disturbed by the authorities of the United States so long as they continue to observe the condition of their paroles and the laws in force where they reside, except that persons residents of northern States will not be allowed to return without special permission. "Fourth: The surrender of property will not include the side-arms or private baggage of officers. "Fifth: The time and place of surrender will be fixed by us, respectively, and will be carried out by officers appointed by us. "Sixth: After the surrender, transportation and subsistence to be furnished by Acting Rear Admiral H. K. Thatcher for officers and men to the nearest practicable point to their respective homes. “H. K. THATCHER, Acting Rear Admiral U. S. N., Commanding West Gulf Squadron. "E. FARRAND, Flag Officer, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces in waters of Alabama." In accordance with these stipulations Lieut. Commanding Julius Myers, the officer designated by Commodore Farrand, on May 10th surrendered to Fleet Capt. Edward Simpson, acting for Admiral Thatcher, at Nanna Hubba Bluff, on the Tombigbee River, the Nashville, the Morgan, the Baltic, the Black Diamond and the Southern Republic, the last-named being an unarmed steamer on which the stores from the naval station at Mobile had been brought up the river under charge of Lieut. Myers. Capt. Simpson's report states he paroled 112 officers, 285 enlisted men and 24 marines. The paroles and signatures were as follows: "We, the undersigned, prisoners of war belonging to the Confederate naval forces serving under the command of Commodore Ebenezer Farrand, in the waters of the State of Alabama, this day surrendered by Commodore Ebenezer Farrand to Acting Rear Admiral Henry K. Thatcher, United States navy, commanding the West Gulf squadron, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we will not hereafter serve in the navy of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities. 'Done at Nanna Hubba Bluff, on the Tombigbee River, Alabama, this tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and sixty-five." L. Rosseau, Captain. F. B. Dornin, Passed Midshipman. John E. O'Connell, 2d Ass't Engineer. Jos. L. Wilson, Paymaster's Clerk. G. H. Lindenberger, Mechanic. J.H.Hunt, A. M.M., Com'g St'r Baltic. D. R. Lindsay, Naval Storekeeper. J. M. Smith, Paymaster's Clerk. Ira W. Porter, Acting Gunner. J. P. Redwood, Clerk. E. W. Johnston, Master's Mate. W. Youngblood, Chief Engineer. Avery S. Winston, M. Mate P. N. C. S. John Applegate, 3d Ass't Engineer. Jos. M. Walker, Pilot. W. L. Cameron, Paymaster's Clerk. M. L. Shropshire, Act. 1st Ass't Eng'r. Edwin Weaver, 3d Ass't Engineer. Besides the parole signed by the above commissioned and warrant officers of the Confederate navy, there were four other papers of the same character. Acting Fleet-captain Julius 1 Passed Midshipman George A. Joiner, who was officer of the deck of the Nashville when she was surrendered, was appointed in the C. S. navy, January 23d, 1863, and was stationed at the Drewry's Bluff batteries on the James River, until the succeeding summer, when he was ordered to a class on the school-ship Patrick Henry. In the spring of 1864, he became aide to Commodore W. H. Parker, in command of the Richmond, and was also made signal officer. In the movement to confront Gen. Butler's landing at Bermuda Hundreds, in May. Mr. Joiner commanded a howitzer in the naval contingent, and afterward returned with his class to the schoolship, graduating in July, 1864: as No. 6 of the class. In the detail of midshipmen then ordered to report at Mobile, he and William Carroll, now of Pine Bluff, Ark, were specially designated as aides to Admiral Buchanan, but they did not reach that city until after his capture. Mr. Joiner was assigned to the iron-clad Huntsville, Lieut. Commander Julius Myers, and was present at the various engagements of that ship with the Federal batteries during Gen. Canby's investment of Mobile. He was once slightly wounded, and, in company with a sailor named Kelly, distinguished himself by replacing under the enemy's fire the ensign of the ship, which had been shot away in the course of an action in which her smokestack was perforated fifty-seven times. When it was decided to sink the Huntsville upon the evacuation of Mobile Midshipman Joiner was left in charge of the boat's crew that scuttled her, and was the last person to leave the deck after cutting the feed-pipes of the boiler. He then went to duty on the Nashville, and on May 10th, 1865, received at the gangway of the vessel the Federal officer, Lieut. Hamilton, sent to receive her surreuder. Her colors had been struck, the officers and crew gathered on deck as they were hauled down and saluted them with raised caps while tears flowed freely. Since the war, Mr. Joiner has resided in his native town of Talladega, Ala., where he is engaged in mercantile pursuits. Myers gave parole on behalf of the Confederate seamen serving on a portion of the vessels; Lieut. Joseph Fry, commanding the Morgan, gave parole on behalf of the 120 men of his ship; Lieut. J. W. Bennett, commanding the Nashville, gave parole for his 112 seamen; and Lieut. D. G. Raney, Jr., gave parole for the twenty-four marines under his command. In addition to the vessels surrendered by Commodore Farrand, the following river steamers in the inland waters of Alabama fell into the hands of the Federals: St. Nicholas, St. Charles, C. W. Dorrance, Jeff. Davis, Admiral, Reindeer, Cherokee, Marengo, Sumter, Waverly, Magnolia, Robert