836 Nortu CARoLina Troops, 1861—’65.

out by working the engines faster. He remonstrated by say-
ing that “to attempt such a thing in a night like this would
be certain destruction to the ship and all on board, but do the
best you can until morning and when the worst comes, I may
attempt it in daylight, but I feel confident we will have a
change for the better by morning. The barometer has com-
menced to rise and is going up rapidly. It is the first time
it has made a movement in that direction for two days.”
Strange to say, by 8 o’clock the next morning, it was per-
fectly calm, but a tremendous sea was rolling, which knocked
us about considerably. This was the heaviest gale we ever
experienced. On our arrival at Wilmington, we made some
improvement in bilge and other pumps, which was actually
necessary to make her seaworthy in anything like heavy
weather.

The ship was in critical and dangerous positions on
divers occasions. Once on the shoals off Fort Caswell
where she remained for two or three days in range of the en-
emy’s guns, but was finally worked off and arrived in Wil-
mington without any serious damage. Again, coming from
St. Georges, Bermuda, we expected to make Bald Head light
about 12 o’clock at night. However, a light was seen ahead
about this time, but it proved to be Cape Lookout, and, when
this was thoroughly understood and consultation held, Colo-
nel Crossan, Captain Wiley, the pilot Kit Moss and Chief
Engineer, as to what was best to be done, it was decided that
we should try to get in at New Inlet.

Failing to get in there, she was to be run on the beach, as
we did not have coal enough on board to go back to Bermuda.
However, we left Cape Lookout about 2 o’clock on a beautiful
October morning, all excitement and ship working at full
speed close in to the land, determined to go in or on the beach.
It being a little hazy along the line, was something in our
favor. Did not see any of the fleet until we passed Wrights-
ville and sighted Fort Fisher. As we approached the fort,
the gun-boats made for us, firing shot that fell short. At this
time we were approaching them very rapidly; on account of
a point of shoal, we had to turn to make the channel inlet.

_ By this time their shot were going over us, and when Colonel

Tue STEAMER AD-VANCE. S3t:

Lamb’s Whitworth guns began their firing upon the fleet,
one large steamer, supposed to be the State of Georgia, came
rapidly towards us, and when in dangerous proximity, was
about to turn to bring her broadside guns upon the Ad-Vance,
but a well-directed shot from a 10-inch Columbiad from the
northeast salient of the fort crashed into her bow, when she
rapidly backed water and withdrew from the chase, enabling
the Ad-Vance to get safely in, amid the shouts of the garrison
and the cheers of the officers and crew and the waving of
handkerchiefs by those on deck of the blockade runner.
A number of officers came on board to congratulate us, and
Captain Wiley and the Rev. Moses D. Hoge, who was on
board bringing in a lot of testaments, Bibles and tracts for
the soldiers, sent special thanks to Colonel Lamb and his gar-
rison for their timely aid. This was considered one of the
most daring and gallant feats performed by the blockade-run-

ners during the war.

HER LAST TRIP AND CAPTURE.

We left Wilmington about 9 September, 1864, Captain
Wiley still in command, with a full cargo, principally of cot-
ton, bound for Halifax, N. C., and anchored at New ape
near Fort Fisher, and in full sight of the Federal fleet o
twenty-five or thirty vessels, who, of course, understood vee
designs and would be on the lookout for us that sieht He -
though the night was not altogether favorable, we ssa :
soon as the tide would permit. Of course, smoke, spar 8 seat
flames from the stack had to be kept down. This was hel
difficult to do, as our last shovelful of good coal was a
shortly after crossing the bar and in plain sight of some y the
fleet. Those that could see us would throw rockets, indicat-
ing the direction we were going. Then the dodging on our

ae is
3 ; course to keep from
part and the frequent change of the ship’s ¢ ]

ing i ite’ - at this time was very
running into them. The excitement at

creat. Yet all was as quiet as the grave on board and ~
man was at his post and doing his duty waar qeort ;
rocket firing and shooting were very heavy, and nothing ou
good management on the part of our officers could ng pu = :
us safely through the fleet that night. At sunrise there \

22