Chapter XIII

Captain Dave makes a demand upon me--How his vessel was captured--How he re-captured her--A flag of truce--Dave has a parley with the commander of the blockading fleet.

Almost immediately after we got up to Houston I had a visit from my friend Captain Dave McLusky.

"Captain," said he, in his usual jocular way, "I have come to claim that dozen of brandy from you; you see I got in before you."

"What do you mean?" said I; "I did not make any bet with you."

"I know you did not," said he; "but you will give it to me all the same, because I have lost all mine. I also want you to give me another of your _cartes_, I have lost the one you gave me, as well as that of Captain Moore. They have, with all my clothes, liquors, and other valuables, fallen into the hands of the Yankees."

"How did that happen," said I. "I have never had the full account of your capture and your re-capture of the vessel."

He then related to me the whole affair, and as I had accounts of it from others, both from his men, and from the officer and men whom he overpowered and brought in prisoners, I am able to relate the affair true as it happened.

Captain Dave had no pretensions to being a high-class navigator. He had a good practical knowledge, and could get his latitude from a meridian altitude, but he did not carry a chronometer, but worked up his longitude and position from dead reckoning.

His usual way on the passage from Havana was to stand west to the Yucatan Banks, and there find his position by soundings; then set his course northwards for a port in Texas, finding his distance by latitude as he went on.

In this case, the winds being light and easterly, he did not make sufficient allowance for the leeway his flat, box-shaped vessel was certain to make. The consequence was that, instead of striking St. Louis Pass, he made a landfall about ten miles to the westward of the Brazos River.

He was then standing to the eastward with a southerly breeze, when a gunboat hove in sight and bore down upon him.

On seeing the gunboat Dave put his vessel before the wind, took up his centre-board, and made for the Texas coast, which was direct under his lee, intending to run his vessel on the beach. It was too late, however, the gunboat was up and boarded him before he got within ten miles of the beach. Of course there was no attempt at excuse, and he was made a prize.

The captain of the gunboat let Dave and his crew remain on board their vessel, but put on board an officer and six men, with orders to bring the vessel along and follow the steamer to Galveston.

Dave and his crew began to pack up their effects, while the lieutenant and his men took charge of the vessel.

Dave soon observed that the officer, in bringing the vessel up on the wind, did not put down the centre-board, and in all probability he had never seen a vessel of that kind, nor knew that the vessel possessed such a thing, and Dave thought it was no part of his duty to instruct him in the use of it.

Dave knew, however, that those prize crews were generally very fond of rum, and also that as soon as they were put on board a captured vessel, they generally found means to penetrate her hold and ransack it, to see if there was anything which they might appropriate to their own use.

To meet their wants in both cases, Dave took care to leave a jar of rum on the top of the cargo in the hold, and as the bulkhead between the hold and forecastle was of no great strength, it would be no great deterrent to men in search of plunder.

Dave and his crew, having bundled up their effects, sat down under the gunwale as if resigned to their fate, feigning as if glad to get a little rest, and soon went apparently to sleep, but it is an old saying that men are not always sleeping when they are nodding.

Dave and his mate and crew, emboldened by their last adventure, had determined to take advantage of any chance that offered to recapture their vessel.

They quietly watched the working of the vessel by the lieutenant and his crew.

The men were armed with cutlasses, and the lieutenant carried in his belt a revolver. The men while at work stuck their cutlasses in the belaying rack at the mainmast.

On seeing the vessel making so much leeway, the lieutenant never thinking of such a thing as a centre-board, kept ordering to luff and haul aft the sheets. This, however, only checked her speed, and she soon fell to leeward.

At the same time Dave began to perceive that the men were running up and down to the forecastle very often, and he guessed what the attraction was; and it was not long before the unsteady tread of the men on deck showed plainly that they had broke through into the hold and had discovered the jar, and were making free with its contents.

The vessel had got nearly abreast of Brazos River, but by the amount of leeway she was making she was not more than six miles from the shore, and it so happened that there was no blockading vessel lying there at the time.

Some of the lieutenant's men were now pretty reasonably drunk. The gunboat was a long way ahead. The lieutenant was getting uneasy, and was looking after her as if he would signal, when Dave, making a signal to his men, he himself sprang upon the lieutenant, pinned his hands to his sides, and got hold of his revolver, while his mate, with the rest of his crew, sprang upon the prize crew, got hold of some of their cutlasses; others seized handspikes, and a desperate fight took place. While Dave was struggling with the lieutenant, one of the prize crew, who was a negro, drew a knife, and rushed up to stab Dave in the back; but just as he raised his hand for the blow he was felled to the deck with a handspike by the mate. The struggle lasted for some time, but the prize crew were overpowered, some badly wounded, but none killed.

The lieutenant struggled hard, but Dave held him down on the deck, while he threatened Dave with the awful consequences of the act. In the meantime some of Dave's men had put the helm hard up, and eased off the sheets, and the vessel was put before the wind, heading for the shore. Suddenly a gun was heard from the cruiser, which signified that she had observed that something was wrong.

