nine o'clock in the morning
Christy was extremely glad to hear so favorable a report of the condition of the patient , and so expressed himself in the heartiest terms . `` Federal '' and `` Confederate '' seemed to be words without any meaning at the present time , for all had become friends . The officers were vying with each other in rendering kindly offices to the vanquished , and even the seamen were doing what they could to fraternize with the crew of the Tallahatchie , while both were engaged in removing the evidences of the hard-fought action . It was now only nine o'clock in the morning , and six hours had elapsed since the prize , with the West Wind in tow , had sailed from Mobile Point on what had proved to be her last voyage in the service of the Confederacy . Events had succeeded each other with great rapidity , as it may require a whole volume to report in detail a naval battle begun and ended in the short space of an hour . The men were piped to breakfast ; and during the meal there was an interchange of good feeling when it was found that the crew of the Tallahatchie had only a short supply of coffee and bread , intending to supply these articles at Nassau . The loyal tars were as magnanimous as the officers of both ships had proved themselves to be ; and they passed the needed articles over the rails , till they exhausted their own supply , hungry as they were after six hours of active duty .