1861 Civil War Reminiscence
UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE

Adolphus Newton Pacetty
August 13, 1861

I sailed from Tampa for Key West—under a flag of truce—in the command of the Schooner Laura to convey two northern men who claimed to be from Newark, New Jersey. These men, who had been in the habit of spending their winters in Manatee and staying until the latter part of June or first of July, knew nothing of the intended blockading at Egmont Key in June and therefore were caught in the Confederate line. They came to Tampa and explained their condition to the commanding officer, General Joseph Taylor, who commanded the Florida State Militia. He went to the blockading vessel and arranged with the blockading officer to allow a flag of truce to take the men to Key West.  The schooner was selected and I was to take command of the schooner Laura—I, being at that time a lieutenant in the Coast Guard Service.

I left Tampa on the 13th day of August 1861 for Key West, with the two men, Captain James McKay and his son Donald McKay, and William Malone of Key West.  The sailing master and the crew of this vessel were four men and myself in command.  We had fine weather until we reached Cape Romano.  After reaching the cape, we were obliged to anchor on account of the center-board being out of order.  Fortunately for us, this accident happened just at this point.  If we had continued on our course we would have been lost and possibly everyone drowned, for before we had repaired our center-board one of the most terrific hurricanes I have ever weathered in my life commenced blowing and continued for three days and nights.  If it had not been for the mishap to the center-board we would have been caught in the hurricane, but having to remain at Cape Romano, we had a fine harbor.  We rode the hurricane out and proceeded on our course.  We arrived in Key West harbor and anchored about eleven o’clock on Monday night, August 19th.

On Tuesday morning about ten o’clock, an armed cutter drew up along side and demanded all official papers, the name of the vessel, and where from.  I delivered all papers and told them that it was the confederate schooner Laura, sailing under a flag of truce from Tampa with two northern men from Newark, New Jersey, having been caught in the Confederate lines who were brought over to Key West under this flag of truce so that they could return to their northern home.  About an hour later another cutter drew up and the officers came aboard my vessel, seized her, and took her alongside the US Gunboat Crusader, commanded by Lieutenant TM Craven.  The two men, Captain McKay and his son Donald McKay, and Walter Malone were allowed to go onshore.  I was kept on the schooner with my crew as prisoners.  This happened on Tuesday, the 20th of August.

On Wednesday the 21st, I was ordered onboard the Gunboat Crusader.  As a prisoner, I was allowed on the deck and a guard was placed over me.  I had not been on the gunboat for more than a hour when Lieutenant Craven came up to me and said “You are a traitor to your country.”  

I replied to him “That has to be proven.”  

Then he said “I have sufficient proof to hang you to that yard arm.  I am going ashore now but will be back in one hour and you will be tried by a drum head court martial,”—pointing to the yardarm at the time—“or you will be sent to Fort Taylor.”

I replied to him “You have me in your power.  You can do as you damn please.”  I turned my back on him and walked toward the stern of the boat.  He then went ashore.

In a moment, I made up my mind to leave the boat at the risk of being shot at getting away.  I approached the officer of the deck and asked him if he would allow me to go aboard my vessel for a few minutes as I had papers there that I would like to get.  He said to the marine who was guarding me “go with Lieutenant Pacetty to his vessel.”  My vessel was tied to the dock with the gunboat.  When I got aboard my vessel, I went down in the cabin, left the marine at the cabin door outside on the deck.  I then went through the cabin forward where my men were.  I said to them, “I am going to jump overboard.”  I said to one of them, “put the small boat under the port bow and do it quickly.”  Then, “ Men, I expect to be shot but some of you will get back home.  Tell my people that I died a Southern man.”

The man returned and said to me “The boat is ready, sir.”  I climbed over the forward hatch and said to the men, “Good-bye”.  I went over the bow of the vessel into the boat.  I stripped to my underclothes and let myself down into the water and struck out towards shore.  On reaching the shore I laid on my back in the water and looking toward the vessel, I saw the marine just as I had left him standing with his hands over the muzzle of his gun, gazing down into the cabin waiting for me to come up.  

I got out of the water and started up the street.  I walked about a block and saw some sailors belonging to the ship.  I, thinking that they might see me, took a short cut by jumping over a fence going straight across lots into another street until I came to the Court House.  I met some more sailors but they, not knowing who I was, did not notice me.  Not wishing to make their acquaintance, I dodged into another yard climbing another fence.  I reached the lighthouse, this bringing me to the woods.  Taking a northerly course through the woods brought me to the salt ponds.  Leaving this road I reached a little island where I decided to make my headquarters, which I did for four days.  

