The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-02-04

Aho "CeptureS" OF the "Connecticut"-
Chasing after "Black Smoke,-Ths
Noted "Herald" Cornered-Love
and Matrimony and a Modern
s.Joan OF Arc"
The writer commanded the United
States steamer Connecticut on the block
ade off Wilmington, N. c., for fourteen
months, and during that period cap
tured and sent in four steamers-Juno,
Scotia. Minnie and Greyhound, all with
valuable cargoes; vessels and cargoes
adjudged worth 81, 063, 1852. The Con-
necticut run ashore and destroyed four
other blockade runner = Phantom,
Herald, Ceres, and Diamond.
The blockade runners would ALWAYS
select dark nights to run in and out and
certain stages of the moon (between
the last and first quarters of the moon),
when it set early and rose late. This
moon arrangement was always a mat
ter of great concern to them; then a
tolcrably high tide also entered into the
calculations.
The first blockade-runner captured
by the Connecticut was the Juno. 1t
was . bright, pleasant morning, off
enore, and out about seventy miles from
Wilmington, when, at bay-break, she
was discovered. Chase was immedi.
atelv given, and in three hours she was
a prize. When the Captain was brought
OH board he was greeted with the usual
good morning. with the additional
remark: "Glad to see vou," to which
he replied, with an oath, ..I'm not glad
to see you." A week before the Juno
had safely 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 n open and unfinished, begun at
Wilmington and addressed to the own
ers in England In it the Captain
described the successful running past
the sleepy-headed Yankees at night,
and expected to be lucky in running
out. OF this he would inform them
upon his arrival at Nassau, where he
would close and send his letter. The
said letter never reached England, nor
even Nassau.
These blockade-runners were all En-
glish steamers, and were painted lead
or stone color tt prevent their being
discovered at night when running close
IN along the land. The fire and steam
arrangements were for burning the
soft English coal. which always made
much black smoke. Thus they could
be discovered along distance off in the
day time. The smoke could of course
be seen before the vessel was visible.
We have heard and we have read of
the excitement o. board a whale-ship,
produced by the cry of the lookout at
the masthead, s.Spout, o." "a whale
an sightr" Boats are gotten ready for
lowering, with harpoons, lines and
1ances.
On board of the Connecticut, when
the lookout-man at the masthead sang
out, BLACK smokei" all was likewise
commotion, Every one was upon his
feet. and all eyes, as well as the ships
head. were turned in the direction re-
ported. All steam was raised, and the
chase commenced.
A chase of this kind once lasted fif-
teen hours. Black smoke was discov-
cred at sunrise, and pursuit was COM
menced and continued until after dark,
when the blockade-runner was lost
sight of. The Connecticut, however,
got within two miles of her, making a
gain OF ten miles, as it was estimated.
To enable aer 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 perceived
contained shoes. This caused a wag-
gish 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
movements of this steamer, which will
be found quite interesting. Subse-
quently she proved to be the Tristan
Shandy. As has been stated, she threw
nearly all her cargo, went
into Nassau, filled up hurriedly with
another cargo and steamed ono more
for Wilmington, al the blockade, and
got in. In order to have the dark of
the moon, she unloaded with great dis
patch, loaded with the usual Confederate
cargo and sailed for Nassau. When she
got a few miles outside, she was discov-
cred by the United States steamer
Pequot, which gave chase. 1t soon be-
came very dark, and the Pequot lost
sight of her, but continued on the same
as when the blockade-runner was
last seen. In a few minutes a tremen-
dous volume of black smoke from the
soft coal came into the faces of the peo-
pie on board of the Pequot, and i'm
afterward she was up with the
hlnakad r1rnna o-l IT, TA---
Shandy was captured. She had broken
down. The Captain of her had stated
that the CoD1ecticut had chased him so
hard those fifteen hours that his ma
chlnery WIS very much out of order;
and he hadn't time to adjust and repair
for he had to hurry very much to get
out of Nassau and into and out of Will
mington in order to save the moon and
the tides. So the Connecticut was the
cause of the capture of the
Shandy with her valuable al
go. Vessel and cargo together were
by the Prize Court to be
worth three HUNDRED and se~venty-five
thousand dollars. Added to this was
the cargo thrown overheard when
chased by the Connecticut, making a
great total loss to the Confederate
cause.
A certain Saturday night. off the
Western Bar Zone of the inlets into
.ilmington), was an exciting one for
the blockaders, and blockade-runners
also. There was no time to indulge in
Saturday-night songs and revelries, or
to drink ''sweethearts and wives"
We knew that blockade-runners were
expected. for the tides and the state of
the moon favored them. The moon
went down early. Orders had been given
at that time every vessel should
have her anchor up, with steam and
everything ready for a start. The YES
sells, four in number - Connecticut,
Georgia, Emma and Buckingham
were swinging about, and little steam
used to keep them in their assigned
positions. They were like restless race
horses awaiting the order Cor
IT, .asoa~ tl, IoaL ~ 1rin ~ Ioryn