95. Escape of the Sumter
By CAPTAIN RAPHAEL SEMMES (1864)
ON the morning of the 29th of June, hopes were excited by a
report from the pilot that the Brooklyn had left her station;
and speed being got up
[_]
Semmes, later captain of the famous Alabama, was trying at this time to run out of the
Mississippi River.
with all haste on the Slimier, she again dropped down to Pass '
L'Outre, but only to find that the report had been fallacious.
The
Brooklyn was still at anchor, though a slight change of
berth had placed her behind the shelter of a mass of trees.
Once more, therefore, the
Sumter was brought to an anchor—,
but on the day following, her patient waiting was rewarded by
the long-looked for opportunity. On the morning of the 30th of
June the
Brooklyn was again
reported under way, and in chase of a vessel to leeward ; and
no sooner was the fact of her departure fairly verified than
steam was got up for the last time, and the little
Sumter dashed
boldly across the bar, and stood out to sea.
Almost at the last moment, however, it seemed as
though the attempt to escape were again to be baffled by
difficulties on the part of the pilot. The man on board of the
Sumter lost courage as the moment of
trial came, and professed his inability to take the vessel
through the pass thus left free by the departure of the
Brooklyn, alleging as his excuse that he had not passed
through it for more than three months. Happily the man's
cowardice or treachery produced no ill effects; for, as the
Sumter dropped down the river on her way toward the open
sea, another pilot came gallantly off to her in his little boat, and
volunteered to carry her through the Pass.
The Sumter had not yet reached within six miles of the bar
when her movements were perceived from the Brooklyn, which
at once relinquished the far less valuable prize on which she
had been hitherto intent; and changing her course, headed at
top speed towards the bar, in hopes of cutting the Sumter off
before she could reach it. The narrow opening through the bar,
distant about six miles from either of the opposing vessels,
now became the goal of a sharp and exciting race. The Sumter
had the advantage of the stream; but the Brooklyn was her
superior in speed, and moreover, carried guns of heavier
calibre and longer range.
At length the Pass is reached; and dashing gallantly across it,
the little-Sumter starboards her helm and rounds the mud-banks to the eastward. As she does so the Brooklyn rounds to
for a moment, and gives her a shot from her pivot gun. But the
bolt falls short; and now the race begins in earnest.
The chase bad not continued long, when a heavy squall of
wind and rain came up, and hid the pursuing vessel from sight;
but it soon passed away, and the Brooklyn was again descried
astern, under all sail and steam, and evidently gaining upon her
little quarry. On this the Sumter was hauled two points higher
up, thus bringing the wind so far forward that the
Brooklyn was no longer able to carry sail. And now the chase
in her turn began to gain upon her huge pursuer. But she was
getting into salt water, and her boilers began to prime
furiously. It was necessary to slacken speed for a time, and as
she did so the
Brooklyn slowly recovered her advantage. Then
gradually the foaming in the
Sumter's boilers ceased, and she
was again put to her speed. The utmost pressure was put on;
the propeller began to move at the rate of sixty-five revolutions
a minute, and the
Brooklyn dropped slowly but steadily astern.
At length she gave up the chase, and at four o'clock in the
afternoon, just four hours after crossing the bar, the crew of
the
Sumter gave three hearty cheers as her baffled pursuer put
up her helm, and, relinquishing the chase, turned sullenly back
to her station at the mouth of the river.
