Captures of the Alabama

"On the 3d of February, we made our first capture since leaving St. Domingo. It was the schooner Palmetto, bound from New York to St. John's in the island of Puerto Rico. We gave chase to her soon after breakfast and came up with her about half-past one p. m. It was a fair trial of heels with a fine breeze and a smooth sea; both vessels being on a wind; and it was beautiful to see how the Alabama performed her task, working up into the wind's eye and overhauling her enemy with the ease of a trained courser coming up with a saddle nag. There was no attempt to cover the cargo of the Palmetto. The enemy merchants seemed to have come to the conclusion that it was no longer of any use to prepare bogus certificates, and that they might as well let their cargoes run the chances of war without them. Upon examination of the papers of the schooner, it appeared that the cargo was shipped by the Spanish house of Hauques & Maseras, domiciled and doing business in New York, to Vincent Brothers in San Juan, Puerto Rico on joint account; the shippers owning one third, and the consignee two thirds. The case came, therefore, under the rule applied in a former case, viz., that when partners reside, some in a belligerent and some in neutral country, the property of all of them, which has any connection with the house in the belligerent country, is liable to confiscation (3 Phillimore, 605, and 1 Robinson, 1, 14, 19, Also, The Susa, ib. 255). Getting on board from the Palmetto such articles of provisions--and she was chiefly provision-laden--as we needed, we applied the torch to her about sunset and filled away and made sail."

Source: Raphael Semmes, Memoirs of Service Afloat during the War between the States.