Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-07-09
FROM XIX Century," an Illustrated Monthly,
published in Charleston, s. o.
adventures of Confederate Blockade
Runners.
uoxv Confederate Blockade Run1er
tEooa xyinked o. Britain Naval Ohhcer.

,soyv Confederate Blockade RunUe
Hood vinked o. Britain Naval Officer.
Tba kate was as clean as q new pin
officers and men dressed for company, aha
raptain Tom, with the easy courtesy OF
nan os the world, quickly made every III
.Iiyidual on board feel as II he, she and
ere his own personal guests. No maj
knows how TO plant and reap blessing
letter than Tom Oakley. The fine banl
If the second West India Regiment-al
blacks -was on board, and added to The
st of the occasion with music that would
not be discreditable in the Tacon Theatre
ar HYDE Park. | ought to tell you, by the
nav, that this regiment Is composed en-
t;rrly of negroes, every one OF whom is q
licked man, six feet in height, and when
thcy appear on parade, dressed in their
Innaye uniform, and drilled so that they
move like a vast machine, there Is not q
more striking military spectacle on a small
.c,ic to be seen on this mundane sphere.
The officers are all white, and, as q general
thing, educated.
After steaming around for three or four
ho1rs, we ran up to the eastward and came
:, an anchor The awnings were spread
md the decks cleared for dinner Mean
while. the steward and his assistants mad
,repared tn. handsCmest banquet which
The place aud circumstances could afford
and if ever the royal road to people,
Iearts was found through the human stOm-
a.h. it was certainly discovered on that
.sc,siun The dignitaries of the island
,epre all graClOuSneSs, and as the wine flow
Il aud tongues ioosened, l saw the tar
,.t NJ which Captain Tom was driving his
lU,pitabie lance.
It's 50 easy to blind Il mans eyes with Il
GOOD dinner. In nine cases out of ten, q
basket Of champagne will warp a mans
conscience to the most accommodating
degree and it has not unfrequently proved
the fact that when a government official
is concerned in cOntraband transactions,
the cloak he wraps around him is like that
Of charity itself cOVereth multitude
Of Sins.
An evidence oi the Intensity Of feeling
at this time among the islanders, was fur
nished on our trip back in the afternoon.
The maze of vessel lying ct one of the
wharyes, seeing US approaching with the
English coIOrs at our masthead, ran up to
his own fore peak the cross of ST George
beneath the stars and stripes. This act SO
enraged the citizens that they went on
board Of the American vessel, tore down
the American flag, and III a moment rent
it in O thousand tatters. On landing, the
officers of the West India Regiment, who
had been our guests, likewise excited at
what they deemed all 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 apologiZed for what he
III IL, Il
mate. Tom, as a matter Of course, took
the apology with all the dignity of q
bloody minded and indignant Englishman,
and was not appeased until the skipper
balanced accounts with q case of the best
brandy in port Consul Sam. Whiting-a
Jolly good fellow, by the way-waS not so
easily satisfied, and making complaint the
next day to the Governor Of the island,
every blessed West Indian who had d
fragment of the unfortunate banner as big
as 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 authOri-
ties OF the island.
The way was now paved for the accom-
pliShment of our object, which Was to OBJ
tain a cargo of arms and ammunition OF
war, that had been ordered by the Con
ederate Government, and which it was
vitality important should be placed in the
hands of our Western army, then III the
vicinity Of Corinth, with the least possible
delay.
TINS war material had been brought to
Nassau by All English brig, and part of
her cargo was unloaded at the dock, but as
suspicion had been aroused that things
were not exactly what they seemed, she
had dropped down some distance from the
tOEn and lay III the stream awaiting our
arrival. As many vessels were constantly
coming and going, these movements Occa-
soned no especial comment In two days
after oar excursion party we cOaled, and
scanning up to the dock took in the poI
uon Of cargo which had been deposited as
above described We then dropped down
Alongside of the English brig.
The custom house officer detached to
attend us, WAS "a black as your hat, but,
nevertheless, courteous and Intelligent
official. Oakley had industriousiy cultiva
led this fellows acquaintance, and he was
50 completely magnetiZed by the peculiar
mauipulations of the old blockade runner,
tLat he never saw anything which 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 III truth only legitimate spades
ald Shovels, manufactured in Springfield,
Aassachuset:s
We had been hurrying in the cago for
about three houls, when the captain of an
English gunboat rowed alongside and
CAME Oh board. He was gruff, hearty
od fellow, Of the bull dog stripe, chunky,
Noad-shouldered, yellow haired, and red
laced, with those pretty blossoms on his
rosy features, which are the unmistakable
symptoms of q devotee at the shrine of
'ohn Barleycorn. Tom knew his man in
minute, and guessed his GRAND and
You never saw one of the feline species
proceed to play with captive mouse more |!
Mroltly than was done on this important
OCCASION
Vast interests were at stake. None |
Knew better than Captain Oakley that per-
laps the Confederate success in the daily |
expected battle of Shiloh depended on the |
sale transit and delivery of these arms, |
and no man could possibly feel the respon-
@9ihty OF the hour more gravely than him
SELF for hpf0ra Ia