St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-27
STORIES OF THE WAR.
Thrilling Incidents of the Pursuit and
Capture of Confederate Blockade
Runners.
Exploits of the Steamer Connecticut in
Assisting to Suppress the Contra
band Traffic.
How a Federal officer Captured the
Heart of the Famous Belle
Boyd.
Chase of the Trestam Shandy and
Capture of the Juno--Sense
VS.. Law.


Almy, U. S. N.
of the blockade which extended from 1861
to 1865 were many and varied. The
writer commanded the United States
steamer Connecticut on the blockade off
Wilmington, N. c., for fourteen months,
and during that period captured and sent
in four steamers: Juno. Scotia, Minnie and
Greyhound, all with valuable cargoes; YES
sells and cargoes adjudged worth 81, 063,-
352. The Connecticut ran ashore and de-
stroyed four other blockade runners: Phan-
tom. Herald, Ceres and Diamond.
The blockade runners would always Sc
lect dark nights to run in and out and GER
tain stages of the moon between the last
and first quarters of the moon, when it set
early and rose late. This moon arrange
ment was always matter of great concern
to them. Then tolerably high tide en-
tered into the calculation.
The first blockade runner captured by the
Connecticut was the Juno. was a bright,
pleasant morning off shore, and out about
seventy miles from Wilmington, when, at
daybreak she was discovered. Chase was
Immediately given and in three hours she
was prize. When the captain was brought
on board he was greeted with the usual
Good morning." with the additional re-
mark, "Glad to see you," to which he re-
piled: ''By -, sir, Pn not glad to see
YOU" week before the Juno had run in,
had discharged her English cargo, taken on
board the usual Confederate American cargo
OF cotton, tobacco and turpentine, and was
now bound to Nassau.
Among other letters found on board was
nd fms nod -
mington and addressed to the over IN En-
gland. In it the captain described the sue
ceSSful run in past the sleepy headed Yam
KEGS at night. and said he expected to be
lucky in running out. Of this ne would
inform them upon his arrival in Nassau,
where he would close and send his letter.
The said letter never reached England, nor
even Nassau.
THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS
were all English steamers, and were painted
lead or stone color. to prevent their being
discovered at night when running close in
along the land The fire and steam az
engagements were for burning the soft En-
glish coal, which always made much black
smoke. Thus they could be discovered a
long distance off in the daytime. The
smoke could, of course, be seen before the
vessel was visible.
We have heard and we have read of the
excitement on board a whale-ship produced
by the cry of the lookout at the masthead,
Spout, O!' "A whale in sightr' Boats
are gotten ready for lowering, with har-
poems, lines and lances.
On board of the Connecticut when the
lookout man at the masthead sang out
''Black SmokeG" all was likewise COM
M III I
all eyes, as we'll as the ships head were
turned in the direction reported; all steam
was raised, and the chase commenced.
A chase of this kind once lasted fifteen
hours. Black smoke was discovered at
sunrise, and pursuit was commenced and
continued until after dark, when the block
ade runner was lost sight of. The Con-
necticut, however, got within two miles of
her, making a gain of ten miles, as it was
estimated that she was twelve miles distant
when first discovered. To enable her to
escape, she had to throw overheard nearly
all her cargo, which comprised English
goods, as she was bound in. We passed
through and by innumerable bales and boxes
during the day, some of which we conceived
contained shoes. This caused a waggish
sailor to remark, perhaps if we could get
and put On some of those Shoes we could
run faster, and catch that fellow"
We will continue with the further move
ments of this steamer, which will be found
quite interesting. Subsequently she proved
to be the Trestam Shandy. AS has been
stated, she threw overheard nearly all her
cargo, went into Nassau, filled up hurriedly
with another cargo, and steamed once more
for Wilmington; run the blockade, and got
in. In order to have the dark of the moon
she unloaded with great dispatch, loaded
with the usual Confederate cargo, and sailed
for Nassau. When she got few miles
outside, she was discovered by the United
States steamer Pequot, which gave chase
1t soon
BECAME VERY DARK
and the Pequot lost sight of her. but con-
tinued on the same course as when the