Chapter VII

The vessel again repaired--Another detention--A large Federal fleet on the coast--Capture of Captain Downs's vessel and others--The Forts bombarded--The _Rob Roy_ again employed in the Government service--Arrival of a schooner escaped from her captors--Captain McLusky--Account of his capture and escape.

The wet cargo was soon got out, and the vessel being lightened, the leak was above water, and she required no more pumping. Everything, however, in the shape of stores, cabin furnishing, clothing, bedding, £c., was virtually destroyed, and everything was coated with slime and mud. She was now thoroughly scrubbed and dried out, and fires lighted in the hold, cabin, and forecastle, to assist in drying under decks.

The leak, which was caused by the opening of one seam in the centre-board casing, it was thought to repair by pounding on the deck-beams with a heavy weight until they were forced down into their place again, and then the seam caulked up.

This, however, it was found difficult to do, as the main beam, which had been forced up fully three inches, could not be got down completely, and there was still about an inch of space left between this beam and the top of the casing, but this was considered to be of no importance, as the casing planks were securely bolted at the ends. The casing was therefore caulked tight, and strapped up and down with battens, and it was supposed that, when the deck-load was put on, it would soon work the beam down to its place.

Turning to the cargo. About one hundred bales had been under water for about ten days, and the question was how far they might be damaged.

On opening one of the bales it was found that, owing to the hard compressment of the bales, the water had penetrated only a few inches, and the hearts of the bales were quite dry; but when the cost of repacking was considered, and the abundance of cotton in the country, the very high rate of freight, and the limited means of shipment, it was considered the best policy to ship only the best cotton; therefore new bales would be sent to replace those damaged.

The vessel having been thoroughly cleaned and dried throughout, new mattrasses and bedding had to be got for the cabin and forecastle, and much new furnishing, which, owing to the state of the country, it was very difficult to obtain, and very costly, and things only of the commonest kind were got.

The vessel was at length fitted up and ready to receive cargo again, but, just as this was accomplished, another obstacle cropped up.

The alarm which had been caused by the supposed descent on the coast by the Federal forces after their repulse at Sabine Pass had somewhat died away, but was now again renewed, and this time with some cause.

A powerful expedition consisting of gunboats and transports with troops was rendezvousing off Galveston, and several steamships of war had appeared on the coast to the westward of that place. They had opened fire on the Forts at the mouth of the Brazos River, evidently with the object of drawing the fire from these Forts and ascertaining their strength.

News also had come that all the vessels which had left the Brazos River about the time that the _Rob Roy_ had sunk, had been captured; amongst them was poor Captain Downs.

It was always an object with the Confederate Government to prevent any cotton falling into the hands of the Yankees. The want of this article was severely felt by the latter, and it was greatly prized and coveted by them.

The Confederates, knowing that their enemies were suffering from want of cotton, were as determined that they should not obtain it, and they sought to increase the cotton famine in the North, and make the war unpopular, and also as a retaliation for the famine which they, the Confederates, were suffering from the blockade, and they used every endeavour to prevent it falling into their hands. And when they had to evacuate any place, or fall back in their territory, especial care was always taken to burn or otherwise destroy every ounce of cotton, no matter to whom it might belong, so that it might not fall into the hands of the enemy. Therefore, when a blockade runner with a cargo of cotton was captured, it was regarded as so much gain to the enemy.

The Federal cruisers were now declared to be as thick as bees on the coast of Texas, and orders were issued that no vessels should be allowed to proceed to sea until further orders; and, as the only two steamers on the Brazos River were broken down and undergoing repairs, some of the schooners there might be wanted for the Government service.

This last piece of information was communicated to me by Messrs. M. & Co., with a request that I should go and see them on the matter. I went accordingly, and they explained to me the particulars that a large Federal force was lying off the coast. Of this there was no doubt, and no vessel would be allowed to go to sea at present. The service which the Government required from the vessels was a quantity of sawn timber and other stores to be taken down to the Forts, and some sugar and cotton, which was on some plantations far down the river, to be brought up to Columbia.

They said it would be some weeks before they could have a cargo of cotton ready for the vessel in any case; and it might be as well to let the schooner be employed doing that work in the meantime, as it would be the means of securing favour with the Government, and the ready obtaining of a pass outward when an opportunity offered.

I said I would be ready to do the work provided the vessel was left under my own control and management, but I had only two men and no provisions.

They said the vessel would be entirely under my own management, and as for men, they would give me as many good handy negroes as I wanted, who would bring their own provisions with them.

