Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/337

 The Shenandoah. 325

inhumanity to man. They knew that the Navy Department of the United States, freed from the restraints imposed by fear of retalia- tion, would be vindictive and tyrannical to the last degree.

That department had always proclaimed the Southern people rebels, and their cruisers only pirates. On the land we had forced a recognition of belligerent rights, but at sea we had been power- less to retaliate.

On August 2d, when in north latitude 16 degrees and 122 west longitude, seeing a sailing bark, the Shenandoah made chase under steam and sail and overhauled her at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It proved to be the British bark Barracoota thirteen days out from San Francisco, en route for Liverpool. When the British captain was asked for the news of the war he inquired in astonishment, ' ' What war ? " " The war between the United States and the Con- federate States." " Why," said he, "that war has been over ever since April. What ship is that?" " The Confederate ship Shen- andoah'' was the reply.

WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT.

Then came the information of the surrender of all the Confederate forces, the capture of President Davis, and the entire collapse of the Confederate cause; and the additional information, says Whittle, that Federal cruisers were searching for us everywhere, and would deal summarily with us, if caught. Files of recent papers confirmed it all. The information was appalling. We were bereft of country, bereft of government, bereft of a cause for which to struggle and suffer.

The independence for which our brave people had so nobly fought, suffered and died, was, under God's ruling, denied to us. Our anguish of disappointed hopes cannot be described.

Naturally our minds and hearts turned to our dear ones at home. What of the fate of each and all who were dear to us ! These were the harrowing thoughts that entered into our very souls, the meas- ures and intensity of which cannot be portrayed.

Then of ourselves ! We knew the intensity of feeling engen- dered by the war and particularly in the breasts of our foes to- wards us.

We knew that every effort would be made for our capture, and felt that if we fell into the hands of the enemy, fired as their hearts were, we could not hope for a fair trial and judgment. Even during-