These are the wartime adventures of an Englishman who adopted the confederate cause in the War Between the States, and who consequently joined the crew of a Confederate cruiser that sailed from Southampton in 1862 to run the Union blockade. Afterward, he served in the confederate army and participated in eleven battles. His reminiscences were written less than ten years after his experiences, and he presents them in a readable and cogent manner, as one would expect from a man whose chosen profession was that of journalist. After the war, he and a partner acquired the older Charleston courier and blended the two papers as the news and courier, with the author, Francis "Frank" Dawson as editor. Perhaps his wife is better known to the present generation than he; Sarah Morgan Dawson's The Civil War Diary of a Southern Woman, is still in circulation and widely read today. His life was fruitful, but short. At the age of 48, he was murdered. Annotations delve into the story behind his murder and provide references for further reading. There are more than ten illustrations that were not in the original edition, of which only 100 copies were printed for private reading. Now a wide audience has the means to enjoy this fascinating book