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diff --git a/old/50134-0.txt b/old/50134-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b728f21..0000000 --- a/old/50134-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4548 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Running the Blockade, by Thomas E. Taylor - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Running the Blockade - A Personal Narrative of Adventures, Risks, and Escapes - during the American Civil War - -Author: Thomas E. Taylor - -Release Date: October 5, 2015 [EBook #50134] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUNNING THE BLOCKADE *** - - - - -Produced by readbueno and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - RUNNING THE BLOCKADE - - -[Illustration: BURNING OF THE _NIGHT HAWK_. _Frontispiece._] - - - - - RUNNING THE BLOCKADE - - - A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF - ADVENTURES, RISKS, AND - ESCAPES DURING THE - AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - - By THOMAS E. TAYLOR - - - WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JULIAN CORBETT - MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS - - LONDON - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET - - 1896 - - - - - INTRODUCTION - - -A German admiral has remarked that the most valuable naval history lies -in the despatches and logs of naval officers. Our own Navy Record -Society by the line it has taken thoroughly endorses this view, and has -committed itself to the teaching of naval history from the mouths of the -men who made it. - -Mr. Taylor's work then must not be taken as a mere record of personal -adventure, however absorbing it be found from this point of view. As a -picture of exciting escapes, of coolness and resource at moments of -acute danger, of well-calculated risks, boldly accepted and obstinately -carried through, it has few rivals in recent sea-story: but its deeper -value does not lie here. Over and above its romantic interest it will be -recognised by students of the naval art as a real and solid contribution -to history; for it presents to us from the pen of a principal actor the -most complete account we have of a great blockade in the days of steam. - -The important part that blockade plays in naval warfare is a thing -hardly recognised outside professional ranks. For the general reader, -the grand manœuvres of a great fleet in chase of the enemy and the -stirring hours of some decisive action throw into oblivion the tedious -months of dull, anxious, and exhausting work with which by far the -greater part of the war is taken up. Yet it is hardly too much to say -that during the most glorious period of our maritime history nine-tenths -of the energies of our admirals were devoted to blockade. In the future -it is possible that it will take even a higher place. Should England -become engaged with a first-rate foreign power, single-handed, it is a -recognised fact amongst naval strategists that in a week she could close -every one of her enemy's ports and have a fleet free to reduce at its -leisure everything he held beyond the seas. With almost any two Powers -against her it is probable she could do as much: and it is the -recognition of this power abroad which gives England, in spite of her -military weakness, so commanding a position in Europe. - -The importance then of studying every scrap of information on the -subject in order to perfect our knowledge of the art of blockade cannot -be exaggerated, and Mr. Taylor's simple and straightforward record of -his experiences may claim to be perhaps the fullest contribution to the -subject that as yet exists. Experiences of individual captains we have -had, and, read with the present work, they are of high value: but Mr. -Taylor has something more to tell. Not only did he run the blockade -personally a greater number of times than any one else, but, boy as he -was at the time, he was the chief organiser of a great and systematised -attack on the Northern blockade, such as the world had never seen -before. His operations may be said to have opened a new era in the -history of blockade, and one which bids fair to have far-reaching -consequences for every maritime Power. - -To make clear his position and its dangers and difficulties a word must -be said on the general subject of blockade. Blockade, it must be clearly -borne in mind, is of two kinds, the one military, the other commercial. -The first concerns the belligerents alone, and consists in one of them, -who has obtained a working command of the sea, imprisoning the other's -war fleets in their own ports. It was this form of blockade which -absorbed by far the greatest part of our naval activity during the great -French wars. During the American Civil War it was considerably -practised, and from American sources may be studied in complete detail -the efforts of the Confederate war-ships to escape the vigilance of -Federal blockading squadrons. The second form, or commercial blockade, -is one that principally concerns neutrals, and it was of course to this -form alone that Mr. Taylor's operations extended. - -The International Law which regulates its conditions as between neutrals -and belligerents is shortly this. A belligerent, if strong enough at sea -to close one or more ports of his enemy, may give notice to Neutral -Powers that such port or ports are blockaded, and thereafter if any -neutral vessel attempts to enter or leave them, the belligerent may -treat it as an enemy, and may destroy or capture and condemn it as an -ordinary prize. To run a blockade then is an operation attended with all -the risks of war. Indeed a blockade-runner is in an even worse position -than a hostile belligerent; for not being a combatant he may not resist -the efforts of the blockaders to destroy or capture him. He is entitled -to escape if he can, but a single shot or blow in his own defence makes -him a pirate, and a belligerent capturing him may treat him as such. But -it must always be remembered that for a belligerent to be entitled to -exercise these high prerogatives he must first have constituted a real -and effective blockade. A mere declaration that a port is closed is not -enough. It must be so closely watched and invested with an adequate -naval force that no neutral can leave or enter without running present -danger of being sunk or captured. - -Analogous to the rights arising out of an effective blockade, and always -to be clearly distinguished from them, is the right of a belligerent to -treat as an enemy a neutral vessel carrying contraband of war to his -enemy's ports, and this right he may always exercise, whether the ports -in question be effectively blockaded or not. - -It was this consideration, no doubt, combined with a desire to preserve -a strict neutrality and to see the South treated as belligerents and not -as mere insurgents, that induced the English Government to recognise the -Federal blockade as soon as it was declared. At the opening of the war -the Federal Government, in defiance of International Law, declared the -whole Southern seaboard under blockade. It was a blockade they were then -wholly unable to enforce or even to pretend to enforce, but as most of -our blockade-runners carried contraband of war, there was very little to -be gained by disputing the Federal pretensions. Some injustice, no -doubt, was thus done to the South. But it was more than counterbalanced -by the advantage they gained in that the recognition of the blockade -made them indisputably belligerents. For these reasons our Government -thought it wise to waive its neutral rights and submit to a paper -blockade, which did not exist. As the Northern power increased at sea -the blockade became more and more effective, and by the time Mr. Taylor -had got fully to work it may be said to have been something more than a -pretence. Finally it became very strict and thoroughly effective, and it -is with this instructive period that his reminiscences are chiefly -concerned. - -This declaration of a blockade that could not be enforced at the time -was not the only extension of belligerent rights which the Federal -Government claimed and exercised in respect of blockade. As Mr. Taylor -fully explains, they did not confine their operations against -blockade-runners to the established practice of watching the closed -ports. Not only did they cruise for offenders on the high seas, but they -intercepted them close to their points of departure, thousands of miles -from the blockaded ports. Nay, they even went so far as to attempt to -blockade the neutral ports which the offending vessels were using as -bases of operations. To most of these claims no objection was made, and -there is no doubt that in any future war similar operations will be -recognised without question, as within belligerent rights. - -In previous wars a belligerent declaring a blockade had to concern -himself with little more than turning back ordinary merchantmen who had -not received notice of the blockade, or cutting off small fry of the -smuggling type that slipped over from adjacent coasts to take their -chance of getting in. Such a thing as neutral merchants establishing -public companies to build fleets of specially designed vessels for the -avowed purpose of breaking a blockade which was thoroughly effective -against ordinary types of merchantmen, was a thing unknown to -International Law. And further, when these merchants stretched their -rights as neutrals so far as to establish regular bases almost in the -enemy's waters from which to conduct their revolutionary operations, it -was obvious that some latitude must be granted to the blockading power. -No objection, therefore, was ever raised to his cutting off vessels -avowedly constructed for blockade-running at any point he chose; but -when he attempted to blockade neutral ports from which they were acting, -England put her foot down and compelled the Federal cruisers to draw -off. In this she was clearly within her rights. But although the Federal -claim to this bold extension of belligerent rights was undoubtedly -illegal, it was not without provocation. It is another law of blockade -that a vessel is not "guilty" and cannot be interfered with unless it is -bound for a blockaded port. The system pursued by Mr. Taylor of -establishing depots or bases on British territory close to American -waters thus greatly increased the difficulties of the cruisers. Goods -destined for the blockaded ports were consigned first to one of these -bases, Bermuda, Havana, or the Bahamas, and on their way could not be -touched by the Northern captains. It was naturally a great temptation to -these officers as they watched the offensive traffic pouring into the -runner's bases to see that it did not get out. It is even conceivable -that England might have been induced to wink at their proceedings. But -it so happened that the first and only attempt to blockade -blockade-runners in a British port was made by the very officer who was -the culprit in the _Trent_ affair, and that too while we were still -unsoothed from his last violation of our neutrality. The British -Government, therefore, happened to be in a very irritable mood with the -North, and though they had hitherto been inexhaustible in their sympathy -with the Federal belligerent pretensions, they now peremptorily stopped -their complacency and the North had to submit. - -Whether the claim made tentatively by the Northern Government is -destined to become recognised by International Law is by no means clear. -In the case in question the neutral was too powerful to be resisted. -Shortly after, however, the same scheme was actually put in operation by -one of the most famous of Mr. Taylor's colleagues, the "notorious -Captain Roberts," the arch-blockade runner and a British naval officer. -When the American war closed, the Turkish Government had been trying for -months to suppress an insurrection in Crete by blockading the island on -the old lines. Hobart (whose _nom de guerre_ as a blockade-runner was -"Roberts"), profiting by his recent experience, undertook to suppress it -in a week, and his offer was accepted. The insurgents were living -entirely on supplies sent them from Greece, and Hobart having been -placed in command of the blockading squadron proceeded at once to -blockade the Greek vessels in their own ports, and the Cretans were -immediately starved into surrender. - -This and every other indication show a tendency for the belligerent -rights of blockade to increase at the expense of the neutral. If this be -so, then blockade must become a more and more effective naval operation, -and hence the importance of its study down to the minutest particulars -from which any forecast of the future may be obtained. - -For the non-professional reader one of the chief points of technical -interest in Mr. Taylor's book will be the light it throws on a great -national question, which periodically comes out in moments of alarm. It -is now a common subject for paragraphists to dilate upon how, if England -lost command of the sea, her food supply would be cut off in a week (or -some other minute period) and herself be brought to the mercy of her -enemy. However useful such prognostications may be for stimulating an -interest in the navy, they are full of fallacies and even dangerous as -leading to demands for naval armaments so extravagant as to cause the -taxpayer to turn his back on the navy altogether, and button his pockets -in sheer disgust. To begin with, if England lost the command of the sea, -it does not follow that any one else would obtain it, a fact too often -lost sight of in naval discussion. The thing does not hang in a simple -dilemma. You cannot say, either England has the command or her enemy has -it. There is still the middle hypothesis, that neither has it. And this -in all reasonable probability is the worst that could suddenly befall -us. The destruction of England's command of the sea is no child's play, -and even if three Powers together succeeded in doing it, it could only -be at such a sacrifice to themselves as would leave the seas practically -free to the operations of neutrals. Mr. Taylor's experiences show -clearly how surprisingly easy it was for bold and expert captains with -adequate vessels to run the most strict and effective blockades. Were -England to become engaged in a great war, the first step would be for -numbers of her mercantile marine to pass to neutral flags, and all these -vessels with their crews would be ready-made blockade-runners the moment -there was a call for them. And even assuming that by some extraordinary -chance the British fleet for a time was suppressed with little or no -damage to the enemy, the precedents of the American war go to show that -the navies of three Powers absolutely intact could hardly avail to -maintain a blockade of such a coast-line as ours. - -The conditions of blockade, it is true, have changed, but the balance -remains much the same. Mr. Taylor considers that search-lights, for -instance, tell quite as much for one side as the other. Increased speed -is at least as favourable for running as it is for blockading. Torpedo -boats seem hardly to affect the balance at all. For while they render -the position of a blockading squadron less secure than formerly, they on -the other hand furnish it with ideal patrols. Quick-firing guns are all -in favour of the blockader, but on the other hand, long-range guns of -position are all against him, compelling him to keep further to sea and -so to cover more ground. The extreme importance of invisibility too, on -which Mr. Taylor insists, shows how great an advantage a runner, able to -procure good smokeless coal, would have over a force blockading the -English coast which could not obtain it. On the whole we may safely -conclude that a commercial blockade is certainly no easier than it was -in the sixties. Many indications from the following pages show how -difficult it is to maintain the blockade even of half a dozen ports, if -you are unable to intercept the regular runners at their points of -departure. This a force without undisputed mastery of the sea could -never effect to a sufficient extent. The lesson then that the following -pages most clearly teaches is, that the danger of the British Isles -being blockaded by any conceivable combination of hostile Powers, so as -to reduce her even approximately near starvation, may be dismissed as -outside the region of practical strategy; and in the next place they -show us the vast importance of maintaining in our navy an adequate force -of vessels of a type calculated to render a commercial blockade really -effective. What Mr. Taylor was able to do with one little steamer to -prolong Lee's resistance is a lesson to be remembered beside Dundonald's -operations on the coast of Spain. - -Such are a few of the considerations which Mr. Taylor's book suggests. -Different men will draw different lessons from the facts it presents, -but its value as the work of a man of unequalled experience in the -working of a great blockade will be admitted by all: and whatever weight -may be attached to the author's conclusions from his practical -experience, the little work will amply justify its existence if it in -any way stimulates interest in the practical side of a subject, which -naval writers seem inclined to leave too much in the hands of -International lawyers. - - JULIAN CORBETT. - -_May 1896._ - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I PAGE - HOW I BEGAN 1 - CHAPTER II - MY FIRST ATTEMPT ON THE _DESPATCH_ 16 - CHAPTER III - THE _BANSHEE NO. 1_ 33 - CHAPTER IV - THE _BANSHEE'S_ FIRST RUN IN 44 - CHAPTER V - FORT FISHER AND WILMINGTON 55 - CHAPTER VI - THE REST OF THE _BANSHEE NO. 1.'S_ CAREER 70 - CHAPTER VII - LIFE AT NASSAU 86 - CHAPTER VIII - OUR FLEET 101 - CHAPTER IX - BERMUDA 115 - CHAPTER X - EXPERIENCES ASHORE IN DIXIE'S LAND 131 - CHAPTER XI - HAVANA AND GALVESTON 145 - CHAPTER XII - BLOCKADES OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE 166 - INDEX 177 - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, ETC. - - - BURNING OF THE _NIGHT HAWK_ _Frontispiece_ iv - - CHART OF WILMINGTON HARBOUR AND APPROACHES _Page_ 45 - - PORTRAIT OF COLONEL LAMB _To face page_ 56 - - _BANSHEE_ CHASED BY _JAMES ADGER_ _To face page_ 78 - - _WILL-O'-THE-WISP'S_ DASH FOR WILMINGTON _To face page_ 106 - - _BANSHEE NO. 2_ RUNNING THE GAUNTLET OF THE - GALVESTON BLOCKADING SQUADRON IN DAYLIGHT _To face page_ 156 - - MAP OF THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA _At - end_ - - - - - CHAPTER I - - HOW I BEGAN - - Feeling in Liverpool—Declaration of blockade—Its immediate - result—Effect on trade in Liverpool—The theory of - blockades—Attitude of the Federal States—Seaboard of the - Seceding States—The Federal Navy—Energy of the Northern - States—Additions to the Federal Fleet—Position of the - Southerners at sea—Want of building yards and material—Commerce - destroyers—The _Merrimac_ and the _Monitor_—The _Alabama_ - and her consorts—Attitude of Great Britain—A royal - proclamation—Preparation for blockade-running—Amateurish - efforts—Daring attempts—The _Trent_ affair—Launched - as a blockade-runner. - - -At the outbreak of the great American Civil War I was serving as -assistant to a firm of Liverpool merchants trading chiefly with India -and the United States. There was little in my life at the outset to -foretell the full taste of danger, excitement, and adventure which it -was my fortune so early to enjoy. I had nothing to hope for beyond the -usual life of office routine and a dim chance of a partnership abroad in -the future. - -Young as I was, my interest in the coming struggle was deeply aroused. -From the position I occupied its significance was brought home to me -with the absorbing interest of a factor in my career. My own fortunes -and those of my nearest friends seemed at their outset to be bound up in -a piece of history that promised to leave its mark upon the world. -Nowhere indeed out of America was the secession of the Southern States -more keenly watched or canvassed than in Liverpool offices and upon the -Exchange of the city, which American trade had begotten and nursed; and -the particular aspect of the impending war was most calculated to fill -the imagination of youngsters like myself, who were awakening from the -dreams of boyhood to the excitements of real life. - -It will be remembered that, as soon as war was seen to be inevitable, -President Lincoln sanctioned the heroic measure of attempting to choke -secession by closing every orifice through which supplies could be -drawn, and in the middle of April 1861 rebellion was turned into civil -war by his declaring the whole of the Southern ports in a state of -blockade. One of the immediate results of this act of President Lincoln -was the prompt acknowledgment of the South as belligerents by England -and France. Yet the Federal States persisted in maintaining that the -Confederates were rebels, and that whosoever ventured to recognise them -as belligerents must be regarded as friends of rebels and no friends of -the North. They ignored the fact that their interference with neutral -trade, by this declaration of blockade, was a virtual concession of -belligerency to the South. A declaration of blockade presupposes a state -of war and not mere rebellion, and the claim by the Federals of a right -to seize neutral vessels attempting to break a blockade was one which -can be exercised only by a belligerent; exercised by any one else it is -mere piracy. - -The effect of the news on the Liverpool Exchange it is needless to -describe. By the scratch of a foreign pen a blow that was without -precedent was struck at the chief trade of the port. So prodigious -indeed was this first act of war that for some time there was a doubt -whether the Neutral Powers would recognise it. Only five years before -the Powers assembled at Paris to wind up the Russian war had by solemn -agreement declared, as the final and universal law of nations, that -blockades to be binding must be effective; that is to say, that all the -ports declared to be blockaded must be actually invested, or at least so -closely watched by a cruising squadron that no ship can attempt to leave -or enter without manifest danger of capture. Now, as the seaboard of the -Seceding States extended from the river Potomac in Virginia, above Cape -Hatteras, down to the Rio Grande (the southern frontier of Texas), the -coast-line which the Federal Government had to watch effectively was -some 3000 miles in length. It was studded, moreover, at wide intervals -with ten or a dozen ports of first-rate importance. - -The total fleet of the United States when the war broke out consisted of -less than 150 vessels, of which fully one-third were quite -unserviceable. About forty had crews; the rest were out of commission, -and of these ten or eleven of the best were lying at the Norfolk Navy -Yard and fell into the hands of the Confederates. From these figures it -will be seen, therefore, how impossible it was at first to maintain the -blockade which the Northerners had declared, and how ineffectual it must -be, seeing the length of coast-line to be watched. - -With their usual energy, however, the Northerners set to work to -increase their fleet; within very few weeks over 150 vessels had been -purchased and equipped for sea, and more than fifty ironclads and -gunboats laid down and rapidly pushed forward towards completion. In -addition to these a large number of river craft were requisitioned and -protected by bullet-proof iron for service on the rivers; but even with -these vigorous measures the blockade was anything but effective during -the first eighteen months or two years of the war. But the Northerners -steadily and by almost superhuman efforts increased their fleet, and at -the beginning of 1865 had so far succeeded that they possessed a fleet -of nearly 700 vessels, of which some 150 were employed upon the blockade -of Wilmington and Charleston alone, and patrolling their adjacent -waters. - -It can easily be imagined, therefore, that attempting to get in and out -of those ports in the latter months of 1864 and the early ones of 1865 -was a very different business from the condition of affairs which -existed earlier in the war. When the above ports fell into the hands of -the Northerners, the blockade, considering the nature of the coast-line -and types of vessels employed as blockaders and runners, was to all -intents and purposes as effective as could be expected; for the -blockading fleet consisted of almost every description of craft, from -the old-fashioned 60-gun frigate to the modern "Ironsides" and -"Monitors," supplemented by dozens of merchant-steamers converted into -gunboats—not very formidable, perhaps, as war-ships, but still dangerous -to blockade-runners, especially when fast. - -The Southerners, on the other hand, were practically without any navy, -with the exception of a few old wooden vessels which they seized at -Norfolk Navy Yard at the outbreak of the war; and, as they were almost -entirely devoid of engineering works, material, or skilled labour, they -could do but little to compete with the North upon the ocean. Their -naval efforts were chiefly in the direction of supplying themselves from -outside sources with commerce destroyers, such as the _Alabama_, -_Florida_, _Shenandoah_, _Georgia_, etc., though from the wretched and -scanty material which they possessed they succeeded in building two or -three formidable ironclads; but their engines and armament were -defective, and their crews unskilled. