Sunday, August 4.—Morning calm and clear. The chimes of the church bells from the shore fall pleasantly and suggestively on the ear. A U.S. schooner came in from some point up the bay. At 10:30 gave the order to get up steam, but the paymaster reporting some of his vouchers not in form, the order was countermanded and he was permitted to go on shore to rectify the mistake; and the English steam frigate Cadmus coming into the bay a short time after, I gave up the idea of going to sea to-day. Sent an officer to call on the captain of the Cadmus. The visit was returned soon after by a lieutenant from that vessel, who, after saying that he came to return my visit, said that his captain had directed him to say to me that as this ship was the first vessel of the Confederate States he had fallen in with, he would be glad if I would show him my commission, to which I replied I could have no objection, but that the courtesy of the case required that he should first show me his commission. This he immediately did, whereupon I showed him mine. In strictness, perhaps, the captain (Hillyar) should have sent his own commission on board instead of that of his lieutenant, but I did not wish to appear captious, and as the courtesy of the case was satisfied, this was all that was necessary.
Extracts from the journal of Commander Semmes, C.S. Navy, commanding C.S.S. Sumter
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