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364 Nortu Caroxtina Troops, 1861-65.

mand of the gallant Captain John N. Maffitt, arrived at St.
George’s, Bermuda, after a successful run from Wilmington,
with a cargo of cotton, which was immediately transferred
to the clipper ship Storm King, for Liverpool. I was then a
lad of about 17 years of age, and had been left behind sick
by my ship, the steamer North Heath, which was subse-
quently loaded with stone and sunk in the channel of the
Cape Fear river by the Confederate authorities, as an obstruc-
tion’ to the Federal fleet then threatening an invasion. For-
tunately for me, the purser of the Lilian, an Englishman,
having decided that he had enough of the perils of blockade
running, tendered his resignation, and I, having been pre-
viously recommended by Capt. Maffitt, was at once appointed
in his place. Much to the regret of our officers and men,
Captain Maffitt was ordered home to take command of the
ram Albemarle, and a skipper of greatly inferior ability suc-
ceeded him on the Lalian. Our ship was one of the finest of
the large fleet of vessels then engaged in blockade running,
and had been specially designed and built for good service,
with a speed of fourteen knots an hour, which in those days
was considered very fast. Under the direction of Major
Norman Walker, the Confederate agent and Quartermaster
at St. George’s, we soon completed our cargo of arms and am-
munition, blankets, bacon, flour, ete., and with a full crew of
forty-eight men, proceeded towards Wilmington, about 720
miles distant.

Shortly after getting under way, I began paying the crew
the usual bounty money from several kegs of silver dollars
which had been rolled on board at the last moment, during
which I noticed from the sullen manner of nearly our whole
complement of firemen that some trouble was brewing. Just
as our pilot was leaving us, the firemen on duty struck work,
and without any reasonable excuse, demanded to be put
ashore. We soon ascertained that it was simply a plot to
“jump the bounty money,” and the ship was put about and
steered a straight course for the harbor, lying within which
was the clipper ship already referred to. Running close
aboard, our captain hailed him, Storm King ahoy! Will
you bring your officers and help us out with some mutineers ?”