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, -however, the _Merrimac_, one of the old wooden steamers which they had -seized at Norfolk, and which they had converted into an ironclad by -covering the hull with railway iron, fought a gallant fight in Hampton -Roads with the celebrated _Monitor_, after having destroyed on the -previous day the _Congress_ and _Cumberland_, two large Northern -war-ships. - -Another ironclad was also improvised by the Southerners at Mobile. She -was called the _Tennessee_, and was altogether a more formidable craft -than the _Merrimac_, both as regards armament and size, but like the -_Merrimac_ was terribly defective in engine power. When Farragut -attacked Mobile she did considerable damage to his fleet, and for a time -engaged it single-handed, but at last was forced to haul down her flag. - -The Confederates also built another small ironclad at Wilmington on the -same lines as the _Merrimac_ and _Tennessee_, but unfortunately she ran -ashore on her passage down the river, in order to attack the blockaders -outside, and became a total wreck. In addition to the ships I have -mentioned they possessed the _Sumpter_, _Rappahanock_, _Tallahasse_ -(steamers), and several sailing vessels; but with these vessels they had -no chance against their powerful rivals in actual warfare, although the -_Alabama_ and her consorts swept the mercantile navy of the United -States from the ocean. - -Seeing how inadequate the Federal navy was at the time when the blockade -was declared, there was certainly a strong case for treating President -Lincoln's prohibition as a mere "paper" blockade. This, however, the -British Government did not choose to do. At this time we were -particularly anxious, in view of the coming International Exhibition, to -stand well with all men and to be entangled in no foreign complications. -Within a fortnight, therefore, of the receipt of the news, there came -out a Royal Proclamation enjoining on all loyal subjects of the British -Crown an attitude of strict neutrality, and solemnly admonishing them -under pain of Her Majesty's displeasure to respect the Federal blockade. - -Needless to say, the proclamation awakened no respect whatever for the -blockade. The lecture in the latter part of it was received in the -spirit in which it was issued—as a piece of mere international courtesy; -and those of Her Majesty's loyal subjects who were most affected by the -new situation at once took steps to make the best of it. With due -respect to the pain of Her Majesty's displeasure we all knew that to run -a foreign blockade could never be an offence against the laws of the -realm, nor were we to be persuaded that any number of successful or -unsuccessful attempts to enter the proclaimed ports could ever -constitute a breach of neutrality. Firm after firm, with an entirely -clear conscience, set about endeavouring to recoup itself for the loss -of legitimate trade by the high profits to be made out of successful -evasions of the Federal cruisers; and in Liverpool was awakened a spirit -the like of which had not been known since the palmy days of the slave -trade. - -It was a spirit of adventurous commerce savouring of the good old days -of the French wars, when a lad might any day be called from the office -to take his place on the deck of a privateer, and when daring spirits -were always ready to steal away from a convoy and run the risk of -capture on the chance of getting the cream of the market. The risks a -blockade-runner had to face were much the same, for as no Government -pretends to interfere with its citizens if they choose at their peril to -trade in the face of a blockade, so no protection or redress is given -them if they are caught red-handed. After official notification of -blockade any neutral vessel attempting to leave or enter a blockaded -port forfeits its neutrality and places itself in the position of a -hostile belligerent. The blockading force is entitled to treat such a -ship in all respects as an enemy, and to use any means recognised in -civilised warfare to drive off, capture, or destroy her. A crew so -captured may be treated as prisoners of war, and their vessel carried -into the captor's port, where after condemnation by an Admiralty court -she becomes his prize. Nor is any resistance to capture permitted, and a -single blow or shot in his own defence turns the blockade-runner into a -pirate. - -Such was the exciting prospect our seamen and supercargoes had before -them as they sailed for the Southern ports. At first, of course, the -risk was not thought very great; the Confederate ports were so many and -far between, and the Federal navy so weak and unorganised, that vessels -proceeded very much as if there was no blockade at all. The consequence -was that as early as June 1861, barely two months after the declaration -of the blockade, several English vessels had been seized and condemned. -Almost every week after that brought news of fresh captures; on the -other hand, so many ships succeeded in getting through the widely -scattered cruisers, that the business still went on in the old clumsy -way. We had neither of us learnt our trade then; the Federal captains, -in hopes of fat prizes, cruised without order and chased wide, leaving -ports open for new-comers, while our best idea of minimising risks was -to send out old unseaworthy slugs which we could well afford to lose. - -During the whole of the first year of the war it was in this amateurish -way that things went on. A pretty regular tale of captures came in, and -among the reports the mails brought home began to be whispered stories -of daring attempts, and hair-breadth escapes, that set many a youngster -kicking very impatiently under his desk. There came stories, too, of -exasperated or ill-conditioned Federal captains who had behaved with -unwarrantable bluster or tyranny to captured crews, and these began to -awaken in mercantile circles a partisan leaning towards the South, which -certainly did not exist at the beginning of the war. Some of us, it must -be confessed, were growing oblivious of our duty as loyal subjects and -of the solemn admonitions of the proclamation of neutrality, and for not -a few the profit of making a successful run began to be seasoned with -the pleasure of doing a good turn to the South. It is all bygone now; -runners can laugh over the rough knocks they sometimes got, and -blockaders at the weary dance they were led. But in those days the ill -feeling was very strong, and in the midst of all the fermenting -irritation dropped the grating surprise of the _Trent_ affair. - -Captain Wilkes, a Federal naval officer commanding the West India -station and engaged in blockade duties, took upon himself, with more -zeal than law, to board the _Trent_, a British mail steamer, on the high -seas, and seize from its deck two Confederate diplomatic agents who were -passengers from Havana, accredited respectively to the French and the -British Governments. There is no doubt that the English nation was -prepared to make any sacrifice to resent this outrage, and feeling ran -very deep while we waited for the answer to our demands for redress. It -cannot be denied that people on the other side made themselves a little -ridiculous and irritating over our perfectly reasonable request for the -surrender of the prisoners. Captain Wilkes was the hero of the hour, and -blustering exultation over England the tune of the street. But in the -White House heads were cooler, and in due course full reparation was -made. Still the "spoiled child of diplomacy" was not made to -apologise—she barely expressed regret, and her omission of this -international courtesy, combined with the extravagances of her press, -confirmed in many Englishmen their inchoate partisanship for the South. - -Such was the state of things when, one day early in the year 1862, one -of the partners in the house where I was serving called me into his -room. After telling me how he and a few friends had purchased a steamer -to have a try at the blockade, he asked me if I would care to go as -supercargo? - -The answer was not doubtful. It was a stroke of luck far better than I -had any right to expect at my age (for I was but twenty-one), and -needless to say I embraced my fortune with alacrity. - -"By all means," said I, "if I am not too young." - -My chief was good enough to say that he thought I was _not_ too young, -and so I was fairly launched in my career as a blockade-runner. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - MY FIRST ATTEMPT ON THE _DESPATCH_ - - The _Despatch_—A blockade-runner's cargo—The start for the - West Indies—Put back to Queenstown—A terrific gale—Arrival at - Nassau—The dangers of somnambulism—A haunt for buccaneers—A - sleepy settlement—Neutral territory—Southern firms running - the blockade—Nassau as a basis of operations—The _Despatch_ - condemned—Efforts to meet a more stringent blockade—"No cure - no pay"—Yellow fever—Seizure of the _Despatch_—A scheme - for her rescue—Her release. - - -Were it only for the glimpse it gives of the state of the mercantile -marine thirty years ago, my first voyage would be worth relating. Those -who do not know how things were before the Plimsoll Act had made a -revolution in Merchant Shipping would hardly believe what a man even in -my position was expected to undergo without complaint. - -The steamer that had been purchased as a blockade-runner, like most -others at this time, was quite unfit for the purpose. To explain that -she was a second-hand Irish cattle boat will convey to those who have -voyaged in St. George's Channel a fair idea of what she was. Those who -have not must understand that the average quality and condition of such -craft are very low, and the _Despatch_ was not above the average. Her -boilers were nearly worn out; her engines had been sadly neglected; and -added to this, she drew far too much water for the hazardous entrances -of the blockaded ports. But so indifferent were the ships at this time -composing the blockading squadrons, so insufficient their numbers, and -so inefficient their crews, that during the first year small sailing -vessels of light draught and ordinary trading steamers were employed for -the purpose of running the blockade. - -As has been shown, anything was thought good enough for a -blockade-runner then, and no time was lost in getting a cargo on board -the _Despatch_. In choosing this there was not much difficulty. In -January a vessel flying the Confederate colours had put into Liverpool; -she had run the blockade out and was thus able to bring us, not only the -latest news of the Federal fleet, but also full information of the kind -of cargo that would be most welcome in the Southern ports. - -The chief requirements were war materials of every sort, cloth for -uniforms, buttons, thread, boots, stockings, and all clothing, -medicines, salt, boiler-iron, steel, copper, zinc, and chemicals. As it -did not pay merchants to ship heavy goods, the charge for freight per -ton at Nassau being £80 to £100 in gold, a great portion of the cargo -generally consisted of light goods, such as silks, laces, linens, -quinine, etc., on which immense profits were made. At this time there -were no mills, and practically no manufactories in the Confederate -States, so their means of production were _nil_. With the progress of -the war their need of war material increased so sorely that in 1864 the -Confederate Government limited the freight-room on private account, and -prohibited the importation of luxuries on the ground that if allowed to -come in and be purchased the resources of the country would thereby be -absorbed. - -As soon as her lading was complete a start was made. And what a start it -was! It almost takes one's breath away in these be-legislated days to -think what the _Despatch_ must have looked like as she dropped down the -Mersey. Her owners had taken advantage of their timely information to -load her down, as low as she would float, with a cargo consisting of -ponderous cases and barrels of war material as well as light goods; her -deck was piled as high as the rail with coal, which had to be taken for -the voyage to Nassau, so as to avoid calling at any intermediate port; -and she steamed out to brave the Atlantic with barely one foot of -freeboard to her credit. - -Fortunately at the outset the weather kept fair, or my career must have -had a very premature end; but thanks to an unusually fine February we -wallowed along pretty comfortably, till we had made some 400 miles to -the south-west of Ireland. Here, however, through the carelessness of -the engineers, the water was allowed to get so low in the boilers that -the crowns to the furnaces of one of them were "brought down." This -means that only by a miracle was an explosion escaped, and that the -_Despatch_ was entirely incapacitated from proceeding on her voyage. -There was nothing to do but to put back for repairs, under one boiler, -and we laid her head for Queenstown, thanking our stars it was no worse. - -It was three weeks before we could get to sea again, and then it was -only to find ourselves once more on the brink of destruction. Before we -had passed the Azores we came in for a terrific gale, which our -overladen vessel was in no condition to meet; she speedily sprang a -leak, so serious that in a very short time four of the eight furnaces -were extinguished and the firemen were toiling at the rest up to their -knees in water. For hours we looked for her to founder at any moment, as -the gray breakers came rolling upon us, but somehow we managed to keep -her afloat, and in due course were ploughing through the sunny waters of -New Providence, and came to rest in the pretty harbour of Nassau. - -In those days I was a confirmed somnambulist, and one stormy night -considerably astonished the officer of the watch by suddenly appearing -on the bridge at midnight in bare feet and sleeping attire. Gripping him -by the arm I yelled, "For God's sake respect the spars," and turning on -my heel returned to my cabin along the slippery deck, with the steamer -pitching and rolling in half a gale of wind. Of course the man thought I -was mad, but was too astonished to seize me; perhaps it was fortunate he -did not do so, as to have been suddenly awakened in such a situation -might have been anything but pleasant. I have for many years given up -this dangerous habit. My last escapade occurred a long time ago, when -one afternoon on board a P. & O. steamer, while taking a siesta, I -suddenly jumped through the upper half door of my deck cabin and -appeared in very light attire, to the astonished gaze of some fifty -passengers who were on the quarter-deck. Fortunately a friend who was -travelling with me managed to clasp me round the waist before I could -jump overboard, and conducted me to my cabin none the worse, except for -a skinned nose and barked shins. My fellow-passengers, however, were -evidently suspicious regarding my condition of mind, and looked very -much askance when I appeared at dinner, thinking no doubt that I was a -lunatic and my friend my keeper. - -If that voyage had been almost enough to extinguish all the ardour I had -for the life before me, Nassau was enough to set it well aflame again. -The very thought of the place and of the exciting life there in those -days, through the brief fever of its prosperity, sets my fancy tingling -even now. - -Those few short years of extravagant importance—so sudden, so fitful, so -completely passed away—are like a dream, and it seems almost impossible -to revive a picture of what Nassau was when it found itself the base of -operations against the great blockade. For centuries the little town had -slumbered in complete obscurity. Depopulated and abandoned in the old -days by the Spaniards, it had been occupied in Stuart times by -Englishmen, and became a haunt of buccaneers. Then followed a century or -so when it was a counter for diplomatists, and buccaneers settled down -into wreckers, scraping together hard-earned living from the hurricanes' -leavings, and filling up the dull months between the stormy seasons with -a little fruit raising and sponge fishing. Thus ingloriously had it -faded into the obscurest of colonial capitals, with a population of some -3000 or 4000 souls. There lived and ruled the Governor of the Bahamas, -and there lived the Chief Justice and the Bishop; these with their -modest following, and the officers of a West India regiment and a few of -the leading merchants and their families, made up almost all there was -of society! Little more eventful ever broke the monotony of their feuds -and friendships than the visit of one of the ships forming the West -Indian squadron. Their Lilliputian politics went on from year to year, -undisturbed and uncared for; there was nothing to mark their place in -the world but a dusty pigeon-hole somewhere in the Colonial Office, -which was filled, and emptied, and filled again. Every one was poor and -every one lazily hopeless of any further development; a few schooners -that came and went at infrequent intervals sufficed for all the trade -there was, and the whole air of the sleepy settlement had been one of -indolent acquiescence in its own obscurity. - -Then past all expectations came the war, and gold poured into its -astonished lap. When first I saw the low line of houses nestling in the -tropical vegetation of their gardens a change had already taken place. -The blockade had been on foot a bare year, but even then the quiet -little port had asserted its new importance and was overflowing with the -turmoil of life. Many influential firms connected with the Southern -States, and also English ones, had established agencies there, and -almost every day steamers managed by those agents left the harbour to -try their luck at evading the blockade or arrived with cargoes of cotton -from the beleagured ports. Of course, seeing that Nassau was only some -560 miles from Charleston and 640 from Wilmington, and that, moreover, -the chain of the Bahama islets extended some hundred miles in the -direction of those ports, thus providing the extra protection of neutral -territory for that distance, Nassau was _par excellence_ the base for -approaching the blockaded Atlantic ports of the South. Bermuda was its -rival, but only in a lesser degree, as it was further off, and its -conveniences as regards communication and accommodation were less. It is -some 690 miles distant from Wilmington, the course being somewhat to the -northward of west, and in the autumn especially it was seldom possible -to get over without encountering a gale of wind. The one thing necessary -for the blockading vessels being speed, their hulls were of the lightest -description; this, coupled with the fact that they were always loaded -down deep with coal, made a gale of wind an even worse enemy to -encounter than a Federal cruiser. - -Havana was the best base for the Gulf ports, but as New Orleans was -captured early on in the war, Galveston and Mobile were the only two -blockaded ports that could be approached from it; and seeing the -difficulty there was in procuring cotton at those places and of -disposing of inward cargoes, the trade done with them was a flea-bite -compared with that from Charleston and Wilmington. At one time the trade -of these two ports assumed very large proportions; the number of vessels -employed in it was astonishing, and no sooner was one sunk, stranded, -burnt, or captured than two more seemed to take her place. - -Of Southern firms Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm, and Co. did the largest -business, as they were not only engaged largely on their own account in -blockade-running enterprises, but they were also agents for the Southern -States Government. Their representative in Nassau, Mr. J. B. Lafitte, a -charming man in every respect, occupied a most prominent position,—in -fact more prominent than that of the Governor himself, and certainly he -was remunerated better. - -After Fraser, Trenholm, and Co. came the English firm of Alex. Collie -and Co., at that time one of great repute, represented by my friend L. -G. Watson, and they from time to time were possessed of a large fleet of -runners commanded mostly by naval officers. After them came the house I -represented, which from first to last owned some fifteen steamers; and -after them a number of small firms, owning perhaps one, possibly two, -boats apiece, so that in the aggregate the number of boats and the -capital employed was enormous. - -So nicely has Nature dispersed the Bahamas that they afforded neutral -water to within fifty miles of the American coast, and no sooner was the -blockade declared than the advantages of Nassau as a basis of operations -were recognised and embraced. The harbour was alive with shipping, the -quays were piled with cotton, the streets were thronged with busy life. -So far grown and established indeed did I find the business of -blockade-running, that I was seized with a sense of being late in the -field and with a desire to rush in and reclaim lost time. Fortunately -there was little to delay us, so, full of impatience and excitement, we -set about preparing for a run. Our supplies were ready, and in the -harbour lay a barque which had been sent out to act as my coal -store-ship, and afterwards she was to carry home any cotton we should -succeed in getting out. Nothing seemed wanting for a start, but I was -doomed to disappointment. No sooner did I begin to pick up the lore of -the place than the unpleasant truth came out. - -Even in the early days there were men whose tales of successful trips -gave them a reputation as "blockade experts," and every one of them -condemned the _Despatch_ as wholly unfit for the work. The blockade was -already gaining system and coherence; the Northerners, no longer content -with simply blockading the Confederate ports, had established a chain of -powerful cruisers which patrolled the seas from the American coast to -the very entrance of Nassau harbour. The old _Despatch_ was much too -slow to stand a ghost of a chance of escaping them, moreover she drew so -much water that the Charleston bar was the only one she could hope to -get over, and it was now so strictly watched that a craft so unhandy was -certain to be captured in the attempt. - -After all I had gone through it was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was -impossible for a man entirely without experience, as I was then, to -ignore the exasperating unanimity of the experts; therefore after -consultation with the local agent of my firm I resolved to sell my -cargoes on the spot and get both vessels home to the best advantage. - -Still I was not without consolation. Although within a year of the -beginning of the blockade the North, in pursuit of a steady policy, had -secured various bases on the blockaded coast for the use of their -squadrons, which were rapidly being augmented by improved types of -vessels, and had thereby reduced considerably the number of points to be -watched, and though the business of blockade-running was now becoming -risky, no time was lost in endeavouring to meet the new demands on our -energy and skill. If the Federals were learning the business, so were -we. It was clear that the blockade-runners must not only be increased in -numbers but must be improved in type. The day of sailing vessels and -ordinary trading steamers was over; accordingly steamers of great speed -were ordered to be built expressly for the service. - -I knew that at home one of the first vessels specially built for -blockade-running had been laid down and was rapidly being completed, -also that she was to be placed under my charge as soon as ready. -Accordingly, towards the end of the year, after making my preliminary -arrangements, I went home full of hope, although sadly impatient at the -year's delay caused by all the mistakes and disasters. - -Before getting there, however, I had an anxious time to pass through; it -was necessary to provide some employment for the _Despatch_ and her -consort the barque _Astoria_, and as no direct freight could be obtained -for either I had to cast about for intermediate work for them. The -sailing vessel I despatched to New York, and in an evil moment I made a -contract, on the "no cure no pay" principle, for the _Despatch_ to tow a -disabled steamer to the same port, arranging to go myself in the mail -steamer so as to meet both ships there. - -After I had completed my Nassau business I did so, and on my arrival at -New York I was disgusted to find both vessels in quarantine with yellow -fever on board; also that the _Despatch_ had dropped her tow off -Port-Royal in a gale of wind and come on without her. - -This was a pretty mess for a youngster to be in, in a strange port like -New York, where everything connected with Nassau was looked upon with -suspicion, and the fear of yellow fever was rampant. It was my first -intimate acquaintance with the disease, but, fortunately, the cooler -climate in time worked its own cure, and, after encountering innumerable -quarantine difficulties, both vessels were given pratique, but not -before several deaths had occurred. - -In the interim the _Despatch_ was seized for $30,000 at the suit of the -owners of the steamer which she had attempted to tow, as damages for -letting her go; and she was only released from quarantine to find -herself in the clutches of the Marshal of the port. As I had no means -for providing the required security, the captain and I formed rather a -mad scheme to rescue her from his clutches. The captain was to get her -under weigh quietly, taking the Marshal's officer with him, while I -remained behind to lull suspicion. Early one misty morning he -accomplished this successfully and began to steam slowly down the Bay, -but the revenue cutter lying close alongside gave the alarm, and the -forts opened fire at once. For a time he held on, and was nearly out of -range when the pilot, fearing, I presume, for his share in the -transaction, declined to go further, and there was nothing for it but -ignominiously to return. Of course all this made my position worse, but, -to make a long story short, a kind friend, a prominent New York banker, -went bail for me, and the _Despatch_ was released and loaded for home. -Finally I compromised the case for about $2000. The barque I sent on to -St. John, and, following her myself by steamer, I chartered her to carry -home a cargo of timber. