450 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65. the Western Ocean. We soon sighted “Hole in the Wall” light and made straight for the deep water. Three hours afterwards we hauled up the ship off Elbow Key and day broke without a sail in sight. We then eased down the en- gines and dropped into the homeward track for Wilmington. Our Captain in the meantime having resumed charge. For some time before the war ended the Federals had blockaded both ends of the route. The U. 8. Corvette Junetia an- chored off the bar at Nassau and was kept well posted as to the movement of the Confederate steamers in port. The out- lying gunboats would run down the channel in the night within a few miles of Nassau and send a boat to the Corvette and get news with instructions for the cutting out of the blockade runners ready to leave, so that it was about as diffi- cult to get in and out of Nassau as it was to pass the coast line blockade. The Sirene differed from other blockade runners in this respect, she never waited for more favorable conditions but took them as they came. On one occasion she ran into Charleston at night, and next morning disciosed six blockade runners loaded and anchored in the Ashley river. We drop- ped to the wharf discharged our inward cargo, loaded the outward cargo of cotton and went straight to Nassau, came back and found the same six ships anchored in the same places. We made a second voyage and on our return found them still lying there; a third voyage and there they remained waiting for an opportunity to go out. On our fourth return voyage three of the long waiting blockade runners had slipped out and on our fifth return voyage, two more had gone out. On our sixth and last voyage, the remaining one called the General Whiting had also gone out. Thus the Swrene made six round voyages earning for her owners over $1,000,000 in gold, while the General Whiting lay at anchor during the whole time waiting for a chance to go out. The Surene’s eargoes into the Confederacy were of course very valuable and cannot be properly estimated. The outward cargo con sisted of 650 to 750 bales of cotton. This cotton cost the equivalent of six cents in coin and sold in Nassau for 45 and 50 cents a pound, making a clean profit of $200.00 a bale, which multiplied by 4,000 bales in six voyages showed a gain BiockapE Runnina. 451 - during that time of $800,000 in gold to the owners. Some weeks ago I noticed that you had five large steamers loading at the Champion Compress which took out something over 60,000 bales, within a few days of each other. Imagine a profit of $200.00 a bale on that week’s work. You can’t imagine it? No I suppose not.” More could be given but it is trusted that the above may prove interesting and give some idea how North Carolina and the Confederacy procured supplies from the outside world through the port of Wilmington “in the days of the Blockade” till the fall of Fisher closed that port. James Sprunv. Wimineton, N. C., 15 January, 1901. Nore.—The above valuable article by Mr. James Sprunt, one of the most public spirited citizens of Wilmington, isa great addition to this history, for upon the success of the Blockade-running the North Carolina troops, and those of the Confederacy as well, were dependent for sup- plies of many kinds without which the unequal contest must have termi- nated much sooner. Clothing, shoes, ammunition, and even food, were brought in, and mostly through the port of Wilmington. The reader is also indebted to Mr. Sprunt for the engravings which accompany this sketch and for some others, for all the engravings in these volumes have been derived from private liberality, none of them having been made at the cost of the State.—Ep.