I agreed; and they asked how many hands I would want. I said about eight men to load and discharge the cargo, and who could pull an oar, as I intended to tow the vessel by the boat when there was not wind to suit.

They said the cotton and sugar was on plantations of their own, but it had all been already purchased by the Government, but they had no doubt but that at the plantations I could easily obtain a supply of sugar sufficient to last the vessel for a month or two, as well as some other provisions.

The men were sent, and the vessel was taken to where the timber was lying. There was a large quantity of it, but, by careful stowing, we got it all on board. There was also some other stores for the Forts, which we took in, and started down the river, using the sails and towing by the boat, alternately, just as the winds and the bends in the river necessitated.

In about two days we were getting near the Forts, and we heard distant reports of heavy guns at intervals, and when we got beyond the woods into the open, we saw two gunboats a little to the west of the Forts, which every now and then fired a heavy gun towards the shore, a little to the west of the Forts.

As there was nothing in that direction for them to be firing at, I thought they might be keeping out of reach of the Forts, and trying the range of their guns on a parallel line with the Forts.

The negroes with me began to show symptoms of fear, and seemed unwilling to venture down to the Forts. They said they "did not want to have them big lumps of iron totted after them," and they suggested that it would be "more betterer" to wait until dark, and then go down and land the wood in the night time.

"You darkies are always up to deeds in the dark," said George, one of my men.

Darkies or not, I thought, there was some wisdom in the suggestion, as between us and the Forts the river took a considerable bend to the westward, and before we could reach the Forts we would have to pass within the range of the fire from the cruisers, and very near to the place where the shot was falling.

I then ordered the vessel to be put about, and we retired under cover of the woods, and made fast to the bank.

The distance from the Forts was only about two miles straight across the prairie, and I walked over to the Forts and reported to Colonel Evans our arrival with the timber and stores.

He said he was glad they had come, but he thought the suggestion of the negroes a wise one, as he was expecting every minute that the cruisers would open fire upon the Forts, and the appearance of the vessel there would draw their fire more readily.

He showed me where he wanted the wood landed, and said if I would bring the vessel there after dark he would give men to assist in discharging quickly, so that we might get back under cover of the woods before daylight set in.

Towards evening the vessels ceased firing and came to anchor off the mouth of the river. As soon as it was dark we cast off from the bank and made towards the Forts.

There was no wind, but the schooner's boat, which was a very large one, with four strong rowers, towed the vessel at a considerable speed. The negroes had also that day picked up on the river bank near the wreck of an old barge, a pair of long oars or sweeps, as they were usually called; they were somewhat coarsely made and clumsy, but they passed them abaft the shrouds and pulled away. I was astonished to see the great effect they had on the vessel, and I learnt something from this which was of great service to me afterwards.

In about an hour we got down to the Forts, and the negroes started with a will to land the cargo. They were exceedingly anxious to get the vessel discharged and get away before daylight broke, and the gunboats opened fire again. Some men were also sent by the Colonel to assist, and all was easily accomplished, and we got back under cover of the woods before daylight.

Having allowed the men plenty of time to rest, we proceeded first to the cotton plantation, where we were to take in the cotton. It was farther up the river than the sugar plantation, but I took it first, as I apprehended that the same cotton was to form a part of our cargo, after being sent to Houston and compressed.

We got it all on board and proceeded to Columbia, where we landed it, and it was sent off by rail to Houston.

I noticed on this little trip that the vessel sailed somewhat heavily, and I suspected that her bottom must be foul.

I had imagined that the fresh water of the river would have killed any barnacles which might have adhered to the vessel's bottom at sea, but on my mentioning this to an old river skipper he assured me it was quite the reverse. That if a vessel coming from sea had a coating of barnacles, they grew fat and increased after she came into the river.

On examining the bottom of the schooner I found it to be very heavily coated, so that to go to sea with her in that state she would be almost certain to be captured.

There was no dock or slip at the place, but there was at spring tides in the river near the mouth, a rise and fall of the tide of nearly four feet, and with a vessel drawing only about three feet of water when light, it was very easy to deal.

I got a receipt and directions from the old skipper, and as the spring tides were coming on I resolved to take advantage of my negro crew and have the vessel cleaned and coated, when I went down the river to the sugar plantation.

One part of the vessel's stores which had not been destroyed when she sunk was a keg containing a quantity of white lead, and I obtained from a butcher a quantity of tallow.

In the river near the sugar plantation was a fine sandbank, suitable for beaching a vessel, and on to this bank the vessel was run at high water, and as there was only one tide in twenty-four hours, there was sufficient time to work upon her.

