SEIZURE OF THE CHESAPEAKE. 295 out suspicion. Their appearance, as save those on duty, had retired, and all subsequently described by Captain Wil- was quiet, and every body unsuspecting, lett, of the Chesapeake, "was that of the night dark, and the time propitious, persons in very moderate circumstances. the pirates avowed their true character. and they aided the impression by carry- They had so disposed their numbers ing their own trunks, each one of which, that there was no hope of overpowering it was observed, two could hardly get them. They were posted, armed at along with. When the trunks were on the doors of each state-room of the offiboard, they were watched with vigi- cers and rooms of the crew. They all lance by a portion of the gang. The had six-barreled revolvers. The watchresult showed that they were filled with man on the upper deck had been prefirearms and ammunition. After the first viously silenced by a blow on the head, batch had secured their tickets and and secured so that he could give no taken on board their luggage, eight alarm. The pirates now declared the more made their appearance and se- Chesapeake their own, and threatened cured tickets. Meantime the Chesa- to shoot any one who dared question peake had left her dock, and these last their authority. The steamer was at had to row into the stream to take her. this time off Cape Cod. They had acted They had not shown themselves before, simultaneously, and had most of the men and it was arranged that they should on board, not of their own party, at the delay until all probabilities of suspicion mercy of their revolvers. They had or interference were at an end. When manacles ready for those whom they they reached the vessel they neither overpowered, which they used whenever recognized nor were recognized by their there was occasion. Opposition to comrades. The steamer soon after started on her trip, and now it was seen where suspicion could justly have been excited. Each of the sixteen devoted themselves singly to a most curious and inquisitive examination of the vessel; they were cautious about it, it is true, but thorough, posting themselves as to her tonnage, speed, machinery, &c. They were especially curious as to the number of the crew and in regard to the chief engineer, and were very conversative with the firemen, of whom they asked innumerable questions relative to the vessel. The first twenty-four hours of the voyage was pretty constantly occupied by them in gleaning all information and in perfecting their plans for the seizure. "It was on Sunday evening that the deed of piracy and murder was accomplished. For some hours before the sixteen seemed to have subsided in their curiosity, and to have no other feeling than anxiety to reach their destination. After the officers and crew, them appeared entirely futile, and but little was attempted. The pirates exhibited their pride in their triumph by profane allusions to the Yankees, and by insulting remarks to persons on board the vessel. They expressed their decided concurrence in the idea of killing all the Northern men on board, and at a word of command from their leader, appeared ready to enter upon the work. Of a sudden the vessel stopped its movement, and immediately inquiry was made by the pirates as to the reason. It was found that the second engineer had refused to run the steamer. He was met coming from his post by one of the rebels, and accosted fiercely as to his refusal to do his work as before. He refused to have any thing to do with the working of the vessel while the pirates had command. Thereupon he was attacked, and was pursued to the deck by several men, who fired at him with pistols repeatedly. He was entirely defenceless, and finally, being wounded in a number of places, The he received a fatal shot, and fell dead of United States vessels was sent from to the deck, amid the shouts of his pur- New York and Eastern ports in pursuit suers. He was shortly afterward flung of the Chesapeake, which it was supoverboard. Captain Willett next ap- posed might be furnished with supplies peared upon deck, and on being sur- and attempt to reach the confederate rounded by the pirates and interrogated port of Wilmington. Some days were as to his willingness to help them work spent in the chase, the Chesapeake the steamer, or to surrender the vessel dodging her pursuers in the waters of to them quietly, he refused to do so. Nova Scotia. At one of her stoppingThey then fired several shots, all of places, a portion of her stolen cargo was which, however, providentially failed to sold to the inhabitants at trifling prices. hit him. Over half a dozen shots were She was finally taken into Sambro Haraimed at him, after which they finally bor, near Halifax, where, on the 17th, locked him in the wheel-house. He she was captured by the United States was entirely unarmed, and the assault gunboat Ella and Annie, which had upon him, as upon the second engineer, been recently taken as a prize in atin even greater degree, was cowardly, tempting to run the blockade. brutal and dastardly, and done appa- crew offered no resistance, mostly leavrently from mere wanton love of cruelty. ing the vessel and flying to the woods A number of the crew were also at- on the shore. The capture having been tacked, but all escaped without much made in British waters, the vessel was injury. The chief engineer, the assist-promptly carried into Halifax and ant engineer, and three firemen, were transferred to the British authorities for kept by the rebels to work the vessel. adjudication. An attempt was made The chief engineer was shot in the chin, by the Government officers to take the and the second mate was shot twice in pirates on board in custody, but they the leg."