They were landed without
trouble on the neighboring shore, and
( Cintintted on page 24)
THE STATE. AOPIL 7. 1956
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