After remaining stationary for some two
hours, her boat returned. The Iroquois stood out of the harbour, taking
a position a short distance ahead of us, and commenced backing and
filling across our bows. Meanwhile the crew of "the pirate" were not
idle; every preparation was made to repel boarders, and to defend our
ship to the last extremity. The crew were inspected, and every man seen
to be properly armed and equipped for action. We fully expected an
attack that night, and remembered the threats and loud pretensions of
not respecting any neutrality which prevented them from destroying the
Sumter, as made by the commander of the Niagara, and the redoubtable
Porter of the Powhattan,--this latter gentleman having actually followed
us as far as Maranham, only to find the people Sumter-mad on his
arrival. Very few on board the Sumter that night felt any inclination
for slumber; the men were sitting about in groups, commenting in low
tones on the contest which now seemed to be imminent; while those
officers who were at leisure were gathered on the quarter-deck, engaged
in the same interesting discussion.
At 2 A.M. the word was passed by the look-outs forward that the Yankee
was bearing down close upon us; and the order passed, almost in a
whisper, "to go to quarters." I never saw men obey an order with more
alacrity. In a few minutes the boarders, pikemen, and small-arm men were
ranged in three lines close to our low rail, to await his attack, all
preserving a perfect silence that seemed death-like.
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