CHAPTER XIX
Cherbourg—Letters from home tell of the deaths of my two brothers, captains in Stonewall Jackson's corps—French fleet arrives to keep us in order—Great storm and loss of flagship's launch and crew—Impressive military pageant at funeral—Captain Maury relieved from the command of the Georgia.—The C.S.S. Rappahannock Kearsarge and Tuscarora waiting for us outside.
We slowly dragged our heavy grass crop along and entered the English Channel where we knew Federal cruisers were on the watch, but we were fortunate enough not to be seen by them, and in the middle of the night of October 28-29, 1863, we quietly stole into the harbor of Cherbourg, France, and dropped anchor.
We had been at sea for eight long months, and with the exception of our captain, not an officer on board had heard from home. The news of our arrival at Cherbourg, however, quickly spread and the U.S.S. Kearsarge quickly appeared cruising up and down beyond the three-mile limit. But more welcome than the sight of our would-be captor was a package of letters which had run through the blockade and had been forwarded to us by the Confederate agents, Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool. There was great rejoicing for all save me I received two saddening missives one informed me of the death of my brother George, a captain in the First Louisiana Infantry, in "Stonewall" Jackson's division and when I opened the other it told me of the death of my brother Thomas Gibbes, a captain of the Seventh Louisiana, also with "Stonewall."
Gibbes had been badly wounded at Antietam, and before his wound was well healed had rejoined his regiment, with the survivors of which he had been captured at Kelly's Ford while covering the retreat of General Lee's army. He was taken to Johnson's Island, where he died a prisoner, leaving a charming young wife and two little
