Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/236

 228 Southern Historical Society Papers.

and two 9-inch guns. The Niagara was also a ship of great speed, and could easily have kept clear of the StoncwaW s dangerous beak. The Stonewall was protected by 4^-inch armors, and mounted on one 3oo-pounder and two yo-pounders Armstrong guns, but she was a small ship and low in the water, and the Niagara's battery could have commanded her decks. Page, being quite sure that he would be followed out and attacked as soon as he had passed the line of Spanish jurisdiction, cleared for the action before getting under weigh in full sight of the two United States ships. The upper spars, to the lower masts, were struck and stowed on deck, and the boats were detached from the davits.

In this trim the Stonewall steamed out of Ferrol on the morning of March 24, 1865, accompanied by a large Spanish steam frigate. A: about three miles from the shore the frigate fired a gun and returned to Ferrol. The Stonewall then stood off and on all the remainder of the day with her colors flying in plain view of the two United States vessels which remained at anchor. Carter, in his letter, says : " We could see the officers standing in the Niagara! s top using spy-glasses."

At dark the Stonewall stood close on to the entrance of the harbor, and then, being satisfied that the enemy did not intend to come out and fight, Page bore away and steamed down the coast to Lisbon, where he arrived in due course, the Niagara arriving about thirty- six hours after him.

CAPTAIN PAGE'S OPINION.

Commenting upon the failure of the Niagara and Sacramento to follow the Stonewall and attack her, Page wrote me from Lisbon as follows: "This will doubtless seem as inexplicable to you as it is to me and all of us. To suppose that these two heavily armed men-of- war were afraid of the Stonewall is to me incredible, yet the fact of their conduct was such as I have stated to you Finding that they declined coming out, there was no course for me but to pursue my voyage. ' '

Captain Thomas Craven, who commanded the Niagara, was not the officer who is mentioned in another chapter as the commander of the United States ship Tuscarora, and who had a correspondence with the Governor of Gibraltar in respect to the Confederate ship Sumpter.

Captain Thomas Craven was an elder brother of the latter named officer. His conduct in making so much parade of a purpose stopped