The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-29
FORT AND FLEET.
Blockaders and Blockade Runners-Hard-
ships on the Water and Deeds or
Daring.

When President Lincoln issued his
blockade proclamation it seemed like an
empty threat. There was not naval
power enough at that date to blockade
one Southern port. The real blockade
may be said to have begun in the spring
of 1862. BY this time the navy was
thoroughly organized for work, many
new vessels had appeared, and consld-
cradle valuable experience had been
gained by numerous officers. From that
date to the close Of the war there were
never less than six Federal blockaders
Off Charleston bar, and sometimes the
number was increased to fifteen. One
Wilmington.might be guarded by TWO
or three vessels, and the next by five or
six, and it was the same at Smlthvlile.
Georgetown, Savannah and Galveston.
When a blockader arrived on the sta
ton, her first care was to discover what
forts or batteries defended the harbor,
and the range of their guns. The next
was to survey the coast and map out the
banks, shoals, channels and to locate
beacons and bearings. The Confeder-
etes had of course removed all buoys,
abandoned all light houses, and in many
cases had cut down trees which had.
been familiar landmarks for years
Where it was possible to secure a negro
who knew anything of the coast ne was
paid well and kept aboard.
When a blockader had done all this
her real work had only begun. Plenty
of pilots who knew all about Charleston
bar in 1860 could tell nothing about it in
1862. New channels. had been cut, old
ones filled up, and the sea was making
changes every month.
The Confederates were not to be shut
up without exhausting every effort to
prevent such a calamity. Forts and bat
teries mounting guns Of the longest
range were erected at the mouths OF
harbors and rivers, and the ~blockaders
were forced as far off the coast as a can
non-ball would reach. During the day
they would remain out of reach of the
forts, but as night came Ill they would
creep in and close up to watch for the
daring runners.
Each blockader was a sentinel OH post
Blow high or low, hot or cold, she must
remain until relieved by fresh orders
1t happened at least twenty times dur
ing the war that the entire fleet off Char
lesion had to cut sticks and run to sea t.
ride out the terrible gales. There were
few days without adventure, and few
nights without peril.
AS the blockade-runners seldom
ventured to make their appearance b.
daylight, the blockaders would eithe.
run in and have a brush with the bat
teries, or dispatch scout-boats up creek
and rivers. Again they would stant
out to sea to watch for incoming run
ners, and with them it was eternal vigi
lance without much liberty to speak OF
There was ever q fear of submarine tor
pedoes or sdevils," and after..the Confed
crate cruisers get afoat no n could sa,
at what hour one of them might appea
among the feet. 1T wa known that tn
Confederates were building rams an
Ircn-clads, and their appearance Nigh
be looked for any day.
With the coming of night the Wig
lance must be increased, and the dan
gers were by 40 means diminished
Every runner that slipped in or out lei
q stain on the fleet, but men could hay
done no more than was done. No sold
Ter on outpost used his eyes and cal
more keenly than the lookout on boar
the blockaders. On q pleasant nigh
the duty was not onerous, but in vii
weather. and particularly during til
winter months, much suffering was net
essarily endured. No man aboard coul
turn in at night with a feeling of sec,
rity. He realized that he was likely
Il, be turned out at any moment, and ono
out there might be- hot work with th
guns, a pull in the boats, or a chase las
ing for hours. A Confederate capital
told me that he made Wilmington on
night in q. terrible snowstorm, and th
night was so bitterly cold that all b.
crew were f~rost-bitter. He got into th
harbor without q blockade, but there j
q channel was a Federal gunboat at al
Choir. She could not be passed to por
and on the starboard side the d;stant
from her rail to the beach was scarcely