The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-01

CHARLESTON, S.
icied, bag and baggage, in the compact cabi
Of the ship-but not to sleep. no, not for many
an hour to come. few friends spent the
parting moments in in the little se!on, and be-
tomary at such time but to all it was g
s?lemn occasion. To some, the farewell then
uttered ute a WAS WIS not to be broken BY "veleome
adieu TO camp. and swords had been beaten
into plouR Rhshares. Some in that little com.
pany were not again to look upon home with
out the sutteranoe OF the conqueror and then
desolate in it's associations the household
gods broken, tho fire Of national pride extln-
gnishs1, end s:io hoPos shas burned 30 orig III
~ once, but ashes on the hearth.
The name OF our steamer was the "Theodo-
ra," so called in honor OF one Of the large.
hearted citizens OF Charleston. Previous to
| the war she was employed in running between
this city and Fernandina, Fla, but subsequent
ly was fitted out as guard and dispatch boat,
and carried an armament of two guns. Though
small, beng only FIVE hundred tons burthen,
she was both sturdy and fast. When pressed,
the Theodore" could knock off fourteen knots
an hour.
Good fortune waited upon us at the outset.
The night was not merely dark, but absolutely
the heavens In Grape, or emptied Ill her ebon
dyes. she could not have made more univer-
sal blot. Lowering clouds mufied the stars,
and and the rain poured, mot with drops and
sheets. Never did storm make sweeter music
to the mind than that long, dull splsahing of
the waters OF heaven as they mingled with
1t was, 1t sounded In our ears like billoWy
anthem singing US safely on our way Through
the Gordon Of sentinels keeping vigil at the
outposts Of the harbor.
Az 1aef cauno Tni1nioht onI ~ o,,,,
order OF the captain, 'Let 30. alll" Hawsers
we're hauled in and coiled away the decks
cleared, and the captain went his final rounds
to enjoin silence and see that every light was
doused. Not even cigar could be smoked.
some OF the male members of our party are
on deck: Drenched by the pelt:ng rain, we
watch the lights OF the city. one BY one, fade
in the distance. and as the last twinkling land
mark disappe ars from view, the pail around us
Is not darker than that which settles upon our
hearts.
Solemn. Silent, with memories Of the past
and gloomy forebodings crowding the mind,
We are thus o:rried on for half an hour or more,
until. suddenly from the pilot-house, Captain
0key calls sttenian to great dark object
we can almost feel the passing shadow. Il is
Fort Sumter, the grim old veteran, whose
sleepless eye for four long years never closed
upon his charge.
culnlnate. The blockading squadron ARE but
mile or two away. They lie across our path,
and we know that steam is up and they are
keen upon the scent; Ten minutes more and
still! grapdy impenetrab!e. The captain, with
| night-glass in hand, reels, but peers in vain
for some sign OF the distant ships. Meanwhile
we have entered the narrow channel, and are
rapidly, but cautiously. working out to sea.
The little Theodore" pIunges along the
| ronghening waves as II instinct with human
Will. You feel the pulsations Of the heavy ma
chinery end the trembe of the steamers frame:
you see the phosphorescent CLEAN along her
sides, but all else is wrapped in silence and the
| shade immense"
The wind has freshened, and. as is whisper
an awful hurry, = and so on, on, on, we rush to
Fate. Two, three, Eve minutes pass, but
they drag. like hours. eve count time by
heart-throbs." We are nearing the Federal
And with bated breath we behold In faint
stream Of light, through rift in the scudding
Clouds the long black hull OF a .'bl6okader"
not more than fifty yards. distant fcom our
IN which men live . ifet,me. Thero is a.snd-
den whirl Of the wheel In the pilot house; quick
as flash the course of the steamer is changed,
| through the speaking tube that communicates
with the engine room "Orowd her now; give
ls her eyerythingl" We feel the mighty throb Of
| lunge. as il new life had been infused into
her veins, the "Theodora". speeds from the
| danger like frightened race-horse.
once more the darkness settles around US:
| stil every second wo expect o shot. We lis.
ten for an alarm; we look for rockets and sig
| nal lights. 1t scarcely seems possible that We
should have almost run the enemy down and
not been discovered; yet it is even go, and o
half hour later we have the qualification Of ac-
companying Captain Oakley TO the cabin. where
he communicates to the anxious occupants the
cheering news that We are beyond the reach Of
In the morning, and over q sti1fly brewed
punch we unite our congratulations in the little
salon and retire to rest
Three days more we arrived in Nassau. N.
P.-the Paradise Of blockade runners and spec
! ulators. Here we saw another of our tormen-
ters in the shape OF small schooner empIoyed
sist vessels in danger and save their careoes
when wrecked; and as we steamed ia with tha
Confederate flag flying boldly at the masthead.
she made for us. In the dead calm which pre.
the advantage of the Yankee akipper's sweeps.
and he looked biliously blue when We after.