The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-10-18
Running The Blockade.
AN INCIDENT OF THE LAST WAR,

j
Battery, when the feet that chased the
Constitution SO hard was blockading the
channel at both ends of Long Island, keep
ing such sharp look out and with their
frigates and tenders that not craft dare
stir out Of her anchorage. This made me
as cross as an English man o'-war's>man
on short rations; for I was lying in port,
feeding a crew, keeping my craft on ex-
pense, and all that; and it didn't suit my
free-born nature to be cooped up like a
stray pig in strange pen, when | knew
money was to be made on blue water, if
I could reach it; So one day mustered
the crew aft, and spun them off a bit of a
speech, told 'em it was all humbug for us
to be lying there doing nothing, and ask
ed 'em if they would stand by me to the
last if would run the blockade, telling
EN- at the same time that | intended to
let the craft sink before she should be
captured; that the stars and stripes should
never come down from the schooners
truck while she Hoated above water.
,a The crew gave me three cheers, and
that was all the answer wanted so I
gave orders to restow the hold, clean up
the arms, and get everything ready for sea.
Il intended to take the first nor'-west wind
and dark night and try the run. ,r
I didn'. have to wait long before the
night and nor -wester came It was in
deed fne night for my work. The wind
came ftfullys off the land in squalls; the
heavy clouds that came tumbling, along
between the stars and the earth made ev.
erything as dark asthe middle of tar
bucket and the rain came down as if the
caulking of the sky had fallen out.
i Soon after the darkness had got fairly
settled l called all hands, and reefed fore
topsail and jib, and with the wind on my
starboard quarter. stood down the bay,
steering by compass and soundings. d..
1t was uncommonly dark, and once in
while squaIl would sweep down the
bay, bellyiDg out our scanty sails, and
bending the creakipg spars over the bows
while the craft quivered like dry lea
in the autumnal blast.
We showed no light, and kept as quie
| as mouse when the cat is in its vicinity
as we neared Sunday Hook, for We knew
that the tenders of the fleet would lie close
under the land, so as to make lee, a:
| also to keep lookout for coasters. or the
like of US, who might take advantage o
the weather and try to give them tEt
slip. - be- ....- .
We kept on very we'll till we were clea
of the point -ofthe Hook, and were strectcl
ing away over the middle ground litttl,
under three>fathom sounding, when l wht
was forward by the heel of the bowsprit
with night glass in my hand, trying t.
send my eyes ahead into the darkness
suddenly caught glimpse of darl
object, close aboard and directly ahead o
us. l had scarcely, sung out, "Hard-
pert your helm J, to the steersman, whel
luf'ing up in the wind little, we passe'
close alongside of a large schoosr, whicl
was lying to on the offshore track, wit
close reefed e-sail set As we swep
passed her, i saw at once that she wa
a man-of- war, and at the same time he
officer of the deck hailed us: Fl s;-a.
''Schooner ahoy Who are you?-
Heave to, or Ell fire into YOU" @' RE-
l was SO completely thrown aback b
this sudden meeting, that forgot to ar
swer him, and on we swiftly swept in th
darkness, without even giving him lisl
to show where we were. But he wa
pretty good at guessing, for within four c
five minutes a shot came whizzing alon
not more than forty or fifty fatholns t
the leeward of us and then we could sc
lights glancing about her decks, and a
hands was called we knew he was NAL
ing sail in chase. z.... a.. -....
Light no !" sung out man frol
aloft, and then in an instant added :
Lights ahead, and on both bows, Sir "
{ Then before the words We're out OF tn
topman's mouth, my first Lieutenant sun
out from the quarter deck, Light on IL
, weather quarter and beam, Captain BoV
, line - .l r..af g.,... ...s..t --a...
! clambered aloft, and took look wit
my glass. and saw that we were eomplet
" hemmed in. A circle flight surrou
= ded u.s. all of which l knew came from II
a enemy's shipping, and to crown the who
: and make bad fx worse, the rascal who
I had just passed but a moment befor
h commenced throwing up signal -rocke
ITO show where our schooner was. aer
Asmy glass swept around that circle
I. lights I thought that Ia got nv self in
!. bad scrape and wished from the Iowernc