Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-10
"REMINISCENCES OF THE WAR
Adventures OF the Confederate
Blockade Runners.
How a Confederate Blockade
Runner Hoodwinked q Brit
ish Naval officer.
From the Nineteenth Coming.

| line Nate was as clean as new
! pin, officers and men dressed foI
company, and Capt. Tom, with th'
easy courtesy of a man of th'
world, quickly made every indivi
dual on board feel as if he, she ant
it were his own personal guests
No man knows how to plant anC
reap blessings better than Ton
Oakley, The fine band of the second
West India Regiment-all blacks
was on board, and added to the zest
of the occasion with music that
would not be discreditable in the
Tacon Theatre or Hyde Park. ]
ought to tell you, by the way, that
this regiment is composed entirely
of negroes, every one of whom is
a picked man, six feet in height
and when they appear on parade,
dressed in their Zouave uniform
and drilled so that they move like
a vast machine, there is not more
striking military spectacle on a
small scale to be seen on this mum
dane sphere. The officers are all
white, and, as general thing,
educated.
After steaming around for three
or four hours, we ran up to the
eastward and came to anchor. The
awnings were spread and the decks
cleared for a dinner. Meanwhile,
the steward and his assistants had
prepared the handsomest banquet
which the place and circumstances
could afford; and if ever the royal
road to peoples hearts was found
through the human stomach, it was
certainly discovered on that occa-
sion. The dignitaries of the island
were all graciousness, and as the wine
flowed and tongues loosened, l saw
the target at which Capt. Tom was
driving bis hospitable lance.
It's SO easy to blind a man eyes
with good dinner. In nine cases
out of ten, a basket of champagne
will warp mans conscience to the
most accommodating degree; and it
has not unfrequently proved the
fact that when a government official
is concerned in contraband transae'
tlons, the cloak he wraps around
him is like that of charity ITSELF
sit covered a multitude of sins"
An evidence Of the intensity of
feeling at this time among the
islanders, was furnished on our
trip back in the afternoon. The
mate of vessel lying at one of the
wharves, seeing US approaching
with the English colors at our mast
head, ran up to his own fore peak
the cross of st. George beneath the
stars and stripes. This act so en-
ragged the citizens that they went on
board of the American vessel, tore
down the American flag, and in a
moment rent it in a thousand tat
ters. On landing, the officers of
the West India regiment, who had
been our guests, likewise excited at
what they deemed an insult to the
Queen, rushed into the crowd,
gathered all the fragments they
could obtain and carried them to
their quarters. The upshot of the
affair was, that in the course of an
hour the captain of the vessel came
on board of the "Kate" and apollo
gized for what he called the unwar-
rantable act of his drunken mate.
Tom, as matter of course, took
the apology with all the dignity of
bloody minded and indignant
Rnglishman, and was not appeased
until the skipper balanced accounts
with case of the best brandy in
port. Consul Sam. Whiting-a jolly
good fellow, by the way-Was not
so easily satisfied, and making COM
plant the next day to the Governor
of the island, every blessed West
Indian who had q fragment of the
unfortunate banner big as a ten
cent piece, was obliged to deliver
the same to the irate representative
Of the United States of America,
after which, suitable apology was
made by the authorities of the
island.
The way was now paved for the
accomplishment of our object, which
was to obtain a cargo of arms and
ammunition Of war, that had been
ordered by the Confederate govern
ment, and which it was vitality i'm
portant should be placed in the
hands of our Western army, then in
the vicinity of Corinth, with the
least possible delay.
This war material had been
brought to Nassau by an English
brig, and part of her cargo was
unloaded at the dock, but as suspi-
cion had been aroused that things
were not exactly what they seemed,
she had dropped down some dis
tance from the town and lay in the
stream awaiting our arrival. As
many vessels were constantly
coming and going, these movements
occasioned no especial comment.
In two days after our excursion
party, we coaled, and steaming up
to the dock, took in the portion of
cargo which had been deposited as
above described. We then dropped
down along side of the English
brig.
The custom house officer de-
tached to attend US, was as black
as your hat, but, nevertheless, a
courteous and intelligent official.
Oakley had industriously cultivated
this fellows acquaintance, and he
was 50 completely magnetized by
the peculiar manipulations of the
old blockade runner that he never
saw anything that was not proper
to be seen, except twenty dollar
gold pieces or bottle of wine, and,
for all Confederate purposes, was
as blind as an owl in the sunlight.
The arms and accoutrements
were packed in boxes and marked
Hardware" and in all probability
the custom house official aforesaid,
is to the present day, prepared TO
swear the most horrible oath that
they contained in truth only legiti-
mate spades and shovels, manu-
factured in Springfield, Massachu-
sets.