I rested until night and then thought to try and reach the salt ponds and get a boat to make my way from Key West and eventually get back to Tampa.  I was cut off from doing this as I soon discovered they had guards posted all along this line.  So I concluded to return to my little island headquarters. 

In going back, I felt faint from exhaustion.  I fell upon the sandy beach and must have laid there as one dead for several hours, for when I regained my senses it must have been from the mosquito bites, for thousands of mosquitoes had bitten me until I bled.  I then had nothing on but a thin undershirt as I had taken my other underclothes to bind upon my feet, for I had left my shoes on the ship.  My feet were terribly cut and hacked from walking on ragged edge stones and roots from the bushes.  

After awakening, I made my way back to my island.  After arriving there I concluded to cross over to Key West and try to get some water to drink.  I was faint not having had anything to eat or drink since the previous day.  I had to swim from my island to Key West.  That was the only way to get there.  After reaching Key West I scouted around hoping to find someone that I knew.  I came to a house.  Fortunately, there was no one at the house.  I entered and searched around.  I discovered some old shoes.  I selected a pair of them and when I tied them on, one was a size six and the other size nine.  They were broken some, but I was very proud to get the shoes, as my feet were so sore.  I also found an undershirt.  I helped myself to a pair of blankets and two empty bottles, which I filled with water.  I drank some water from the cistern—the first I had had in two days.  There was an old piece of canvas in the yard.  I took that along for protection in case of rain.  I then started back to my little island.  On the island, I gathered some few pieces of boards and rigged up a small platform so that I could get up out of the mud and water.  After this was completed, I felt a little more comfortable. 

The following day I was sitting on the platform trying to fix the old shoes which I had taken from the house, when without warning a gun was fired into the island.  I heard a dog bark and a man’s voice say to another “Come let us go.  There is nobody in there.”  At the report of the gun, a flock of birds flew from the woods, which had led them to believe that no person could possibly be on the little island. 

I felt considerably better after they had left.  In the afternoon I laid down on my platform to rest.  Fortunately, I fell asleep and over slept, for I had intended going over to the house to fill my bottles with water.  Awakening sometime during the night, I heard voices.  Men talking.  They were in the road.  Then it was quiet again.  I stayed on the little island four days, not more than half a mile from the barracks.  I would sit for hours in the mangrove bushes watching the soldiers bathing every day.  

The fourth day, I commenced to feel hungry.  I was thinking of moving away from my island and form some plans to get away from Key West and also try and get in communication with some of my friends.  After considerable planning I decided to cross over to Key West and strike a path that would take me to the east of the barracks through the woods to the graveyard, so us to lay around and hide and possibly see some one of my particular friends passing and make myself known to them.  After reaching the graveyard I followed a path that led into a road that led into a street.  Taking this street led me towards the city.   I was hoping I might find someone that might tell me where a certain man lived who I knew would befriend me, but I did not know where he lived. 

As I was going along, I heard someone coming towards me.  Not wanting to be seen I climbed over the fence into the graveyard.  As the man got near, I recognized him as Mr Roberts who lived nearby.  I spoke to him calling his name thinking he would tell me where a Mr Weatherford lived.  My voice must have sounded very doleful, as I had not spoken for four days.  He no doubt thought it was a voice coming from one of the graves,  He did not stop to answer, but started to run and surely made good time in getting away for I heard the noise his gate made when he slammed it shut.  There was a heavy weight attached to the gate to keep it closed. 

I came out of the graveyard and started up the street, came to a corner, turning the corner, I came to a house and stopped at the gate.  Looking into the window of the house I saw a man.  I called to him asking if he could tell me where Mr Weatherford lived?  To my astonishment, he replied, “I am Mr Weatherford.”  I called to him to come to the gate.  He invited me in, but I would not enter for fear that I would be seen by someone passing by.  He came out to me and when he had seen who I was, he threw his arms around my neck.  He was a very old man and said “My son, where have you been?  I have my two boys out hunting for you with their pockets filled with something for you to eat.”  

