Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/283

 Crui.f tl,, C/.n; m;, Tncotiif Archer. i'77

her. Four left Hampton Roads on the night of June i^th; five left New York on the morning of the i4th, and the remaining twenty - three got <>ut from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Hampton Roads on the I5th and i6th; and in the next ten days (till June 26th) their were fifteen more vessels sent out after her in obedience to the urgent appeals, petitions, and clamors of the owners, underwriters, and chambers of commerce of the various seaboard cities along the northern coast, whose commerce was being destroyed.

ALMOST A PANIC.

To understand fully the almost-panic effect in these cities, it might be well to say that they had been comparatively free from such a visitation so close at home for about two years; not since the priva- teer Jefferson Davis was off the coast. But lately rumors had been threatening an attack on the New England coast by the Alabama and Florida. Moreover, this period was the climax of the Confed- eracy. It was straining every nerve in one grand effort. Stonewall Jackson had made his last, but splendid, march around Hooker's right flank at Chancellorsville, doubling him up, and leaving him hors de combat, and General Lee, with his victorious legions, was marching triumphantly into Pennsylvania. The ironclad Atlanta had been sent out from Savannah, Ga., with a view to raising the blockade and making a raid on the Northern cities, and demonstra- tions were being made in various directions to tighten the tension and prevent reinforcements from being drawn off to oppose Lee's advance.

No wonder, then, that affairs looked dark and gloomy, and that the pulse of the Northern cities beat uneasily.

Meantime, the Tacony played havoc along the coast. On the I5th of June, in latitude 37 degrees, 40 minutes, north, longitude 70 degrees, 51 minutes, west, she captured and burned the brig Umpire, from Cardenas to Boston, loaded with sugar and molasses. On the 2oth, in latitude 40 degrees, 50 minutes, west, and longitude 69 degrees, 20 minutes, west, she captured the fine packet-ship Isaac Webb, from Liverpool to New York, with 750 passengers, and the fishing-schooner Micawber. The latter was burned, but Read being unable to dispose of the large number of passengers of the Webb, she was bonded for $40,000, and sent in as a cartel to New York. On the 2ist, in latitude 41 degrees, north, longitude 69 degrees, 10 minutes, west, the Tacony captured and burned the clipper ship