Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-27

DGubIle55 tD6ly E6dueEs OF JGS ABtkAL
dGring the war, perused with interest the
meagre accounts then published Of tht
doings OF the blockade runners, and
would be glad 60 learn something more
of s business that gave employment tC
so large portion OF the Federal navy.
Up to the time when the Federal Gov
srDment was enabled TO close the South
ern seaports with powerful squadrOBs,
extraordinary efforts hsd not been m sds
to export the vast quantities of cotton
Iylag idle 10 he Sou he7n States. The
fatal neglect u the Confederate Govern
meIt % obtain possession nf this power
ful auxiliary snd safely bestow it abroad
as sn almost exhaUstless magazine Of the
sineWs Of war, kept down the price Of
the staple and discouraged private enter
prise. Bat the moment the blockade
had fixed it's uurelsxing grasp upon ev-
cry Southern seaport, the price Of cotton
abroad went up like q rocket, aud sort
Of mania for blocBads.running seemed
to seize upon everybody interested in 8
tunes we're amssssd with bewilderiDg
rapidly, and this led to the most daring
and reckless efforts on the part Of the
blockade runners. Vlysg we're under
taken in crafts tpst could not nave lived
Sd hour IN gale OF Wind sni 3 heavy
Sea, and fast vessels frequently came in,
loaded wi h foreign goods, 10 open day
light aud running the gsun let Of dre
through the blOckading Fl -sts. Those
whose investments were seized by the
blOckaders OF cruisers, or swallowed up
IN the waves Of the Gulf, eOusOied them
selves with the Idea that they had cut
lost something TIE mere possession o.
which was useless to them, and neither
losses nor dangers Oper zted ss the slight
est curb upon the bold spirit Of enter
prise which Cefisd alike the terrors 0
Yankee CSunon and Of the treacherous
gulf. o. one occasion 6 cruiser cap
tured 8 cg.ton-lUaded craft Of such Lii
putiRn Dimensions that t1s wsggisn
Yankee com mauder rove tsckling to her
ana hauled ner up 70 his ysrd arm, car
20, OUTFIT aud crew con Diete, the latter
cOnsistiE < Of two men aud pet animal
OF sJme sort. TIE captive SKIPPER swore
fegrfuily at this Insult, but was only
laugbed d al ana b!ackgusrded the more
on tnat account. l happened to be on
the mule N Havana one day, when y
little dinkry With Que sail (nO ji6), carry
ing 8 iull load Oi two aud half bales Of
cotton, aud navIgstesi by one man, Cane
10 frum The cozs, " FlOTida. Tne CHIEF
oficer Of the port, Ia hls gsily decorated
-. a
ly craft into the hsTbOr with ~ much
pOmp AID Csremouy rs il she had been
. fret class blockade runner. bearii
hundreds OF bales Of the precious staple,
which was then selling for about dollar
q pound She was received Wilh cheers
and shouts Uf laughter from the hetsr0-
g-neOus crowd Of ship captains, block
.ae runners and wondering HabsnerOs
assembled upon the mole, and the hair
b-aiued navigator, who had found his
way over without chart or compass,
was almost carried bodily up town
by his sdmiriUg friends. For tlme he
Wss q real sea lion.
Il would be q mistake 10 suppose that
the animus Of blocksde-running Wss
hostility TO the Federal Government, OF
that il was carried OD exclusively by
those who sympathIzed with the South |
can cause. Many foreigners were en- |
gagged In il, and many a taut, swift |
schooner, with Yankee captain AMI |
crew, came out from the North End /
dashed through the c5rdOn Of war |
stes mers, landed her cargo, took aboard |
another Of cotton ana dashed oug sgain, |
generally succeeding II making the |
Iripn and realizing enormous prOfts. /
Two of these sdVeDturers Came into the |
hsrbor OF Mobile in 1858. They were /
exceeedingiy beautiful sohOOners Of /
about seventy toms each, and the day /
before one OF them sailed her Yankee /
captain sROre emphRtically that with = /
fair wind he cO1fd Outtun any steamer 4
in the block sding squadron. TnUse who 1
scanned sdmiriugly the sym mstrlcai |
lines and tail taPeung spars VI the lovely |
craft did not think the captains prOfane ,
boSst an empty one, and among them
was the celebrated yacht builder OF New |
Orleans, John MahOney, who took pas
sage IN ner for Havana. Trusting too /
confidently to her heels, however, she /
undertook TO run out through the main
channel, where most of the blOckSders
were lying with banked fires and /
baoyed anchors, reSdy 10 slip the
latter and give chase, and passing /
too near one of these the unfortunate
schooner was discovered aud SOON brought |
to by few OF those terrible shells, which /