. Young folk's history of the war for the union . ure vessels on the high seas with-out presenting the case before a proper court is piracy accord-ing to the law of nations. Semmes sent the first prizes taken 144 THE ATLANTIC COAST. [1861. by him to New Orleans in charge of some of his crew, but asthey fell into the hands of the United States Government, hedetermined to settle afterward for himself all questions relatingto prizes. So he set up a court on board his own vessel, anddecided each case to suit himself; and as his chief object wasto damage the enemy, he burned nearly every Union vess
. Young folk's history of the war for the union . ure vessels on the high seas with-out presenting the case before a proper court is piracy accord-ing to the law of nations. Semmes sent the first prizes taken 144 THE ATLANTIC COAST. [1861. by him to New Orleans in charge of some of his crew, but asthey fell into the hands of the United States Government, hedetermined to settle afterward for himself all questions relatingto prizes. So he set up a court on board his own vessel, anddecided each case to suit himself; and as his chief object wasto damage the enemy, he burned nearly every Union vessel thatfell into his hands, and landed the crews at the nearest of being treated as a pirate, he was allowed to take sup-plies of coal and provisions in the ports of the British colonies,and was given all possible aid in his career of destruction, theEnglish being only too glad to see the commerce of a rival sweptfrom the ocean. After destroying a large number of vessels,Semmes crossed the Atlantic, and went into the port of Gibral-. The Privateer Sumter. tar. The Sumter was found there early in 1862 by the UnitedStates steamer Tuscarora, and Semmes, not daring to come out,sold his vessel and went to England, where he had the Alabamabuilt. The Nashville, another Confederate steamer, was less suc-cessful. She captured only two vessels, and was finallydestroyed (Feb. 28, 1862), in the Ogechee Eiver, Florida, bythe Montauk, as will be related hereafter. The Jefferson Davis,a brig, was lost on the coast of Florida, and the Beauregard, aschooner, was captured. Notwithstanding the great difficulty in blockading so long aseacoast, it was so effectually done by the close of the year thatthe Confederates began to feel the pressure. Having no com-merce of their own and having to depend wholly on blockade- 1861.] BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 145 runners for supplies, most of those things which they had beenaccustomed to get either from the North or from foreign coun-tries rose gieatly i
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