Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/108

 96 Southern Historical Society Papers.

condition, and by his presence at Vicksburg, brought suspense and confusion to the movements of the enemy in that quarter.

A suspense so effective that when a month later, you abandoned and blew her up, in consequence of defective engines, Farragut tel- egraphed the Navy Department: " It is the happiest moment of my life that I am able to inform the Department of the destruction of the ram Arkansas. 11

Glassell, in his daring attempt to torpedo the new Ironsides off the port of Charleston, the night of October 5, 1864.

Read in his captures on the high seas. His daring intrusion into the harbor of Portland, Maine, with the schooner Archer, and cap- ture of the United States Revenue vessel Cushing. His subsequent dash, April 23, 1865, in the river steamer Webb, through the Fede- ral fleet at the mouth of the Red River; running the gauntlet of the Federal fleet at New Orleans the day after.

John Taylor Wood, in his many daring captures by boarding, culminating in the boarding and capture of the United States gun- boat Underwriter, in the Neuse River, within pistol shot of two of the enemy's forts, the night of February i, 1864.

The heroism of Huger, Kennon, Warley, Read, and others at the capture of New Orleans, fully attest the morale of the naval service, and the promise of its efficiency in a larger field, with better means of offensive action.

Semrnes in the Sumter and Alabama, Maffit in the Florida, with a bare handful of men, stricken with yellow fever, running the block- ade of Mobile in the broad daylight, there refitting and passing again through the Federal fleet. Pegram in the Nashville, Maury in the Georgia, Wood in the Tallahassee, Wilkinson in the Chica- mauga, Waddell in the Shenandoah, Read in the sailing ships Clar- ence, Tacony, and Archer, denied all rights in foreign ports, save those of belligerents, swept the seas bare of American commerce, and inflicted a damage the country has never recovered.

In 1860, two-thirds of the commerce of America was carried in American bottoms. In 1863, three-fourths had been transferred to English registers.

THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.

The injury thus inflicted took shape after the war in what is known as the Alabama Claims; were adjusted upon a principle formulated by this Government, accepted by the English Government, and