The National tribune., 1882-04-08
ARLoCKApE RuNNER,s STORY,

BLOCKADE RUNNERS STORY.
The history of blockade-running during
| the late war, says correspondent to
the Philadelphia Press, would be a work of
rare interest, filled, as it would be, with
wonderful escapes, daring deeds and wild adj
ventures that would compare favorably with
the most exciting tales of the sea. As
rule, those engaged in this dangerous bust
ness at the close of the war entered at once
| into commercial pursuits, and the story of
their deeds became known only to few
personal friends to whom they were related.
Some sketches and more pretentious efforts,
it is true, have been written, but nothing
| like full and accurate account Of the many
adventures experienced by those daring men
| in taking their vessels through the fleets of
the blockading navy along the Atlantic
coast and in the Gulf Of Mexico.
The other day reporter had the pleasure
of meeting that veteran navigator and gal
liant gentleman, Captain John 7. Smith,
now located in Galveston rs inspector of
| vessels, once one of the most successful and
venturesome commanders of blockaderun-
ners that ever entered Havana. Speaking
of the war times, the Captain dropped into
a talk about his own cruises in the Gulf
and it was like listening to a tale of Marryatt
to hear him recount some of his remarkable
escapes Speaking of one hazardous voyage,
he said that once in 1862 he was engaged as
commander of the Alice, formerly the Mata-
gorda, of the Morgan line, then lying in the
! harbor of Havana. After some little delay
she was loaded with munitions of war;
provisions, etc, for Mobile, and arrived
safely. Leaving Mobile on her return, she
steamed out and was chased and fired at by
the United States steamer De Soto. To use
the Captains words: "The De Soto
FELL IN WITH ME-
at sea and was gaining on me very fast and
1 saw that must tighten my vessel to get
away. Accordingly ordered the cotton to
be thrown overheard, and we got out 137
bales out of the 1000 we had On board
The De Soto kept up the chase and was
gaining, when suddenly she was enveloped
in steam, one Of her boilers having exploded
| iniuring a number of her crew. I then
knew the chase was up, and headed off on my
course, straight for Havana, dipping my
| colors to the disabled cruiser as we left her
We got safely in Havana saved only by the
explosion of the De Soto's boiler. We loaded
up and soon started for Mobile again, when
our old friend the De Soto one afternoon, at
one o'clock, hove in sight. We were only q
days sail off Mobile and she headed directly
for u.s. We knew she could beat us by pre-
vious experience with her. We hoped for
night.
| EVERY EYE WAS FIXED
on the sun, and it seemed as if second
Joshua had commanded it to stand still, so
slowly did it approach the horizon. She
crept closer and closer, and at last night
came ON with the De Soto only three miles
astern then called the engineer and told
him that probably the De soto's commander
would think | would stand to sea that night,
and, therefore, to deceive him, was determin-
ed to go through the fleet before morning. It
was very dark, and / felt secure from our
chaser. We steamed directly for Mobile,
everything working smoothly, when l was
startled with cry of Sail no" from our
lookout. 1 turned and looked, and there
| stood the De Soto, not more than three hum
dred yards off under our lee looming up in
the darkness. Every moment l expected
her to fire. I ordered all sails furled and
turned my vessels stern toward my chaser.
/ saw that he did not see me She put on
steam, and 1 kept my vessel with stern
toward her, and she was soon lost in the
darkness. I then ran in safely under the
guns of the fort in Mobile Bay, and Just as
we got there we broke down; but the danger
was passed and we were safe.
We loaded in Mobile with cotton, and ran
safely to Havana, and while
PREPARING TO RETURN
heard the news that Mobile had fallen. This
caused change in our destination and we
started for Galveston. Arriving there, it
was impossible to get in, and we steered
down the coast for the Brazos river We
quietly drew off from the Galveston block
aiding fleet and ran up the Brazos river to
Columbia, where we discharged our freight
and loaded with cotton to go back to Ha-
vana
While we were going down the river a
gale of wind came up, and to our dismay
drove the sand up and formed an i'm
passable bar at the mouth, so that we could