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404 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

saved by the cool judgment and remarkable skill of her pilot,
John Hill. Captain Ryan had anchored during the day at
Smithville, in full view of the blockading fleet, intending to
run out after dark. At sunset the squadron concentrated
around the western bar, leaving only one guard ship at the
main bar, and the Sirene was accordingly run that night for
the apparently unguarded channel. She had scarcely crossed
the main bar, however, before she ran into a blockader, evad-
ing which she ran afoul of another, then a third, fourth and
fifth. The sea was alive with cruisers. At that moment the
ship was slowed down and Hill said to McDougal: “What
do you think of this, boss?” to which he immediately re
plied: “They have played us a Yankee trick, J ohn, by
making ‘a show of force at the western bar before nightfall,
and after dgrk concentrating at main bar to receive us with
open arms. Our only chance is to get back inside and race
for the western bar.” It was a difficult undertaking to get
the ship round again, requiring the most delicate handling,
surrounded as she was with a hostile fleet, but Hill was equal
to it, and evading each blockader, with his master hand on
the wheel, brought her slowly back inside again without a
shot being fired.. Then the race for life began. ‘Now, let
her go!” said he. McDougal was down in the engine room
on the instant where Barbot, first assistant, was on duty.
“Have you plenty of water in the boilers?” “Aye, aye, sir.”
“Then off with your pumps, down with the damper, shut the
flue caps, prick out the fires, and give her the throttle as fast
as steam rises!” In a few minutes the engines were driving
furiously. Niemeyer, the second assistant, said they were
trying to see which could get over the bow first. The little
ship went flying past Fort Caswell, and ignoring the slue,
drove straight over the western bar with not a blockader in
sight! There were others not so fortunate, however, as
several captures were made by this ruse of the Federal fleet
until it became generally known, and even then the blockade-
runners were puzzled because the changes of the fleet were
irregular and always uncertain.

BLockaDE RUNNING. 405

THE CONFEDERATE STATES SIGNAL CORPS—-FREDERICK W.
GREGORY, A SUCCESSFUL OPERATOR.

The Confederate States Signal Corps frequently rendered
some very efficient service to the blockade runners after they
had succeeded in getting between the blockaders and’ the
beach, where they were also in danger of the shore batteries
until their character became known at the forts. As the sig-
nal system developed, a detailed member was sent out with
every ship, and so important did this service become that
signal officers, as they were called, were occasionally applied
for by owners or captains of steamers in the Clyde or at Liv-
erpool, before sailing for Bermuda or Nassau to engage in
running the blockade. The first attempt to communicate
with the shore batteries was a failure, and consequently the
service suffered some reproach for a while, but subsequent
practice with intelligent, cool-headed men resulted in com-
plete success, and some valuable ships, with still more valua-
ble cargoes, were saved from capture or destruction by the in-
tervention of the signal service, when owing to the darkness
and bad landfall, the captain and pilot were alike unable to
recognize their geographical position. *

To Mr. Frederick W. Gregory, of Crowells, N. C., belongs
the honor of the first success as a signal operator in this ser-
vice. Identified with the corps from the beginning of the
blockade, and with the Cape Fear, at Price’s Creek station,
which was for a long time in his efficient charge, he brought
to this new and novel duty an experience and efficiency
equalled by few of his colleagues and surpassed by none. It
was well said of him that he was always ready and never
afraid, two elements of the almost unvarying success which
attended the ships to which he was subsequently assigned.
It was my good fortune to be intimately associated with Mr.
Gregory for nearly two years during which we had many
ups and downs together as shipmates aboard and as compan-
ions ashore: He was of the few yoting men engaged in
blockade-running who successfully resisted the evil influences
and depraved associations with which we were continually
surrounded. Unselfish and honorable in all his relations
with his fellows, courageous as a lion in time of danger, he