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London, England, 1864-07-04 00:00:00

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THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 4, 1864.

How to Run the Blockade,

(From the Times Special Correspowlent.)

WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, Jun© 6.

It is difficult for an Englishman who desires to
pierce the American blockade to decide which of the
available routes offers the greatest facilities and at-
tractions. My own experience during the present
year would seem to prove that, as regards time, there
is little choice between land and water. Upon the
17th of last January I started from Richmond, and,
making my way across the Potomac and passing
rapidly through Washington and New York, stood
upon British soil upon the 6th of February—that is
to say, upon the 20th day after my departure from
Secessis. Upon the 15th of May I left Queenstown,
and, passing through Halifax and Bermuda, found
the vessel which carried the from Bermuda safely
moored in Cape Fear River (upon which Wilmington
stands) on the night of the 4th of June—that is
again to say, upon the 20th day after my depar-
ture from England. Bat, unquestionably, as regards
endurance of fatigue and facility for conveying
luggage, the sea route is infinitely preferable to the
land, and is attended with less personal jeopardy,
although there is a mauvais quart d'heure, experi-
enced at the moment of passing through the inside
blockading squadron, which in intensity of excite-
ment can hardly be surpassed.
Upon the evening of Wednesday, the Ist of June,
the Lilian and the Florio, two of the fleetest and
most beautiful of the blookadeedefying vessels,
started simultaneously from Bermuda upon the first
trip inward which either had ever made. Both be-
long to the same company, but there is an emulation
between the two rival vessels which is not satisfac-
torily allayed by their experiences hitherto, bat
which waits the solution of further trial. The
weather was lovely, the sea like a milldam, and
favourable beyond expression to light draught and
igossamer craft, such as are these blockade-runners,
which lightly scratch the surface instead of clutch-
inghav
ethe o ridsmo which in summer seas
andheavy seagoing craft, like
the Rhode Island or the Vanderbilt, than has the Irish
r more
oft
o oldfe
aorc
feraonm,
night express from the lumbering freight train
which leaves Euston-square five minutes is its rear.
Rarely have two more attractive prizes slipped
through the meshes of the blockade than the two
vessels of which lam writing. It is not alone that
they would be invaluable with a view to their con-
version into Federal cruisers, or that two of the
most valuable cargoes which have yet reached
Wilmington avet:.t at this instant the disposal of
the Confederate Gove:nment, but that on board
both vessels were Confederate " malignants," whose
capture would have been a sweet m'rsel to many a
craving palate in Washington and Boston, To many
an English reader the name of Captain Maffit, lately
in command of the Confederate cruiser Florida, is
well known as having assisted Captain Semmes and
the Alabama to demonstrate that two light, and, as
regards equipment, comparatively insignificant
vessels of war would have little difficulty in driving
from the ocean a flag which three years ago might
have been seen upon every wave of every sea. It
may be remarked that this is a lesson to which, of
all nations, England can least afford to be blind.
My experience on board the Lilian leads me to
anticipate for Capt. Maffit and his vessel—a credit
to her builders, Messrs. Thompson, of Glasgow—a
long and prosperous career. An incident which
occurred 200 miles from Wilmington, in a portion
of the ocean which is constantly swept by Federal
cruisers, seems worthy of record. Upon our port bow
was descried a sail enveloped in a dense canopy of
smoke. Time was ineffably precious—there was
every reason to suspect Yankee guile, which is said
to be nowhere more fertilely exhibited than in their
conduct of toe blockade; but it was deemed possible,
after careful scrutiny, that the vessel might be on
fire. Briefly remarking, " The ship which leaves a
companion at sea in distress must be accursed,"
Captain Maffit ordered our course to be altered,
and bore down upon the stranger. It soon be-
came evident that she was a Federal cruiser, making
a dense white smoke with her Cumberland coal, and
beating rapidly eastward in apparent pursuit of
another delinquent. The helm was rapidly changed,
and our course resumed. Dark and inscrutable came
OD the noon, defying all possibility of an observation.
It was believed that, ere the morrow's dawn should
break, we might reach Wilmington, and onward we
pressed. The night wore rapidly away ; 2 o'clock,
3 o'clock, half.past 3 o'clock in the morning came,
out by no eye peering through the thick gloom
could the looked-for light at Fort Fisher be dis-
cerned. Then, as the morning dawned, we prepared
to lay to for the day, between the outer and inner
cordon of the blockaders. It was hardly to be ex.
pected that we should escape for 16 hours unobserved,
but it was a signal instance of good luck that from
4 in the morning till half-past 1 p.m. we were unmo-
lested. Then the tall masts of a large Federal
cruiser, her immense paddlewheels and lofty black
hull were visible, and for the first time, as our an-
tagonist approached us from the direction of Wil-
mington, the "airy
fairy Lilian" prepared to give
us assurance of that speed which we all felt she
possessed. Some slight delay there was before steam
could be fully got up, and for some 20 minutes our
pursuer seemed to gain upon us. But as the pressure
of steam ascended from 151 b. to 20, from 20 to 23,
from 23 to 26, and as the revolutions of the paddle
mounted from 26 to 28, from 28 to 33 per minute,
the Lilian flew out to sea swift as an arrow from a
bow. In little more than two hours the hull of our
pursuer was invisible, and her topgallant sails a
speck upon the distant horizon. Bat as she still lay
between us and Wilmington it became necessary to
run round her. This also the light-heeled Lilian
had little difficulty in accomplishing; but as the
sun dropped into the sea, and our pursuer,
although distant, still hung upon our rear, we
found that, reckoning little the speed of our
advance, we bad sighted the inside blockade
squadron before the close of day. There was no-
thing for it but to persevere, and fortunately before
we approached close to land, darkness had com-
pletely set in. Silently and with bated breath we
passed cruiser after cruiser, distinctly visible to
every eye, and suggesting g the flashing out of a blue
or Drummond light and the rush of grapeshot and
shrapnel through our rigging and bulwarks. But
it was not destined that upon this occasion the Lilian
should receive her baptism of fire. Just as we ape
proach Fort Fisher a dark spot is seen on the bar.
It is a Federal launch, seen by us too late for Capt.
Maffit to indulge the anxious wish of his heart and
to run her down, We pass her within 20 yards,
and again the expected volley of musketry is want.
ing. Another moment and we are under theimound
upon which stands the fort, and eagerly questioned
for sews. " The news is good all round." " Three
times three for General Johnston ;" "six times six
for General Lee;" and in mirth and laughter and
song the night wears away. Three hours after us
comes the Florio, and is heavily fired at as she
wears inwards. But morning finds both vessels
and their cargoes safe at their wharf in Wilming-
ton, nor is it rash to predict for them both the pro-
bability of many returns. At least it may safely
be augured that it will take no ordinary amount of
speed and courage to circumvent so fearless and
experienced a sailor as Captain Maffit, and that in
his new career his skill and success will not be infe-
rior to those which he exhibited in his old.
I cannot leave the subject of the blockade with-
out pointing the moral which is being taught by it,
and which it is inconceivable why England does
not take more pains to understand. There is no
nation upon earth which has a tenth of the interest
which England has in closely observing the work-
ing of the only blockade on a large and imperial
scale which has been established since the intro-.
duetion of steam navigation. It can scarcely be
pretended that information in regard to the system
of showing lights to guide incoming vessels, con-
cerning the fine intricacies of detail which
experience has taught to the blockade runners of