Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24

Which Was Hammered to Pieces by
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Efforts 20
Evade the Dupont Blockadfng Fleet
Fate Of q Privateer from Which
the COnfederaaes Hoped Much.

From the Detroit Free Press.
One of the quickest, neatest jobs performed
byA federal gunboat, outside the destruction of
the Atlanta, was accompanied by the iron-clad
Montauk in 1853. and, as by the capture of the
Atlanta the confederacy lost privateer which
had cost nearly 81 GOO 600 in gold to fit out, so
also it lost an equally valuable craft in the de-
struction Of the Nashville, brought about in O
most singular manner. In the summer of 1862
an English iron-built steamer whose name
l cannot trace ran the blockade into
Savannah, carrying a cargo valued at over
81 200, 600. She had scarcely entered
port when the blockade was strength
ened by the arrival of two or three more vessels
and the steamer found it quite another thing to
get out. She loaded with cotton, turpentine
and rosin. and ran down the Ogechee to Fort
McAllister, but there she came to anchor The
blockaders were waiting for her in the river and
sound, and there was not one chance in q hum
dred OF her being able to dodge them. For two
or three weeks the runner remained in the
river. steam up and hoping to tire the vigilance
OF the federals and find some opening but none
came. One OF the blOckaders anchored in the
mlGdie of the channel not fifty feet WIDE and no
sort oil weather could help the steamer to
squeeze past such an obstruction. After wait
ing until further delay seemed useless the
steamer returned to the city, unloaded her
cargo. and the confederate government at once
TOOK her in hand and began the work of
CONVERTING HER INTO PRIvATEER.
The Nashville was the name given to the new
craft, and owing to her strong build and speed
the work Of remOdeling her was not difficult
task. Being intended for privateer only, she
was not as heavily armed as the Alabama At
lanta and others. nor was it expected that she
could be made invulnerable. Her engines, pilot
house and other localities were securely pro-
tected from the prOjecties of ordinary gun-boat
ordnance. but dozen places were left where
a nine-inch gun would send shot clean through
her. Men who had worked on fitting out
the privateer deserted at different times and
carried the news to the federals, and
long enough before she was finished it
was known in Washington what was going
on at Savannah. Orders were issued to the
blockadins fleet to catch the Nashville at all
risks when she came out, and for months some
OF the fleet did not move a hundred feet from
where the anchor first went down. To prevent
any expedition from the fleet ascending the
river and destroying the vessel, the con-
federates arranged various distractions and
planted several tOrpedOes, and a water patrol
was maintained day and night from the fort to
the shipyard. This was not labor lost. Three
inherent expeditions were planned and pre-
vented, and two federal scouts who were sur
yeying the channels In a skiff one night were
blown sky-high by torpedo confederate
patrol boat was within 200 feet OF them when
the explosion took place. One of the men,
VINO seemed to be the center-piece of water
was at the same moment
NEARLY swAMPED WITH THE WATER WHICH
DESCENDED.
me man was unconscious, and though he
revived after while, ne was so badly hurt that
he died within two or three days. The other
man seemed to ascend perpendicularly, and to a
great height, for he did not come down for sew
eral seconds after the first. His body was found
floating on the surface along with the fragments
OF the Skin. and those who Overhauled it found
legs and arms and almost every bone broken
1t was said at the time that Dupont received a
mint from Washington that If the Nashville
escaped to sea through the negligence of any
OF his commanders some one would lose his
Omcial mead. For more than five months a
constant watch was kept for the privateer and
1t was known to day when she would be ready
to move.
After the Nashville was afioat, and her guns
ana crew aboard. she discovered that she had no
more show to get out as privateer than she
had as blockade runner. She ran down to the
fort and recOnnOitered and remained there
several days, and then returned to her old berth,
inns program OF running up and down was fol-
lowed until everybody became tired, and con-
federates began to hint that the Nashville needed
a new commander. The greatest daredevil IN
the confederate navy would not have taken the
risks confronting the prvateer. She had in
front OF her at least five federal vessels all of
them better armed. and each one Of them with
better mail than she carried. To run out the
river was to give the Nashville to the enemy.
TO remain was CALLING.
THEN THE CONFEDERATES TRIED ANOTHER
DODGE.
Just after bad spell of weather the Nashville
hid herself in bend of the river above the fort.
threw out pickets ashore to prevent federal
scouts from coming near. and it was given out
among the garrison at McAlster that the pri-
vateer had escaped through the feet and gone
to sea. Then chance was given two or three
men to desert, and they carried the news to the
federal fleet. The Savannah papers gave an
account of her lodging out, with statement
that she had been seen off Charleston. But
Dupont was not the sort of fox to stop
for a whistle. The sharp eyes aboard his
vessel had kept too good a watch to be-
eve these stories, and after it was seen that the
trick had failed the Nashville once more came
down TO the fort. On the 9th of February as
the Nashville was making her usual run In the
river, she struck newly-formed bar q mile or
so above the fort. AS she had full steam on
when she struck, it was at once discovered that no
little trouble would be experienced in getting her
on The tide also began to fall just then, and
after working away for 80 minutes it became
plain that she could not be got afioat before
next high tide. Every preparation was made to
aid the tide in floating her next day. and but for
an unlOoked-f0r interference she would doubt
less have been pulled off all right. It soon be-
came known to the blOckaders that the Nash
Vile was aground, and a accommodating vessel
secured all Obtainable particulars Before mid
night
A DEsERTER FROM THE PRIvATEER HAD REACHED
THE FLEET
and given the exact state of affairs. A boating
expedition had almost been decided upon but
when the deserter stated that there were no
hopes Of getting the craft afloat before 10 o'clock
next day she was considered as good as de-
strOyed.
At break of day the MOntauk left the fleet and
advanced to within less than 200 yards of the
fort BY way of the river around to where the
Nashville was aground was distance of nearly
two miles, but across the peninsula it was no
more than 800 yards. If the Montauk could
stand the fire of the fort, she could hold the
privateer under short range.
Settling herself down in her berth with the
shot from the fort flying around her, the Nom
tank soon trained her guns on the Nashville.
Such a proceeding had not been anticipated
aboard the Nashville and the greatest excite
ment at once prevailed. She had no ordnance
to compare with that of the Federal. and it was
realized that she must be abandoned. Orders
were issued to this effect and in fiftaan minntoo