New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-29
engsne-roon,, Full speed ahead ~ and away we
shot into the darkness.


shot into the darkness
/ don't know what happened whether the cap
tain of the man-of-war thought that his boats nad
taken possession. and thus did not try to stop us
or whether he stopped to pick up his boats In thc
rather nasty that was running, some one VINO
reads this may know. All can say Is that not
shot was fred. and that in less than minute the
pitch darkness hid the cruiser from our view
This was great piece of luck.
After other narrow escapes the Oh reached
the entrance to Cape Fear River and showed
light from the inshorc side OF the vessel ms
was answered by two lights being placed short
distance apart on the beach, so low that they
could not be seen from the fleet, and by geptlns
these lights into line the blockade runner found
the channel and steamed in When morning broke
Hobart counted twenty-five cruisers behind him
and on the shore in flames a fine blockade
runner which had been beached in the night TO
avoid capture.
1t will be difficult to from my memory
the excitement of the evening made our little
craft fast all inside the quay at wilmington; one
CONGRATULATIONS we received. the champagne COCK
tail we imbibed. the caserncss with which we
cave and received news, the many questions we
asked such as allow long shall we be unloadinEP
"Was our cargo Of cotton ready p How many
bales could we carry ?" "IIOw other bloclladerun-
ncrs had Jared p etc !; and the visits room thiisy
and hungry Southcrneis of all ranks ana denomi
any form for months, to whom whatever chey
liked to eat or drink freely given, accompa-
MED by congratulations on all sides All thesc
things, combined with the delightful 1eeiH OF
security from carture and the glorious prospect
of n good n hts rest in four poster wound one
I'D into g. xpressible state of Ollity. If some
of us HAD d ttlc headache in the morning surely
it was small blame to lis. Our hosts COCKTAILS
made of champagne bi'ters and pounded ice soon
put all thin to rights; and aftcr breakfast we
,;.rArC, In WI
were piled mountains high with cotton bales an
tobacco ticrces and mixed in the lively and Dusy
scene Of discharging. selling and shipping cargoes
Besides the ships cargo Hobart brought in all
invoice of merchandise on his own account 1hls
consisted of a thousand corsets, five hundred
boxes of Cookies pills and quantity OF ooo'h
brushes The corsets were sold immediately at a
profit Of 100 per cent For tOothbrushes there
was no demand in Wilmington, but they were dis
posed of in Richmond for seven times their cost
Cookies pills the Confederates would not have at
any price and they were finally taken DO Nassau
and EXCHANGED for matches On the way out
well loaded with cotton, Hobarts ship was chased
all day by cruiser which slowly overhauline
him. and he only saved himself by taking advan
tage of the Gulf Stream AS soon as he crossed the
ripple which marks the edge of the stream he
turned into the current, there running two or
three knots in his favor. His pursuer changed
course at the same time without waiting to reach
the current, and thus Hobart gained lead OF sew
cral miles. BY dusk the war vessel was within
range and began firing but the Oh was not
hit and under cover Of darkness she hauled off to
one side and let the cruiser 60 by.
Captain Hobart speaks highly of the character
and ability of the United States naval officers, es
pecially those of the regular service and he was
greatly impressed in spite Of his own good luck.
Il fLA do
Our ships however, he thinks not well
manned as Differed. He visited Richmond and
saw Davis and Lee General Lee was discour-
aged by the military situation this was while
Grant was beseicing Petersburg, but the Southern
rco, lie generally showed blind confidence which
Hobart appears TO have found surprising. Then he
ran the "land blockade" without very serious
difficulty. and amused himself for n while in New
York, which he pronounCes the most delightful
city in the world, except perhaps Paris and Lon
don.
While in New-Yor1 was greatly struck with
the calm confidence of the bulk Of the Northern
crs in the ultimate of their arms against
the South. If l gained nothing else by running
the land blockade at least got an insight into
the resources possessed by the North and
a knowledge of the unfinching determination
with which the Federals were prepared to carry
on the struggle TO the end | must confess that
left New-York with my confidence that the Con
federatcs would achieve their independence very
much shaken.
When he entered the Turkish navy his services
were especially desired to stop the blockade
ufng by which the Greeks kept alive the Cretan
Instruction Considering everything it is not
SURPRISING that he was easily successful In this
WORK. It was then that he received from al
officer of the British Admiralty semi-oicial let
ter saying: al Mess you leave the Turkish SER
vice you will be scratched aft the list" He an
swered, "You may scratch and be ID" and he
was taken at his word But some years afler
ward he was reinstated.
His achievements in command of the Turkish
feet were less sensational than those we have out
lined for he never had any formidable naval adj
ve1sary to meet, the Russian operations in the
BLACK Sea in 1877 Being of no very large nature
His work however, was thoroughly well done.
and he was held in the highest esteem at the Sub
lime Porte lie treats this part of his life rather
briefly. and we are not sure but that his chapters
on sport in Turkey more lively than the nara
tive Of his strictly professional shooting. At any
rate they serve as an entertaining conclusion %
a sngularly entertaining book.