II.--IN AMERICAN WATERS 153

XIII.--MY THIRD VOYAGE 164

XIV.--PRETTY JENNIE BELL 181

XV.--GOOD-BYE TO ENGLAND 198

XVI.--WHAT MONEY CAN DO 207

XVII.--THE NEW YORK DRAFT RIOTS 215

XVIII.--ACTING ENSIGN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY 226

XIX.--AFTER BLOCKADE-RUNNERS 239

XX.--A PRISONER OF WAR 252

XXI.--IN THE PRISON 264

XXII.--PRISON LIFE AND PRISON FARE 274

XXIII.--DISAPPOINTMENT AND MORE WAITING 288

XXIV.--A CRACKER BEAUTY 297

XXV.--LIBBY PRISON 311

XXVI.--A FREE MAN AGAIN 323

XXVII.--FORT FISHER 336

XXVIII.--THE ISLAND OF HAITI 348

XXIX.--I LEAVE THE SEA AND GO WEST 357

THE STORY OF A STRANGE CAREER

CHAPTER I

MY FIRST VOYAGE

On my mother's side I am of an old New York family. My great-grandfather
served as colonel in the war of 1812. My father was born in Dublin,
being a younger son of an Irish gentleman. He was educated to be a
druggist, his father paying a large bonus to have him apprenticed to a
celebrated firm in that business. His elder brother was ordained as a
clergyman in the Church of England, and is now a high dignitary in the
Church, if living. At the age of twenty, my father came to New York and
started in business. My mother, then about fourteen or fifteen years
old, became acquainted with him, and they were shortly afterward
married, the match being a runaway one. I was born when mother was but
sixteen years old. My parents lived comfortably; they sent me to
boarding-schools at North Cornwall, Conn., Ballston Spa, N. Y., and the
Military School at Danbury, Conn., and finally to one of the New York
colleges. At that time I was very desirous to be a sailor, and have been
sorry for it ever since. My parents objected, but afterwards consented.
My father had many customers among the ship-owners and sea captains. At
that time New York ship-owners had several vessels in the China trade,
and sought to get well-taught American boys to edu