As the water left her she careened to one side, and the high side was scraped and cleaned as the water left her, so that by the time the tide left her, one side was cleaned down to the keel.

The tallow was put into a large pot and melted, and as it got hot the white lead was stirred into it in a proportion of about 2 lbs. of white lead to 3 lbs. of tallow, and the mixture heated to about 150° Fahrenheit.

As the vessel was not coppered, but coated with verdigris paint, blazing torches of pine knots was passed over her bottom to kill the roots of the barnacles, or any borers which might have penetrated the wood.

This operation, which was called roasting, was continued until the planking was thoroughly dry and a little warm. The mixture of white lead and tallow was then laid on hot with a brush. At next tide she was careened to the opposite side, and the other side treated in the same way.

The merits of this composition was that it adhered to the vessel's bottom and preserved it while she remained in the smooth waters in port or river, and washed off when she went to sea, leaving the vessel clean.

When the vessel was floated off the difference in her sailing was remarkable, the negroes declaring that she could now be pulled through the water like a skiff.

We got to the plantation and got the sugar on board. I also got from the planter a good supply of sugar for the vessel, also a good supply of poultry, some fine venison hams, and a cask of very good wine, made from wild grapes, which grew in great abundance in the neighbourhood.

I may here say that on the banks of this river there was abundance of deer, wild turkeys, wild ducks, and other game, and although I had met with nothing but troubles and mishaps since I had come into it, it was certainly a fine country.

It was late in the evening when the last of the sugar was got on board, and the negroes said to me if I did not intend to start that night they would like to go to a ball which was going to be on the plantation.

They were allowed to go, but I cautioned them to take care of themselves, and be promptly at their work on the vessel in the morning.

This caution seemed to have been quite unnecessary, for at daylight next morning before the men turned out, and before I came on deck, they were busy at work getting the sweeps slung to the shrouds, the tow line made fast to the boat, and making preparations to start with a zeal which I thought quite extraordinary in negroes.

Of my two men, Fred had been appointed cook and George acted as mate, and at him they inquired when we were going to start. He said he believed it would be as soon as the tide turned, which would be about twelve o'clock. They seemed much disappointed, and one came up to me and said:

"Captain, are you not going to start till noon? Why not start now?"

"Because," said I, "there is no wind, and it won't be flood tide till noon. You don't want to be pulling the vessel against a strong tide, do you."

"Pull her, master! We will make her fly now she is clean. You just let us take the oars in the boat, and the sweeps at the rails, and see if we don't make her go like a steamboat."

"But you have surely got mighty anxious to work all at once. What is the matter?"

"Did you not say, master, that this is the last trip, and we would get home when this trip is done?"

"Oh, yes, I don't know of any more; but why are you so wishful to get home; are you tired of this work?"

"Oh no, master; we like this work, and would like to come back again; but you know to-morrow is Christmas, and the holidays begin to-morrow for a whole week, and there is to be a fine ball on our plantation to-night, and we would like to get home to be there."

"Oh, then," said I, "if that is the case you can try her against the tide; but I think you had better get your breakfast before we cast her off, and by that time the tide will have slacked a little, and you can go ahead."

They were not long until they had their breakfast and were ready to start, and George, who had already got an invitation to their ball, promised to steer the vessel and keep her out of the current as much as possible until the tide turned.

The vessel was cast off and they pulled away with a will, four in the boat towing, and two upon each sweep on board. The tide was not very strong, and I was astonished at the rate at which they pulled the vessel along.

The distance from the plantation to Columbia was about twenty-one miles, and they reached there about three o'clock in the afternoon, and by six o'clock the whole of the sugar was landed on the bank.

I was so well pleased with the way they had worked, that I gave each of them a small gratuity. They were highly pleased, saying that they would no longer be common plantation niggers. They had served on board of a blockade runner, and would be lions on the plantation. They were beside themselves with joy. They had before them the same night a ball, to them the greatest of earthly delights, to be followed by a week or more of holidays, during which there would be more balls. They seemed to be at about the highest pitch of happiness that it was possible for mankind to attain.

"Happy creatures!" thought I, as they went away singing. "This war may result in bringing you freedom, but I question much if it can bring you more happiness."

It was notable throughout this war as far as I saw, and particularly at this time in Texas, that the sympathies and sentiments of the slaves were precisely the same as the whites. They rejoiced over the news of a Confederate victory, and if news of a reverse came, the expression would be, "Oh, never mind," "Dat is nuffing," "Our boys will soon pay dem off for dat yet." It is true at this time the question of the war was not supposed to be the abolition or maintenance of slavery.