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE _BANSHEE_ NO. 1 - - A landmark in marine architecture—The lines of the _Banshee_—Her - crew—Serious defects—Loss of time—Driven back off the - Fastnet—Arrival at Madeira—Northerners and the duties of - neutrals—Southern sympathies—Federal cruisers—Nearing the - Bahamas—Admiral Wilkes—The _Banshee_ runs into - Nassau—Preparing for business—A daring and successful - commander—Engineer Erskine—Tom Burroughs. - - -After my disappointment it will easily be imagined how anxious I was to -know how my new ship was progressing. On reaching Liverpool my first -care was to visit the yard where she was being built. To my great -delight I found her almost completed, and a marvel of shipbuilding as it -seemed to us then. For the _Banshee_, as she was called, may claim to be -a landmark not only in the development of blockade but also of marine -architecture. With the exception of a boat built for Livingstone of -African fame, she was, I believe, the first steel ship ever laid down. -The new blockade-runner was a paddle boat, built of steel, on -extraordinarily fine lines, 214 feet long and 20 feet beam, and drew -only 8 feet of water. Her masts were mere poles without yards, and with -the least possible rigging. In order to attain greater speed in a -sea-way she was built with a turtle-back deck forward. She was of 217 -tons net register, and had an anticipated sea speed of eleven knots, -with a coal consumption of thirty tons a day. Her crew, which included -three engineers and twelve firemen, consisted of thirty-six hands all -told. - -Steel ship-building was then in its infancy, and the _Banshee_ was the -first of a fleet that was soon to become famous. There were several -similar steamers already in hand, and although no one could tell how -they would behave when exposed to the great seas of the Atlantic, the -best results were anticipated from the strength and lightness of their -materials. They were expected to develop a buoyancy beyond everything -that had yet been seen, and American naval officers awaited their -arrival on the scene of activity with an interest as great as ours. - -The _Banshee_ was ready for sea early in 1863, and I had the -satisfaction of finding myself steaming down the Mersey in the _first_ -steel vessel that ever crossed the Atlantic. - -Like most first attempts, however, she was far from a success, and by -the time we reached Queenstown she had betrayed serious defects. To -begin with, the speed she developed was extremely disappointing. With -the idea of protecting her boilers from shot, they had been constructed -so low that they had not sufficient steam space, and, worse than this, -the plates of which she was built, being only an 1/8 and 3/16 of an inch -thick, she proved so weak that her decks leaked like a sieve. It was -found absolutely necessary to put into Queenstown and make such -alterations as were possible. Thus three more weeks were lost, and when -at last we were able to put out again it was only to be driven back off -the Fastnet by a south-westerly gale, which swept the _Banshee_ clean -from stem to stern of everything on deck, filled her fore stoke-hole, -and compelled us to return for fresh repairs. Considering how frail the -vessel was, the wonder is, not that the _Banshee_ was driven back, but -that she ever got across the Atlantic at all. Still her next start was -successful, and reaching Madeira without adventure, excepting a close -shave from being run down in the Bay of Biscay by a French barque, she -began her real career as a blockade-runner. - -For even here danger began. At this time a great deal of bad blood was -caused by the way in which the Northerners in their efforts to enforce a -blockade were extending the doctrine of the operations permissible to -belligerents. But there is no doubt now that they were perfectly right. -True, the proposition that a belligerent might seize a neutral ship for -attempted breach of blockade thousands of miles away from the blockaded -coast was one that would have been condemned by the old school of -International lawyers as nothing less than monstrous, and by none more -energetically than the great publicists who have so richly adorned the -American bench. - -So far were such doctrines from being recognised, that it was generally -held that a vessel making a long ocean voyage might even call at a -blockaded port to inquire if the blockade was still existent, and, no -matter how suspicious her intentions, she was entitled to a warning -before being captured. But it must be remembered that those were the -days of sailing ships, which might have been without any news of passing -events for months. No blockade of any importance had yet been subjected -to the new conditions of steam navigation, and it was unreasonable to -expect that the blockaders would hold themselves bound by rules which -never contemplated the existing state of things. If the Americans were -stretching the theory of blockade, it was only because we were extending -its practice. It was not to be argued that, if we were building a whole -fleet of steamers for the express purpose of defying their cruisers, -they were not justified in trying to intercept them at any point they -chose. From the very outset the voyages of these vessels showed them to -be guilty, and the most barefaced advocate could hardly have maintained -without shame that they were protected by their ostensibly neutral -destination, when that destination was a notorious nest of offence like -Nassau. - -Still the new methods were none the less galling to the susceptibilities -of British merchants, who of all men claimed to go and come on the high -seas as they pleased, and every day those engaged in the service became -more pronounced in their Southern sympathies, and louder in their -denunciations of the Northerner's high-handed ways. - -In order to economise coal the _Banshee_ was taking the usual course -adopted by sailing vessels. This was the ordinary practice of runners, -and as the Federals grew bolder, stronger, and more exasperated, they -stretched their patrolling cruisers further and further across the -Atlantic, till, a few weeks after the _Banshee_ left Madeira, a Federal -ship of war was actually lying in wait for one of the new runners at the -mouth of Funchal Bay! The moment the British vessel put to sea the -American opened fire upon her as mercilessly as though she were coming -out of Charleston or Wilmington instead of out of a neutral port, and -nothing but superior speed and clever handling saved her from -destruction within sight and sound of neutral territory. - -The _Banshee_ having been earlier in the field was more fortunate, but -the voyage was none the less exciting as she neared the Bahamas. The -neighbouring seas were alive with cruisers who, regarding everything -bound for Nassau as _primâ facie_ guilty of an intention to break the -blockade, seized any vessel they had a mind to on the chance of getting -her condemned in the United States Courts. Indeed, the principal centres -of blockade-running were almost as closely invested as the ports of the -Confederate States, and only a few months before the notorious Captain -Wilkes (now promoted to the rank of Admiral for his popular but -unwarrantable conduct in the _Trent_ affair) had been further -distinguishing himself by literally blockading Bermuda with the squadron -under his command. - -Although from first to last the British Government showed nothing but -sympathy with the Northern States in the difficult task of their -blockade, and although they never once complained of a decision of the -American Courts, or in any way countenanced the runners, this was going -a little too far. A protest was unavoidable, and considering the -antecedents of Admiral Wilkes the Federal Government could hardly -complain if two British war-ships were ordered to watch the over-zealous -officer. It would appear that at the White House the representations -from St. James's were regarded as reasonable, for after this the -American cruisers kept a more deferential distance; the _Banshee_ at any -rate was able to run into Nassau without being overhauled, and her -arrival there caused a great sensation, as being the first boat -specially built for the service. - -Having received the congratulations of my many friends at Nassau upon -possessing so fine a tool to work with, I at once set about getting her -ready for a trip as soon as the nights set in dark enough. For so -vigilant had the blockading force become by this time, that a successful -run was considered practically impossible except on moonless nights. -Invisibility, care, and determination were the secrets of success, and -to this end the _Banshee_ was carefully prepared. Everything aloft was -taken down, till nothing was left standing but the two lower masts with -small cross-trees for a look-out man on the fore, and the boats were -lowered to the level of the rails. The whole ship was then painted a -sort of dull white, the precise shade of which was so nicely ascertained -by experience before the end of the war that a properly dressed runner -on a dark night was absolutely indiscernible at a cable's length. So -particular were captains on this point that some of them even insisted -on their crews wearing white at night, holding that one black figure on -the bridge or on deck was enough to betray an otherwise invisible -vessel. - -Perfect as the _Banshee_ looked, when her toilet was complete, I was -even more fortunate in my crew. - -For captain I had Steele, one of the most daring and successful -commanders the time brought out. Absolutely devoid of fear, never -flurried, decided and ready in emergency, and careful as a mother, he -was the beau-ideal of a blockade-runner. Already he had served his -apprenticeship to the trade and knew what failure meant, for while in -command of the _Tubal Cain_ he had been captured on his very first trip, -and, after tasting for a short time the hospitality of an American -prison, had been released—richer by the experience, but in no wise -daunted. - -The chief engineer, Erskine, too, had seen service, having worked as -second engineer on board the Confederate cruiser _Oreto_, when the -famous Captain Maffitt ran her into Savannah. As the engines of a -blockade-runner are her arm, her success must necessarily in great -measure depend on the qualities of her engineer, and it would have been -hard to find a better man for the task than Erskine. Cool in danger, -full of resource in sudden difficulty, and as steady as the tide, he was -yet capable of fearlessly risking everything and straining to the last -pound, when the word came, in one of those rousing forms of expression -with which old Steele was wont to notify down the engine-room tube, that -the critical moment had come. - -For pilot a Wilmington man had been sent out by our agents there, and -was waiting for me at Nassau. He too turned out a jewel. He knew his -port like his own face, and the most trying situations or heaviest -firing could never put him off or disturb his serene self-possession. -For all his duties he had an instinct that approached genius. On the -blackest night he could always make out a blockader several minutes -before any one else; and so acute at last did this sense become, that it -used to be a byword that Tom Burroughs at last got to smell a cruiser -long before he could see her. - -Through the ignorance or cowardice of the pilot vessels were frequently -lost, and to obtain a good pilot was as troublesome as it was essential. -The risk they ran was great, for if captured they were never exchanged; -but their pay, which frequently amounted to £700 or £800 a round trip, -was proportionate to the risk. - -Thus well equipped and laden with arms, gunpowder, boots, and all kinds -of contraband of war, as soon as the moon was right, the _Banshee_ stole -out of Nassau for the first time to make the best of her way to -Wilmington. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE _BANSHEE'S_ FIRST RUN IN - - The approach to Wilmington—Fort Fisher—Tactics of the - blockading squadron—Reason of the _Banshee's_ - success—The look-out man—The dangers of blockade-running—The - favourite course into Wilmington—All lights out—An anxious - moment—Taking soundings—In the midst of the enemy—A false - reckoning—The big hill—Attacked by gun-boats—Fort Fisher wide - awake—Safely over the bar—The days of champagne cocktails. - - -Wilmington was the first port I attempted; in fact with the exception of -one run to Galveston it was always our destination. It had many -advantages. Though furthest from Nassau it was nearest to headquarters -at Richmond, and from its situation was very difficult to watch -effectively. It was here moreover, that my firm had established its -agency as soon as they had resolved to takeup the blockade-running -business. The town itself lies some sixteen miles up the Cape Fear -river, which falls into the ocean at a point where the coast forms the -sharp salient angle from which the river takes its name. Off its mouth -lies a delta, known as Smith's Island, which not only emphasises the -obnoxious formation of the coast, but also divides the approach to the -port into two widely separated channels, so that in order to guard the -approach to it a blockading-force is compelled to divide into two -squadrons. - -[Illustration: PLAN OF WILMINGTON HARBOUR.] - -At one entrance of the river lies Fort Fisher, a work so powerful that -the blockaders instead of lying in the estuary were obliged to form -roughly a semicircle out of range of its guns, and the falling away of -the coast on either side of the entrance further increased the extent of -ground they had to cover. The system they adopted in order to meet the -difficulty was extremely well conceived, and, did we not know to the -contrary, it would have appeared complete enough to ensure the capture -of every vessel so foolhardy as to attempt to enter or come out. - -Across either entrance an inshore squadron was stationed at close -intervals. In the daytime the steamers composing this squadron anchored, -but at night they got under weigh and patrolled in touch with the -flagship, which, as a rule, remained at anchor. Further out there was a -cordon of cruisers, and outside these again detached gun-boats keeping -at such a distance from the coast as they calculated a runner coming out -would traverse between the time of high water on Wilmington bar and -sunrise, so that if any blockade-runner coming out got through the two -inner lines in the dark she had every chance of being snapped up at -daybreak by one of the third division. - -Besides these special precautions for Wilmington there must not be -forgotten the ships engaged in the general service of the blockade, -consisting, in addition to those detailed to watch Nassau and other -bases, of free cruisers that patrolled the Gulf-stream. From this it -will be seen readily, that from the moment the _Banshee_ left Nassau -harbour till she had passed the protecting forts at the mouth of Cape -Fear river, she and those on board her could never be safe from danger -or free for a single hour from anxiety. But, although at this time the -system was already fairly well developed, the Northerners had not yet -enough ships at work to make it as effective as it afterwards became. - -The _Banshee's_ engines proved so unsatisfactory that under ordinary -conditions nine or ten knots was all we could get out of her; she was -therefore not permitted to run any avoidable risks, and to this I -attribute her extraordinary success where better boats failed. As long -as daylight lasted a man was never out of the cross-trees, and the -moment a sail was seen the _Banshee's_ stern was turned to it till it -was dropped below the horizon. The lookout man, to quicken his eyes, had -a dollar for every sail he sighted, and if it were seen from the deck -first he was fined five. This may appear excessive, but the importance -in blockade-running of seeing before you are seen is too great for any -chance to be neglected; and it must be remembered that the pay of -ordinary seamen for each round trip in and out was from £50 to £60. - -Following these tactics we crept noiselessly along the shores of the -Bahamas, invisible in the darkness, and ran on unmolested for the first -two days out, though our course was often interfered with by the -necessity of avoiding hostile vessels; then came the anxious moment on -the third, when, her position having been taken at noon to see if she -was near enough to run under the guns of Fort Fisher before the -following daybreak, it was found there was just time, but none to spare -for accidents or delay. Still the danger of lying out another day so -close to the blockaded port was very great, and rather than risk it we -resolved to keep straight on our course and chance being overtaken by -daylight before we were under the Fort. - -Now the real excitement began, and nothing I have ever experienced can -compare with it. Hunting, pig-sticking, steeple-chasing, big-game -shooting, polo—I have done a little of each—all have their thrilling -moments, but none can approach "running a blockade"; and perhaps my -readers can sympathise with my enthusiasm when they consider the dangers -to be encountered, after three days of constant anxiety and little -sleep, in threading our way through a swarm of blockaders, and the -accuracy required to hit in the nick of time the mouth of a river only -half a mile wide, without lights and with a coast-line so low and -featureless that as a rule the first intimation we had of its nearness -was the dim white line of the surf. - -There were of course many different plans of getting in, but at this -time the favourite dodge was to run up some fifteen or twenty miles to -the north of Cape Fear, so as to round the northernmost of the -blockaders, instead of dashing right through the inner squadron; then to -creep down close to the surf till the river was reached: and this was -the course the _Banshee_ intended to adopt. - -We steamed cautiously on until nightfall: the night proved dark, but -dangerously clear and calm. No lights were allowed—not even a cigar; the -engine-room hatchways were covered with tarpaulins, at the risk of -suffocating the unfortunate engineers and stokers in the almost -insufferable atmosphere below. But it was absolutely imperative that not -a glimmer of light should appear. Even the binnacle was covered, and the -steersman had to see as much of the compass as he could through a -conical aperture carried almost up to his eyes. - -With everything thus in readiness we steamed on in silence except for -the stroke of the engines and the beat of the paddle-floats, which in -the calm of the night seemed distressingly loud; all hands were on deck, -crouching behind the bulwarks; and we on the bridge, namely, the -captain, the pilot, and I, were straining our eyes into the darkness. -Presently Burroughs made an uneasy movement—"Better get a cast of the -lead, Captain," I heard him whisper. A muttered order down the -engine-room tube was Steele's reply, and the _Banshee_ slowed and then -stopped. It was an anxious moment, while a dim figure stole into the -fore-chains; for there is always a danger of steam blowing off when -engines are unexpectedly stopped, and that would have been enough to -betray our presence for miles around. In a minute or two came back the -report, "sixteen fathoms—sandy bottom with black specks." "We are not as -far in as I thought, Captain," said Burroughs, "and we are too far to -the southward. Port two points and go a little faster." As he explained, -we must be well to the northward of the speckled bottom before it was -safe to head for the shore, and away we went again. In about an hour -Burroughs quietly asked for another sounding. Again she was gently -stopped, and this time he was satisfied. "Starboard and go ahead easy," -was the order now, and as we crept in not a sound was heard but that of -the regular beat of the paddle-floats still dangerously loud in spite of -our snail's pace. Suddenly Burroughs gripped my arm,— - -"There's one of them, Mr. Taylor," he whispered, "on the starboard bow." - -In vain I strained my eyes to where he pointed, not a thing could I see; -but presently I heard Steele say beneath his breath, "All right, -Burroughs, I see her. Starboard a little, steady!" was the order passed -aft. - -A moment afterwards I could make out a long low black object on our -starboard side, lying perfectly still. Would she see us? that was the -question; but no, though we passed within a hundred yards of her we were -not discovered, and I breathed again. Not very long after we had dropped -her Burroughs whispered,— - -"Steamer on the port bow." - -And another cruiser was made out close to us. - -"Hard-a-port," said Steele, and round she swung, bringing our friend -upon our beam. Still unobserved we crept quietly on, when all at once a -third cruiser shaped herself out of the gloom right ahead and steaming -slowly across our bows. - -"Stop her," said Steele in a moment, and as we lay like dead our enemy -went on and disappeared in the darkness. It was clear there was a false -reckoning somewhere, and that instead of rounding the head of the -blockading line we were passing through the very centre of it. However, -Burroughs was now of opinion that we must be inside the squadron and -advocated making the land. So "slow ahead" we went again, until the -low-lying coast and the surf line became dimly visible. Still we could -not tell where we were, and, as time was getting on alarmingly near -dawn, the only thing to do was to creep down along the surf as close in -and as fast as we dared. It was a great relief when we suddenly heard -Burroughs say, "It's all right, I see the 'Big Hill'!" - -The "Big Hill" was a hillock about as high as a full-grown oak tree, but -it was the most prominent feature for miles on that dreary coast, and -served to tell us exactly how far we were from Fort Fisher. And -fortunate it was for us we were so near. Daylight was already breaking, -and before we were opposite the fort we could make out six or seven -gunboats, which steamed rapidly towards us and angrily opened fire. -Their shots were soon dropping close around us: an unpleasant sensation -when you know you have several tons of gunpowder under your feet. To -make matters worse, the North Breaker shoal now compelled us to haul off -the shore and steam further out. It began to look ugly for us, when all -at once there was a flash from the shore followed by a sound that came -like music to our ears—that of a shell whirring over our heads. It was -Fort Fisher, wide awake and warning the gunboats to keep their distance. -With a parting broadside they steamed sulkily out of range, and in half -an hour we were safely over the bar. A boat put off from the fort and -then,—well, it was the days of champagne cocktails, not whiskies and -sodas—and one did not run a blockade every day. For my part, I was -mightily proud of my first attempt and my baptism of fire. -Blockade-running seemed the pleasantest and most exhilarating of -pastimes. I did not know then what a very serious business it could be. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - FORT FISHER AND WILMINGTON - - Colonel William Lamb—A battery of Whitworth guns—Mrs. Lamb—A - lovely Puritan maiden—An historical cottage—British naval - officers—The Santa Claus of the war—Admiral Porter's fleet—Visit - of General Curtis and Colonel Lamb to Fort Fisher—Identifying - historic spots—Strict quarantine—Cheerful slaves—Open house on - board the _Banshee_—Reckless loading—An impudent plan—The - _Minnesota_—A simple manœuvre—A triumphant success. - - -It was now that I made the acquaintance—soon to ripen into a warm -friendship—of Colonel William Lamb, the Commandant of Fort Fisher,—a man -of whose courtesy, courage, and capacity all the English who knew him -spoke in the highest terms. Originally a Virginian lawyer and afterwards -the editor of a newspaper, he volunteered at the outbreak of the war, -and rising rapidly to the grade of colonel was given the command of Fort -Fisher, a post which he filled with high distinction till its fall in -1865. With the blockade-runners he was immensely popular; always on the -alert and ever ready to reach a helping hand, he seemed to think no -exertion too great to assist their operations, and many a smart vessel -did his skill and activity snatch from the very jaws of the blockaders. -He came to be regarded by the runners as their guardian angel; and it -was no small support in the last trying moments of a run to remember who -was in Fort Fisher. - -So much did we value his services and so grateful were we for them, that -at my suggestion my firm subsequently presented him with a battery of -six Whitworth guns, of which he was very proud; and good use he made of -them in keeping the blockaders at a respectful distance. They were guns -with a great range, which many a cruiser found to its cost when -venturing too close in chase down the coast. Lamb would gallop them down -behind the sandhills, by aid of mules, and open fire upon the enemy -before he was aware of his danger. Neither must I forget his charming -wife (alas, now numbered among the majority); her hospitality and -kindness were unbounded, and many a pleasant social evening have I and -my brother blockade-runners spent in her little cottage outside the -fort. - -[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF COLONEL LAMB. _To face page 56._] - -The following extract from _Southern Historical Papers_, written by -Colonel Lamb a few years ago, will doubtless interest my readers; also -the account, copied from the _Wilmington Messenger_, of a meeting which -took place lately between him and General Curtis at Fort Fisher. - - - In the fall of 1857 a lovely Puritan maiden, still in her - teens, was married in Grace Church, Providence, Rhode - Island, to a Virginia youth, just passed his majority, who - brought her to his home in Norfolk, a typical ancestral - homestead, where beside the "white folks" there was quite - a colony of family servants, from the pickaninny just able to - crawl to the old gray-headed mammy who had nursed "ole - massa." She soon became enamoured of her surroundings - and charmed with the devotion of her coloured maid, whose - sole duty it was to wait upon her young missis. When - the John Brown raid burst upon the South and her husband - was ordered to Harper's Ferry, there was not a more - indignant matron in all Virginia, and when at last secession - came, the South did not contain a more enthusiastic little - rebel. - - On the 15th of May 1862, a few days after the surrender - of Norfolk to the Federals, by her father-in-law, - then mayor, amid the excitement attending a captured city, - her son Willie was born. Cut off from her husband and - subjected to the privations and annoyances incident to a - subjugated community, her father insisted upon her coming - with her children to his home in Providence; but, notwithstanding - she was in a luxurious home, with all that paternal - love could do for her, she preferred to leave all these - comforts to share with her husband the dangers and - privations of the South. She vainly tried to persuade - Stanton, Secretary of War, to let her and her three children, - with a nurse, return to the South; finally he consented to - let her go by flag of truce from Washington to City Point, - but without a nurse, and as she was unable to manage - three little ones, she left the youngest with his grandparents, - and with two others bravely set out for Dixie. The generous - outfit of every description which was prepared for the - journey, and which was carried to the place of embarkation, - was ruthlessly cast aside by the inspectors on the wharf, - and no tears or entreaties or offers of reward by the parents - availed to pass anything save a scanty supply of clothing - and other necessaries. Arriving in the South, the brave - young mother refused the proffer of a beautiful home in - Wilmington, the occupancy of the grand old mansion at - "Orton," on the Cape Fear river, but insisted upon taking - up her abode with her children and their coloured nurse in - the upper room of a pilot's house, where they lived until - the soldiers of the garrison built her a cottage one mile - north of Fort Fisher, on the Atlantic beach. In both of - these homes she was occasionally exposed to the shot and - shell fired from blockaders at belated blockade-runners. - - It was a quaint abode, constructed in most primitive - style, with three rooms around one big chimney, in which - North Carolina pine knots supplied heat and light on - winter nights. This cottage became historic, and was - famed for the frugal but tempting meals which its charming - hostess would prepare for her distinguished guests. Besides - the many illustrious Confederate Army and Navy officers - who were delighted to find this bit of sunshiny civilisation - on the wild sandy beach, ensconced among the sand dunes - and straggling pines and black-jack, many celebrated - English naval officers enjoyed its hospitality under assumed - names:—Roberts, afterwards the renowned Hobart Pasha, - who commanded the Turkish navy; Murray, now Admiral - Murray-Aynsley, long since retired, after having been rapidly - promoted for gallantry and meritorious services in the British - navy; the brave but unfortunate Hugh Burgoyne, V.C., who - went down in the British iron-clad, _Captain_, in the Bay of - Biscay; and the chivalrous Hewett, who won the Victoria - Cross in the Crimea and was knighted for his services as - ambassador to King John of Abyssinia, and who, after - commanding the Queen's yacht, died lamented as Admiral - Hewett. Besides these there were many genial and gallant - merchant captains, among them Halpin, who afterwards commanded - the _Great Eastern_ while laying ocean cables; and - famous war correspondents—Hon. Francis C. Lawley, M.P., - correspondent of the _London Times_, and Frank Vizitelli of - the _London Illustrated News_, afterwards murdered in the - Soudan. Nor must the plucky Tom Taylor be forgotten, - supercargo of the _Banshee_ and the _Night Hawk_, who, by - his coolness and daring, escaped with a boat's crew from - the hands of the Federals after capture off the fort, and - who was endeared to the children as the "Santa Claus" of - the war. - - At first the little Confederate was satisfied with pork and - potatoes, corn-bread and rye coffee, with sorghum sweetening; - but after the blockade-runners made her acquaintance - the impoverished store-room was soon filled to overflowing, - notwithstanding her heavy requisitions on it for the