The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-09
DAILY PRESS.
POHTVLA.N ND.
Wednesday, Morning March 8, 1870.
An Old Blockade Runner.


A Charleston, Is. C.) correspondent of the
Cincinnati Commercial writes: Captain Fem
Peck is an old and successful blockade run-
ner, and converses freely upon his exploits
during tue war. He is sixty-forr years old,
| hale and hearty, although touched with par
| alysis, and believes that he viii live to see
| many younger men buried. BE was opposed
| to secession, but when South Carolina went
out he fell into line with the rest of his fellow
citizens of Charleston, and turning his nauti-
cal knowledge to account, became blockade
runner.
whenever found how things were going,'
said he to three or tour of the Cincinnatians
seated in his cabin slipping otard and water
this morning, as the City Point sped over the
sparkling crest of the Atlantic, made up
my mind" l bid my folks goodbye, and told
them was going TO Kentucky and Tennessee
to buy cattle land the jolly old salt laughed at
the conceit) but was going farther. l took
an old carpet-sack, some old clothes, four
pounds plug tobacco, and bottle of whiskey,
and headed Tor Louisville, where l spent one
night. Ny next stopping place was at Niaga-
IA Falls, where peoples baggage was examin-
ed by the revenue officers.
"What have you there, old gentleman ?"
asked a smart fellow with . gold band on his
cap.
"A few old clothes, some tobacco and bot
tie of whiskey."I answered. won't you
have some?"
mo, thank you; not now" says he. "Pass
along"
You had better aeliax.. felt relieved, for
you see had sterling exchange for 959oeeo
sewed in the collar OF an old coat in my car
pet-sack, and I'd have felt cheap going back
to Charleston without it."
Wei, went to England. That was in
June, 1861, and returned in the December
following with ship load of arms and NUM-
tons OF war, which were safely landed in
Charleston"
"How much money did you make, Cap
tain?"
"Wel. sir, made $4,000 in gold on that
trip; paid $4,000 that owed in Charleston
made my family comfortable, and took few
thousand back TO England for safe keeping.
1 had 100000 in Confederate bonds when the
war csoed, and have it yet
DO you ever expect 10 realize anything
from them?"
"No, sir, not thing. I had some notion
OF papering my sitting room at home with
them last year. No, sir; all the money made
out OF the war just paid that debt, KEEP. my
family in comfort, and left Inc $1,000 in gold
on deposit in England.
All through the war;"
"Were you never caught?"
NO, Sir, never, but came near being cap
tured by the Rhode Island, off Nassau. Twas
in command of the Margaret and Jessie, with
0 cargo OF cotton for England. The Rhode
Island spied her and made right for us. They
hred 2OO odd shots; several struck us, but on
ly one cid any damage. 1t tore a iour loot
hole in our boiler, and run the vessel into
bo hoo mt
wreckerS came down and saved the vessel and
claimed salvage"
"Did you run the same vessel all through
the WARP"
mo, sir; commanded several-the Ber-
muda, the Cecile, the Kate, the Margaret and
Jessie, and the Leopard, aiterward called the
StOnewall jackson. The Cecile, Kate and
Stonewall were lost; the rest came out all
light. Imale thirteen trips in all, and never
was caught. Look here, now, you mustn't
tell this; see you're takin' Lotes'
20, no, no; wouldn't tell it TO any body for
the world. Oh, no."
All right, gentlemen, let us take another
drop of that brandy"
Where did you run principally, Captain p
"Well, sir, sometimes into Charleston, but
mostly into Wilmington"
"Were you not afraid of the .orpedoes in the
Charleston harbor?n
ANo, sH. ildu Il Cllrl Ot Lne ndfDOf pre-
pared by the Confederate engineers and tor
pedo corps, showing where the things were
sunk, and simply steered clear of them. The
main ship channel never was obstructed dur
ing the war, and any ship could have come in,
but it seems they were afraid"
well, some of them did come in, in spite
Of the torpedoes."
Yes, sir. tue Ironsides passed right over
torpedo made out OF thirty loot boiler chars-
n vUifl f.N1rp
sunk only mile from Fort Sumpter, but it
seems as though Providence ordered it other
wise. The thing did not explode as the YES
sci touched, and then they tried the gavanic
battery ON shore, for the torpedo corps were
ashore expecting TO see her blown in the air,
but the battery would not explode it either.
l always believed that the fellow who fasteu-
ed the wires fixed them SO they would not
work, and great many others were of nv
opinion"