The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-11-02
PORTLAND FLEET.
The blockade Runners of tho Late VIA


first was in contending that scaports like
Charleston could not be successfully
blocked, and the second was not in run.
ming everything out of the copfederacy
which could be spared and which would
bring money before the blockade was a
fixed fact.
II seems incomrrelensible that the
two sections did not better understand
each other when the war broke out The
North did not believe the South could
raise one man where it raised six. We
did not believe they could feed armies,
onl!d ar'shlps, manufacture arms or do
anything else which they did do. On
their part Southerners did not believe
That Northcrners would seek n battle.
IL was the idea up TO the very last day
before Bull Run that the Federal Gov.
ernInent would back down. 1t was we'll
known tha. we had no navy of impor-
lance, and LincolD's blockading procla-
NATION was greeted with laugh Some
OF the supposed wisest men in the South
declared that blocka le was simply i'm.
possible owing to natural causes. while
others clung to the belief that Europe
would prevent it. The general idea of
landsmon was that a blockadinr fleet
must be anchored in line across a chan
mel. the vessels no close together that
nothing could pass. and as a consequence
public speakers talked about fire RATS.
i.Gwder' ships and other sbsured ideas Of
driving the blockaders away. Ii was
even figured that it would take 12S Fed.
era! craft to blockade Charleston. One
speaker, at public meeting in Whining.
ton, admitted that a blockading fleet
might be of some service in the day
time, but when night came tho sailors
might go to bed for all tho good they
could do. He offered to keep Whining.
ton harbor clear of them if his fellow
citizens would furnish the pine knots to
make RATS. 1t was only when too
late that the Confederacy saw its mistake.
The blockade closed in upon its ports
with millions of dollars worth of corn
sugar, cotton and tobacco locked up
After that it must take its chances run
ming the blockade.
THE HEADQUARTERS.
The headquarters Of the blockade run.
ming business was at Charleston. Du.
ring the war ten vessels ran in and out
OF Charleston to one entering any other
port. A score of rich firms in that CITY
entered into the business simultaneously.
attracted by the large profits and en-.
couraged by the Government, and it was
at Charleston that Major f. Willis was
stationed as purchasing agent of the
Confederate Government.
The war began in April. BY Septem.
ber every Southern merchant had sold
out his old stock and must henceforth
depend on Europe II was then that
prices leaped TO such figures as aston.
ished everybody, and were quoted at the
North as evidence that the Confederacy
was staggering. And yet Lee was in
his glory as successful general when
those prices had advanced from 500 to a
1000 times. The women who bought a
paper Of pins in the fall of 1864, re.
members that they cost from 800 to
Sl25 in confederate money.
THE RUNNERS
The south had very few vessels fit for
blockade running, but she had money to
buy with, and agents were kept in Eu.
rope to pick mp the sort of crafts wanted.
SGmc Of the mcst successful vessels were
sailing craft, but after 1862 the great
majority were sidewheel steamers and
propellers. Where the latter approach
ed the speed Of the former she was taken
in preference. After the first year the
business vas reduced to something like
a science. In the first place all the
steamers were provided with smokeless
coal, and this was always great point in
their favor. In the next place the color
Of the craft Was found to be a very i'm.
portant matter. After many experiments
it was found that a white tinged with
blue was the best that could be adopted.
Runners thus painted have approached
within 500 feet of biockader at night
without being eeen, and have rested half
a day within Eve miles of an entire feet.
Everything was painted THE one color,
so there was nothing for the eye of the
look. to catch. If he saw the steam
er at oil she was simply haze or blur
before his eyes. After it was found thnt
the water churned. up by the wheels
sometimes betrayed the craft by its phos-
phoreacent CLEAN arrangements were
made to prevent, generally by floating
ss!! behind the wheel. Men even canv
to count the chances of capture and es-
cape 40 cooiiy they figured ihe cost OF
cloth.
THE PROFITS.
The profits were enormous. A suita.
BILE craft could be purchased in Europe
from 100000 to $4,000, and as a rule,
one successful trip would clear her cost.
TO show what the profits were, Major
Willis once sent out bale of cotton
worth 2400 in confederate money. At
Nassau it was exchanged for a barrel of
borax, which ne sold in Charleston for
$4,000 in the same currency. Again he
sent out bale of sea island worth $500,
and received bale of women's wells
which brought him $4,000. Merchants
who bought English cloth at fifty cents
per yard had no trouble in disposing of
it at home for 81 and IS. A pair of boots
costing 50 brought $40 and $l2 in
Charleston. Tea which could be had in
Nassau for forty cents per pound brought
from Sl4 to $50 in the South.
If the owners made we'll the men who
assumed the perils were by no means
neglected. The wages of tho common
sailors were doubled and more and paid
in gold. Many captains bargained by
the trip. II successful in making the
round trip they received from So 500 to
$4,000 in good English gold. Outside
this sum each captain was permitted to
carry one bale of cotton each trip on his
own account. AS nothing was said about
weight they had two and three ordinary
bales compressed into one, and often
made $4,000 out Of their speculation.
Whatever the Confederate Government
needed had to come in this way, and it
paid the same prices as individuals. The
runners brought in cannon, musketa, am
munition, boots and shoes, cloth, uni
forms, equipments, tents, sabres, medi-
cines, etc., and it was only in this way
that the Confederate armies were kept in