ports, denying the CSA access to foreign trade.
It was apparent that the three of us couldn’t cross an expanse of water and attack two thousand well-armed men in a fort. We didn’t stand much chance against a gunboat either. I didn’t see any way for us to help Henry get revenge.
During the first day there, Henry produced pen and paper and set about writing Coon a letter from his pa in the Seventh Connecticut. Henry changed Coon’s name to Ray Watson. If confronted by Federal troops, Coon, posing as Ray Watson, would produce that letter to show his family’s loyalty to the North. Henry also wrote Coon a letter from Ray’s cousin, Surgeon Henry Watson, which would introduce him to CSA troops. The two letters were to be carried in different pockets and the correct one produced depending on what troops Ray encountered.
Ray was to steal a boat the next morning at dawn and row over to the island. There he would sell the bushel of peanuts at two cents per double handful to the Federal soldiers. If CSA forces stopped him before he shoved off, he was to offer to spy and report back and then actually do so. Because he was supplied with proper papers of introduction, it should work. His chief job on the island was to offer to bring whiskey and some women for some of the Federal soldiers if they had enough money. The price would be one dollar a quart for the whiskey and three dollars from each of six men, three men for each woman. He was to be sure to tell the soldiers that these women were not whores. They were good Northern sympathizers who desperately needed the money to escape to the North. Additionally, Henry wanted to know if the Federal ship Tahomas was in the area on blockade duty, or was on the way there. Ray could ask about that by saying his mother’s brother, his uncle, was on board. That way there wouldn’t have to be someone on board with the last name “Watson.” If intercepted by Confederate forces, Ray was also to learn the name of the CSA commanding officer in the area.
With two thousand men on the island, and no women, he should have no trouble finding ready buyers for women and whiskey. Cut off from the mainland, the island fort was supplied only by ships controlled or operated by the Federal Navy. The supply of whiskey and women to its troops would not be a priority of the Federal military. While there was little or no whiskey available on the Union-held part of the island, whiskey could be purchased in Pensacola for twenty-five cents a gallon. There should also be a ready supply of money in the fort. Having been isolated for months while receiving thirteen dollars a month in pay, there was no place for the Yankee soldiers to spend their money.
After being drilled the rest of the day on his new identity and duties, Ray got them down pretty good. Henry forbade me to call Ray “Coon” so he could get used to the name.
The next day at daylight Ray stole a rowboat and was a hundred yards out toward the island before some CSA troops shouted at him. He waved, but didn’t otherwise respond. Everyone could see he was a child so no one shot at him. Upon his arrival at the island we could see Union soldiers gather around him and escort him toward the fort.
At 10:00 A.M. the artillery battle started again. Ignoring the continuing shelling, Ray pushed off at noon for the mainland. A couple of CSA soldiers met him as he beached the boat and escorted him to a command post. The command post was out of sight of the island and not under bombardment. After being questioned for more than an hour, he emerged and walked up the road before doubling back to us.
Having made a judgment about supply and demand, Coon had gone up to three cents a double handful for the peanuts. When word got around among the Union soldiers about his pa being in the Seventh Connecticut, lots of them gave him five or ten cents. He made three dollars and eighty-seven cents on those peanuts.
When questioned by a CSA colonel, Ray gave him a factual report. He also offered to go back and spy some more if the colonel could get him more peanuts, or something else to sell. Of course the colonel wanted him to do it. We hoped, however, to be gone in two more days.
Coon told us that a lieutenant and three other men were to meet him and get the whiskey and women. Not wanting six people involved, the lieutenant had raised the price to compensate. Each man would pay four dollars for the women if they would stay over until the next night. They would also pay a dollar each for the five quarts of whiskey. The lieutenant even gave him a two-dollar advance to buy whiskey with. He also said that no one on the island knew the location of the Federal ship Tahomas.
Henry then said, “It might take us the rest of our lives to catch up with the Tahomas. Even then we couldn’t be sure who shot my step-pa. We’ll have to use an alternate plan and get revenge where we can.”
At 11:15 that night when the moon set and we shoved off for the island, I at least knew the backup plan. Heavily armed, and wearing Ella Mae’s bonnets, Henry and I were in the boat. Though we were a few minutes late arriving at the island, hearing our boat paddles, the lieutenant and the three others came to the beach to meet us. To prove they were gallant they stepped out in the water to help beach our boat. Even with the stars reflecting off the white sand, the night was dark enough that they got up close without suspicion. We shot them as the boat touched the sand.
Henry did a quick search of the soldiers while Coon and I loaded their guns into the boat. There was over forty dollars in specie on the four of them. We took their money. Henry also took the lieutenant’s shirt and left a sign on his chest. Since we could hear others approaching from toward the fort, we then shoved off and pulled hard for the mainland.
Alerted by the earlier shooting and hearing our paddles in the water as we approached, CSA soldiers were waiting for us as we beached the boat back on the mainland. After taking our guns, they led us to the colonel’s command post. Though recognized and spoke to by the colonel, Ray kept quiet and Henry did the talking. Henry told them what of the story he wanted them to hear.
The colonel said, “Why did you do it? What’s this all about?”
“Sir, it was a matter of honor,” Henry replied. “There were two ladies involved who I can’t mention.”
Revenge was a personal matter that would not be enhanced by the telling of it. Henry also didn’t want the real reason known by anyone who could identify us as associated with the raid. The real reason was weighted down on that Federal lieutenant’s chest, however. The sign said, “REVENGE FOR THE CEDAR KEY RAID OF OCTOBER 4, 1861.”
The whole thing so impressed the colonel that he ordered us released with our goods. He also asked us to go see General Bragg. After hearing the story, the general commended us in writing about our bravery and asked us to join his unit.
Henry declined, saying, “Sir, we have sick womenfolk in Blountstown. We must return immediately and see to their welfare.”
General Bragg wrote us a pass that was good for anywhere in Florida. He signed it himself. Being a very good writer, Henry then had an original signature to work from. Henry also asked for the colonel’s signature, saying he wanted folks to know they had met. It puffed the colonel up a little, and got Henry another signature.
As for Coon, he apologized for not being able to spy for the colonel as promised.
Arriving back at our camp that morning, we didn’t go to bed even though we had been up and active for most of the past twenty-four hours. The horses rested, we pulled stakes and rode north to clear Pensacola Bay before turning east toward home. Henry had taken a compass off the lieutenant and he used it as we rode. Using the compass and the pass, and traveling as straight a line as possible, we could make it to Coon’s house in six days of steady riding.
Though the general took the other Yankee weapons, he let Henry keep a .44 caliber Remington army revolver. Once fully loaded, it could be fired six times without reloading. Trying to find the way to wear the revolver so it could be