I told him that I had been hiding and that is why they had not found me.  I wanted to get some information from him so I asked him to come and we would go into the graveyard where we could talk and not be heard by anyone.  He told me that there was no chance of getting a boat as the entire island of Key West was guarded and persons who owned boats were ordered to haul their small boats up out of the water and if one was missing they must give an account of it.  The officers of the gunboat Crusader had made up a purse of $1000 as a reward for me dead or alive.  He told me the only chance for me to get off the island was to go to the north end and cross over to Stock Island and swim over to Boca Chica and there I might get a boat.  He took me to his house and gave me a cup of tea and a slice of bread.  I would not eat anymore.  He then told me he could hitch up his buggy and let his son—a boy of about fifteen years of age—drive it part of the way.  I told him that was all right, but he must let me take the other boy, who was about ten years old, and hide him in the buggy seat so as to have two persons returning as there would be two of us going.  He gave me a pair of pants also a top shirt and a coat.  He gave me all of the provisions that he had for his Sunday dinner as they were already cooked.  He was a very strict Methodist and they prepared their Sunday dinner the day before.  

We got into the buggy,  the two boys and myself, and started to pass the guards at the barracks.  It was the most critical position that I had been placed in since my escape from the gunboat.  This was the only route that led to the north end of the island, so I was obliged to come this way.  I made up my mind that if the sentry hailed me to ask him to approach and give the countersign.   I would there end the matter by striking him in the head as I had gotten a very hard stone and the best man would get the gun.  The full moon was shining as bright as daylight, which was one reason that he did not hail me.  The dear Lord had saved me, for we passed the guard and continued on our journey.  

We went about two miles further.  I got out of the buggy, thanked the boys and sent them home where they arrived safely (I learned later).  I went on to the head of the island about two o’clock in the morning and remained there until daylight.  I crossed over to Stock Island, walked to the north and started to swim across to Boca Chica Island.  I got across two of the channels all right, but as I had swam about halfway across the main channel I commenced to get weak.  I let go of my bag that I had the provisions in with two bottles of water and my coat.  I found this did not relieve me any.  I kept getting weaker so I turned to go back.  I had heard that when a person is about to drown he will make a circle.  Whether that is so I do not know, but I did make a half circle when I turned back.  If I had not seen a flag flying at the Barracks there is no doubt that I would have drowned.  But seeing the flag gave me strength as I did not want to go back to prison.  As I turned to go back to Boca Chica, I discovered that my shirt sleeves had filled with water which was weighing me down.  I quickly tore my shirt off.  I felt better and continued to swim toward the shore, which I reached in a very tired condition. 

After looking around I saw a boat with two men approaching towards me.  One came running up to me and spoke to me in Spanish, saying “Buenos dias, señor” which in English is “Good morning, sir.”  I replied to their greeting.  They were Spaniards.  They told me to get into the boat which I did.  They took me ashore, gave me breakfast, and also gave me a suit of clothes.  They told me that they had been to Key West and that my friends had told them to look out for me that they were under my orders.  They would go to Key West if I wanted to write to my friends, which I did.  They started as soon as I had my letters written.  I wrote a letter to a certain person not using the person’s name only instructing them to simply hand them the note.  This was Sunday.  

They did not return until Tuesday evening bringing with them some provisions and tobacco.  My friends also sent me a boat.  The boat needed to be rigged and some repairing, so we commenced very early Wednesday rigging the boat.  I was working on the boat when the two Spaniards came out towards me very much excited and said that Antonio, an Italian employed by the Spaniards, had taken a boat and was heading for Key West threatening that he was going to inform against the two Spaniards and have them hung for harboring me.  The Spaniards wanted me to stop Antonio.  I hailed him and asked him to come back and stay until I could get away, but he would not.  I felt it all was over for a while.  I asked the two Spaniards to give me their little boat which was a small bottom one to put my provisions and a barrel of water in which they did, and I was shoving the boat off when a Chinamen, who also was employed by these men, asked to go with me.  I told him to get his things and jump.  As he was getting his possessions, one of the Spaniards became frightened and he also joined me.  Off we started.  It was a week since I had left the gunboat.

We continued on our way all day and anchored at night among some key in very shallow water as a precaution in case we had been seen from the cutter.  Nothing happened, so we proceeded on our way to Vacas.  I landed in the rear of the island and walked across to the settlement and approached a house very cautiously.  It was closed up.  I knocked at the door.  A woman answered my knock.  I inquired for her husband.  She said that he was out in his vessel.  I went down to the landing and met him coming ashore.  I spoke to him and told him who I was and asked him if I could get some provisions.  He said that he would have to ask his father first, so he took me to his father’s house.  The father said to me “Who are you, and what is your name?  Where are you from?” in a very pompous manner. 