post - hospital, the sick and wounded soldiers and sailors always - being a subject of her tenderest solicitude, and often the - hard worked and poorly fed coloured hands blessed the - little lady of the cottage for a tempting treat. - - Full of stirring events were the two years passed in the - cottage on Confederate Point. The drowning of Mrs. Rose - Greenough, the famous Confederate spy, off Fort Fisher, - and the finding of her body, which was tenderly cared for, - and the rescue from the waves, half dead, of Professor - Holcombe, and his restoration, were incidents never to be - forgotten. Her fox-hunting with horse and hounds, the narrow - escapes of friendly vessels, the fights over blockade-runners - driven ashore, the execution of deserters, and the - loss of an infant son, whose little spirit went out with the - tide one sad summer night, all contributed to the reality of - this romantic life. - - When Porter's fleet appeared off Fort Fisher, December - 1864, it was storm-bound for several days, and the little - family with their household goods were sent across the - river to "Orton," before Butler's powder-ship blew up. - After the Christmas victory over Porter and Butler, the - little heroine insisted upon coming back to her cottage, - although her husband had procured a home of refuge in - Cumberland county. General Whiting protested against - her running the risk, for on dark nights her husband could - not leave the fort, but she said, "if the firing became too - hot she would run behind the sand hills as she had done - before," and come she would. - - The fleet reappeared unexpectedly on the night of the - 12th of January 1865. It was a dark night, and when - the lights of the fleet were reported her husband sent a - courier to the cottage to instruct her to pack up quickly - and be prepared to leave with children and nurse as soon - as he could come to bid them good-bye. The garrison - barge, with a trusted crew, was stationed at Craig's Landing, - near the cottage. After midnight, when all necessary - orders were given for the coming attack, the colonel - mounted his horse and rode to the cottage, but all was - dark and silent. He found the message had been delivered, - but his brave wife had been so undisturbed by the news, - that she had fallen asleep and no preparations for a retreat - had been made. Precious hours had been lost, and as - the fleet would soon be shelling the beach and her husband - have to return to the fort, he hurried them into the boat as - soon as dressed, with only what could be gathered up - hastily, leaving dresses, toys, and household articles to fall - into the hands of the foe. - - - The extraordinary circumstance occurred yesterday of - a visit to Fort Fisher by General N. M. Curtis and Colonel - William Lamb, who were pitted against each other in deadly - strife at that historic spot on the occurrence of both the - battles there during the civil war—the one commencing - 24th December 1864 and the other 13th January 1865. - - Colonel Lamb was in Washington a few days ago, and - made an engagement with General Curtis to visit the old - fort. They consequently met in Norfolk last Thursday - morning and came on to Wilmington, arriving here that - night. Yesterday morning they took the steamer _Wilmington_ - at 9.30 o'clock and, accompanied by T. W. Clawson of the - _Messenger_, the three were landed at the Rocks and were - sent ashore in one of the _Wilmington's_ small boats, the - gangway and wharf having been swept away during the gale - of 13th October. - - From the Rocks the party walked to Fort Fisher, and - together the old heroes went from one end of the fort to - the other, identifying Colonel Lamb's headquarters and - locating the position of the batteries, the magazines, the - salients, the sally-port, and other historic spots. - - General Curtis explained the route of his advance upon - the fort at the last battle, when the fort was captured, and - pointed out the portion of the parapet which he assaulted - and scaled, and where the first flag of the invading army - was planted on the ramparts. The batteries at which the - first fierce hand-to-hand fights occurred were discussed as - the party walked over them, and General Curtis pointed out - about the spot inside the works where he fell, desperately and - almost fatally wounded by a piece of shell that struck him - over the left eye, and carried away a large piece of the frontal - bone and destroyed the eye. He was believed to be killed, - and when some of his soldiers were ordered to take him to the - rear, so that his body could be shipped North, they dragged - his body over the rough ground for some distance, so that - his clothing was torn and his back was bleeding from cuts - made by such rough treatment. Orders had been given for - a box in which to ship his body to his home in New York. - - Colonel Lamb, the hero on the Confederate side, who - was in command of the fort at both battles, explained the - positions held by the brave defenders of the fort, and also - pointed out about the spot where he was shot down, a - Minie ball having broken his hip, and also where General - Whiting received his death wound. Strange to say, all - three were wounded within a few yards of each other. - Colonel Lamb's wound came within an ace of proving fatal, - and, as it was, he was on crutches for several years. - - The old fort is now a heap of ruins, consisting of - mounds of sand, where the batteries were stationed. In - front of the land face from which the assault was made - by the United States' troops under General Curtis, and - right on the position held by his regiment, the recent storm - has unearthed a great many bones of the brave fellows - who fell in the battle. It is not known whether they wore - the blue or the gray, but it is quite probable that they were - some of General Curtis's troops. - - From the fort the party proceeded up the beach for a - mile and a half, and visited the cottage which Colonel Lamb - occupied with his family and made his general headquarters. - It is now occupied by a fisherman. From Craig's Landing - near by the party took a sail boat and were carried back to - the Rocks by the Craig brothers. When the boat was run - ashore it grounded in shallow water about fifteen feet from - dry land, and the only alternative left was to strip shoes - and foot-wear, and roll up pants and wade out. General - Curtis, who is a man of powerful frame and sound health, - soon stepped over the boat's side and into the water, - and as Colonel Lamb's health made him cautious about - going into the water, General Curtis offered to carry him - on his back to dry land. The _Messenger_ representative - being a duffer of good frame and strength, and being the - younger by half, interposed in relief of General Curtis, and - so Colonel Lamb rode the scribe to the shore. The newspaper - man then wanted to kick himself for not allowing - Colonel Lamb to ride his "friend the enemy," for he could - have witnessed the remarkable instance of a brave and - distinguished Federal officer carrying on his back the - illustrious Confederate who, in years that are gone, was - raising old Harry with shot and shell to keep the General - at a safe distance. These two men were heroes of the - right stripe, and we can raise our hats in honour and - admiration of them for the rich heritage which their - manhood and bravery leaves to Americans. - - After accepting the hospitality of Mr. Henry Wood, a - fisherman at the Rocks, who had prepared some coffee and - oysters for the party, the _Wilmington_ came in sight at - 3 o'clock, and she was boarded for the return to Wilmington. - On the trip down Colonel Lamb had bought a lot of fine - fat coots to be cooked for lunch at the Rocks, but he - forgot these, and they were left on the steamer. Imagine - the happiness of the party when they got aboard to find - that the courteous Captain John Harper had had the birds - cooked and sent them in with some delightful bread. - - General Curtis and Colonel Lamb, after returning to the - city, were hospitably entertained at the Cape Fear Club. - - General Curtis was a Colonel at the assault on Fort - Fisher, but he won his General's epaulettes there. By the - way, he was wounded in six places on the day the fort - was captured. He served four years and eight months in - the Federal army, having volunteered in April 1861. - - _Wilmington_ (N. C.) _Messenger_. - -After this digression I must return to our movements on board the -_Banshee_. Having obtained pratique (for the quarantine was very strict) -and a local pilot, rendered necessary by the river being unbuoyed and -strewn with torpedoes, we ran up at once to Wilmington. Here I found our -agent Tom Power, who had an outward cargo ready for me, and the cheerful -heartiness with which the slaves set about discharging our inward one -was a pleasant surprise; if I hadn't been told they _were_ slaves I -should never have discovered it. Everything had to be done at high -pressure, for it was important to get out as quickly as possible, so as -to try another run while the dark nights lasted, and loading went -merrily on. I therefore did my best to win the goodwill of the -officials, on whose favour I was of course in a great measure dependent -for a rapid turn round. - -Wilmington was already sadly pinched and war-worn. There never was too -much to eat and drink there, and the commonest luxuries were almost -things of the past; so when it became known that there was practically -open house on board the _Banshee_ friends flocked to her. She soon -attained great popularity, and it was really a sight when our luncheon -bell rang to see guests, invited and uninvited, turn up from all -quarters. We made them all welcome, and when our little cabin was filled -we generally had an overflow meeting on deck. - -What a pleasure it was to see them eat and drink! Men who had been -accustomed to live on corn-bread and bacon, and to drink nothing but -water, appreciated our delicacies; our bottled beer, good brandy, and, -on great occasions, our champagne, warmed their hearts towards us. The -chief steward used to look at me appealingly, as a hint that our stores -would never last out; in fact we were often on very short commons before -we got back to Nassau. But we had our reward. If any special favour were -asked it was always granted, if possible, to the _Banshee_, and if any -push had to be made there was always some one to make it. - -Whether due to the luncheon parties or not need not be said, but we were -within a very few days able to cast off our moorings and drop down the -river ballasted with tobacco and laden with cotton—three tiers even on -deck. Such things are almost incredible nowadays. The reckless loading, -to which high profits and the perquisites allowed to officers led, is to -a landsman inconceivable. That men should be found willing to put to sea -at all in these frail craft piled like hay waggons is extraordinary -enough, but that they should do so in the face of a vigilant and active -blockading force, and do it successfully, seems rather an invention of -romance than a commonplace occurrence of our own time. True, running out -was a much easier matter than running in, for the risks inseparable from -making a port, so difficult to find as Wilmington, without lights, and -with constant change of courses, were absent, and as soon as the bar was -crossed navigation at least gave no anxiety. - -Steele and I had hit on a plan for getting out that promised almost a -certainty of success. Its security lay in its impudence, a cardinal -virtue of blockade-running, which, as will be seen later on in some of -the more critical scenes, approached the sublime. The idea was perhaps -obvious enough. As has been said, the flagship during the night remained -at anchor, while the other ships moved slowly to and fro upon the inner -line, leaving, as was natural enough, a small area round the Admiral's -ship unpatrolled. This was enough for us. Bringing up the _Banshee_ -behind Fort Fisher, where she could lie hidden from the blockaders till -nightfall, we rowed ashore to get from Colonel Lamb the last news of the -squadron's movements and to ascertain which ship bore the Admiral's -flag. She proved to be the _Minnesota_, a large sixty-gun frigate: her -bearings were accurately taken, and as soon as night fell the _Banshee_ -stole quietly from her concealment, slipped over the bar, dark as it -was, and by the aid of Steele's observations ran in perfect security -close by the flagship and out to sea well clear of the first cordon. - -In trying to pass the second, however, we were less successful, for we -ran right across a gunboat; she saw us and at once opened fire; but slow -as the _Banshee_ was, luckily the Northern gunboats for the most part -were slower still, so we had no difficulty in increasing the distance -between us till it was felt we were out of sight again. Our helm was -then put hard over, giving us a course at right angles to the one we had -been steaming, and after keeping it a few minutes we stopped. It was a -manœuvre nearly always successful, provided the helm was not put over -too soon, and this time it achieved the usual result. As we lay -perfectly still, watching the course of the gunboat by the flashes of -her guns and by the rockets she was sending up to attract her consorts, -we had the satisfaction of seeing her labouring furiously past us and -firing wildly into black space. - -There still remained the danger at daybreak of the third cordon, and -with anxious eyes the horizon was scoured as the darkness began to fail. -A daylight chase with the _Banshee_ in her present condition could not -be thought of, but fortunately not a sign of a cruiser was to be seen. -All that day, and the next and the next, we steamed onward with our -hearts in our mouths, turning our stern to every sail or patch of smoke -that was seen, till, on the evening of the third day, we steamed into -Nassau as proudly as a heavy list to starboard would allow. - -So ended my first attempt, a triumphant success! Besides the inward -freight of £50 a ton on the war material, I had earned by the tobacco -ballast alone £7000, the freight for which had been paid at the rate of -£70 a ton. But this was a flea-bite compared to the profit on the 500 -odd bales of cotton we had on board, which was at least £50 per bale. - -No wonder I took kindly to my new calling, and no wonder I at once set -to work to get the _Banshee_ reloaded for another run before the -moonless nights were over. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE REST OF THE _BANSHEE_ NO. 1.'s CAREER - - Breakdown of the _Banshee's_ machinery—Heavily peppered - by gunboats—The help of signal lights—A change of tactics—An - awkward alternative—Hailed by a cruiser—A slanging match—Grape - and canister—The _Banshee_ on fire—Shipping a fresh cargo—A - careless look-out man—Pursued by the _James Adger_—A - ding-dong race—Cargo thrown overboard—A stowaway comes to - light—A crucial moment—The _James Adger_ relinquishes - her pursuit—Our last coal used—Secure in British - territory—Negotiations for coal—A demoralised crew—Safe in - Nassau—End of the _Banshee's_ career—Profit of blockade-running. - - -To give in detail every trip of the _Banshee_ would be wearisome. I made -in her seven more in all, each one of which had its peculiar excitement. -Looking back it seems nothing short of a miracle that, ill-constructed -and ill-engined as she was, she so long escaped the numerous dangers to -which she was exposed. I well remember, on our second run in, an -accident which no one could have foreseen, and which came within an ace -of ending her career. - -After a busy time discharging our cargo and getting coaled and loaded in -order to save a trip before the moon grew too much, we made another -start, and after a rough passage reached within striking distance of our -port. It was a very dark but calm night; we had made out several -blockaders and safely eluded them, when suddenly a tearing and rending -of wood was heard, and splinters from our port paddle-box fell in all -directions. The engines were stopped at once; it was then discovered -that one of the paddle-floats, which were made of steel, had split, -causing the broken part to come violently in contact with the paddle-box -at each revolution. There was nothing for it but to stop and attempt to -unscrew the damaged float; a sail was placed round the paddle-box and -two of the engineers were lowered down and commenced work: not many -minutes elapsed before a cruiser hove in sight, and we made certain we -had been discovered. Although she came on until she was not more than a -hundred yards away on our beam, curious to state she never saw us, but, -after lying motionless, much to our relief she steamed away, and oh! how -pleasant it was to hear that float drop into the water. - -We felt our way towards the bar, and although we were heavily peppered -by two gunboats which were lying close in, we escaped untouched and soon -had our signal lights set for going over the bar. These signal lights -were of course a great assistance, but latterly the Northerners used to -place launches close in, and when those in charge saw the lights -exhibited they signalled to the blockaders, who immediately commenced -shelling the bar, rendering it very unpleasant for us; so much so that -we generally preferred to find our way over it without lights, as the -lesser risk of the two. It was the custom for each steamer to carry a -Confederate signalman, who by means of a code could communicate with the -shore, in the daytime with flags, at night by flashes from lamps. If the -leading lights were required, the pilots in the fort set two lights -which, when in line, led us through deep water over the bar. - -This was an average run in, but more exciting ones were to follow. In -the earlier stages of blockade-running, such as those I have mentioned, -we used to go well to the northward and make the coast some fifteen or -twenty miles above Fort Fisher, thus going round the fleet instead of -through it. By this means we were the better enabled to strike the coast -unobserved, steaming quietly down, just outside the surf, until we -arrived close to Fort Fisher, where we had to go somewhat to seaward, in -order to avoid a certain shoal called the North Breaker. Although this -generally brought us into close contact with the blockaders, still we -knew exactly where we were as regards the bar. Subsequently the -Northerners stopped this manœuvre, as we found to our peril. - -One very dark night (I think it was either on the fourth or fifth trip -of the _Banshee_) we made the land about twelve miles above Fort Fisher, -and were creeping quietly down as usual, when all at once we made a -cruiser out, lying on our port-bow, and slowly moving about two hundred -yards from the shore. It was a question of going inside or outside her; -if we went outside she was certain to see us, and would chase us into -the very jaws of the fleet. As we had very little steam up we chose the -former alternative, hoping to pass unobserved between the cruiser and -the shore, aided by the dark background of the latter. It was an -exciting moment; we got almost abreast of her, as we thought, -unobserved, and success seemed within our grasp, till we saw her move in -towards us and heard her hail us as we came on, "Stop that steamer or I -will sink you"! - -Old Steele growled out that we hadn't time to stop, and shouted down the -engine-room tube to Erskine to pile on the coals, as concealment was no -longer of any use. Our friend, which we afterwards found out was the -_Niphon_, opened fire as fast as she could and sheered close into us, so -close that her boarders were called away twice, and a slanging match -went on between us, like that sometimes to be heard between two penny -steamboat captains on the Thames. She closed the dispute by shooting -away our fore mast, exploding a shell in our bunkers, and, when we began -to leave her astern, by treating us to grape and canister. It was a -miracle that no one was killed, but the crew were all lying flat on the -deck, except the steersman; and at one time I fear he did the same, for -as Pilot Burroughs suddenly cried, "My God, Mr. Taylor, look there"! I -saw our boat heading right into the surf, so, jumping from the bridge, I -ran aft and found the helmsman on his stomach. I rushed at the wheel and -got two or three spokes out of it, which hauled her head off the land, -but it was a close shave. - -Two miles farther on we picked up another cruiser, which tried to treat -us in a similar manner, but as we had plenty of steam we soon left her. -A little farther we came across a large side-wheel boat, which tried to -run us down, missing us only by a few yards; after that we were -unmolested and arrived in safe, warmly congratulated by Lamb, who -thought from the violent cannonade that we must certainly have been -sunk. - -Not more than one man out of a hundred would have brought a boat through -as Steele did that night,—the other ninety-nine would have run her -ashore. - -After this exciting run-in our first business was to repair damages and -ship our cargo on board; but at the last moment, when she was completely -loaded, with steam up and all ready for a start, we nearly lost the -_Banshee_ by fire. Steele and I were busy settling things in the office -on shore, when all at once, on looking out of the window, I saw volumes -of smoke coming from her deck cargo of cotton; we jumped into a boat, -but by the time we got alongside she was one sheet of flame. It looked -like a hopeless case. Steele, however, gave immediate orders to get the -steam hose at work, breast her off from the wharf, and to let go anchor -in mid stream; thus bringing her head to tide, but stern to wind. The -fire, being all forward, made it difficult to reach the forecastle so as -to let go the anchor; but our good friend Halpin (who then commanded a -blockade-runner called the _Eugénie_) gallantly came to our assistance, -at the risk of his life boarded us forward, and knocked out the cutter -which held the chain cable, but not before his clothes were on fire: it -was a sight to see him take a header into the river, causing the water -to hiss again. He undoubtedly saved our ship that day. Poor Halpin—I -have lately read of his death—he was as fine and generous-hearted a man -as ever lived, and was afterwards as successful at cable-laying as -blockade-running. - -By dint of hard work we got the fire under, and a tough job it was -fighting with ignited turpentine, of which we had several barrels on -deck, and blazing cotton. We found that, with the exception of having -our turtle back destroyed and our deck, bulwarks, and new foremast -charred, she had not received much serious damage, and after shipping a -fresh deck cargo we went to sea next night and crossed to Nassau, where -they were astonished to see the plight we were in, thinking we had had a -fire at sea. - -It was, I think, on our sixth trip out in the little _Banshee_, when -soon after daylight we had got safely through the fleet, and I was lying -on a cotton bale aft, that Erskine, the chief engineer, suddenly -exclaimed, "Mr. Taylor, look astern!" I looked, and not four miles from -us I saw a large side-wheel cruiser, with square sails set, coming down -on us hand over fist. This was an instance of gross carelessness on the -part of the look-out man at the masthead (he turned out to be an -American whom we had shipped in Nassau, on the previous trip, and about -whom both Steele and I had our private suspicions). At such a critical -moment as the approach of daylight the chief officer should have chosen -a picked man for the look-out. After this we were more careful: either -the chief officer or I myself, when on board, making it a point to -occupy this post at that particular hour. - -Erskine rushed to the engine-room, and in a few moments volumes of smoke -issuing from our funnels showed that we were getting up all the steam we -could—almost too late, as with the freshening breeze the chaser (which -we afterwards found out to be the well-known _James Adger_, a boat -subsequently sent to cruise in search of the _Alabama_) so rapidly -overhauled us that we could distinctly see the officers in uniform as -they stood on the bridge; each one, doubtless, counting his share of the -prize money to which he would soon become entitled. - -[Illustration: THE _BANSHEE_ CHASED BY _JAMES ADGER_. _To face page 78_] - -"This will never do," said Steele, who, although it put us off our -course to Nassau, ordered the helm to be altered, so as to bring us up -to the wind. We then soon had the satisfaction of seeing our enemy -obliged to take in sail after sail, and a ding-dong race of the most -exciting nature right in the wind's eye commenced. - -The freshening breeze and rising sea now seemed to increase the odds -against our, the smaller, boat, and so critical did matters become, and -so certain did capture appear, that I divided between Murray-Aynsley—who -was a passenger on this trip,—Steele, and myself sixty sovereigns which -I had on board, determined that when captured we wouldn't be penniless. -As the weather grew worse we found ourselves obliged to throw overboard -our deck cargo in order to lighten the boat. This was done as quickly as -possible, heart-breaking though it was to see valuable bales (worth from -£50 to £60 apiece) bobbing about on the waves. To me more especially did -this come home, for my little private venture of ten bales of Sea Island -cotton had to go first, a dead loss of £800 or more! - -A fresh cause of excitement now arose; in clearing out these very bales, -which were in a half finished deck cabin, an unfortunate stowaway came -to light, a runaway slave, who must have been standing wedged between -two bales for at least forty-eight hours, and within three feet of whom -I had unconsciously been sleeping on the cotton bales during the last -two nights before putting to sea. He received a great ovation on our -landing him at Nassau, though his freedom cost us $4000 on our return to -Wilmington, this being what he was valued at. His escape was an unusual -one, for, before leaving port the hold and closed up spaces were always -fumigated to such an extent as to have brought out or suffocated any one -in hiding; but this being an open-deck cabin, the precaution was -impossible. - -Having got rid of our deck cargo, we slowly but steadily began to gain -in the race. It was an extraordinary sight to see our gallant little -vessel at times almost submerged by green seas sweeping her fore and -aft, and the _James Adger_, a vessel of 2000 tons, taking headers into -the huge waves, yet neither of us for a moment slackening speed, a -course we should have thought madness under ordinary circumstances. -Murray-Aynsley stood with his sextant, taking angles, and reporting now -one now the other vessel getting the best of it. - -Suddenly a fresh danger arose from the bearings of the engines becoming -heated, owing to the enormous strain put upon them. Erskine said it was -absolutely imperative to stop for a short time. But by dint of loosening -the bearings and applying all the salad oil procurable mixed with -gunpowder they were gradually got into working order again, all in the -engine-room having assisted in the most energetic manner at this crucial -moment. - -The chase went on for fifteen weary hours—the longest hours I think I -ever spent!