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

an nOur 10 CpWe. low n!oIuo oP0ns sA0
parting moments in the little salon, and be-
slowed upon us the social benedictons GUS
tomary at such a time but TO oil twas
solemn occasion. To some, the farewell then
uttered Wis not to be broken by welcome
honaen rntA years after the soldier had bid
adiea to camp, and swords had been beaten
into ploue hshares. Some in that little com.
out the suf1erance Of the conqueror and then
! it vas to be home robbed OF ITS charms and
desoiate IN it's associations {; the household
gods broken, the fire Of national pride extln-
guished, and the hopes tina. burned 30 bright
! ly once, but ashes on the hearth.
The name OF our steamer was the "Theode-
70, 80 called in honor of one of the large
hearted citizens of Charleston. Previous 10
the war she was employed in running between
| this city and Fernaudina, Fla, but subsequent
| " was 'Atted out as guard and dispatch boat,
and carried an armament OF two gums. Though
small, beng only five krndred tons burthen,
| she was both sturdy and fast. When pressed,
| the "Theodora" could knock of fourteen knots
an hour.
Good fortune waited upon Us at the outset.
The night was not nerely dark, but absolutely
and palpably black. II nature had wrapped
the heavens in Grape, or emptied Ill her ebon
dyes, she could not have made more unlVer-
and the rain poured, mot with drops and
slsntlng spears" hut seemingly in solid
sheets. Never did storm make sweeser music
to the mind than that long, dull splsshing OF
the waters OF heaven as they mingled with
the fountains of the deep. MONOTONE though
| it was, 1t sounded in our ears Like blllowy
anthem singing us safely on our way through
the Gordon Of eentinels keeping vigil at the
outpoets Of the hsrbor.
At last came midnight. and with it the CHEEKY
order OF the captain, 'Let go, ahP 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
| Some Of the male members OF or party are
on deck. Drencksd by the pelting rain. We
watch the lights OF the city, one 10y 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 h0ar or more,
until, suddenly from the pilot-house. Captain
Oakley calls attention to great dark object
which seems to be drifting by--so close that
We can almost feel the passing shadow. IL Is
Fort Sumter, the grim old veteran, whose
sleeplees eye for four long years never closed
upon his charge.
Now, the excitement Of the hour begins to
culmlnate. The blockading squadron are but
mile or two away. They lie across our path,
and We know that steam ID up and they are
keen upon the scent. Ten minutes more and
We shall be among the enemy; but the gloom =
still graudly impenetrab,e. The captain, with
nieht-elass in hand, ree1s, 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 "Theo1ora" piunges along the
rpHxhening waves ss i instinct with human
chinery snd the tremble Of the steamers frame,
you see the phosphorescent CLEAN along her
sides, but al else is wrapped in silence and the
The wind has freshened, and, as is whisper
ed By one OF the officers, 'blows as If 1t was IN
an awful hurry, and 80 on, on, on, we rush to
Fate. Two, three, five minutes pass, put
they drag like hours. "We coupt time by
heart-throbs." We are nearing the Federal
neet; yes-upon theml LookI See there
And with bated breath We behold in faint
stream Of light, through rift in the scudding
clouds, the long black hull OF "blockader"
not more than ftty yards distant from our
starboard bow. Fearful moment-one OF those
den vhirl Of the wheel in the pilot-houss; quick
as f3as; tha nossres es &Le alaA-Aosia elsau1oa,
and the sharp voice OF the captain rings
through the speaking tube that communicates
her eyerythingi' We feel the mighty throb OF
the iron giant beneath ourfeet, and then with
q Iunge, as il nsw life had been infpsed into
her Veins, the Theodore" speeds from the
danger like frightened race-horse.
Once more the darkness settles around us;
still, every second We expect shot, we lls-
ten for ON alarm; we look for rockets and Sig
nal lights It scarcely seems possible that we
should have almost run the enemy down and
not been discover ed; yet it is even 80, and
half hour later we have the qualification OF &C
companylng Captain Oakley to the cabin, where
he communicates to the anxious occupants the
cheering news that We are beyond the reach OF
immediate pursuit It is nearly three O'CLOCK
in the morning, and over stithy breWed
punch we unite our congratulations in the little
salon and retire to rest.
Three days more we arrived 10 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 employed
by the New York Insurance Companies TO aS-
sist vessels in danger and save their cargoes
when wrecked; and as We steamed in with the
Confederate flag flying boldly OF the masthead,
she made for ps, 10 the dead calm Which pre-
vailsa lna. our piston rods and paddle wheels had
the advantage cf the Yankee skipper's sweeps,
and he looked biliously blue when we after
wards met him at the hotel in town. 1t IS ON
interestlne historical fact that this island was
orig ,nally included in the grant OF North and
South Carolina, and was regarded oy the
King Of Eng 'and as natural outpost oi 'neee
colonies. Strange it is that after the lapse OF
two hundre years the late war should have
demonstrated the value which the king a.
tached to the place.
Our object in touching at Nassau was TO
transRer the commissioners and their families
70 the English steamer 'Coronac," then plying
once o month between New York, Nassau and
Havana, but unfortunately she had left DAY
or two before. We accordingly called that
afternoon for Cuba. We had crossed the Great
Bahama Banks, and passed the Double Head
Shot Light, when Captain Oakley came aft ana
said large stea ner was bearing down on us
10 the south ward and westward, and that pos.
sibly it might be Federal cruiser. Long anu
anxiously did VIC peer ut that stately stranger
through the ships glasses, wondering ana Won'
dering in vain as to her character ana lnten-
tions. It was one Of those beautiful OCTOBER
DAYS in which il is hard TO be unhappy about
ANYTHING, but / fancied that hr. Slldeu worried
himself at the approaching spectacle until no
saw ghostly effgies in the air. mr. Mason, on
the contrary, was as calm as summers morn
ING. and pulled at his old Powhattan clay pipe,
with it's Virginia reed stem, as lndHerently as
if he had not an enemy on this mundane foot
stool. Our speed had been purposely siackenea
to mako out, if possible. the designs OF the
strange ship and in o short time the captain
relieved our anxiety by announcing Der TO De
O Spaniard. W6sheEbure down upon the STEAM
er, spoke her, and found She WAS man-of-waT
cruising for slavers. A boat was lowered, and
MIR Shdel. who was familiar with tho Spanish
language. went on board. The result OF this
IL. h. OH, natNto in