* were rescued by the crowd of Southern agents and partizans, and escaped arrest. When the case came before the courts, the Chesapeake was promptly awarded to her owners, while steps were taken to follow up the pirates. The Government at Washington, on the instant, apologized to Great Britain for the invasion of her rights in the capture of the vessel in her waters, and thus relieved the affair from international difficulties. On Tuesday morning the vessel was brought to anchor at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, whence, proceeding toward St. Johns, she received on board a rebel privateer captain, and discharged her prisoners, placing them on board an English pilot-boat, by means of which they found their way to Portland. On receipt of the news of the piracy, a fleet *Statement of Captain Willett, New York Times, Decem Jer 14th, 1863. CHAPTER XCVI. MILITARY EVENTS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1864. both parties would be taxed to the uttermost. Fully conscious of this, both sides were engaged during the winter months in accumulating stores, recruiting the wasted ranks of the old armies, and adding to the numbers in the field. In addition to the 300,000 men called for in the previous October, President Lincoln, on the 1st of February, issued an order for 200,000 more, appointing the 10th day of March for a draft of such portion of the half million as should not then be furnished by the States according to their several quotas. Strenuous efforts by bounties and by means of furloughs to the old regiments in the field, whose terms of service were about to expire, were made and resulted in largely supplying the men called for, so that the draft ordered for March was dispensed with. In fact, so successful had the movements for recruiting proved, that on the 14th of March President Lincoln, in addition to the two calls for 500,000, in order to supply the force required to be drafted for the Navy, and to provide an adequate reserve force for all contingencies," ordered a further enlistment of 200,000 men, ap THE paucity of military events during these months, while great armies where mustering for the field, was indicative of the narrower limits within which the contest for National supremacy was now withdrawn. With the exception of the old area in Eastern Viginia so often fought over, the battle-grounds of the previous campaigns, were now, for the most part, quietly incorporated in the Union lines. In Tennessee, Arkansas, on the line of the Mississippi and in Louisiana, the work of reconstruction was proceeding under more or less favorable circumstances, with the expectation of speedily including all these regions among the loyal States of the Union. Much, undoubtedly, had yet to be achieved to the west of the Mississippi before the whole territory could be fully restored to its allegiance, and constant vigilance had to be maintained at the various posts on the frontier and on the Mississippi, to protect the border States of the West from invasion, and hold the army communications; but these services belonged to the ordinary routine of garrison duty, and though frequently involving fights with guerrillas, which, at the beginning of the strug-pointing the 15th of April as the gle, would have been regarded as battles of moment, at this advanced stage of the conflict, excited little interest with the public. Expectation, both at the North and South, was mainly centred on the great opposing armies of Meade and Lee before Richmond, and of Grant and Johnston in the vicinity of Chattanooga. In these quarters, it was evident, the great campaigns of the spring would be undertaken, and for their accomplishment the resources of period when any deficiencies should be The call, while his name was to be retained where there is no white male adult not on the roll, subject to draft in filling that and future quotas; while in no case was the exemption purchased to extend beyond one year. Clergymen were still liable to draft; but a provision was made by which members of religious denominations who should, on being drafted, declare themselves conscientiously opposed to the bearing of arms, and be prohibited from doing so by the rules and articles of faith and practice of said religious denominations, were to be considered non-combatants and assigned to duty in the hospitals, the care of freedmen, or be relieved on payment of $300. A new and more stringent conscription act was passed in February by the confederate congress in session at Richmond. It was provided by this, that all white men, residents of the confederate States, between the ages of 17 and 50, shall be in the military service for the war. All in the service between 18 and 45 were to be retained during the war. Those between 17 and 18, and between 45 and 50, were to form a reserve for State defence and detail duty. The following exemptions were