—until nightfall, when we saw our friend, then only about -five miles astern, turn round and relinquish her pursuit. We heard -afterwards that her stokers were dead beat. For some time we pursued our -course, thinking this might be only a ruse on their part, and then held -a council of war as to our next move. Steele and Erskine were for making -Bermuda, as we had been chased 150 miles in that direction, and both -feared our coal would not hold out for us to reach Nassau. It was, -however, very necessary that I should go to the latter place, as I was -expecting two new steamers out from England, so we decided to make the -attempt. We only succeeded in reaching land at all by a very close -shave. At the end of the third day we saw our last coal used; mainmast, -bulwarks, deck cabin and every available bit of wood, supplemented by -cotton and turpentine as fuel, only just carried us into one of the -north-east keys of the Bahamas, about sixty miles from Nassau, into -which we absolutely crawled, the engines working almost on a vacuum. We -had not anchored there more than two hours when we saw a Northern -cruiser steam slowly past, evidently eyeing us greedily; but we were -safe in British territory, and even the audacious cruiser dare not take -us as a prize. - -The difficulty of procuring the necessary fuel, in order to take us to -Nassau, now presented itself; fortunately we spied out a schooner in the -neighbourhood with whom we communicated, and after some negotiations I -arranged that she should take Murray-Aynsley and myself to our -destination, and bring back a cargo of coal. - -We started with a fair wind, but before long this had changed to a -regular hurricane—during which it was impossible to keep on any sail, -and the crew became terrified and helpless, thereby very nearly letting -us drift on to the rocks near Abaco lighthouse. It was an awful night, -the lightning vivid, and the coast line not many yards away. The crew -became more and more demoralised, and when the weather moderated refused -to proceed. This new difficulty was only overcome by Murray-Aynsley and -myself producing our revolvers; then, partly by threats, and partly by -promised bribes, we prevailed on them to think better of their resolve. - -Utterly wearied out, having had no sleep to speak of for one week, and -having lived in our sea-boots since we made our first start from -Wilmington (my feet were so swollen that the boots had to be cut off, -and sleeping draughts at first were powerless to restore the lost -faculty), we finally arrived in safety. The schooner was despatched back -with coal, and three days later I had the satisfaction of seeing the -_Banshee_ after these hair-breadth escapes steam safely in, though -looking considerably dilapidated; lucky in having lost only our deck -cargo—which represented a good half, or more, of what she started with. - -This chase, which lasted fifteen hours, and covered nearly 200 miles, -was considered one of the most notable incidents connected with -blockade-running during the war, and we heard a good deal about it -afterwards. At the time we had been struck by the fact of the _James -Adger_ not opening fire on us, when so close. The explanation was, that -she had no "bow-chasers," and was so certain of capturing us eventually, -that she did not think it worth while to "yaw" and fire her broadside -guns, and as the weather was so bad she did not care to cast them loose. - -This is the last trip I made in the _Banshee_ on which anything of note -occurred. She made eight round trips in all, and I then left her. She -was captured on the ninth, after another long chase off Cape Hatteras, -her captain and crew being taken to Fort Lafayette, where they were -detained for about eight months as prisoners in a casemate, badly fed -and clothed, and of course overcrowded. Steele spent some weeks in -Ludlow Street gaol; when he was released he found, to his delight, that -another boat had been built expressly for him, which was christened -_Banshee_ No. 2. - -Some idea of the vast profits accruing from blockade-running at this -time can be gathered from the fact that, notwithstanding the total loss -of the _Banshee_ by capture, she earned sufficient on the eight -successful round trips which she made to pay her shareholders 700 per -cent on their investment. - -Her captors turned her into a gunboat; and we heard afterwards that she -had proved anything but a success, being much too tender. Moreover her -engines, as we knew, were very hard to manipulate, so much so that on -one occasion it was found impossible to stop her, and she ran right into -the jetty of the naval yard at Washington. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - LIFE AT NASSAU - - Society at Nassau—Dinners and dancing—The only frock-coat in - Nassau—Mrs. Bayley's receptions—Arthur Doering—Old friends - who have gone—Hobart Pasha—Capture of the _Don_—Hugh - Burgoyne—Captain Hewett—Murray Aynsley—A private Joint Stock - Company—Increased responsibilities—A day's misfortunes—Career - of the _Tristram Shandy_—Yellow Jack—Death-rate at - Wilmington—Saved from quarantine by a horse—A pet game-cock. - - -As the moon was now approaching full, we had ample time to repair -damages and refit ship before making another start, and we all enjoyed -our brief holiday and freedom from care. Although Nassau was a small -place its gaieties were many and varied. Money flowed like water, men -lived for the day and never thought of the morrow, and in that small -place was accumulated a mixture of mankind seldom seen before. -Confederate military and naval officers; diplomatists using the -blockade-runners as a means of ingress and egress from their beleaguered -country; newspaper correspondents and advertisers of all kinds,—some -rascals no doubt; the very cream of the English navy, composed of -officers on half-pay who had come out lured by the prospects of making -some money and gaining an experience in their profession which a war -such as this could give them; and last but not least our own immediate -circle, which was graced by the presence of two ladies, Mrs. -Murray-Aynsley and Mrs. Hobart, wives of officers who presided at our -revels and tended to keep the younger and more reckless of our set in -order. - -What jovial days they were, and how they were appreciated by the -officials and natives, to whom it was a pleasure to extend our -hospitality. Every night our dinner table was filled to its utmost -capacity, and once a week at least we had a dance, when the office -furniture was unceremoniously bundled out into the garden under the care -of a fatigue party of soldiers, and the band of the regiment discoursed -entrancing music to those whose feet never seemed to tire. I suppose -that I was then rather a dandy and the only possessor of a frock-coat -among us, and as I lived just below Government House, this coat, with a -flower in the button-hole, was frequently requisitioned at Mrs. Bayley's -(the Governor's wife) receptions. I have known it do duty half a dozen -times on half a dozen backs within a couple of hours: in the case of -poor Vizitelly, however, it was a little wanting in front. - -Not only my coat became public property, but those gay friends parted my -other raiment between them, and I well remember, after I had a new -supply of linen, etc. from home, expostulating with Frankston, my black -major-domo, because I had nothing to wear, and receiving his answer in -reply—"Well, sar, what can do? Mr. Hurst and Mr. Doering take all -master's shirts." To back up his assertion, he showed me Arthur -Doering's weekly wash just arrived, consisting of one sock and one white -tie. Poor Arthur, he is gone,—a light-hearted, cheery, devil-may-care -youngster who spent every penny he made. He was one of my pursers, but -had persistently bad luck; he was captured twice, wrecked once, and -chased back once. When on shore I made him head of the entertaining -department, for which he was well fitted, as no one could mix a better -cocktail or sing a more cheery song than he could. - -This was the cheery side of our Nassau life, but it had its reverse one, -consisting of hard work, constant anxieties and worries. - -As my memory takes me back to those jovial but hard-working days of -"camaraderie" it is melancholy to think how many of those friends have -gone before: Mrs. Murray-Aynsley, Mrs. Hobart and her husband Hobart -Pasha; Hugh Burgoyne, one of the navy's brightest ornaments, who was -drowned while commanding the ill-fated _Captain_; Hewett, who lately -gave up command of the Channel Fleet only to die; old Steele, the king -of blockade-running captains; Maurice Portman, an ex-diplomatist; Frank -Vizitelly, whose bones lie alongside those of Hicks Pasha's in the -Soudan; Lewis Grant Watson, my brother agent; Arthur Doering, one of my -loyal lieutenants, and a host of old Confederate friends, are all gone, -and I could count on my fingers those remaining of a circle of chums who -did not know what care or fear was, and who would have stood by each -other through thick and thin in any emergency. In fact my old friends -Admiral Murray-Aynsley and Frank Hurst are almost the only two living of -that companionship. - -Of Hobart Pasha and of the important part he played in the Turko-Russian -war and Cretan rebellion—in which he acknowledged that his -blockade-running experiences stood him in such good stead—most, if not -all, my readers will have read or heard. He commanded a smart little -twin screw-steamer called the _Don_, in fact one of the first twin -propeller steamers ever built. And very proud he was of his craft, in -which he made several successful runs under the assumed name of Captain -Roberts. On her first trip after "Captain Roberts" gave up command in -order to go home, the _Don_ was captured after a long chase, and his -late chief officer, who was then in charge, was assumed by his captors -to be Roberts. He maintained silence concerning the point, and the -Northern newspapers upon the arrival of the prize at Philadelphia were -full of the subject of the "Capture of the _Don_ and the notorious -English naval officer, Captain Roberts." Much chagrined were they to -find they had got the wrong man, and that the English naval officer was -still at large. - -Poor Burgoyne—whose tragic and early end, owing to the capsizing of the -_Captain_, everybody deplored—as a blockade-runner was not very -successful. If I remember correctly he made only two or three trips. Had -he lived he would have had a brilliant career before him in the navy; -bravest of the brave, as is evidenced by the V.C. he wore, gentle as a -woman, unselfish to a fault, he might have saved his life if he had -thought more of himself and less of his men on that terrible occasion -off Finisterre, when his last words were, "Look out for yourselves, men; -never mind me." - -Then there was Hewett, another wearer of the "cross for valour," who has -only recently joined the majority, after a brilliant career as Admiral -commanding in the East Indies, Red Sea, and Channel Fleet; who -successfully interviewed King John in Abyssinia, and was not content to -pace the deck of his flagship at Suakim, but insisted upon fighting in -the square at El Teb, and whose hospitality and geniality later on as -Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet was proverbial. - -Murray-Aynsley, I rejoice to say, is still alive. Who that knows "old -Murray" does not love him; gentle as a child, brave as a lion, a man -without guile, he was perhaps the most successful of all the naval -blockade-runners. In the _Venus_ he had many hair-breadth escapes, -notably on one occasion when he ran the gauntlet of the Northern Fleet -in daylight into Wilmington. The _Venus_, hotly pursued by several -blockaders and pounded at by others, straight through whom she steamed, -and old Murray on the bridge, with his coat sleeves hitched up almost to -his arm-pits—a trick he had when greatly excited—otherwise as cool as -possible, was, as Lamb afterwards told me, a sight not to be forgotten. - -But shore life in Nassau was by no means "all beer and skittles." As I -have stated, the cheery side had its reverse. So far as I was concerned, -I had always a busy time attending to the mercantile part of the -business, and latterly a large staff of clerks, captains, and officers -to supervise, to manage whom required all the tact and firmness of which -as a comparative youngster I was capable. But on the whole they were a -loyal set of men; some imbeciles were indeed sent out as captains, who -were no more fit to command a blockade-runner than I was a regiment, and -these men had to be superseded and replaced by others: which caused much -friction, but the interests involved were so large that I could not -afford to be sentimental. - -The business had now grown to very large proportions; owing to the -success achieved by the first _Banshee_ her shareholders were encouraged -to make further investments, and their friends were only too delighted -to follow suit. The consequence was that my principals at home -established a private Joint Stock Company with a large capital, by means -of which steamer after steamer was built and sent out for me to -manipulate. - -Individual ventures gradually became the exception, and on account of -the amount of capital required it was found more profitable to form -large companies. The risk of loss was lessened by the possession of a -greater number of vessels, as even if half the fleet owned by a company -were captured the profits earned by the other half would more than -counterbalance the loss entailed by failure. The mercantile house which -transacted the company's business invariably held a large quantity of -the stock, and the commission earned was so great that, even if the -individual stockholders lost, the mercantile house came out a gainer. - -This change increased immensely my responsibilities and anxieties; vast -sums had to be dealt with, and at times a decision had to be made in an -instant upon a subject which involved grave consequences but brooked -little delay. However, youth and a sanguine temperament seemed to carry -me along, and in those days I managed to brush aside difficulties and -annoyances which in these later times would appear to me insufferable. - -One morning I was wakened up at daylight by Doering and the captain of a -boat called the _Tristram Shandy_, which I had despatched only five days -before on her maiden trip, standing at the foot of my bed. They -explained to me that they had arrived within 100 miles of Wilmington -when they had fallen in with a fast cruiser, who had chased them; to -avoid capture they had been obliged to throw all their cargo overboard. -This in itself meant a serious loss, but it was not the sum-total of the -day's misfortunes, for some hours later I heard of the capture of -another of our boats, and the total destruction of a third by being run -ashore and destroyed by the blockaders—a heavy bill of misfortune for -one day! - -The _Tristram Shandy_ had a very short and unfortunate career; after -being reloaded subsequent to her compulsory return, she started on her -second attempt and steamed safely in. But in coming out her funnels, -owing to the peculiar construction of her boilers, flamed very much, and -it appears that a gunboat followed her by this flame all night, and when -morning broke was seen to be about three miles astern. The captain at -once ordered extra steam to be put on, but owing to this having been -done too suddenly, one of her valve spindles was wrenched off, and she -lay helpless at the mercy of the chaser, who speedily came up and took -possession. - -She had on board a very valuable cargo of cotton, and in addition -$50,000 in specie belonging to the Confederate Government; this, -according to agreement with the Government, Doering proceeded to throw -overboard, but some of the crew, determined to have a finger in the -spoil, rushed aft and broke open the kegs. In the mêlée a quantity of -gold pieces were strewn among the cotton bales on deck, and when the -Northerners came on board they were very irate to think they had lost a -considerable portion of their prize money. The steamer was taken into -Philadelphia and condemned, and the crew were kept prisoners in New York -for several months. - -In addition to the worries and anxieties I have detailed we had to fight -that demon, yellow Jack, which raged with fearful mortality both at -Nassau and Wilmington. In Nassau I have counted seventeen funerals pass -my house before breakfast, and in one day I have attended interments of -three intimate friends. In Wilmington it was worse; in one season alone, -out of a total population of 6000, 2500 died. No wonder the authorities -were scared and imposed heavy penalties on us in the shape of -quarantine. On two occasions I have been in quarantine for fifty days at -a time—think of that, _you_ modern luxurious travellers, who growl if -_you_ are detained three days. - -On the first occasion out of a crew of thirty-two twenty-eight were laid -low, and we had seven deaths; only the captain, chief engineer, steward, -and myself were free from fever. On the second we had no sickness, and -only suffered from the ennui consequent upon such close confinement and -short rations, as latterly we had nothing but salt pork and sardines to -eat. We were only saved from a third dose of quarantine almost by a -miracle. - -It happened that the Southern Agent in Egypt had sent a very valuable -Arab horse to Nassau, as a present for Jefferson Davis. Heiliger, the -Confederate Agent there, asked me if I would take it in through the -blockade. I at once consented, and it was shipped on board the -_Banshee_. We got through all right, but when the health officer came on -board and ordered us to quarantine, I said: "If we have to go there, the -horse will certainly have to be destroyed, as we have no food for it." -Thereupon he telegraphed to Richmond, and the reply came back that the -_Banshee_ was to proceed to the town, land the horse, and return to -quarantine. When we were alongside the wharf a large number of our crew -jumped on shore and disappeared. I said to the General, who was a friend -of mine, "It is no use our going back to quarantine after this, you -either have the infection or not," and I induced him to telegraph again -to Richmond. The answer came back, "_Banshee_ must discharge and load as -quickly as possible, and proceed to sea; lend all assistance." - -The General acted on these instructions, and upon the third day we were -gaily proceeding down the river again with an outward cargo on board, -passing quite a fleet of steamers at the quarantine ground, whose crews -were gnashing their teeth. We got safely out and returned, after making -another trip, to find the same boats in quarantine, and, as it was -raised some three days after our arrival, we steamed up the river in -company, much to the disgust of their crews. - -Good old horse, he saved me from a dreary confinement in quarantine, and -made the owners of the _Banshee_ some £20,000 to £30,000 extra, but he -was nearly the cause of our all being put in a Northern prison and -losing our steamer. On a very still night, as we were running in and -creeping noiselessly through the hostile fleet, he commenced neighing -(smelling the land, I expect). In an instant two or three jackets were -thrown over his head; but it was too late; he had been heard on board a -cruiser very close to which we were passing, and she and two or three of -her consorts immediately opened fire upon us. We had the heels of them, -however, and our friend Colonel Lamb at Fort Fisher was soon protecting -us, playing over our heads with shell. - -On a subsequent occasion disaster might have overtaken the _Banshee_ -under somewhat similar circumstances had a cruiser happened to be near. -A game-cock which we kept on board as a pet suddenly began to crow. But -this time the disaster was to the game-cock and not to the _Banshee_, -for, pet as he was, his neck was promptly twisted. Such experiences as -these showed how easy it was to increase the risks of blockade-running; -absence of all avoidable noise at night was as essential as the -extinction of all lights on board ship. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - OUR FLEET - - First introduction to the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_—Making a dash for - it—A question of speed—Under heavy fire from both quarters—Run - ashore at full speed—An awkward predicament—All hands to the - pumps—Resort to desperate remedies—A struggle for sixty - hours—Sale of the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_—Her end—The _Wild Dayrell_—A - record performance—Loss of the _Wild Dayrell_—An incapable - Captain—The _Stormy Petrel_ and the _Wild Rover_. - - -The reason for my leaving the _Banshee_ was the arrival at Nassau of a -new steamer which my firm had sent out to me. This was the -_Will-o'-the-Wisp_, and great things were expected from her. She was -built on the Clyde, was a much larger and faster boat than the -_Banshee_, but shamefully put together, and most fragile. My first -introduction to her was seeing her appear off Nassau, and receiving a -message by the pilot boat, from Capper, the captain, to say that the -vessel was leaking badly and he dare not stop his engines, as they had -to be kept going in order to work the pumps. We brought her into the -harbour, and having beached her and afterwards made all necessary -repairs on the slipway, I decided to take a trip in her. - -As soon as the nights were sufficiently dark we made a start for -Wilmington, unfortunately meeting very bad weather and strong head -winds, which delayed us; the result was that instead of making out the -blockading fleet about midnight, as we had intended, when dawn was -breaking there were still no signs of them. Capper, the chief engineer, -and I then held a hurried consultation as to what we had better do. -Capper was for going to sea again, and if necessary returning to Nassau; -the weather was still threatening, our coal supply running short, and, -with a leaky ship beneath us, the engineer and I decided that the lesser -risk would be to make a dash for it. "All right," said Capper, "we'll go -on, but you'll get d——d well peppered!" - -We steamed cautiously on, making as little smoke as possible, whilst I -went to the masthead to take a look round: no land was in sight, but I -could make out in the dull morning light the heavy spars of the -blockading flagship right ahead of us, and soon after several other -masts became visible on each side of her. Picking out what appeared to -me to be the widest space between these, I signalled to the deck how to -steer, and we went steadily on—determined when we found we were -perceived to make a rush for it. No doubt our very audacity helped us -through, as for some time they took no notice, evidently thinking we -were one of their own chasers returning from sea to take up her station -for the day. - -At last, to my great relief, I saw Fort Fisher just appearing above the -horizon, although we knew that the perilous passage between these -blockaders must be made before we could come under the friendly -protection of its guns. Suddenly, we became aware that our enemy had -found us out; we saw two cruisers steaming towards one another from -either side of us, so as to intercept us at a given point before we -could get on the land side of them. It now became simply a question of -speed and immunity from being sunk by shot. Our little vessel quivered -again under the tremendous pressure with which she was being driven -through the water. - -An exciting time followed, as we and our two enemies rapidly converged -upon one point, others in the distance also hurrying up to assist them. -We were now near enough to be within range, and the cruiser on our port -side opened fire; his first shot carried away our flagstaff aft on which -our ensign had just been hoisted; his second tore through our forehold, -bulging out a plate on the opposite side. Bedding and blankets to stop -the leak were at once requisitioned, and we steamed on full speed under -a heavy fire from both quarters. Suddenly, puffs of smoke from the fort -showed us that Colonel Lamb, the commandant, was aware of what was going -on and was firing to protect us; a welcome proof that we were drawing -within range of his guns and on the landward side of our pursuers, who, -after giving us a few more parting shots, hauled off and steamed away -from within reach of the shells which we were rejoiced to see falling -thickly around them. - -We had passed through a most thrilling experience; at one time the -cruiser on our port side was only a hundred yards with her consort a -hundred and fifty away from us on the starboard, and it seemed a miracle -that their double fire had not completely sunk us. It certainly required -all one's nerve to stand upon the paddle-box, looking without flinching -almost into the muzzles of the guns, which were firing at us; and proud -we were of our crew, not a man of whom showed the white feather. Our -pilot, who showed no lack of courage at the time, became, however, -terribly excited as we neared the bar, and whether it was that the ship -steered badly, owing to being submerged forward, or from some mistake, -he ran her ashore whilst going at full speed. The result was a most -frightful shaking, which of course materially increased the leaks, and -we feared she would become a total wreck; fortunately the tide was -rising, and, through lightening her by throwing some of the cargo -overboard, we succeeded in getting her off and steamed up the river to -Wilmington, where we placed her on the mud. - -After repairing the shot holes and other damage, we were under the -impression that no further harm from running ashore had come to her, as -all leaks were apparently stopped and the ship was quite tight. The -result proved us to be sadly wrong on this point. After loading our -usual cargo we started down the river all right, and waited for -nightfall in order to cross the bar and run through the fleet. No sooner -had we crossed it and found ourselves surrounded by cruisers than the -chief engineer rushed on to the bridge, saying the water was already -over the stoke-hole plates, and he feared that the ship was sinking. At -the same moment a quantity of firewood which was stowed round one of the -funnels (and which was intended to eke out our somewhat scanty coal -supply) caught fire, and flames burst out. - -[Illustration: _WILL-O'-THE-WISP'S_ DASH FOR WILMINGTON. _To face page -106._] - -This placed us in a pretty predicament, as it showed our whereabouts to -two cruisers which were following us, one on each quarter. They at once -opened a furious cannonade upon us; however, although shells were -bursting all around and shot flying over us, all hands worked with a -will, and we soon extinguished the flames, which were acting as a -treacherous beacon to our foes. Fortunately the night was intensely -dark, and nothing could be seen beyond a radius of thirty or forty -yards, so, thanks to this, we were soon enabled, by altering our helm, -to give our pursuers the slip, whilst they probably kept on their -course. - -We had still the other enemy to deal with; but our chief engineer and -his staff had meanwhile been hard at work and had turned on the -"bilge-injection" and "donkey-pumps." Still, the leak was gaining upon -us, and it became evident that the severe shaking which the ship got -when run aground had started the plates in her bottom. The mud had been -sucked up when she lay in the river at Wilmington, thus temporarily -repairing the damage; but when she got into