"Do you hear that?" cried the lieutenant, who was fairly overpowered. "For God's sake heave to, or the captain will sink you."

"Let him fire away," said Dave; "he is there, and I am here."

The change in the vessel's course had been observed from the cruiser, and as she was now off before the wind, heading towards the shore, they knew something must be wrong, and they had put about, and was bearing down upon her. They were, however, about four miles' distant, and the schooner was before the wind, heading direct for the Forts at the mouth of the Brazos River, now about five miles' distant.

Unfortunately now for Dave the wind began to die away, and it was questionable whether they could make the shoal water, and get under cover of the Forts before the cruiser would be upon them. The wind got less and less, and then, as Dave said, what would he not have given for the sweeps which he had laughed at me for taking with me from Havana.

Dave now began to fear much that he was going to be taken again by the cruiser, and, if so, it would likely be hard with him. He therefore determined to escape in the boat, which he got quickly out, and put into it his chest and all his valuables, not forgetting his boxes of brandy. He kept the boat towing astern, to be ready to jump into at the last moment.

Just then, however, the breeze freshened up a little, and the schooner moved along faster, but they expected every moment that the cruiser would open fire upon them, which she did, but the shot fell short.

The breeze continued to freshen, and there was again a good chance of getting out of reach of the cruiser, when the negro, who had attempted to stab Dave, thinking perhaps that if carried into the Confederacy his fate might be hard, watched his opportunity, and jumped into the boat which was towing astern and cut the tow rope. He knew that the schooner could not lose the time to turn round and pick him up, while the cruiser would be certain to pick up the boat. Dave was so exasperated at seeing his chest, his liquors, and all his valuables so adroitly taken away by the negro that he fired every shot from the lieutenant's revolver at him. Mr. Negro crouched down in the bottom of the boat, and whether he was hit or not Dave did not know.

The breeze continued, and the schooner got under the cover of the Confederate Forts at the mouth of the river. The cruiser picked up the boat, but did not come within reach of the guns of the Forts.

Dave got in over the bar, and reported to the commander at the Forts, saying, "I brought you only two men last time, but I have brought you a whole prize crew and an officer this time."

The prize crew and officer brought in by Dave being now declared lawful prisoners of war were detained. Such as were wounded were sent to the hospital till recovered. The officer was sent to board at one of the hotels in Houston, with orders to report at the Marine Department every day. I saw him very often; he sometimes came on board of the _Rob Roy_; he wished to get something to read. He got some paper-backed novels which were lying about; he said they would help him to pass the time. He seemed to feel his position very much, was very reserved in referring to the matter. He seemed, so far as he cared to express himself, to blame the captain of the cruiser for leaving the schooner so far astern. Of course the captain of the cruiser, having only seen the schooner from a distance, had no idea of what an unmanageable thing she was. He allowed that if he had been in Captain McLusky's place he would very probably have done just as he did.

A few days after the prisoners had been brought to Houston, both officers and men found that they were without a change of clothing, and as the Confederacy was not a place where these wants could be very easily supplied, the lieutenant made a request that General Magruder would communicate with the commander of the fleet at Galveston, and deliver a message from him, requesting that his clothes and those of the men might be sent ashore to them.

The General agreed to this, and directed that a boat with a flag of truce should be sent off to the fleet. On learning this, Dave applied to General Magruder for permission to go in the truce-boat, to try if he could persuade the commander of the fleet to return to him his chest and effects. The General at first tried to dissuade him, but afterwards consented to let him go.

The truce-boat, after being met about midway by a boat from the fleet, was taken alongside of the Commodore's ship.

The commander of the fleet, who had had the whole story from the negro who had escaped in the boat, was greatly irritated at the event. He agreed to send the lieutenant's clothes, but would not allow those of the men to be sent, as a punishment to them for getting drunk.

Dave now represented his case to the commander, and humbly requested that his effects might be returned to him, adding, by way of giving effect to his appeal, that such humble toggery could be of no use to men of such high standing and position as United States naval officers.

The commander, on ascertaining who he was, was enraged at his audacity; said he would return none of his effects; told him he had been guilty of piracy, and if he fell into the hands of the United States authorities he would be tried and hanged for piracy. But Dave was a character, and the commander's threats were lost upon him.

"Oh! now, Captain," said Dave, "don't put yourself in a passion. Don't you know that I hold a commission in the Confederate States Navy? And if you don't respect that now, you did, not very long ago, when you made a truce here one morning" (referring to the defeat of the Federals at Galveston on the morning of January 1, 1863). "Therefore what I did was not piracy, but a lawful act of war; and you know I was very good to your men."

"A little too good, confound you," said the commander, "to fill them drunk."

"Oh! no, Captain," said Dave, "that is not true. I never offered them drink; they broke through into the hold and stole it; and you know, Captain, when thieves break through and steal they are always sure to be punished. Such are the ways of Providence, you know. And another thing let me tell you, Captain. That black nigger of yours, who ran away with the boat, and my things in it, and who has told you the whole story about the men getting drunk, he will, no doubt, be lionized by the Abolitionists, and placed on the list for promotion. But I doubt much if he has told you that he was the cause of the men getting drunk, and the whole trouble that followed."