Having done all that was wanted by the Government another delay came. This was the holidays, which would continue until the Monday after the New Year, during which time the cotton press would be stopped, and nothing would be done in the way of getting the cotton ready for the vessel, and I waited patiently to see what luck the New Year would bring.

There was, however, at this time a great movement among the military forces. Large bodies of troops were coming by railway to Columbia, crossing the ferry there, and proceeding westward.

It was now reported that the expedition which had been menacing the coast was going to attempt to land at Matagorda Bay. This seemed quite likely, as it was known that there was with the expedition a number of light-draught vessels; but what they would do when they did land I could not conjecture. It would be an easy and safe place for them to land, but what would be the value of the position. It was not the key to any place, there being only some small villages in the bay, surrounded at the back for hundreds of miles by unsettled lands and rolling prairies. The only object which I could suppose them to have in view would be the interception of the trade across the plains via Brownsville and Matamoras.

About this time a small schooner arrived in the Brazos River. She had been captured by a Federal cruiser, but had escaped from her captor. The manner of her capture and escape, though simple enough, may be worth relating.

She was commanded by one Captain David McLusky, or Captain Dave, as he was familiarly called. As I may hereafter have to refer to some of this gentleman's tricks, I may here give a short account of him.

Dave was a Scotchman, a native of Kilmalcolm, in Renfrewshire, Scotland. He seemed, however, like some others of his countrymen on going abroad, to have cast off much of that cannyness or caution so characteristic of the race.

In his younger days he had been a seaman, but some years before the war he had settled in Galveston, and after being a few years employed in inland navigation, he purchased a piece of land on Trinity River, where he settled down as a farmer, but still continued to engage at times in inland navigation.

When the war broke out and the ports were blockaded, every old barge or river flat-boat was picked tip, and attempts made to fit them up as sea-going craft. Dave was one of the prime movers in this enterprise. He was not in any way fastidious about the size or appearance of his vessel, and would venture to sea in anything that would float. He was regarded as a sort of dare-devil, was of a genial disposition, fond of a joke, and a general favourite with all classes.

On this occasion he had a tolerably neat schooner, but very small, and was inward bound to the Brazos River from some port in Mexico, and his vessel was captured by a Federal cruiser a few miles to the westward of the mouth of the river on Christinas Day.

The schooner being small, she was taken in tow by the gunboat, the crew were left on board, and two men from the gunboat put on board the prize to steer, and they proceeded to the mouth of the Brazos River, where they anchored for the night.

The schooner was left to hang on to the stern of the gunboat by the tow-rope and the two men ordered to remain on board as a watch.

Sometime afterwards, Dave heard the two men talking together in a grumbling way, and wondering if they were not going to be relieved. Hearing this, Dave got into conversation with them. They were very much dissatisfied at having to remain on the schooner all night without being relieved. It was too bad, they said; it was Christmas night and there was to be a jollification on board the gunboat, and all the others would be enjoying themselves and they had been left out and sent to keep watch on this little rebel craft.

Dave, who was the pleasantest fellow in the world, sympathized with them, saying it was certainly too bad; then suddenly recollecting, he said, "Oh, so this is Christmas, and by the by I have got some splendid brandy which I hoped to have drunk at a jollification on shore to-night, but this confounded capture has spoiled all that, and now I suppose that it will be taken from me; so I think that we may as well drink it as let them get it. We are a prize and we cannot help ourselves, and we may as well be friendly, and I think Christmas is a time that people should all be friends; so while they are having their jollification on the steamer, we will have our little jollification here: so come away down, boys, and we will drink a Merry Christmas, and peace and good-will towards men."

It was very dark and the night was somewhat dirty; the schooner was swinging by the tow-line about 50 yards from the stern of the steamer, and the sound of revelry was heard on board of the latter.

In a short time, the two men were seated in the little cabin of the schooner with Dave, and the brandy was brought out.

"Tom," cried Dave to his mate, who was sitting on deck, "is the hands turned in?"

"Yes, I think so," replied the mate.

"Then, will you just keep a look-out for a little while, and cry down if there is any hail from the steamer, and when the bells strike, answer 'All's Well.'"

The brandy was plied freely, cigars and tobacco were brought out; no one could excell Dave at spinning a yarn, and the drink soon made good-will amongst men. Dave saw the effects and took the measure of his men.