the sea-way the action of -the water opened them again. Even the steam pumps now could not prevent -the water from gradually increasing; four of our eight furnaces were -extinguished, and the firemen were working up to their middles in water. - -It was a critical time when daylight broke, dull and threatening. The -captain was at the wheel, and I at the mast-head (all other hands being -employed at the pumps, and even baling), when, not four miles off, I -sighted a cruiser broadside on. She turned round as if preparing to give -chase, and I thought we were done for, as we could not have got more -than three or four knots an hour out of our crippled boat. To my great -joy, however, I found our alarm was needless, for she evidently had not -seen us, and instead of heading turned her stern towards us and -disappeared into a thick bank of clouds. - -Still we were far from being out of danger, as the weather became worse -and worse and the wind increased in force until it was blowing almost a -gale. Things began to look as ugly as they could, and even Capper lost -hope: I shall never forget the expression on his face as he came up to -me and said, in his gruff voice, "I say, Mr. Taylor! the beggar's going, -the beggar's going," pointing vehemently downwards. "What the devil do -you mean!" I exclaimed. "Why, we are going to lose the ship and our -lives too," was the answer. It is not possible for any one unacquainted -with Capper to appreciate this scene. Sturdy, thickset, nearly as broad -as he was long, and with the gruffest manner but kindest heart,—although -a rough diamond and absolutely without fear. With the exception of -Steele he was the best blockade-running captain we had. - -In order to save the steamer and our lives we decided that desperate -remedies must be resorted to, so again the unlucky deck cargo had to be -sacrificed. The good effect of this was soon visible; we began to gain -on the water, and were able, by degrees, to relight our extinguished -fires. But the struggle continued to be a most severe one, for just when -we began to obtain a mastery over the water the donkey-engine broke -down, and before we could repair it the water increased sensibly, nearly -putting out our fires again. So the struggle went on for sixty hours, -when we were truly thankful to steam into Nassau harbour and beach the -ship. It was a very narrow escape, for within twenty minutes after -stopping her engines the vessel had sunk to the level of the water. - -I had the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_ raised, hauled up on the slip, and repaired -at an enormous expense before she was fit again for sea. Subsequently -she made several trips, but as I found her a constant source of delay -and expenditure I decided to sell her. After having her cobbled up with -plenty of putty and paint, I was fortunate enough to open negotiations -with some Jews with a view to her purchase. Having settled all -preliminaries we arranged for a trial trip, and after a very sumptuous -lunch I proceeded to run her over a measured mile for the benefit of the -would-be purchasers. I need scarcely mention that we subjected her -machinery to the utmost strain, bottling up steam to a pressure of which -our present Board of Trade, with its motherly care for our lives, would -express strong disapproval. The log line was whisked merrily over the -stern of the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_, with the satisfactory result that she -logged 17-1/2 knots. The Jews were delighted, so was I; and the bargain -was clinched. I fear, however, that their joy was short-lived; a few -weeks afterwards when attempting to steam into Galveston she was run -ashore and destroyed by the Federals. When we ran into that port a few -months afterwards in the second _Banshee_ we saw her old bones on the -beach. - -After this I made a trip in a new boat that had just been sent out to -me, the _Wild Dayrell_. And a beauty she was, very strong, a perfect -sea-boat, and remarkably well engined. - -Our voyage in was somewhat exciting, as about three o'clock in the -afternoon, while making for the Fort Caswell entrance (not Fort Fisher), -we were sighted by a Federal cruiser, who immediately gave chase. We -soon found however, that we had the heels of our friend, but it left us -the alternative of going out to sea or being chased straight into the -jaws of the blockaders off the bar before darkness came on. Under these -circumstances what course to take was a delicate point to decide, but we -solved the problem by slowing down just sufficiently to keep a few miles -ahead of our chaser, hoping that darkness would come on before we made -the fleet or they discovered us. Just as twilight was drawing in we made -them out; cautiously we crept on, feeling certain that our friend astern -was rapidly closing up on us. Every moment we expected to hear shot -whistling around us. So plainly could we see the sleepy blockaders that -it seemed almost impossible we should escape their notice. Whether they -did not expect a runner to make an attempt so early in the evening, or -whether it was sheer good luck on our part, I know not, but we ran -through the lot without being seen or without having a shot fired at us. - -Our anxieties, however, were not yet over, as our pilot (a new hand) -lost his reckoning and put us ashore on the bar. Fortunately the flood -tide was rising fast, and we refloated, bumping over stern first in a -most inglorious fashion, and anchored off Fort Caswell before 7 P.M.—a -record performance. Soon after anchoring and while enjoying the usual -cocktail we saw a great commotion among the blockaders, who were -throwing up rockets and flashing lights, evidently in answer to signals -from the cruiser which had so nearly chased us into their midst. - -When we came out we met with equally good luck, as the night was pitch -dark and the weather very squally. No sooner did we clear the bar than -we put our helm aport, ran down the coast, and then stood boldly -straight out to sea without interference: and it was perhaps as well we -had such good fortune, as before this I had discovered that our pilot -was of a very indifferent calibre, and that courage was not our -captain's most prominent characteristic. The poor _Wild Dayrell_ -deserved a better commander, and consequently a better fate than befell -her. She was lost on her second trip, entirely through the want of pluck -on the part of her captain, who ran her ashore some miles to the north -of Fort Fisher; as _he_ said in order to avoid capture,—to my mind a -fatal excuse for any blockade-running captain to make. 'Twere far better -to be sunk by shot and escape in the boats if possible. I am quite -certain that if Steele had commanded her on that trip she would never -have been put ashore, and the chances are that she would have come -through all right. - -I never forgave myself for not unshipping the captain on my return to -Nassau; my only excuse was that there was no good man available to -replace him with, and he was a particular protégé of my chiefs. But such -considerations should not have weighed, and if I had had the courage of -my convictions it is probable the _Wild Dayrell_ would have proved as -successful as any of our steamers. - -About this time I had two other new boats sent out, the _Stormy Petrel_ -and the _Wild Rover_, both good boats, very fast, and distinct -improvements on the _Banshee_ No. 1 and _Will-o'-the-Wisp_. The _Stormy -Petrel_ had, however, very bad luck, as after getting safely in and -anchoring behind Fort Fisher she settled as the tide went down on a -submerged anchor, the fluke of which went through her bottom, and -despite all efforts she became a total wreck: this was one of the most -serious and unlucky losses I had. The _Wild Rover_ was more successful, -as she made five round trips, on one of which I went in her. She -survived the war, and I eventually sent her to South America, where she -was sold for a good sum. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - BERMUDA - - Yellow fever—The _Night Hawk_—A nervous pilot—Under heavy - fire—Aground on Wilmington bar—Boarded by the Federals—The - _Night Hawk_ set on fire—An Irishman's ruse—To the rescue - of the _Night Hawk_—The close of her career—A hard week's - work—Fever and ague—A waste of expensive material—A famous - Confederate spy—A diabolical idea. - - -We had in the early part of the war a depôt at Bermuda as well as at -Nassau, and Frank Hurst was at that time my brother agent there. I went -there twice, once in the first _Banshee_, and once from Halifax, after a -trip to Canada in order to recruit from a bad attack of yellow fever; -but I never liked Bermuda, and later on we transferred Hurst and his -agency to Nassau, which was more convenient in many ways and nearer -Wilmington. Moreover I had to face the contingency, which afterwards -occurred, of the Atlantic ports being closed and our being driven to the -Gulf. The Mudians, however, were a kind, hospitable lot, and made a -great deal of us, and there was a much larger naval and military society -stationed there than in Nassau. They had suffered from a severe outbreak -of yellow fever, and the 3rd Buffs, who were in garrison at the time, -had been almost decimated by it. - -It was on my second trip to the island that one of the finest boats we -ever possessed, called the _Night Hawk_, came out, and I concluded to -run in with her. She was a new side-wheel steamer of some 600 tons -gross, rigged as a fore and aft schooner, with two funnels, 220 feet -long, 21-1/2 feet beam, and 11 feet in depth; a capital boat for the -work, fast, strong, of light draught, and a splendid sea-boat—a great -merit in a blockade-runner that sometimes has to be forced in all -weathers. The _Night Hawk's_ career was a very eventful one, and she -passed an unusually lively night off Fort Fisher on her first attempt. - -Soon after getting under weigh our troubles began. We ran ashore outside -Hamilton, one of the harbours of Bermuda, and hung on a coral reef for a -couple of hours. There loomed before us the dismal prospect of delay for -repairs, or, still worse, the chance of springing a leak and -experiencing such difficulties and dangers as we had undergone on the -_Will-o'-the-Wisp_, but fortunately we came off without damage and were -able to proceed on our voyage. - -Another anxiety now engrossed my mind: the captain was an entirely new -hand, and nearly all the crew were green at the work; moreover, the -Wilmington pilot was quite unknown to me, and I could see from the -outset that he was very nervous and badly wanting in confidence. What -would I not have given for our trusty Tom Burroughs. However, we had to -make the best of it, as, owing to the demand, the supply of competent -pilots was not nearly sufficient, and towards the close of the blockade -the so-called pilots were no more than boatmen or men who had been -trading in and out of Wilmington or Charleston in coasters. -Notwithstanding my fears, all went well on the way across, and the -_Night_ _Hawk_ proved to be everything that could be desired in speed -and seaworthiness. - -We had sighted unusually few craft, and nothing eventful occurred until -the third night. Soon after midnight we found ourselves uncomfortably -near a large vessel. It was evident that we had been seen, as we heard -them beating to quarters and were hailed. We promptly sheered off and -went full speed ahead, greeted by a broadside which went across our -stern. - -When we arrived within striking distance of Wilmington bar the pilot was -anxious to go in by Smith's inlet, but as he acknowledged that he knew -very little about it I concluded it was better to keep to the new inlet -passage, where, at all events, we should have the advantage of our good -friend Lamb to protect us; and I felt that as I myself knew the place so -well, this was the safest course to pursue. We were comparatively well -through the fleet, although heavily fired at, and arrived near to the -bar, passing close by two Northern launches which were lying almost upon -it. Unfortunately it was dead low water, and although I pressed the -pilot to give our boat a turn round, keeping under weigh, and to wait a -while until the tide made, he was so demoralised by the firing we had -gone through and the nearness of the launches, which were constantly -throwing up rockets, that he insisted upon putting her at the bar, and, -as I feared, we grounded on it forward, and with the strong flood-tide -quickly broached-to, broadside on to the Northern breaker. We kept our -engines going for some time—but to no purpose, as we found we were only -being forced by the tide more on to the breakers. Therefore we stopped, -and all at once found our friends, the two launches, close aboard: they -had discovered we were ashore, and had made up their minds to attack us. - -At once all was in confusion; the pilot and signalman rushed to the -dinghy, lowered it, and made good their escape; the captain lost his -head and disappeared; and the crews of the launches, after firing -several volleys, one of which slightly wounded me, rowed in to board us -on each sponson. Just at this moment I suddenly recollected that our -private despatches, which ought to have been thrown overboard, were -still in the starboard life-boat. I rushed to it, but found the lanyard -to which the sinking weight was attached was foul of one of the thwarts; -I tugged and tugged, but to no purpose, so I sung out for a knife which -was handed to me by a fireman, and I cut the line and pitched the bag -overboard as the Northerners jumped on board. Eighteen months afterwards -that fireman accosted me in the Liverpool streets, saying, "Mr. Taylor, -do you remember my lending you a knife." "Of course I do," I replied, -giving him a tip at which he was mightily pleased: poor fellow, he had -been thirteen months in a Northern prison. - -When the Northerners jumped on board they were terribly excited. I don't -know whether they expected resistance or not, but they acted more like -maniacs than sane men, firing their revolvers and cutting right and left -with their cutlasses. I stood in front of the men on the poop and said -that we surrendered, but all the reply I received from the lieutenant -commanding was, "Oh, you surrender, do you?..." accompanied by a string -of the choicest Yankee oaths and sundry reflections upon my parentage; -whereupon he fired his revolver twice point blank at me not two yards -distant: it was a miracle he did not kill me, as I heard the bullets -whiz past my head. This roused my wrath, and I expostulated in the -strongest terms upon his firing on unarmed men; he then cooled down, -giving me into the charge of two of his men, one of whom speedily -possessed himself of my binoculars. Fortunately, as I had no guard to my -watch, they didn't discover it, and I have it still. - -Finding they could not get the ship off, and afraid, I presume, of Lamb -and his men coming to our rescue, the Federals commenced putting the -captain (who had been discovered behind a boat!) and the crew into the -boats; they then set the ship on fire fore and aft, and she soon began -to blaze merrily. At this moment one of our firemen, an Irishman, sung -out, "Begorra, we shall all be in the air in a minute, the ship is full -of gunpowder!" No sooner did the Northern sailors hear this than a panic -seized them, and they rushed to their boats, threatening to leave their -officers behind if they did not come along. The men who were holding me -dropped me like a hot potato, and to my great delight jumped into their -boat, and away they rowed as fast as they could, taking all our crew, -with the exception of the second officer, one of the engineers, four -seamen and myself, as prisoners. - -We chuckled at our lucky escape, but we were not out of the wood yet, as -we had only a boat half stove in, in which to reach the shore through -some 300 yards of surf, and we were afraid at any moment that our -enemies finding there was no powder on board might return. We made a -feeble effort to put the fire out, but it had gained too much headway, -and although I offered the men with me £50 apiece to stand by me and -persevere, they were too demoralised and began to lower the shattered -boat, swearing that they would leave me behind if I didn't come with -them. There was nothing for it but to go, yet the passage through the -boiling surf seemed more dangerous to my mind than remaining on the -burning ship. The blockaders immediately opened fire when they knew -their own men had left the _Night Hawk_, and that she was burning; and -Lamb's great shells hurtling over our heads, and those from the -blockading fleet bursting all around us, formed a weird picture. In -spite of the hail of shot and shell and the dangers of the boiling surf, -we reached the shore in safety, wet through, and glad I was in my state -of exhaustion from loss of blood and fatigue to be welcomed by Lamb's -orderly officer. - -The poor _Night Hawk_ was now a sheet of flame, and I thought it was all -up with her; and indeed it would have been had it not been for Lamb, -who, calling for volunteers from his garrison, sent off two or three -boat loads of men to her, and when I came down to the beach, after -having my wound dressed and a short rest, I was delighted to find the -fire had sensibly decreased. I went on board, and after some hours of -hard work the fire was extinguished. But what a wreck she was! - -Luckily with the rising tide she had bumped over the bank, and was now -lying on the main beach much more accessible and sheltered. Still it -seemed an almost hopeless task to save her; but we were not going to be -beaten without a try, so, having ascertained how she lay and the -condition she was in, I resolved to have an attempt to get her dry, and -telegraphed to Wilmington for assistance. - -Our agent sent me down about 300 negroes to assist in baling and -pumping, and I set them to work at once. As good luck would have it, my -finest steamer, _Banshee_ No. 2, which had just been sent out, ran in -the next night. She was a great improvement on the first _Banshee_, -having a sea-speed of 15-1/2 knots, which was considered very fast in -those days; her length was 252 feet, beam 31 feet, depth 11 feet, her -registered tonnage 439 tons, and her crew consisted of fifty-three in -all. I at once requisitioned her for aid in the shape of engineers and -men, so that now I had everything in the way of hands I could want. Our -great difficulty was that the _Night Hawk's_ anchors would not hold for -us to get a fair haul at her. - -But here again I was to be in luck. For the very next night the -_Falcon_, commanded by poor Hewett, in attempting to run in stuck fast -upon the bank over which we had bumped, not one hundred yards to -windward of us, and broke in two. It is an ill wind that blows nobody -good, and Hewett's mischance proved the saving of our ship. Now we had a -hold for our chain cables by making them fast to the wreck, and were -able gradually to haul her off by them a little during each tide, until -on the seventh day we had her afloat in a gut between the bank and the -shore, and at high water we steamed under our own steam gaily up the -river to Wilmington. - -Considering the appliances we had and the circumstances under which we -were working, the saving of that steamer was certainly a wonderful -performance, as we were under fire almost the whole time. The -Northerners, irritated, no doubt, by their failure to destroy the ship, -used to shell us by day and send in boats by night; Lamb, however, put a -stop to the latter annoyance by lending us a couple of companies to -defend us, and one night, when our enemies rowed close up with the -intention of boarding us, they were glad to sheer off with the loss of a -lieutenant and several men. In spite of all the shot and shell by day -and the repeated attacks at night, we triumphed in the end, and, after -having the _Night Hawk_ repaired at a huge cost and getting together a -crew, I gave May, a friend of mine, command of her, and he ran her out -successfully with a valuable cargo, which made her pay, notwithstanding -all her bad luck and the amount spent upon her. Poor May, he was -afterwards governor of Perth gaol, and is dead now,—a high-toned, -sensitive gentleman, mightily proud of his ship, lame duck as she was. - -When she was burning, our utmost efforts were of course directed towards -keeping her engine-room and boilers amidships intact, and confining the -flames to both ends; in this we were successful, mainly owing to the -fact of her having thwart-ship bunkers: but as regards the rest of the -steamer she was a complete wreck; her sides were all corrugated with the -heat, and her stern so twisted that her starboard quarter was some two -feet higher than her port one, and not a particle of woodwork was left -unconsumed. Owing to the limited resources of Wilmington as regards -repairs, I found it impossible to have this put right, so her sides were -left as they were, and the new deck put on on the slope I have -described, and caulked with cotton, as no oakum was procurable. When -completed she certainly was a queer-looking craft, but as tight as a -bottle and as seaworthy as ever, although I doubt if any Lloyd's -surveyor would have passed her. But as a matter of fact she came across -the Atlantic, deeply immersed with her coal supply, through some very -bad weather, without damage, and was sold for a mere song, to be -repaired and made into a passenger boat for service on the East Coast, -where she ran for many years with success. - -It had been a hard week for me, as I had no clothes except what I had on -when we were boarded,—my servant very cleverly, as he imagined, having -thrown my portmanteau into the man-of-war's boat when he thought I was -going to be captured, and all I had in the world was the old serge suit -in which I stood. Being without a change and wet through every day and -night for six days consecutively, it is little wonder that I caught -fever and ague, of which I nearly died in Richmond, and which -distressing complaint stuck to me for more than eighteen months. I shall -never forget, on going to a store in Wilmington for a new rig-out (which -by the bye cost $1200), the look of horror on the storekeeper's face -when I told him the coat I had purchased would do if he cut a foot off -it: he thought it such a waste of expensive material. - -A very unfortunate occurrence took place incident upon the wreck of the -_Falcon_. She had on board as passenger a Mrs. Greenhow, a famous -Confederate spy, who, when the steamer struck, pleaded hard to be put -ashore, fearing no doubt capture by the Federals. Hewett was most -energetic in his efforts to dissuade her, but at last manned a boat for -her, which was upset in the breakers, and she alone was drowned. It was -I who found her body on the beach at daylight, and afterwards took it up -to Wilmington. A remarkably handsome woman she was, with features which -showed much character. Although one cannot altogether admire the -profession of a spy, still there was no doubt that she imagined herself -in following such a profession to be serving her country in the only way -open to her. - -Surely in war the feelings of both men and women become blunted as to -the niceties of what is right or wrong. I well remember on one occasion -an eminent Confederate officer bringing me an infernal machine which he -had invented, a kind of shell exactly like a lump of coal, with a -request that some should be placed on each of our steamers, and that, in -case of capture, they should be put in the coal bunkers so as to be -thrown into the furnaces by the prize crew. I told him that this was not -my idea of making war, and moreover mildly suggested that, even if it -were, he seemed to have forgotten that our crew would probably be on -board as prisoners and be blown up into the air with their captors. - -Another eminent Confederate military doctor proposed to me during the -prevalence of the yellow fever epidemic that he should ship by our boats -to Nassau and Bermuda sundry cases of infected clothing, which were to -be sent to the North with the idea of spreading the disease there. This -was too much, and I shouted at him, not in the choicest language, to -leave the office. It is difficult to conceive of such a diabolical idea, -not only to spread havoc among combatants, but among innocent women and -children, being present in an educated man's mind. