ee en ee

© Resets

ees ace OeTiNN d

 

438. NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

his superior judgment. Governor Vance wrote President
Davis 14 October, 1864: “I beg leave to enter my most
respectful and earnest remonstrance against the sailing of the
two privateers from the port of Wilmington. Ten or twelve
valuable steamers have already been lost in consequence of
the cruise of the Tallahassee, and among them the noble
steamer Ad-Vance, which alone, I respectfully submit, has
been of far more value to the Confederacy than all of our
privateers combined.”

General Lee said repeatedly that if Fort Fisher were cap-
tured by the enemy and the Cape Fear river closed against
blockade-runners, he could no longer sustain his army.

With further reference to the daring operations of the
Tallahassee and Chickamauga, which hastened the final at-
tack upon Fort Fisher, because Wilmington was the base of
supplies of the two cruisers mentioned, Colonel Scharf says:

“The Tallahassee was a splendid twin screw 14-knot block-
ade-runner, built on the Thames. After making several
trips into and out of Wilmington her name was changed from
the Atalanta to the Tallahassee, and she was commissioned as
a Confederate States ship of war under command of Commo-
dore J. T. Wood. The other officers were Lieutenants W. H.
Ward, M. M. Benton, J. M. Gardner; Acting Master,
Alex Curtis. Engineers: Chief, J. W. Tyman; Assist-
ants, C. H. Leroy, E. G. Hall, J. F. Green, J. J.
Lyell, H. H. Roberts, R. M. Ross; Assistant Paymaster,
C. L. Jones; Assistant Surgeon, W. L. Sheppardson; Boat-
swain, J. Cassidy; Gunner, —. —. Stewart; Master’s Mate,
©. Russell: Lieutenant of Marines, —. —. Crenshaw, with
a crew of about 110 men. The battery consisted of a 32-
pounder rifle, a lighter rifle and a brass howitzer. On 6 Au-
gust, 1864, the Tallahassee went to sea from Wilmington un-
der the fire of the blockaders, whom the speedy ship soon left
behind. Her cruising ground was the Atlantic coast, and
when within eighty miles of Sandy Hook, on 11 August, she
took her first prize, the schooner Sarah A. Boyce, of Egg
Harbor, N. J., which she scuttled. In two days in these
waters, the pilot boat James Funk, brig Carrie Estelle, pilot
boat Wm. Bell and schooner Atlantic were captured. The

 

BiockaDE RUNNING. 439

Funk was converted into a tender under command of Acting
Master Davis and captured the barque Bay State, brig A.
Richards:and schooner Carroll. All but the tender and Car-
.roll were burned, and the latter was bonded and sent to New
York with the paroled prisoners. Her captain broke his
oath by landing on Fire Island and telegraphing informa-
tion to the authorities that a Confederate cruiser was within
sixty miles of New York. Six or seven gun-boats were sent
in pursuit, and New York passed through the throes of alarm
and excitement. Commodore Wood had formed a project to
dash upon the Brooklyn navy yard and escape to sea by way
of Hell Gate after doing all the destruction possible; but this
scheme was abandoned and the Tallahassee ran to the east-
ward with the tender in tow. Off the eastern end of Long
Island, the ship Adriatic was taken and burned on 12 August,
and the barque Suliote was ransomed to land the prisoners.
The tender being of no further use, was destroyed, and the
Tallahassee wound up this eventful day by capturing the
schooner Spokane, the brig Billow and the schooner Robert
E, Packer, which latter was sent off with prisoners.

Within the next few days the captures were the Mercy C.
Howes, Glenavon, Lamont, Dupont, Howard, Floral Wreath,
Restless, Sarah B. Harris, Etta Caroline, P. C. Alexander,
Leopard, Pearl, Sarah Louise and Magnolia. In taking
these prizes Wood had made his way well up along the coast
of Maine and played the mischief with the New England
fishing trade, and fully a dozen gunboats were added to the
fleet already in pursuit of him. Going towards Halifax for
coal he captured the North America, Neva, Josiah Achorne,
Ellis and Diadem. All were destroyed except those by
which prisoners were sent to the nearest ports. On 18 An-
gust, the Tallahassee arrived at Halifax and was ordered
away, after getting only enough coal to take her back to
Wilmington. She left Halifax on the 19th, and between
there and the Cape Fear river captured the brig Rowan and
was fruitlessly chased by Federal cruisers. On the 25th she
boldly ran into that river, fighting the blockuders as she
pushed through their midst until she dropped anchor under