I answered, “I am from Key West, an escaped prisoner and I am hungry and wanted something to eat, also for my two men.”

He answered, “I don’t know about giving something to eat to my enemies.”

I replied, “How do you know that I am an enemy?  To the contrary, you have never seen me before.  You are against the Union.  I was against seceding the states from the Union.  I am a Southern man and so are you.  If I was not the man that I am, I would not have risked my life to bring the two northern men who were caught in the Confederate lines from Tampa to Key West so that they could get to their homes in the north.  We could have kept them as prisoners instead of taking the risk that we did by bringing them over to Key West under a flag of truce.”

The old gentleman spoke again, “I hear they are fitting up an expedition in Tampa to come and attack this place.  You say you are from Tampa.  Do you know anything about it?”

I answered, “No, sir.  If I can get back to Tampa before this expedition starts, I can stop it if I tell them that you have assisted me.”

“Have you that much influence in Tampa?” he asked

I replied that I had.

The old gentleman gave me some provisions.  He was all right for he was appointed Justice of the Peace over the island by Captain Craven.  I bid the judge a hearty good-bye and started for my boat, meeting one of his sons who knew me.  He gave me some more provisions, which was sufficient for myself and the two men until we got to Tampa which we reached in ten days after. 

After staying in Tampa for a few days, I left for Richmond Virginia, and tendered my services to the Confederate States and was appointed an acting master in the Confederate Navy by the Honorable Stephen Mallory, and ordered to Mobile, Alabama, on the 5th of August 1863. I served in Mobile as acting master in command of the Confederate States schooner war vessel Alert.  I also served as acting master in command of the Gaines and also the Morgan.  After the Battle of Mobile Bay I was ordered by Flag Officer Farrand to surrender to the United States Government, which I did and was paroled on the of 10th day of May 1865, and was then sent to Mobile.

Signed, Captain Adophus N Pacetty

Alternative ending

I bid Judge Pain a hearty goodbye, and started for my boat, meeting one of the old man's sons who knew me. He gave me a lot more provisions which gave me a good supply; sufficient to last me and my two men to Tampa—which I reached some ten days later, without any more great risks that I previously had met with.

After reaching Tampa, I left for Richmond, Virginia, and tendered my services to the Confederate States. I was appointed an acting master in the Confederate Navy by the Honorable S R Mallory, and ordered to Mobile, Alabama.

On the fifth of August, 1863, when Admiral Farragut entered Mobile Bay: In that battle, the monitor Tecumseh, commanded by Captain T M Craven (the man who had captured and made a prisoner of me in Key West 1861), was struck by a torpedo and sank with all officers and crew except four men who escaped by getting out through a porthole. Two of the men were picked up by  a boat sent by the fleet, and the other two swam to Fort Morgan. I was in the fight and saw Cast Craven's monitor when it went down. The battle was a hot one.

I will write another paper later on the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Very Respectfully, Capt A N Pacetti

April 6th 1911
St Augustine Fla

Second alternative ending

On the 20th day of October 1861, I was appointed as an officer by the Secretary of the Confederate States Navy Honorable Stephen R Mallory, and ordered from Richmond, Virginia, to Mobile, Alabama. I served in Mobile as an acting master in command of the Confederate States schooner war vessel Alert. I commanded my boat from 1861 to 1865, and fought in the Battle of Mobile Bay.  At the end of the war, I was ordered by Flag Officer Farrand to surrender to the US Government which I did and was paroled on the 10th day of May 1865 on the Alabama River, and was then sent to Mobile.

Third alternative ending

Sinking of the USS Tecumseh.  August 5, 1864. I was on my vessel and witnessed the sinking of the Tecumseh with commander TA Craven on board.  At the beginning of the war, he took me prisoner.

Note on transcription

Captain Pacetty wrote this reminiscence in long hand in a series of very small lined notebooks toward the end of his life, possibly to establish his pension claim in 1909. His punctuation and capitalization is not always decipherable. There is also a typed draft that concludes with: "Signed Captain Adolphus N Pacetti by Ellen Pacetti Jones" (Ellen became Jones in 1895, Adolphus died in 1913--though she may have typed it posthumously). The alternative endings were found on sheets of paper separate from the notebooks, suggesting that he was working on different ways to sew up the story.

I have mostly used Ellen's version here with some edits—mostly breaking up run-on sentences—to improve readability. I have also used modern spelling of place names.
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