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - EXPERIENCES ASHORE IN DIXIE'S LAND - - Railway travelling in the Southern States—The conductor's - car—Carrying despatches—A weary and anxious wait—Under fire - in a train—Excitement in Richmond—General Lee's headquarter - staff—The Confederate Government—Privations in Richmond—The - bitterest rebels of the war—A startling dinner bill—Provisioning - General Lee's army—Admiral Porter's first attack on Fort - Fisher—The _Banshee_ No. 2 runs through the Federal - Fleet—General and Mrs. Randolph—A magnificent cargo. - - -The dangers and discomforts at sea were not the only excitements which a -blockade-runner experienced. As the blockade-running fleet of which I -had charge extended, not only was an increase in my office staff in -Nassau entailed, but a good deal of travelling by rail to and fro -between Wilmington and Richmond, for the purpose of negotiations with -the heads of departments there regarding the contracts we had with them, -and upon various other matters. - -These trips involved an enormous amount of fatigue, worry, excitement, -and even danger, as it was no easy matter latterly to get in and out of -the beleaguered city safely; the railway journey itself, which often -extended over a couple of days and nights, was an affair of great -discomfort, the permanent way being anything but permanent, and the -rolling stock too often rolling elsewhere than upon the rails. It was -considered a joke in those days to assert that a journey from Wilmington -to Richmond was almost as dangerous as an engagement with the enemy. The -only place on the train where any approach to comfort was obtainable was -in the conductor's car, the entrée to which I generally contrived to -secure, aided by a little judicious palm-greasing and the possession of -a brandy bottle or two; but the latter had its disadvantages, as the -word was soon passed round that there was a Britisher on board the train -with some _real_ good brandy. And it was considered the duty of every -one to whom I had stood a drink to introduce a friend who wanted one -badly; consequently the brandy was generally used up on the outward -trip, and there was little left for the return. But it was great -pleasure to be able to quench the poor fellows' thirst, more especially -the wounded, with whom the cars were often filled to overflowing. - -As a rule my good friend Heiliger, Confederate Agent at Nassau, used to -entrust me with despatches, the carriage of which provided me with a -pass which much facilitated my journeys; but on one occasion towards the -end of the war the possession of these despatches made it a little -awkward for me. I had arrived one afternoon at Petersburg, which is -about fifteen miles from Richmond, and found a tremendous hubbub going -on. Butler, having attacked the place with his corps, hoped to take it -and then turn the Confederate flank. Although it was but poorly -defended, being held by some 1500 recruits and boys, they kept their -ground, entrenched about a mile outside the town. - -It was while this first attack was in progress that I arrived on the -scene, and recognising the gravity of the position, if the place were -taken and despatches found upon me (an Englishman), I went to the -Commissary-General and asked him to provide me with a horse to take me -to Richmond. He said this was impossible, but that they had telegraphed -for reinforcements, and that Hoke's division was expected by train in an -hour or two, and I had better go to the depôt and there wait my chance -of getting the empty return train. It was a weary and anxious wait, as -we could hear the attack going on and feared the defence would every -moment be overpowered. However, a short time before daylight we heard -the train approaching, and soon afterwards it steamed in, crowded even -on the roofs of carriages by Hoke's men, who were promptly detrained and -hurried off at the double to the scene of action—a welcome -reinforcement. I got in the train, and we started for Richmond. We had -only proceeded a few miles when, in the gray dawn, we saw a body of -Butler's cavalry galloping as hard as they could to intercept us and -tear up the line in front. Our engineer, however, equal to the occasion, -put on full steam, and we just managed to get ahead of them. Seeing they -were too late, they drew up alongside the track and potted at us with -their carbines, without, however, wounding any one. They then at once -tore up the rails in our rear. - -Being under fire in a train was a curious experience, and perhaps more -exciting for me than the others, as I had my hand on the blessed -despatches, uncertain what to do. Fortunately we arrived safely at -Richmond, and I was very glad to be rid of my responsibilities. This was -the last train that got in on the direct Wilmington line; after that, in -order to get in and out, we had to make a long detour viâ Danville. - -I found Richmond in a great state of excitement; the Northern attack had -become more animated; the investment was more stringent; the booming of -heavy guns was heard night and day; and hourly reports were brought from -the front. It was upon this visit that I accompanied Lee's Headquarter -staff on the celebrated march along the south side of the James river, -when he marched rapidly to Petersburg in order to confront the -Northerners' sudden change of front on that town. Upon a previous -occasion I had made the acquaintance of the great General, and on this -one I breakfasted with him. Shortly afterwards the march, which was very -exciting, began. We were constantly in close touch with the enemy,—at -one time marching through the woods, which were being shelled by the -Northern gunboats in the James river—at another time skirmishing at -close quarters with the Federals' flank; but as I had seen most of the -seven days' fighting round Richmond I felt almost an old campaigner. It -was a hard day, as, after being fifteen hours in the saddle without -food, I was obliged to return to Richmond on important business that -night, instead of bivouacking with the Headquarters staff, as I was -pressed to do. Wearied and almost exhausted I found on my arrival in the -city that all I could obtain at the hotel was some corn bread and cold -bacon washed down with water. - -The following is an extract from a letter dated 15th January 1865, -written to my chiefs after this visit to Richmond. - - - Altogether I think the Confederate Government is going - to the _bad_, and if they don't take care the Confederacy - will go too. I never saw things look so gloomy, and I think - spring will finish them unless they make a change for - the better. Georgia is gone, and they say Sherman is - going to seize Branchville; if he does, Charleston and - Wilmington will be done—and if Wilmington goes Lee - has to evacuate Richmond and retire into Tennessee. He - told me the other day, that if they did not keep Wilmington - he could not save Richmond. They nearly had Fort Fisher—they - were within sixty yards of it—and had they pushed - on as they ought to have done could have taken it. It - was a terrific bombardment; they estimate that about - 40,000 shells were sent into it. Colonel Lamb behaved - like a brick—splendidly. I got the last of the Whitworths - in, and they are now at the Fort. They are very hard up - for food in the field, but the _Banshee_ has this time 600 - barrels of pork and 1500 boxes of meat—enough to feed - Lee's army for a month. - -The above extract is interesting, as it showed that my diagnosis of the -position of affairs, written in January 1865, proved correct as to what -actually happened two or three months later. Sherman _did_ capture -Branchville, and in consequence Charleston and Wilmington. When the -latter port fell Lee _was_ forced to evacuate Richmond and retire -towards Tennessee and eventually capitulate. Had Charleston and -Wilmington been retained and blockade-running encouraged, instead of -having obstacles thrown in the way, I am convinced that the condition of -affairs would have been altered very materially, and perhaps would have -led to the South obtaining what it had shed so much blood to gain, viz. -its independence. No doubt at that critical time the North was making -its last supreme effort, and, had it failed, negotiations would probably -have been opened up with a view to peace. - -The privations of the regular residents in Richmond in those days were -very great, as food of all kinds was very expensive; but all bore their -troubles without a murmur, and I think there was more enthusiasm -displayed there than in any other city in the South; probably because -the people, with the enemy at their gates, were always in close touch -with them, and also because there was such a large female element in -society there, for the ladies of the South were proverbially the -staunchest and bitterest rebels of the war. Of course money still -purchased most things, and we blockade-runners, who were well supplied -with coin, managed to live in comparative comfort and at times even -fared sumptuously. I remember a great dinner I gave to a few heads of -departments; it was a banquet no one need have been ashamed of. But oh -the bill!—a little over $5000 (Confederate) for a dinner to fourteen. -When one has to pay $150 a bottle for champagne, $120 for sherry or -madeira, and as much in proportion for the viands, the account soon runs -up. However, it was a great success, and well worth the cost. - -That morning I had met by appointment the Commissary-General, who -divulged to me under promise of secrecy that Lee's army was in terrible -straits, and had in fact rations only for about thirty days. He asked me -if I could help him; I said I would do my best, and after some -negotiations he undertook to pay me a profit of 350 per cent upon any -provisions and meat I could bring in within the next three weeks! I had -then, discharging in Wilmington, the _Banshee_ No. 2, which had just -been sent out to replace the first _Banshee_, and in which I had run the -blockade inwards. I telegraphed instructions to have her made ready for -sea with all speed and await my arrival. After a somewhat exciting and -lengthy journey of three days and nights, owing to having to go round by -Danville, I reached Wilmington, successfully ran the blockade out, -purchased my cargo of provisions, etc. at Nassau for about £6000 (for -which eventually I was paid over £27,000), and, after a most exciting -run in, landed the same in Wilmington within eighteen days after leaving -Richmond. - -In the interim between our leaving Wilmington and our return, Porter's -fleet had made an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Fisher, and he was just -then at the time of our appearance upon the scene concluding his attack -and re-embarking his beaten troops. When morning broke and we were near -the fort we counted sixty-four vessels that we had passed through. After -being heavily fired into at daybreak by several gunboats (the fort being -unable to protect us as usual, owing to nearly all its guns having been -put out of action in the attack of the two previous days), it was an -exciting moment as we crossed the bar in safety, cheered by the -garrison, some 2000 strong, who knew we had provisions on board for the -relief of their comrades in Virginia. - -I wrote under date of 15th January 1865 to my chiefs at home with -reference to this trip: - - - I went over in the _Banshee_ and had an exciting time of - it; we arrived off the bar when Porter's vast fleet was there, - and I think the Confederate Trading Company ought to - be proud of their two vessels (_Banshee_ and _Wild Rover_) - both running through that immense fleet and getting safely - in. The _Banshee_ was out in front of them all for half an - hour after daylight, as we were rather late and could not get - up to the bar before. They said at Fort Fisher that it was - a beautiful sight to see the little _Banshee_ manœuvring in - front of the whole fleet. They sent some vessels in to - pepper us, but every shot missed, and we got in safely. - Porter's fleet left that evening, and I think they have given - up the attack for a time. - -I shall never forget that trip. We sailed from Nassau at dusk on the -evening before Christmas day, but were only just outside the harbour -when our steam pipe split and we had to return. As it was hopeless on -account of the moon to make the attempt unless we could get away next -day, I was in despair and thought it was all up with my 350 per cent -profit. After long trying in vain to find some one to undertake the -necessary repairs, owing to its being Christmas day, I found at last a -Yankee, who said: "Well _sir_, its only a question of price." I said -"Name yours," and he replied "Well I guess $400 for three clamps would -be fair." I said "All right, if finished by six o'clock": he set to -work, and we made all arrangements to start. Shortly after six the work -was finished, but the black pilot then declared he couldn't take her out -until the tide turned, there being no room to turn her in the harbour. -As it was a question of hours I said, "Back her out." He grinned and -said, "Perhaps do plenty damage." "Never mind," said I, "try it"—and we -did, with the result that we came plump into the man-of-war lying at the -entrance of the harbour (officers all on deck ready to go down to their -Christmas dinner), and ground along her side, smashing two of her boats -in, but doing ourselves little damage. "Goodbye," I shouted; "a merry -Christmas; send the bill in for the boats." Away we went clear, and -fortunate it was we did so, as we only arrived off Wilmington just in -time to run through Porter's fleet before daybreak. - -The trip out was equally exciting, as I had as passengers General -Randolph, ex-Secretary of State for War, who was going to Europe -invalided, and his wife. I did not want to take them, as the _Banshee_ -had practically no accommodation whatever, particularly for ladies. -However, _she_ had such a good character for safety, that they pleaded -hard to be taken, and I at last consented, though I did not like at all -the responsibility of having a lady on board. I was determined, however, -to make Mrs. Randolph as safe as possible, so told the stevedore to keep -a square space between the cotton bales on deck, into which she could -retire in case the firing became hot. And hot it did become. Running -down with a strong ebb tide through the Smith's inlet channel, we -suddenly found a gunboat in the middle of the channel on the bar. It was -too late to stop, so we put her at it, almost grazing the gunboat's -sides and receiving her broadside point blank. Mrs. Randolph had retired -to her place of safety, but she told me afterwards that, alarmed as she -was, she could not help laughing when, after she had been there only an -instant, my coloured servant, who had evidently fixed upon the place as -appearing to be the most safe, jumped right on the top of her, his teeth -chattering through fear. How we laughed the next morning, and how poor -Sam got chaffed, but he became quite a cool hand, and when we were -running in, in daylight, in the _Will-o-the-Wisp_ (as I have already -related), and the shot were coming thick, Sam appeared upon the bridge -with his usual "Coffee Sar!" - -After we had got rid of our friend on the bar, we were heavily peppered -by her consorts outside, from whom we received no damage, but we fell in -with very bad weather, and the ship was under water most of the time. -Right glad I was to land my passengers, who were half dead through -sea-sickness, exposure, and fatigue. - -Although it was a hard trip it paid well, as we had on board coming out -a most magnificent cargo, a great deal of it Sea Island cotton, the -profit upon which and the provisions I had taken in amounted to over -£85,000—not bad work for about twenty days! - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - HAVANA AND GALVESTON - - The most expensive city in the world—An adventurous trip—A - furious gale in the gulf-stream—A run to Galveston—A worthless - pilot—A "Norther"—Drifting in the middle of a blockading - squadron—An old friend again—The _Banshee_ nearly - lost—Uncomfortably close quarters—A choice of alternatives—A - reckless undertaking—Galveston—A scarcity of cotton—A trip - to Houston—A sporting conductor and engine-driver—The execution - of a deserter—Return to Nassau—Ending of the war—A disastrous - liquidation—Home. - - -Havana was a great blockade-running centre to and from the Gulf ports, -but until Wilmington was closed I did not attempt to utilise it, for -many reasons preferring Nassau and the last named port. I went over -there, however, several times, partly on business, and partly on -pleasure, and a lovely city it was. Cuba was then in the heyday of -success, and no one who had not visited its capital could have imagined -that such a gay and beautiful city existed in the West Indies. Money -seemed no object. And fortunately there was plenty, for everything was -extravagantly dear, and I should think that at that time it was one of -the most if not the most expensive city in the world to live in. - -To us blockade-runners, accustomed to the hard life in the South and the -contracted surroundings of Nassau, Havana appeared like Paradise; good -hotels and casinos, a capital theatre, magnificent equipages, military -bands, handsome women, and, last but not least, the lavish and genial -hospitality dispensed by our Consul-General, Mr. Crawford, and his -charming daughters at their house, "Buenos Ayres," made a residence in -Havana like a rest in an oasis to the weary traveller of the desert. But -it was not all pleasure, as far as I was concerned. I had my business -with its anxieties to attend to, and on one of my visits I had a rather -adventurous trip to Nassau in a small schooner which I had chartered to -convey some boiler tubes there. Being very anxious to reach Nassau -quickly, I decided to go in her instead of waiting for the mail steamer -which left a few days later. - -I made a start in the small craft (her size can be imagined when I state -that she was a man-of-war's pinnace raised upon) manned by nine niggers. -The first day out we encountered a furious gale in the Gulf-stream, and -it is a marvel our little craft lived through it, for a fearful sea was -running. However, she proved an excellent sea-boat, and when the gale -subsided we found ourselves on the Bahama banks becalmed; for nine days -we drifted helplessly over them, suffering agonies from the heat, -hunger, and thirst, as we had only laid in provisions for about four -days, and to make matters worse the bung had been left out of our -freshwater cask and in the gale the water was rendered undrinkable by -the salt water washing over it. Fortunately I had laid in a supply of a -dozen of claret and a dozen of beer, and this was all we had to divide -between us; however, everything has an end, and on the ninth day we had -a spanking breeze which carried us in to Nassau, but not until we had -been passed about twenty miles outside by the mail steamer in which I -could have come, and whose captain, recognising me on board the -schooner, jeered at me from his bridge. - -When Wilmington was on the point of falling there was nothing for it but -to transfer our operations to Galveston, and to accomplish this I took -the _Banshee_ No. 2 over to Havana with a valuable cargo, accompanied by -Frank Hurst, in order to make an attempt to run into Galveston: this -proved to be my last trip, but it was far from being the least exciting. -When all was ready we experienced the greatest difficulty in finding a -Galveston pilot. Though, owing to the high rate of pay, numbers of men -were to be found ready to offer their services, it was extremely hard to -obtain competent men. After considerable delay we had to content -ourselves at last with a man who _said_ he knew all about the port, but -who turned out to be absolutely worthless. We then made a start, and -with the exception of meeting with the most violent thunderstorm, in -which the lightning was something awful, nothing extraordinary occurred -on our passage across the Gulf of Mexico, and we scarcely saw a -sail—very different from our experiences between Nassau and Wilmington, -when it was generally a case of "sail on the port bow" or "steamer right -ahead" at all hours of the day. - -The third evening after leaving Havana we had run our distance, and, on -heaving the lead and finding that we were within a few miles of the -shore, we steamed cautiously on in order to try and make out the -blockading squadron or the land. It was a comparatively calm and very -dark night, just the one for the purpose, but within an hour all had -changed and it commenced to blow a regular "Norther," a wind which is -very prevalent on that coast. Until then I had no idea what a "Norther" -meant; first rain came down in torrents, then out of the inky blackness -of clouds and rain came furious gusts, until a hurricane was blowing -against which, notwithstanding that we were steaming at full speed, we -made little or no way, and although the sea was smooth our decks were -swept by white foam and spray. Suddenly we made out some dark objects -all round us, and found ourselves drifting helplessly among the ships of -the blockading squadron, which were steaming hard to their anchors, and -at one moment we were almost jostling two of them; whether they knew -what we were, or mistook us for one of themselves matters not; they were -too much occupied about their own safety to attempt to interfere. - -As to attempt to get into Galveston that night would have been madness, -we let the _Banshee_ drift and, when we thought we were clear of the -fleet, we steamed slowly seaward, after a while shaping a course so as -to make the land about thirty miles to the south-west at daylight. We -succeeded in doing this and quietly dropped our anchor in perfectly calm -water, the "Norther" having subsided almost as quickly as it had risen. -Having seen enough of our pilot to realise that he was no good whatever, -we decided after a conference to lie all day where we were, keeping a -sharp look-out and steam handy, and determined as evening came on to -creep slowly up the coast until we made out the blockading fleet, then -to anchor again and make a bold dash at daylight for our port. - -All went well; we were unmolested during the day and got under weigh -towards evening, passing close to a wreck which we recognised as our old -friend the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_, which had been driven ashore and lost on -the very first trip she made after I had sold her. Immediately -afterwards we very nearly lost our own ship too. Seeing a post of -Confederate soldiers close by on the beach, we determined to steam close -in and communicate with them in order to learn all about the tactics of -the blockaders and our exact distance from Galveston. We backed her -close in to the breakers in order to speak, but when the order was given -to go ahead she declined to move, and the chief engineer reported that -something had gone wrong with the cylinder valve, and that she must -heave to for repairs. It was an anxious moment; the _Banshee_ had barely -three fathoms beneath her, and her stern was almost in the white water. -We let go the anchor, but in the heavy swell it failed to hold: the -pilot was in a helpless state of flurry when he found that we were -drifting slowly but steadily towards the shore, but Steele's presence of -mind never for one moment deserted him. The comparatively few minutes -which occupied the engineers in temporarily remedying the defect seemed -like hours in the presence of the danger momentarily threatening us. -When, at length, the engineers managed to turn her ahead we on the -bridge were greatly relieved to see her point seawards and clear the -breakers. I have often thought since, if a disaster had happened and we -had lost the ship, how stupid we should have been thought by people at -home. - -As soon as we reached deep water the damage was permanently repaired, -and we steamed cautiously up the coast, until about sundown we made out -the topmasts of the blockading squadron right ahead. We promptly -stopped, calculating that, as they were about ten to eleven miles from -us, Galveston must lie a little further on our port bow. We let go our -anchor and prepared for an anxious night; all hands were on deck and the -cable was ready to be unshackled at a moment's notice, with steam as -nearly ready as possible without blowing off, as at any moment a prowler -from the squadron patrolling the coast might have made us out. We had -not been lying thus very long when suddenly on the starboard bow we made -out a cruiser steaming towards us evidently on the prowl. It was a -critical time; all hands were on deck, a man standing by to knock the -shackle out of the chain cable, and the engineers at their stations. -Thanks to the backing of the coast, our friend did not discover us and -to our relief disappeared to the southward. - -After this all was quiet during the remainder of the night, which, -fortunately for us, was very dark, and about two hours before daylight -we quietly raised our anchor and steamed slowly on, feeling our way -cautiously by the lead, and hoping, when daylight fairly broke, to find -ourselves inside the fleet opposite Galveston and able to make a short -dash for the bar. We had been under weigh some time, when suddenly we -discovered a launch close to us on the port bow filled with Northern -blue-jackets and marines. "Full speed ahead," shouted Steele, and we -were within an ace of running her down as we almost grazed her with our -port paddle-wheel. Hurst and I looked straight down into the boat, -waving them a parting salute. The crew seemed only too thankful at their -narrow escape to open fire, but they soon regained their senses and -threw up rocket after rocket in our wake as a warning to the blockading -fleet to be on the alert. - -Daylight was then slowly breaking, and the first thing we discovered was -that we had not taken sufficient account of the effects of the "Norther" -on the current; instead of being opposite the town with the fleet broad -on to our starboard beam, we found ourselves down three or four miles -from it and the most leeward blockader close to us on our bow. It was a -moment for immediate decision: the alternatives were to turn tail and -stand a chase to seaward by their fastest cruisers with chance of -capture, and in any case a return to Havana as we had not sufficient -coal for another attempt, or to make a dash for it and take the fire of -the squadron. In an instant we decided to go for it, and orders to turn -ahead full speed were given; but the difficulty now to be overcome was -that we could not make for the main channel without going through the -fleet. This would have been certain destruction, so we had to make for a -sort of swash channel along the beach, which, however, was nothing but a -_cul-de-sac_, and to get from it into the main channel. Shoal water and -heavy breakers had to be passed, but there was now no other choice open -to us. - -By this time the fleet had opened fire upon us, and shells were bursting -merrily around as we took the fire of each ship which we passed. -Fortunately there was a narrow shoal between us, which prevented them -from approaching within about half a mile of us; luckily also for us -they were in rough water on the windward side of the shoal and could not -lay their guns with precision. And to this we owed our escape, as, -although our funnels were riddled with shell splinters, we received no -damage and had only one man wounded. But the worst was to come; we saw -the white water already ahead, and we knew our only chance was to bump -through it, being well aware that if she stuck fast we should lose the -ship and all our lives, for no boat, even if it could have been -launched, would have lived in such a surf. - -With two leadsmen in the chains we approached our fate, taking no notice -of the bursting shells and round shot to which the blockaders treated us -in their desperation; it was not a question of the fathoms but of the -feet we were drawing: twelve feet, ten, nine, and when we put her at it, -as you do a horse at a jump, and as her nose was entering the white -water, "eight feet" was sung out. A moment afterwards we touched and -hung; and I thought all was over, when a big wave came rolling along and -lifted our stern and the ship bodily with a crack which could be heard a -quarter of a mile off, and which we thought meant that her back was -broken. - -[Illustration: _BANSHEE NO. 2_ RUNNING THE GAUNTLET OF THE GALVESTON -BLOCKADING SQUADRON IN DAYLIGHT. _To face page 156._] - -She once more went ahead: the worst was over, and, after two or three -minor bumps, we were in the deep channel, helm hard a-starboard and -heading for Galveston Bay, leaving the disappointed blockaders astern. -It was a reckless undertaking and a narrow escape, but we were safe in, -and after an examination by the health officer we steamed gaily up to -the town, the wharves of which were crowded by people, who, gazing to -seaward, had watched our exploit with much interest, and who cheered us -heartily upon its success. - -I found Galveston a most forsaken place; its streets covered with sand, -its wharves rotting, its defences in a most deplorable condition, very -different from those at Wilmington, and if the Northerners had taken the -trouble I think that they could easily have possessed themselves of it. -But our welcome was warm, and during the _Banshee's_ long stay we had a -real good time; General Magruder was in command, and many a cheery -entertainment we had on board with him and his staff as guests, who were -all musical. We had a capital French cook, and as plenty of game, fish, -and oysters were procurable, and our good liquor was plentiful, we had -all the necessary ingredients for many most sociable evenings—this was -the bright side of the picture. - -The reverse was the difficulty I had in procuring a suitable outward -cargo; the inward one was all right, and I found our assortment would -sell well, but the trouble was to obtain cotton: there was extremely -little of it left near the seaboard, and to get it from further up -country was a long, tedious, and expensive process. Moreover, I found -there would be great difficulty in having it pressed, and to take a -cargo of half-pressed cotton meant very serious loss indeed; however, -having arranged for the sale by auction of the inward cargo, Hurst and I -started for Houston, the capital of Texas, armed with a letter of -introduction to the most influential merchant