his arrangements for the disposal of the prizes and prisoners; and it
became necessary to remove the wounded commander to the cabin of the
Tallahatchie, to which he did not object, for the wounded in his cabin
had been placed in a temporary hospital between decks. He was permitted
to occupy the stateroom he had used while in command, while the other
was reserved for the prize-master.

Ensign Palmer Drake, the senior of the two officers waiting
appointments, was made prize-master of the Tallahatchie, for he had
proved to be an able and brave man in the recent action. Mr. Ballard
became executive officer of the Bellevite, and Mr. Walbrook the second
lieutenant, while the place of the third was filled by Mr. Bostwick, who
had been master. French was appointed prize-master of the West Wind,
with a crew of five men, as she was to be towed by the prize steamer.

It was found that the Tallahatchie had gone into the action with
ninety-five men, including the forward officers. More than one-third of
them had been killed or disabled, without counting those who were still
able to keep the deck and sleep in their hammocks. Fifty of them were
in condition to do duty; and Captain Breaker did not consider it prudent
to send so many prisoners to the North in the prize. He therefore sent
forty of them to Key West in the Holyoke, assured that the Bellevite was
abundantly able to maintain the blockade, even with her reduced ship's
company, during the absence of his consort.

The engineers of the prize were willing to continue their services at
the expense of their new employer, or even to accept permanent
appointments; for they did not belong to the upper classes in England
who favored the cause of the Confederacy, and were only looking for the
highest wages. Weeks, the oiler, and Bingham, a boatswain's mate, were
appointed first and second officers of the Tallahatchie, and twenty
seamen were detailed as a prize crew. To insure the fidelity of the four
foreign engineers Mr. Graines was sent as a sort of supervisor, with the
knowledge and assent of those in actual charge of the machinery.

When all was ready for her departure, Christy went on board of the
Tallahatchie in the same boat with the engineer, after a rather sad
parting with the captain and his fellow-officers, and amid the cheers of
the seamen, who had mounted the rail and the rigging to see him off. Mr.
Drake conducted him to the captain's cabin when he went on board of the