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432 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

spent as freely as the humble cent had been before this golden

era in the annals of Nassau.
“As we had to stay here till the time for the dark nights

came round again, we took it easy, and thoroughly enjoyed
all the novelty of the scene. Most liberal entertainment was
provided free by our owner’s agent, and altogether we found
Nassau very jolly; so much so that we felt almost sorry when
time was called, and we had to prepare for another run; in
fact, it was pleasanter in blockade-running to look backwards
than forwards, especially if one had been so far in good luck.

“All being ready, we steamed out of Nassau harbor, and
were soon again in perilous waters. We had a distant chase
now and then—a mere child’s play to us after our experi-
ence—and on the third evening of our voyage we were pretty
well placed for making a run through the blockade squadron
as soon as it was dark. As the moon rose at 12 o’clock, it
was very important that we should get into port before she
threw a light upon the subject.

“Unfortunately, we were obliged to alter our course or stop
so often to avoid cruisers that we ran our time too close; for,
as we were getting near to the line of blockade, a splendid
three-quarter size moon rose, making everything as clear as
day. Trying to pass through the line of vessels ahead with
such a bright light shining would have been madness ; in fact,
it was dangerous to be moving about at all in such clear
weather, so we steamed towards the land on the extreme left
of the line of eruisers, and having made it out, went quite
close in shore and anchored.

“By lying as close as we dare to the beach, we must have
had the appearance of forming part of the low sand hills,
which were about the height and color of the vessel, the wood
on their tops forming a background which hid the small
amount of funnel and mast that showed above the decks. We
must have been nearly invisible, for we had scarcely been an
hour at anchor when a gunboat came steaming along the shore
very near to the beach, and while we were breathlessly watch-
ing her, hoping that she would go past, she dropped anchor
alongside us, a little outside of where we were lying, so close
that we not only heard every order that was given on board,

BLocKkADE RUNNING. 433

but could make out'the purport of the ordinary conversation
of the people on her decks. A pistol shot would: have easily
reached us. Our position was most unpleasant, to say the
least of it. We could not stay where we were, as it only
wanted two hours to daybreak. If we had attempted to
weigh anchor, we must have been heard doing so. However,
we had sufficient steam at command to make a run for it.
So, after waiting a little to allow the cruiser’s fires to get low,
we knocked the pin out of the shackle of the chain on deck,
and easing the cable down into the water, went ahead with
one engine and astern with the other, to turn our vessel round
head to seaward.

“Imagine our consternation, when, as she turned, she
struck the shore before coming half round (she had been lying
with her head inshore, so now it was pointed along the beach,
luckily in the right direction, 7. e., lying for the cruiser).
There was nothing left to us but to put on full speed, and if
possible force her from the obstruction, which, after two or
three hard bumps, we succeeded in doing. ‘

“After steaming quite close to the beach for a little way,
we stopped to watch the gunboat, which, after resting for an
hour or so, weighed anchor and steamed along the beach in
the opposite direction to the way we had been steering, and
was soon out of sight. So we steamed a short distance in-
shore and anchored again. It would have been certain cap-
ture to have gone out to sea just before daybreak, so we made
the little craft as invisible as possible, and remained all the
next day, trusting to our luck not to be seen. And our luck
favored us, for, although we saw several cruisers at a distance
none noticed us, which seems almost miraculous.

“Thus passed Christmas day, 1863, and an anxious day it
was to all of us. We might have landed our cargo where we
were lying, but it would have been landed in a dismal swamp,
and we should have been obliged to go into Wilmington for
our cargo of cotton.

“When night closed in we weighed anchor and steamed to
the entrance of the river, which, from our position being so
well defined, we had no difficulty in making out. We re-
ceived a broadside from a savage little gun-boat quite close

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