the Spanish Main, going as far south as Maranham, Brazil, and then made sail for Martinique. He made a number of prizes going southward, but in fifty-five days, between Maranham and Martinique, he fell in with but two vessels bearing the flag of the United States. The captures and burnings which he had accomplished since leaving New Orleans were fast driving the enemy's commerce from the ocean or forcing the transfer of his bottoms to neutrals. On November 13th, 1861, the Sumter proceeded to St. Pierre to coal, but before the work could be completed the U. S. gunboat Iroquois, Capt. J. S. Palmer, arrived in the harbor. Several times during the night the Iroquois steamed around the Sumter, as if desirous of attacking, but fearful of doing so in the French waters of Martinique, and Semmes beat to quarters and ran out his guns. Capt. Palmer addressed to the Governor of Martinique a protest against a vessel "engaged in pirating upon the commerce of the United States" being permitted to coal at the port, and asked that she be directed to leave the protection of the French flag and the immunities of a French port. The Governor replied that he would not refuse an anchorage to “a vessel belonging to the States of the South" and tendered the same hospitalities to the Iroquois; but required the latter, if she proposed to establish a blockade of the Confederate vessel to go outside of the marine jurisdiction of France. The French man-of-war Acheron came around from Port de France, and Capt. Palmer was informed that if he remained in the harbor he would not, under international law, be permitted to leave until twenty-four hours after the departure of the Sumter. He arranged with the captain of the American schooner Windward, moored in the harbor, to notify him by signals if she sailed, and kept up a constant communication with the shore by boats, in violation of the laws of nations, which required that if he wished to communicate he must bring his ship to anchor, when, of course, the twenty-four hour rule would attach.

After being blockaded nine days, Semmes determined to attempt an escape to sea from the greatly superior enemy, and selected the night of October 23d. At the sound of the eight o'clock gun from the fort, the vessel steamed off. Semmes was quite well aware that he was being watched from the schooner Windward, and that she was to notify the Iroquois by burning two lights if he went south and one light if he went north. Consequently he steered south until the two lights were shown and then halted under the shadow of the mountains, which run abruptly to the sea. The Iroquois, in obedience to the signals, went off southward at a furious pace, while the Sumter doubled and stood to the northward. Capt. Palmer had done his utmost to capture her, and because Semmes had outwitted him some of the Northern newspapers bullied the Secretary of the Navy into relieving him of his command.

1"Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States."

the Spanish Main, going as far south as Maranham, Brazil, and then made sail for Martinique. He made a number of prizes going southward, but in fifty-five days, between Maranham and Martinique, he fell in with but two vessels bearing the flag of the United States. The captures and burnings which he had accomplished since leaving New Orleans were fast driving the enemy's commerce from the ocean or forcing the transfer of his bottoms to neutrals. On November 13th. 1861, the Sumter proceeded to St. Pierre to coal, but before the work could be completed the U. S. gunboat Iroquois, Capt. J. S. Palmer, arrived in the harbor. Several times during the night the Iroquois steamed around the Sumter, as if desirous of attacking, but fearful of doing so in the French waters of Martinique, and Semmes beat to quarters and ran out his guns. Capt. Palmer addressed to the Governor of Martinique a protest against a vessel "engaged in pirating upon the commerce of the United States" being permitted to coal at the port, and asked that she be directed to leave the protection of the French flag and the immunities of a French port." The Governor replied that he would not refuse an anchorage to "a vessel belonging to the States of the South" and tendered the same hospitalities to the Iroquois ; but required the latter, if she proposed to establish a blockade of the Confederate vessel to go outside of the marine jurisdiction of France. The French man-of-war Acheron came around from Port de France, and Capt. Palmer was informed that if he remained in the harbor he would not, under international law, be permitted to leave until twenty-four hours after the departure of the Sumter. He arranged with the captain of the American schooner Windward, moored in the harbor, to notify him by signals if she sailed, and kept up a constant communication with the shore by boats, in violation of the laws of nations, which required that if he wished to communicate he must bring his ship to anchor, when, of course, the twenty-four hour rule would attach.

After being blockaded nine days, Semmes determined to attempt an escape to sea from the greatly superior enemy, and selected the night of October 23d. At the sound of the eight o'clock gun from the fort, the vessel steamed off. Semmes was quite well aware that he was being watched from the schooner Windward, and that she was to notify the Iroquois by burning two lights if he went south and one light if he went north. Consequently he steered south until the two lights. were shown and then halted under the shadow of the mountains, which run abruptly to the sea. The Iroquois, in obedience to the signals, went off southward at a furious pace, while the Sumter doubled and stood to the northward. Capt. Palmer had done his utmost to capture her, and because Semmes had outwitted him some of the Northern newspapers bullied the Secretary of the Navy into relieving him of his command.

1 "Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States."