432 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

but while I do not think there is any superstition in my compo-
sition, yet I think blockade running was a business well caleu-
lated to develop it, as is indicated, for instance, in the names of
some of the ships, the Phantom, Wiull-o’-the-Wisp, Banshee,
Whisper, Dream, Owl, Bat, and others of like character, the
usual objection to sailing on Friday, the carrying of a corpse,
ete. One of the funniest notions that came under my observa-
tion was that if passage could be obtained for freight shipped
with a certain cross-eyed Captain K., it would be a success.

“While, as I said, I do not think I am given to superstition,
yet I had with me a mascot that, I believe, was at that time one
of the most widely known dogs that ever existed. I was known
as the man that owned the dog! He was photographed at Ber-
muda, and the artist realized quite a neat sum from the sale of
his pictures. He was left with me by a shipmate who died at
sea, and when dying frequently called for ‘Tinker.’ I cher-
ished him for his master’s sake, and afterwards became warmly
attached to him for his own. He was a terrier, a great ratter,
and fond of the water. He was my constant companion. He
seemed to know when we were approaching the enemy and to
be on the alert, and when under fire would follow me step by
step.

“It was our custom, in anticipation of capture or destruction
of the ship, to prepare the boats for leaving the ship the after-
noon before running through the fleet. Tinker seemed to in-
spect the work and to devote most particular attention to the
captain’s boat. The sailors wondered how he knew one boat
from another, but he certainly did.

“When I placed my chief officer, Nelson, in command of the
Armstrong, I induced some of my men whom I knew could be
depended upon to go with him, as I was more than anxious to
have him succeed. Among those that I approached was my old
stand-by, William Cuthbert. His answer was, ‘I do not like to
refuse you, but I am too old a man now to go to Fort Lafayette
in the wintertime; and if you leave the ship and take Tinker
with you I know we will be captured.’ I said to him, ‘I am
surprised to hear a man of your intelligence express yourself
in that way. What has the dog to do with the safety of the
ship? Iam ashamed of you.’ ‘Well, sir,’ he replied, ‘you may
call it superstition, or anything you please, but as sure as you
leave the ship and take Tinker with you we will be captured.’
After considerable persuasion he consented, very unwillingly,

Blockade Running 433

to go, saying, ‘I’ll go in the ship to please you, sir, but, | _
how it will be. The ship nga nee ; — when we m
in hi rds were: ‘I told you so, sir.
er oe oe as chief officer an Englishman, who was ;
very intelligent shipmaster. He was promoted to command, an
when about to try his luck, came to me, saying, Captain, let me
have Tinker just for one trip and here 1s five hundred dollars -
gold.’ I said, ‘Green, two fools, you and I’; but I did not .
him have the dog. I could relate a great number of inciden
to illustrate the value placed upon Tinker by blockade runners,

but I’ll inflict only one more upon you.
“T gailed for Wilmington from Bermuda in the steamship

Rattlesnake about the 20th of J anuary, 1865. — —
after I left Bermuda, Captain Maffitt, in command of the “i :
arrived at Nassau with the news that the forts at the mouth o

| friends at the island
the Cape Fear River had fallen. My
thought I was sure to be captured. Col. James Crenshaw, who

before the war was a criminal lawyer, practicing in ee
and at this time was part owner and agent of our ships ‘ :
islands, had been a sailor in his young days, and certainly =
an ignorant one. When told of the great danger of — ‘
which we were exposed, he told my wite to make hersel easy 5
as I had Tinker with me, I was all right. Upon approaching
Nassau a few days afterwards, pointing to my flag, he said:
‘There is the Rattlesnake; didn’t I tell you so? I was lying at
anchor in the harbor. I think this was the last attempt made
to get into Wilmington, and an account of it may interest you.
“We reached the coast early in the night, in fact before 1t
was yet dark, but quite hazy; so much so that we could not —
a ship any distance, when suddenly I found myself surroun Zi
by a great number of lights. When you remember that *
ships of the blockade squadrons were always in darkness, wi :
no lights set, you can imagine my surprise. Proceeding wert :
the entrance, we found our passage almost wagpms y nf
enemy’s ships, they were so many, and, stranger than: all,
shot fired at us, and no one demanding that we either ae 7
ship, or he’d blow us out of the water.’ We ener : -
Fisher near enough to call the signal officer, who respon —
stantly. I remarked to my signal officer: ‘There is some -
up, I never had so prompt an answer before; they are on

alert tonight.’ 3
“We reported: ‘Steamship Rattlesnake, bound in, set range

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