"How do you make that out?" said the commander. "He did not drink; he was quite sober."

"No," said Dave, "but he was the one that first set about plundering. It was him that broke down the bulkhead between the forecastle and the hold, and went into the hold to see what he could steal. The men, seeing the bulkhead broken down, went into the hold and discovered the jar of rum, and that was the cause of them getting drunk. So thank your nigger for the whole affair, and don't accuse me of piracy or of filling your men drunk."

"What is your authority for that statement?" said the commander.

"One of my men was down in the forecastle getting out his clothes, and saw the nigger breaking down the bulkhead; and, furthermore, every one of your own men are ready to swear to it as soon as they are exchanged."

The commander stood silent for a few minutes, and Dave continued:

"So now, I think, for that bit of information you might give me back my things. I think I have as good a right to them as the nigger, who will, no doubt, be expecting to get them for his honesty."

"I won't deliver anything to you," said the commander. "That story of yours may be inquired into, but I don't believe a word of it."

"Will you not give me back one of my boxes of brandy? I am sure that neither you nor any of your officers have any use for such a thing," said Dave, with a smile of ironical simplicity.

The commander scowled, but made no reply.

"If you do," continued Dave, "I will give half of it to the poor lieutenant, as I know he cannot get a drop on shore."

"He doesn't want it; he doesn't require it," roared the commander. "Confound you, and your liquor; it has done too much harm already." And the commander turned away.

The boat was still waiting for the lieutenant's chest, which was being packed up, when another officer, who had been standing by while Dave was reasoning with the commander, and who, Dave thought, seemed rather to enjoy the story of the negro breaking into the hold of the prize vessel, came and talked over the side to Dave in a sort of bantering way.

Dave still asked about his chest--if it was on the commodore's ship, and if they had opened it. The officer said the chest was on board their ship, and that they had opened it and taken a note of the contents.

"Then," said Dave, "I am sure you would not find anything that would be of any value to you, or afford you any information whatever."

"Oh, I beg your pardon," said the officer; "we have got some valuable information. We have got your carte, and also the figure-heads of some of your blockade-running friends, so that we will be able to identify them when we come across them."

"Oh, you ought not to keep them," said Dave; "they don't belong to me, and these gentlemen will be annoyed."

"Oh, tell them to make themselves easy," returned the officer. "We will be very glad to recognize both you and them when we get hold of either of you, and these cartes will greatly assist us in tracing you. In the meantime you can inform Captain M. and Captain W. that their cartes, along with yours, will be honoured with a place in the 'Rogues' Gallery' in New York."

The lieutenant's things were now in the boat, and she shoved off. When at a certain distance from the fleet the white flags on the boat and on the ships were hauled down, and the truce was ended. Soon after, Dave came laughing to tell me about the honourable place where my carte was to be hung up.

Notwithstanding the danger of the undertaking, Dave determined to bring his vessel, which was lying in Brazos River, through to Galveston by way of St. Louis Pass. To do this it would be necessary to come out of the Brazos River into the open sea, and run along the coast about eight miles and enter the pass. He chose night to make the run, and succeeded in entering the pass before daylight; but he was still about twenty miles from Galveston, up a narrow channel, with nothing but a low, sandy point betwixt it and the sea. Over this the vessel could be easily seen from seawards, and the cruisers, recognizing the hated craft which had brought a disgrace upon them, displayed their revenge by opening fire upon her, which they continued the whole day as the vessel worked her way up the narrow channel.

I was watching the proceedings, and I am certain that one half of the shot which was fired at her, had it been put into her hold, would have sunk her by its weight. But as the land lay between the vessel and the sea her hull could not be seen, but only her masts, and she was not easy to hit, and not many of the shots took effect. Nevertheless, from such a prolonged firing she was considerably cut up, and I thought she could never be made fit to go to sea again. She was, however, sold and fitted up again, and took out a cargo of cotton to Tampico. I certainly should not have liked to have gone upon her.

It was now about the middle of June, and I had nothing before me but to remain idle for about two months. The weather was intensely hot, and there was not a breath of wind. The vessel, however, lay in fresh water, where her bottom would not get damaged by sea-worms, which are so destructive in these seas to the bottoms of vessels which are not sheathed.

One of the first things I did after discharging was to have the vessel careened and scraped down as far as possible, but owing to the flat model of the vessel and her extraordinary stability it was impossible to careen her very far. The men were employed in overhauling the rigging, and doing any necessary repairs, and putting everything in good order, but there was much time to spare. I spent some of the time in looking around the country, of which I do not mean here to give a description.

During the time we lay, one or two schooners got into Galveston Bay, but several others were captured in making the attempt. The first that got in was the _Mary Elizabeth_, Captain Shaeffer, who had sailed with us out of the Brazos River last trip, but he had not been to Havana, but came from Vera Cruz, and got in by St. Louis Pass. Two steamers also got in during that time--about the first arrivals of steamers in Galveston. Another steamer had attempted, but was captured.