Watson, Duke, Clipper, Senator, Commodore Farrand, and Two Hundred and Ninety. The blockade-runners Heroine, Mary, Red Gauntlet and Virgin were also among the prizes. So fell the curtain upon the defence of Mobile and the adjacent waters. It had been conducted with matchless skill, energy, and gallantry upon meagre resources, against an enemy whose command of men, ships, guns and money was measureless, and it ended without a blemish upon the honor and bravery of the sailors and soldiers who so long held back the enormously superior forces thundering at their gates. T CHAPTER XIX FLORIDA WATERS. HE naval operations in Florida waters during the war were not perhaps as brilliant and far-reaching in their character as those in some other parts of the Confederacy, but they are not without a vivid historical interest, and had a solid importance in connection with the whole plan of attack upon the Southern sea-coasts and sea-ports. At the opening of the war, the situation in Florida was not unlike that in other Southern States. The Ordinance of Secession declaring this State "a sovereign and independent nation,” was passed by a State Convention which assembled January 10th, 1861. On January 9th, a rumor of the intended seizure of the Pensacola navy-yard, Warrington, by the Confederates, reached the Federal authorities at the Pensacola works. Lieut. Adam J. Slemmer, then in command of the harbor defences, which consisted of Forts Barrancas, McRae and Pickens, determined to concentrate his forces, ammunition, supplies and arms at Fort Pickens, which, besides being the strongest fort, commanded the entrance to the bay and the other forts. The navy-yard, distant about two and a half miles, was beyond the range of the guns at Fort Pickens. On the morning of the 10th, the force under Lieut. Slemmer's command was transferred to Fort Pickens by means of boats from the U. S. steamer Wyandotte and the storeship Supply. Fort McRae was abandoned, and about 23,000 pounds of powder, together with a quantity of fuses and shot, were destroyed. The guns at Barrancas were spiked, and were in that condition when the Florida troops, under Col. Lomax, took possession of the fort. Pensacola Bay possesses rare properties as a harbor. It is accessible to large vessels, the bar is near the coast, and the channel across it short and easily passed. The harbor is perfectly land-locked and the roadstead very capacious. There are excellent positions within for repairing, building and launching vessels, and for docks and dock-yards. The supply of good water is abundant. These advantages, in connection with the position of the harbor as regards the coast, induced the U. S. government to select it as a naval station, and a place of rendezvous and repair. Pensacola Bay, fortified as it was, with all its ordnance in position and properly garrisoned, was deemed impregnable, except by long and hazardous siege by an overwhelming and well appointed land force; and it was said by an enthusiastic writer of the time, "could defy all the navies of the world combined till it filled the harbor's mouth with the carcasses of sunken ships." Fort Pickens is situated on Santa Rosa Island, the west point of which is at the mouth of Pensacola Bay and completely shuts out Pensacola from the sea. The fort was a first-class pentagonal bastioned work, built of stone, brick and bitumen, with covert ways, dry ditch, glacis and outworks complete. Its walls were forty feet in height by twelve feet in thickness, and were embrasured for two tiers of guns in bomb-proof and one tier of guns open or en barbette. The guns from this point radiated to every point of the horizon, with flank and enfilading fire in the ditches and at every angle of approach. The work was begun in 1838 and finished in 1853. When on a war footing its garrison consisted of 1,260 soldiers. Its armament in January, 1861, consisted of: in bastion 20 twenty-four-pound howitzers; casemate, 2 forty-two-pounders, 64 thirty-two pounders, 59 twenty-four pounders; in barbette, 24 eight-inch howitzers, 6 eighteen-pounders, 12 twelve-pounders, 1 ten-inch Columbiad mounted, and 4 ten-inch mortars in bad order. The possession of this work by the Confederates was, of course, of the first importance, for unless they could occupy it, it would secure to the U. S. troops a base of operations along the whole gulf coast, and keep open a road into the heart of the South, which could not be obstructed by any fixed fortifications. An enemy holding Fort Pickens could rendezvous a naval force there, and keep up a blockade of all the ports of the gulf, unless it could be met on the sea. The fort was only ap proachable by land on one side, and, owing to the openness of the country, which was but a barren bed of sand, a party attacking from that quarter would be very much exposed. Fort McRae,' after its abandonment by Slemmer, was in possession of the Florida troops. It was further seaward than Fort Pickens, and was its vis à vis across the channel, guarding the west side of the mouth of Pensacola Bay. A vessel entering, then, must needs run the gauntlet of its guns before approaching Fort Pickens, which, however, of itself effectually closed the harbor against the admission of an enemy of even very heavy force. Fort McRae was in poor condition, but was nevertheless a strong water battery. Fort Barrancas, also abandoned by Slemmer, was well built and a powerful defence 1 Correct name believed to be McCrea. |