At last appearing to recollect himself, he said, "Oh this is Christmas night, I ought to give my poor men a little; they have had nothing since we left port," and saying this, he drew a fresh bottle of brandy and pouring part of it into another bottle, he went off with it to where the men were. This was also that he might have an opportunity of telling them what he was intending to do if all went favourable, directing them at the same time to keep watch and repeat the cry of "All's Well" when made on board the steamer.

In the meantime the drink had been plied freely and by midnight both men were helplessly drunk and lying asleep on the cabin floor.

Dave still waited until the middle of the mid-watch. The sound of revelry on board of the steamer had died away and all was still. The night was dark, and there was now and then squalls with rain from the south-east. Nothing could be more favourable for Dave. A rain squall was just forming a darkness to windward of the steamer, and under his lee about four miles distant was his port, the mouth of the Brazos River.

The two men sleeping on the cabin floor had cutlasses in their belts. Dave slipped down quietly and drew them from their sheaths and hid them away, and as the squall of rain darkened round the steamer, he cast off the line and the schooner drifted away; and in a few minutes he had sail set and was scudding towards the river mouth. Her escape had not been observed, no gun was fired, the darkness of the rain squall had shrouded the schooner. The watch had probably been a little slack that night, and the schooner was far away from the gunboat before her absence was discovered.

Dave knew the bar as well as the pilot and had no difficulty in crossing. He was hailed by the sentinel of the Forts, and answered, giving his own name which they all knew, and the wind being fair he proceeded straight up the river until within the woods, where he came to the bank and made fast to the trees.

But the rest of the story is the part which Dave delighted to tell.

The two men having been so very drunk had never woke up and were still asleep on the cabin floor.

Dave thought to have a joke over it, and determined not to disturb them until daylight, and kindling a fire on the bank--as was the usual custom, they made some coffee, and some men coming up from the Forts to learn the news, Dave confided to them the night's adventure, and told them that the two men from the gunboat were still asleep on the cabin floor, and he wanted to have some fun over it before he reported at the Forts.

As soon as daylight began to appear, he slipped softly down to the cabin and threw himself on the sofa which was used as a bed, all the others keeping perfectly quiet.

At length one of the men waking up from his drunken sleep began to look around with a sort of stupified gaze. A little light was coming down through the skylight, but the high trees around made it still dark in the small cabin.

Dave now gave a yawn and looked around. "Oh, I am mighty thirsty," said Dave, "is there anything left in that bottle." The bottles had been replaced on the cabin table as they had been on the previous night. The man rose up and approached the bottle.

"Help yourself," said Dave, "and then hand some to me."

The man helped himself to a good pull, and then as his memory was cleared, he cried to his companion to get up quick and be on deck that they might be seen on the alert.

"It is surely not blowing very hard," said Dave; "it must have calmed down."

"It must be dead calm," said the man, as he ascended the little cabin stair.

Suddenly he uttered a loud exclamation and half-tumbled back down the cabin stair.

"What is the matter?" said Dave, with the greatest simplicity.

"What is the matter!" cried the man, "we have got into h--ll or some other seaport."

Dave jumped up, pretended great astonishment and ran on deck. The men hastening on deck to show themselves on duty, instead of finding themselves at sea swinging from the stern of the cruiser, finding themselves in the midst of thick forests, their astonishment may well be imagined. Having hurriedly awakened from their drunken sleep, they at first imagined it to be some hallucination; but, on coming more to their senses and finding their cutlasses gone, they did not know what to think of it; and seeing men standing by laughing, they thought that some devil's trick had been played. For the last thing they would have thought of was that the schooner could, or would, attempt to escape from under the guns of the cruiser.

Their eyes, however, were soon opened, when a corporal's guard from the Forts, came to take them along as prisoners.

They were, in the meantime, parolled and allowed to wander about until exchanged, but there was some question raised about their being regarded as prisoners of war. They were not captured by any Confederate force or any party in the service of the Confederate States.

The captain of a merchantman under a neutral flag was justified in recovering or recapturing his vessel, but it was questionable how far he might use force to effect this if he did not hold a commission in the service of the Confederate States. I think the men were allowed to go and were not detained as prisoners of war.

I afterwards in Havana met with one of the officers of the cruiser, and in course of conversation referred to the incident. He said that those two men were addicted to drink, and the captain's method of dealing with them was to keep them away from all contact with it, and knowing that there must be some indulgence on Christmas night, he had put them out on the prize so that they might not have an opportunity of tasting it. He, the officer, thought this scheme of the captain injudicious, and like many other schemes in that line had gone aglee.