344 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

and the sea level as a floor and three blockaders guarding the
entrance, he steamed straight on toward Fort Fisher. The
blockaders seemed confused for a few moments by the audac-
ity of the movement, but presently they came about and all
three struck for the shore, intending to cut us off. They
came on very speedily, but finding that we were running so
swiftly they opened upon us with shrapnel, shell and solid
shot.

It was a scene of intense excitement. We could see peo-
ple on the shore, watching the result. We doubted not with
utmost interest—the shells were ploughing up the water and
tearing up the sand on the shore, bursting over and around
us, and yet not one struck us. It was almost a miracle. Two
or three of their shells struck the sand just at the edge of the
water and directly opposite to us and the wonder was how the
balls could get there without passing through us. Colonel ©.
certainly made a hazardous experiment. Had the mist near
the coast not veiled us somewhat from the view of the enemy
as we approached, and had he seen us in time to make chase
ten minutes sooner, he would have headed us off and driven
us ashore, or had one of his shot penetrated our boilers, we
would have been blown to fragments. Had we been compelled
to take to our boats, we would have still been in great danger,
for we would have been under fire perhaps an hour, when the
smooth sea made it as easy to fire accurately from the deck as
from the walls of a fort.

As it was, by the favor of a good Providence, we escaped
unharmed and very soon ran by Fort Fisher, when the guns
of that fort opened on the blockaders and a pretty little fight
took place between them, the vessels quickly withdrawing,
however, one of them having been struck.

As we passed the fort our crew cheered heartily, we ran up
our Confederate flag.

Tn a moment more we struck the rip and stuck fast.

Moszs D. Hogs.

Wiineton, N. C.,
12 October, 1863.