allowed: "Ministers, superintendents of deaf, dumb and blind, or insane asylums; one editor to each newspaper, and such employees as he may swear to be indispensable; the confederate and State public printers, and the journeymen printers necessary to perform the public printing; one apothecary to each drug-store, who was and has been continuously doing business as such since October 10,1862; physicians over thirty years of age of seven years' practice, not including dentists; presidents and teachers of colleges, academies and schools, who have not less than thirty pupils; superintendents of public hospitals established by law, and such physicians and nurses as may be indispensable for their efficient management; one agriculturist on such farm liable to duty employing fifteen ablebodied slaves, between sixteen and fifty years of age, upon the following conditions: The party exempted shall give bonds to deliver to the government in the next twelve months, 100 pounds of bacon, or its equivalent in salt pork, at government selection, and 100 pounds of beef for each such able-bodied slave employed on said farm, at commissioners' rates. In certain cases this may be commuted in grain or other provisions. The person shall further bind himself to sell all surplus provisions now on hand, or which he may raise, to the government, or the families of soldiers, at commissioners' rates. An act imposing additional taxes was also passed, and another, in accordance with the recommendation of Secretary Memminger and President Davis, providing for the funding of the outstanding treasury notes or popular currency in confederate bonds. This conversion was, in a measure, rendered compulsory by the refusal to receive the currency after an early day in payment of public dues, and by the imposition of a tax on the notes not funded By another act, the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was suspended in the following cases: Of treason, or treasonable efforts or combinations, to subvert the government of the confederate States; of conspiracies to overthrow the government, or conspiracies to resist the lawful authority of the confederate States; of combining to assist the enemy, or of communicating intelligence to the enemy, or giving him aid and comfort; of conspiracies, preparations and attempts to incite servile insurrection; of desertions or encouraging desertions; of harboring deserters, and of attempts to avoid military service; Provided, that in cases of palpable wrong and oppression by any subordinate officer, upon any party who does not legally owe military service, his superior PROCLAMATION OF JEFFERSON DAVIS. 299 pride and affection my heart has accompanied you in every march; with solicitude it has sought to minister to your every want; with exultation it has marked your every heroic achievement; yet never in the toilsome march, nor in the weary watch, nor in the desperate assault, have you rendered a service so decisive in results as in the last display of the highest quality of devotion and self-sacrifice which can adorn the character of the warrior-patriot. Already the pulse of the whole people beats in unison with yours; already they compare your spontaneous and unanimous offer of your lives for the defence of your country with the halting and reluctant service of the mercenaries who officer shall grant prompt relief to the oppressed party, and the subordinate shall be dismissed from office; of spies and other emissaries of the enemy; of holding correspondence or intercourse with the enemy, without necessity, and without the permission of the confederate States; of unlawful trading with the enemy and other offences against the laws of the confederate States, enacted to promote their success in the war; of conspiracies, or attempts to liberate prisoners of war held by the confederate States; of conspiracies, or attempts or preparations to aid the enemy; of persons aiding or inciting others to abandon the confederate cause, or to resist the confederate States, or to adhere to the enemy; of unlawfully burn-are purchased by the enemy at the ing, destroying or injuring, or attempting to burn, destroy or injure any bridge or railroad, or telegraph line of communication, or other property with the intent of aiding the enemy; of treasonable designs to impair the military power of the government by destroying or attempting to destroy the vessels or arms, or munitions of war, or arsenals, founderies, workshops, or other property of the confederate States." The rebel congress at its close issued an address to the people of the confederate States, reviewing, from a Southern point of view, the conditions and circumstances of the war, with the object of exciting renewed opposition and stimulating effort for the future. The people were urged to sell "the supplies and resources of the country to the government to support and equip its armies," and the hope was held out to them of securing "peace and freedom." In a proclamation to the soldiers in the field, President Davis assumed a more confident tone. "Soldiers," said he, "by your will--for you and the people are but one--I have been placed in a position which debars me from sharing your dangers, your sufferings, and your privations in the field. With price of higher bounties than have hith- Sol With |