there, who agreed after -endless negotiations to provide at a high price a full-pressed cargo, -but required a long time for delivery and payment half in Confederate -money (being part of the proceeds of our inward cargo), and the balance -by drafts on home. This meant a further loss in withdrawing my -superfluous proceeds from the country, but as no better bargain could be -made I agreed. - -Houston, in those days, was a pretty little town, very dull of course, -but fortunately we made the acquaintance of a charming family, refugees -from Baton Rouge, who were most kind to us, and I shall ever feel -grateful to Mrs. Avery and her fair daughters for the hospitality which -they extended to me. - -After concluding these arrangements I returned to Galveston, being -rather amused on the journey by the sudden stoppage of the train, which -had been crawling along at about ten miles an hour, followed by the -leisurely exit of the conductor and engine driver each with a gun on his -shoulder, who calmly disappeared across the prairie on a gunning -expedition. After about an hour's delay the sportsmen returned fairly -successful, and with "all aboard" we resumed our journey. - -A few days subsequently I witnessed a sad sight—the execution of a -deserter, a fine fellow, sergeant of artillery, whose only offence was -that he had crossed the Mississippi into the Northern lines in order to -visit his wife and family, intending, it was believed, to return; he was -captured, however, and condemned to death by court-martial, and the -whole of the garrison of Galveston was paraded to witness his execution. -It was an anxious time for the authorities, as it was expected that his -battery would attempt a rescue, so the other two batteries were drawn up -opposite with guns loaded ready to fire on it if it did. The sergeant -was led out, and six men were placed a few paces in front of him; after -refusing to have his eyes bandaged, he dropped his hand as a signal for -them to fire; a report as from one rifle rang out, and he dropped on his -face dead. The saddest part of this incident was, that within an hour of -his execution a pardon arrived from headquarters at Houston on a railway -trolly; no locomotive being available four men had worked the trolly -down, but too late. - -Finding that the accumulation of cargo and consequent loading of the -_Banshee_ would occupy a long time, and owing to the critical state of -affairs in the South rendering it absolutely necessary for me to return -to Nassau as soon as possible, I decided to take a passage in a friend's -blockade-runner then ready to start, leaving my able lieutenant Frank -Hurst to settle up things and come out in the _Banshee_. But I did not -like it at all; it was the first time I was to try the venture in a -strange craft and as a mere passenger, and from what I had seen of the -skipper I had not over much confidence in him. - -On a night which was eminently suited for the purpose we made a start, -but no sooner did we get down to the Tripod, which marked the entrance -to the channel, than we made out a couple of the blockaders—a sight -quite enough for the nerves of our captain, who declared we should -certainly be seen and immediately gave orders to turn back. This was not -my idea of blockade-running as I had been accustomed to it, but being a -passenger I had no _locus standi_ on board; we put back to the harbour -and next morning were well chaffed. To make a long story short we made a -second attempt next night with like results, and I was beginning to feel -thoroughly disgusted. Every hour's delay with a growing moon now -increased our risks; on the third night, by dint of goading the skipper, -whose coal was running short, I persuaded him to harden his heart and -make a run for it. When we reached the Tripod we made out several of the -squadron, but we put our helm a-starboard, ran along the land, and -fortunately got clear. - -Crossing the Gulf of Mexico we made out nothing; perhaps this was -because no look-out was kept; and mightily glad I was when we made the -coast of Cuba and steamed into Havana. This trip was certainly a -revelation to me as regards blockade-running, and no wonder many a fine -boat, navigated, no doubt, on the same lines as the —— had been thrown -away. - -This was my last trip, the twenty-eighth—a record, I think, for any -Englishman during the war, and considering the narrow squeaks that I -had, and that I only came to grief once in the _Night Hawk_, I had a -great deal to be thankful for. - -Upon my arrival in Havana I found the mail boat was starting for Nassau -next day, and in her I took my passage. I found Nassau much changed, as -during my absence Wilmington, after an heroic defence of Fort Fisher by -my old friend Lamb, had been captured, and had it not been for the -supineness (not to use a stronger phrase) of General Bragg, who -commanded the Confederate forces outside the fort and who failed to -attack the Northern attacking force in the rear when the assault was -made, Lamb's second defence would have been as successful as the first, -and Fort Fisher and Wilmington would have been saved to the Confederate -Government—a result which might have had a very important bearing upon -the issue of the struggle. Wilmington and Charleston being now closed, -Nassau's days as a blockade-running centre were over, and the only thing -to do was to wind up our affairs as well as we could, and prepare to go -home. Even then it was evident that the game was up as far as the South -was concerned, and very shortly afterwards we heard of Lee's surrender -and the virtual ending of the war. - -In the interim the _Banshee_ arrived, having cleared out of Galveston -without trouble and transhipped her cargo at Havana, which, although the -war was over, sold for very high prices in Liverpool. But the -liquidation of our affairs generally was a disastrous one; our steamers -were practically valueless; and as a matter of fact the _Banshee_ and -_Night Hawk_, which I sent home, and which had cost between them some -£70,000, we sold for £6000; two or three other boats which I sent to -South America for sale realised miserable prices, so that this, combined -with the enormous stakes we had imprisoned in the South, and which were -confiscated, took the gilt considerably off our gingerbread. - -It had been an exciting and eventful period, however, and had I gone -through it again with the experience I had gained in the trade, I could -have made large fortunes for my employers and myself; but in the early -part of the war, when the Northerners owing to want of ships could only -blockade the Southern ports in a half-hearted way, we let our golden -opportunity slip in trying to work with indifferent tools, _i.e._ slow, -worn-out, heavy-draught steamers, and it was not until almost too late -that my friends at home woke up and sent me out a better class of boat. -By that time the blockade had become most stringent, and to evade it was -an affair involving a tremendous risk, even with the fastest and best -equipped vessels and commanded by the most daring men. - -After closing up my affairs in Nassau I returned home for, what I think -I deserved, a well-earned rest; and I am sure I needed it, as the hard -life I had led, combined with the after effects of yellow fever and -fever and ague, had played havoc with my nervous system. This trouble -quiet life in England soon put right, and in a few months I found myself -bound for India as a partner in the house in Bombay, with quite a -different life to look forward to, but very pleasant recollections of -the experience I had gained and the good friends I had made. The death -rate, however, among those friends has lately been heavy, and there are -very few left (I think, sad to relate, Murray-Aynsley and Frank Hurst -now only remain) of the good comrades, who would always have stood by -each other in any difficulty or danger. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - BLOCKADES OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE - - Present compared with past conditions—Lessons of former - blockades—Plan of the Northern States—Action of the - Gulf-stream—Search-lights; their value to blockaders and - blockaded—Quick-firing guns—Speed of modern ships as affecting - a blockade—National character—Battle-ships and cruisers. - - -Although it is extremely improbable that the world will ever again -witness a war carried on under conditions similar to those obtaining in -the contest carried on between the North and South in the sixties, still -it is possible, as recent events have shown, that the United States -might find themselves involved in a struggle with a first-rate maritime -Power. If this were the case, the first step to be taken by that Power -would be to blockade the United States ports. This being so, it is -interesting to consider how, owing to increased speed, quick-firing -guns, and search-lights, the relationships between blockaders and -blockade-runners have been affected during the last thirty years. - -In the civil war the conditions were very different from those likely to -occur in the future; the blockade-runners of those days were unarmed, -and their business was to dodge, not to fight, the blockaders, and the -shortness of the run before a safe port could be reached made possible a -heavy outlay for building and maintaining special vessels. But to my -mind the most salient alteration in the conditions affecting the -question is the introduction of quick-firing guns, search-lights, and -increased speed. - -Before considering the effect of these changes on the future of -blockading, it will be as well to ascertain what lessons were learnt -from the blockade of the American coast. - -We soon discovered that with due care and pluck the risk was far less -than people believed; except in a few cases our losses were caused by -ignorance of position in making the port. In some cases this was owing -to the fact of our being chased about by day; in others it was caused by -the irregular action of the Gulf-stream; and in some cases it was due to -neglect and want of care in keeping a proper look-out at daylight; also -to not keeping clear of vessels when seen, and to steaming too fast when -not necessary, thereby causing smoke, which discovered to the blockaders -the position of the runner. Discovery (after taking all possible -precautions) by a faster vessel was the cause of a small minority of -captures. - -Again, the blockade was carried on on a wrong principle. The Northern -plan was,—to keep a number of ships close off the port, as a rule -anchoring by day and by night moving close in, and a few ships at a -moderate distance from the land. This plan enabled runners to lie out a -fair distance from the shore at sunset so as to run in when the time -came, having the whole night before them should they be seen. On coming -out, we felt that after the first ten miles or so from the shore there -was little chance of anything seeing us before daylight, and if we were -seen then the inshore squadron could not join in the chase. - -Off Bermuda I rarely saw a cruiser; off the Bahamas there were three or -four, but not well placed; at sea most of the cruisers were in pairs, as -far as I could make out; so that their limit of vision was only that of -one, and in such a case there is always the possibility of the one -trusting to the other to keep a good look-out. - -The action of the Gulf-stream was an important factor in the -calculations which the blockade-runners had to take into consideration. -Its rate is so uncertain, that unless you had taken a sight the day -before you got in you could not depend upon your position, and although -it could be verified by the soundings it could not be laid down by them -alone. Star observation, from the uncertain horizon, could not be -depended upon, and the moon of course was not available; on the other -hand, the general haze was in our favour. - -That in the future there will ever be a similar blockade is improbable; -it will be one of armed ships against armed ships, and the only -exception, if it can be called running a blockade, will be that of armed -merchant-ships bringing food to England, which will be required to meet -cruisers on the open sea, and not to run in and out of a blockaded port. - -I will now take up the three points of speed, quick-firing guns, and -search-lights. - -To begin with search-lights: on first thoughts the search-light would -appear to be a formidable weapon in the hands of the blockader; but on -consideration I don't think it is so, excepting perhaps in the case of a -runner being chased at night, or into the night, by a cruiser of equal -or superior speed which could, by means of her search-light, keep her -quarry under observation, and, if within range, perhaps speedily sink -her. In the dash through an inside squadron lying off a port this would -not apply. True, it would be very uncomfortable for the blockade-runner -to find herself within the sphere of a dozen search-lights all around -her, but it would be equally uncomfortable for the ships exhibiting -those lights were they within range of the protecting fort, as they -would most probably immediately be plugged by its guns. Moreover, a fort -supplied with search-lights could be constantly flashing them over the -area comprised within the range of its guns, and this would tend to -force a blockading fleet to keep at a more respectable distance and so -widen out and render the passage between its lines more easy for the -blockade-runner. - -The introduction of the search-light therefore appears to me to be in -favour of the runner. I assume that the light is in use at the port from -which the runner starts and is protected by guns. As most likely it will -be at fixed points, and as there can be no object for secrecy in its -use, it can be flashed from time to time irregularly so as to show -whether the vicinity of the port is clear of hostile cruisers or not. No -cruiser will care to come within range of the light; consequently the -runner will have the advantage of seeing his road is clear before him -when he starts, and the further out the cruisers are, the further apart, -given equal numbers, must they be. - -On the other hand, the blockader wishes to keep his position dark and -will not use his light for fear of being seen; so it is useless to him. -Again, a light on the Mound at Fort Fisher would have been invaluable to -us; the light thrown up into the air would have been of no use to the -blockader, while to us it would have fixed the position and enabled us -to run in with confidence. For my part, if in command of a blockader, -unless it was to call friends to my assistance, I would prefer not to -use the light. - -The present condition of affairs with regard to quick-firing guns and -the armament of modern war-vessels, in my opinion, would be distinctly -in favour of the blockader. Seeing how many more of this description of -gun are carried by our modern ships compared with the slow-firing -old-fashioned guns of thirty years ago, to say nothing of their -increased range and accuracy, I fear a blockade-runner would stand a -poor chance if she allowed herself to come within the range of the guns -of a cruiser so armed, at all events in daylight. Of course at night, -and if she were within the range of the guns of a protecting fort, her -chances would be more equally balanced; as the fort would be supplied -with similar guns to those of her assailants, and would doubtless use -them with effect. I am of the opinion, therefore, that the modern gun is -distinctly in favour of the blockader as compared with the runner. The -report of the quick-firing gun is much sharper and the flash much more -brilliant than that of the old-fashioned gun; and this constitutes an -additional element in favour of the blockader, for the report and flash, -being heard and seen at a greater distance, would call any neighbouring -cruiser to the blockader's assistance. - -Though the increase of speed attained by modern ships affects both -sides, the enormous speed now developed by cruisers and torpedo -destroyers would seem at first sight to give the blockading force a -distinct advantage. But if war-vessels have improved their speed -merchant-steamers have done the same; and, as I have pointed out in -previous chapters, the blockade-runner has several points in her favour -by always being in good going condition and on the alert, whereas the -blockader cannot always have steam handy or be ready for the advent of -the runner on the scene. If, however, the maritime Power in question -could afford a large number of exceedingly fast cruisers and torpedo -catchers to be constantly patrolling the seas adjacent to the blockaded -ports, and could keep those vessels supplied with coals, I think the -runner's chances of success would be materially reduced under the new -regime. But could this be done, seeing the difficulty there would be of -procuring coal and supplies from perhaps a distant base? There is one -factor resulting from increased speed which certainly is in favour of -the runner; that is, in consequence of her being at sea a shorter time -while making her hazardous passage, her risk is diminished. And this is -a material point. In the olden days it was considered a fast passage if -the distance between Wilmington and Nassau, which now could be traversed -in some thirty hours, was covered in fifty. On the whole, therefore, -increased speed is in favour of the runner. Speed requires coal, and a -man who knows what he has to do can economise coal to an extent -unattainable by the man whose movements are uncertain. He can be either -going full speed with clear fires, or be ready for it to a greater -extent than a man who is waiting until his speed is required. As -probably in the future there will not be short runs from shallow ports, -the runner can be of a size equal to, if not greater than, the -blockader; consequently, unless in smooth water, more likely to attain -greater speed. - -A point of great importance, which should not be overlooked, is the -effect of national character. In the American war, with the exception of -one or two Danes, all the officers and crews of the runners were either -British or Southerners. It is a question whether any other European -State would show sufficient spirit of enterprise to carry a blockade on -a large scale to a successful issue. What is wanted in blockade-runners -is not only capable leaders, but a large number of people who will trust -each other and their leaders. - -Hitherto I have only considered the question of evading a superior force -outside, and of being prepared to run and not to fight unless necessary. -A fleet, if going to sea, ought to go by day and fight its way out. A -squadron of cruisers, on the other hand, may find it advisable to slip -out night by night and meet at a given distant rendezvous, at the same -time being prepared to act on their own individual account if necessary; -_i.e._ if they find that the chance of the original plan cannot be -carried out. Ships of the line of battle cannot do this. They must in -all probability fight together or fail, as their not being able to come -out without fighting shows that there is a fleet of battle ships -outside. If equal powers are inside and out, I do not think that any -blockade can be made effective; the chances of breaking a modern -blockade compared with those which existed in the sixties are much the -same, provided the runner has the proper tools to work with, in the -shape of speedy and seaworthy steamers commanded and manned by -determined and cautious men. - - - - - INDEX - - Abaco lighthouse, 83 - - _Alabama_, the, 7, 8, 78 - - American Civil War, outbreak of, 1 - - Arab horse, an, 97, 98, 99 - - _Astoria_, the, 30 - - Avery, Mrs., 159 - - Azores, gale off the, 20 - - - Bahamas, the, 24, 27, 39, 48, 82, 169 - - _Banshee_, the, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 47, 48, - 51, 59, 64, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 84, 93, 114, 115 - breakdown of, 71 - capture of, 85 - crew of, 34 - defects of, 35 - engines of, 47 - fire on, 76, 77 - open house on, 65 - precautions on, 50 - total loss of, 85 - - _Banshee_ No. 2, the, 85, 98, 99, 100, 101, 124, 137, 139, - 141, 143, 148, 150, 151, 157, 160, 161, 163, 164 - - Baton Rouge, 159 - - Bayley, Mrs., 88 - - Bermuda, 24, 39, 115, 117, 129, 169 - - Big Hill, the, 53 - - Blockade, declaration, 3 - experts, 28 - lessons of the, 167 - - Blockaders and blockade-runners, 167 - - Blockade-running, excitement of, 49 - profits of, 10, 69, 85 - risks of, 10 - - Blockades of the future, 169 - - Blockading fleet, the, 6 - - Bragg, General, 163 - - Branchville, 137 - - British Government, attitude of, 9, 39 - - British merchants, Southern sympathies of, 38 - - Burgoyne, Captain Hugh, V.C., 59, 89, 91 - - Burroughs, Pilot, 43, 51, 52, 53, 75, 117 - - Butler, General, 133 - - - Cape Fear, 49 - - Cape Fear Club, 63 - - Cape Fear river, 44, 47, 58 - - Cape Hatteras, 4, 85 - - Capper, Captain, 101, 102, 108, 109 - - _Captain_, H.M.S., 59, 89, 91 - - Captures, 12 - - Charleston, 24, 25, 28, 38, 117, 137, 163 - ships blockading, 6 - trade of, 25 - - Chase, a weary, 81 - - City Point, 58 - - Clawson, Mr. T. W., 61 - - Collie and Co., Alexander, 26 - - Commerce destroyers, 7 - - Confederate fleet, the, 6, 7, 8 - ports, 11 - states, trade of, 18 - - _Congress_, the, 7 - - Craig's Landing, 60, 62 - - Crawford, Mr., 146 - - Cuba, 145, 162 - - _Cumberland_, the, 7 - - Curtis, General, 57, 61, 62, 63 - - - Danville, 135, 140 - - Davis, Mr. Jefferson, 97 - - Deserter, execution of a, 159 - - _Despatch_, the, 17, 30 - breakdown of, 19, 20 - cargo on, 17, 19 - condemned, 28 - in quarantine, 30 - reaches Nassau, 20 - release of, 32 - seizure of, 31 - start of, 19 - yellow fever on board, 30 - - Dinner bill, a, 139 - - Dixie, 58 - - Doering, Mr. Arthur, 88, 89, 94, 96 - - _Don_, the, 90 - - - Erskine, chief engineer, 42, 77, 78, 81, 82 - - _Eugénie_, the, 76 - - - _Falcon_, the, 124, 128 - - Farragut, Admiral, 8 - - Fastnet, the, 35 - - Federal Navy, inadequacy of the, 8 - - _Florida_, the, 7 - - Fort Caswell, 111, 112 - - Fort Fisher, 46, 48, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, - 67, 73, 99, 103, 113, 114, 116, 140, 141, 163 - - Fort Lafayette, 85 - - Fraser, Trenholm and Co., 26 - - Freight charges, 18 - - Funchal Bay, 38 - - - Galveston, 25, 44, 111, 148, 150, 151, - 152, 153, 157, 159, 160, 163 - - Galveston Bay, 157 - - Game-cock, a, 100 - - Georgia, 137 - - _Georgia_, the, 7 - - Grace Church, 57 - - _Great Eastern_, the, 59 - - Greenough or Greenhow, Mrs. Rose, 60, 128 - - Gulf-stream, action of the, 169 - - - Halifax, 115 - - Halpin, Captain, 59, 76, 77 - - Hamilton, 116 - - Hampton Roads, 7 - - Harper, Captain John, 63 - - Harper's Ferry, 57 - - Havana, 25, 145, 146, 148, 149, 154, 162, 164 - - Heiliger, Mr., 97, 133 - - Hewett, Captain, afterwards Admiral, V.C., 59, 89, 91, 124, 125 - - Hicks Pasha, 89 - - Hobart Pasha, 59, 89, 90 - Mrs., 87, 89 - - Hoke, General, 134 - - Holcombe, Professor, 60 - - Houston, 158, 159, 160 - - Hurst, Mr. Frank, 88, 90, 115, 148, 154, 158, 161, 165 - - - Infernal machine, an, 129 - - International Exhibition, the, 9 - - Irishman, a resourceful, 121 - - - James _Adger_, the, 78, 80, 84 - - James river, the, 135, 136 - - John Brown raid, the, 57 - - Joint Stock Companies, establishment of, 93 - - - Lafitte, Mr. J. B., 26 - - Lamb, Col. William, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63, - 67, 75, 99, 104, 118, 125, 137, 163 - Mrs., 56, 57 - - Lawley, Hon. Francis, 59 - - Lee, General, 135, 137 - army of, 137, 139, 163 - - Lincoln, President, 2, 3, 8 - - Liquidation, a disastrous, 164 - - Liverpool, 33 - confederate vessel in, 17 - feeling in, 3, 10 - - Loading, reckless, 66 - - Look-out man, pay of the, 48 - - - Madeira, 36 - - Maffitt, Captain, 42 - - Magruder, General, 157 - - May, Mr., 126 - - _Merrimac_, the, 7, 8 - - Mexico, Gulf of, 149, 162 - - _Minnesota_, the, 67 - - Mississippi, the, 159 - - Mobile, 7, 8, 25 - - _Monitor_, the, 7 - - Murray-Aynsley, Admiral, 59, 79, 81, 83, 90, 92, 165 - Mrs., 87, 89 - - - Nassau, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, 47, - 69, 80, 82, 101, 109, 114, 115, 129, 131, 133, 140, - 141, 145, 146, 147, 149, 160, 162, 163, 165, 174 - agencies at, 24 - freight charges at, 18 - life at, 86-100 - yellow fever at, 96, 97 - - National character, 175 - - New Orleans, 25 - - New Providence, 20 - - New York, 30 - - _Night Hawk_, the, 59, 116, 117, 118, 126, 162, 164 - boarded by Northerners, 120 - on fire, 121, 122, 123 - - _Niphon_, the, 74 - - Norfolk Navy Yard, 5, 7 - - Norfolk, surrender of, 57 - - North Breaker shoal, the, 54, 73, 119 - - North, policy of the, 29 - - "Norther," a, 149, 150, 154 - - Northerners, energy of the, 5 - fleet of the, 5 - views of, as to belligerents, 36 - - - _Oreto_, the, 42 - - Orton, 58 - - - Paris, Congress at, 4 - - Petersburg, 133, 135 - - Plimsoll Act, the, 16 - - Port Royal, 30 - - Porter's fleet, admiral, 60, 140, 141, 142 - - Portman, Mr. Maurice, 89 - - Potomac river, 4 - - Power, Mr. Tom, 64 - - Providence, 57 - - - Quarantine, 97 - - Queenstown, 20, 35 - - Quick-firing guns, 172 - - - Race, a ding-dong, 79 - - Randolph, General, 142 - Mrs., 143 - - _Rappahanock_, the, 8 - - Rhode Island, 57 - - Richmond, 44, 98, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 140 - privations in, 138 - - Rio Grande, the, 4 - - "Roberts," Captain, 59, 90, 91 - - Royal Proclamation, reception of a, 9 - - - St. John, 32 - - Savannah, 42 - - Search-lights, 170, 171 - - Seceding States, seaboard of, 4 - - _Shenandoah_, the, 7 - - Sherman, General, 137 - - Smith's Inlet, 118 - - Smith's Island, 45 - - Somnambulism, 20, 21 - - South, acknowledgment of the, as belligerents, 3 - partisan leaning towards, 12 - - _Southern Historical Papers_, extract from, 57 - - Southern Ports, blockade of the, 3 - cargo suitable for, 18 - States, secession of, 2 - traders, 26 - - Southerners, Navy of the, 6, 7 - - Speed of vessels, 173 - - Stanton, Mr. Secretary, 58 - - Steele, Captain, 41, 42, 51, 52, 53, 67, 76, - 78, 79, 82, 85, 89, 109, 113, 152, 154 - - _Stormy Petrel_, the, 114 - - Stowaway, a, 80 - - Suakim, Admiral Hewett, V.C., at, 91 - - _Sumpter_, the, 8 - - - _Tallahasse_, the, 8 - - Taylor, Mr. Tom, 59 - - Tennessee, 137 - - _Tennessee_, the, 8 - - Texas, 158 - - _Trent_ affair, the, 13, 39 - - _Trent_, the, 13 - - Tripod, the, 161, 162 - - _Tristram Shandy_, the, 94, 95 - - _Tubal Cain_, the, 42 - - - United States, fleet of the, 4 - Mercantile Navy of the, 8 - - - _Venus_, the, 92 - - Virginia, 140 - - Vizitelly, Mr. Frank, 59, 89 - - - War, end of the, 163 - - Washington, 58, 85 - - Watson, Mr. L. G., 26, 89 - - Whiting, General, 60, 62 - - Whitworth guns, Colonel Lamb's, 56, 137 - - _Wild Dayrell_, the, 111, 114 - loss of, 113 - - _Wild Rover_, the, 114, 141 - - Wilkes, Captain, afterwards Admiral, 13, 14, 39, 40 - - _Will-o'-the-wisp_, the, 101, 114, 144, 151 - ashore, 105 - destruction of, 111 - on fire, 106 - sale of, 110 - - Wilmington, 24, 25, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47, 58, - 64, 66, 80, 83, 92, 95, 102, 106, 115, - 117, 125, 127, 128, 131, 132, 137, 139, - 140, 142, 145, 148, 149, 157, 163, 174 - ships blockading, 6 - ship-building at, 8 - trade of, 25 - yellow fever at, 96, 97 - - Wilmington Bar, 46, 118 - - _Wilmington_, the, 63 - - _Wilmington Messenger_, extract from the, 61 - - Wood, Mr. Henry, 63 - - - Yellow Fever, 96 - - - - - THE END - - - _Printed by_ R. & R. 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