a elie iniatnn te oi — il
ah

 

;
|
:
}
i A]
ve
a
Hi
}
Hy |
Hy
if
|
i
Ta
|
Pp
4
i
if
a

428 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

“While ashore I secured transportation by wagons, and sent
my prisoners in charge of the seven Confederates across to the
railroad and to Wilmington, where they met me the next day.
While lying at anchor with no steam and perfectly helpless,
three of the enemy’s ships passed us almost close enough to see
the men on deck, but took no notice of us, evidently mistaking
us for one of their own ships. At dark, having completed the
necessary repairs to the steam-pipe, we weighed our anchor and
at 11 p.m. were safely anchored under the guns of Fort Caswell.

“At one time I was one of a party of four who were waiting
at the island of Bermuda for a new ship. We became tired of

the poor hotel, kept by a Northern man of whom we were not
very fond, but whose hostelry was the only one there. Having
an opportunity to do so, we rented a furnished cottage, and for
a little while enjoyed the comforts of a bachelors’ hall. Among
our visitors were the officers of the British Army and Navy
stationed there, and we became very good friends with most of
them. They professed to be warm Southern sympathizers while
under our spiritual influence, and it was not long before I had
an opportunity to test the good will of one of them.

“Some time in October, 1864, I was anchored a few miles
from Nassau, taking in a lot of arms and ammunition from a
schooner alongside. We were all ready to sail, with the excep-

tion of this lighter load, and had our fires banked, ready to get
steam at a moment’s notice. The American consul found out
and notified the British authorities that we were taking in
contraband of war, and an officer was sent from the British
frigate then in port to investigate. As soon as the unweleome
visitor was seen approaching, the engineer was ordered to pull
down his fires, and to be prepared to leave at once. Anxiously
watching the approaching boat, I recognized the officer to be an
old Bermuda acquaintance, Lieutenant Wilson, who had par-

taken of our hospitality at our bachelors’ cottage. As he came
alongside I said: ‘Hello, Wilson! What brought you here ?

He answered: ‘It is reported that you are taking in contraband
of war, and I am sent to look after you.’

‘As he came over the side a case of rifles was being hoisted in
from the other side. ‘What have you there?’ he asked. ‘Hard-

ware,’ I said. ‘Would you like to examine that case now, or
will you come below and have a glass of wine first ?

“He decided to take the wine first, and spent quite a while
sampling some excellent ‘green seal’ and indulging in reminis-

Blockade Running 429

cences of the pleasant days spent together at Bermuda, and when
it was time to return to his ship he had forgotten to examine the
cases of hardware, which were being hurried over the side in
the meantime. Returning to his boat, not without some assist-
ance, as he did not seem to have his sea-legs aboard, he bade “
farewell, saying, ‘Usina, take good care of that hardware—that
h know.’

unos reached his ship and another boat could be sent,
the hardware was all on board, and the Armstrong was steaming
for Dixie, where the hardware was soon in the hands of men

who knew something about that kind of hardware. e
“While blockade runners dreaded moonlight, and gladly

availed themselves of dark nights and stormy weather to run

into the Confederate ports or out of them, yet on several occa-

in the daytime.
sions the gauntlet was run successfully in t
“On aa oceasion we reached the neighborhood of the block

ilmi The sea was so heavy

d ff Wilmington in a gale of wind.
det ee should get ashore it meant the destruction of the ship
and the loss of all hands, so we determined, if we could live
the night through (of which there was considerable doubt), to

make a dash for it at daylight. .
“J ust as the day dawned we found ourselves alongside the

United States steamship Huntsville (an old Savannah trader),
which immediately gave chase and commenced firing at us. me
noise of the guns attracted the attention of the other vessels, an
we soon found ourselves in a hornet’s nest. In consequence of
the rough sea, however, their firing was very inaccurate, and the
batteries near Fort Caswell soon began firing over us at them
as fast as they came within range, causing them to keep at a
respectful distance, to cease firing at us, and to haul off as we
heared the fort, so that it was not very long before we were in a
position to receive the congratulations of our friends over our
lucky e

“On aie occasion I made the land between Georgetown
and Wilmington in the afternoon, and as the night peas oe
be upon us I thought I would get a look at the enemy De as
dark. Accordingly, I steamed slowly towards them, keeping
bright lookout.

“As we approached Lockwood’s Folly Inlet, ia a
Fort Caswell, it became apparent that the ship statione there

to guard that point was absent from her post, and if we could
reach there without being seen by the other ships, there was a