The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-04
BLOCKADE RUNNING.

The following letter describes voyage out from
Wilmington, through the blockaders, before the
fall Of Fort Fisher. The writer has since been cap
tured on board the blockake-running steamer Stag:
srpAusuIp sSTAG," ST. GEORGES, BERMUDA,
January l, 1865.
n, Dear Father For being allowed the privi-
Ieee of once writing you from point OF safety
mincton, feel the profoundest gratitude to the
Almig Being, to whose mercy alone attribute
the fact of our not being lost. The opening OF this
letter will no doubt I'LL you with the same feehng;
and knowing that you will be eager for them,
Will Give some Of the particulars, which can never
be etf.ced from my memory
Just before leaving the coast Of North Carolina,
wrote NJ, informing her. Of our expected departure
on the night previous to Thursday, which letter
hope she has received.
H9ht arrived, and about II N. We got under
way, having no difficulty IN evadng the blockadlng
so.a 1ron from the fact that nearly all the ships
hsa been called off from the "bar'' lover which We
na.sel to participate in the attack on Fort Fisher
above, the whole of which witnessed with great
satisfaction particularly when discovered that our
guns were having such telling effect. The next day
davned upon us most beautifully, the sun almost
surrassng himself in the brilliancy Of his rays, and
the ocean smoother than it gets to be once In six
are ,arno.ed 10 know. onward our little steamer
sred. seemingly conscious Of the task before her,
and every one on board in the highest spirits, little
aware OF tho peril through which We had to pass,
and the tecxible amount OF mental suffering to be
horne befoiV reaching our point Of destination.
Thus passed the anniversary OF the birth OF our
Lord and Saviour, with no incident worth mention
ing except the having at top speed twce during
the dav to escape a Yankee cruiser, which lay oil
the Cult stream, causing us to leave our course
some sixty or seventy miles, but which, lnstc.d OF
exciting the least ALARM served only to make the
time more interesting
Retiring to my berth about the usual time. my
slumbers were disturbed towards day By the rapid
| rocking Of the ship, which was soon afterwards
I~v hAnHy r1v~d h1Rh
had sprung up during the night tossing the sea up
to what considered fearful height, but which, n
| comparison to what ensued the following night,
amounted to nothing.
Monday came and passed, the roughness of the
water not permitting US to make quite as much
headway as the day before but towards the after
the Wind increased i'll fury. rcndel1nX 1t dan
gerous for a person to show his head outside the
cabin and causing the breakers to dash across the
deck at terrible rate. In the meantime, there was
much sea-sickness, with which I myself suffered
very little, as I anticipated.
| The next morning, the wind and sea having sub
sided considerably, the time appointed for our
arrival at St. Georges, but when four O'Clock ar
rived, and the at the. masthead failed to sing
out Gland ahead" the reaction in my feelings was
indescrbably awful It is painful to think Of even
| now. Upon examination, we found we were lost
somewhere in the Atlantic ocean, but exactly where
! We did not know, with only two days coal and q
very. email amount Of provisions and water on
hand
| The only hope for us was in meeting up with some
sail. accidentally hitting upon land By hoafins
about in different directlons until the coal was out
| otherwise our condition vas truly alarming. But
thank Heaven. No came in sight of terra trina or
Friday evening, after being at SEA eix days and iii
nights, and now safe at anchor IN the haFbor 9
St. Georges. not, however, without passng through
another fearful gale on Thursday night, the shi]
sustaining some. injury, but not Of serioul
character. The same night that we put to sea tn
/ "Talisman" followed, aud was unfortunate enough
to be lost. Her crew arrived to-day, having beer
| taken m hv Yankee merchantinan whilst thei
ship tthe ~ was in sinking condition Old sailor,
report 1t 70 havo been terrible time for ahips.-
Nearly all that have arrived here In the last fey
| days have been injured moro or less.
| There is ths greatest eagesnsss here I'll the tim
| to gct news from the Ccnfaderacy; and Whenever
steamer Strives, she is at once surrounded bJ
greet nnmber At little h0ats, 6llssl with A. grtat
variety Of hninan beings all intent On the AaIsa
business--that Il news. The negro u the pEedosni
naut element and Il white man condncse himael
properly, hs alay consider himself enits - ,ea1d 9