The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-11-04
WHY WE DIDN'T.
A Story of Blockade Running Told by
Second Mate,

Second Mate.
In the spring of 1868. just after my
return from Il voyage to China and back
in IA British bark. was loafing around
Liverpool to wait for a berth, when
one William Savage, an old sailor mate
of mine, ran across me one evening
and offered to ship me in a steamer
which had run the blockade INTO
Charleston three times and was about
to attempt a fourth trip. She was
fair-sized side-wheeler called the Isle of
Wight, and had nearly finished her
loading. She carried crew of about
twenty men. and Savage was kind
enough to say that l should be second
mate, and that the pay would be the
highest | ever received.
In day or two found the steamer
was loading with two or three field bat
teries, two large guns for cruisers, and
an immense amount of other war mater
iaL When everything was aboard l
heard it said that steamer ami cargo
was worth full million dollars, and
We were to touch at Nassau and take on
5000 muskets, a lot of hospital stores,
and some odds and ends badly wanted
by the Confederacv. Our crew was a
riff-raff set, with nothing of the sailor
about them, while the captain was a
typical John Bull named Graham.
/ heard it said that our venture was
known to the American Minister, and
that he promptly notified his govern
ment, but no cruiser would have any
business with us until we left Nassau.
We made that port in due season,
everything working smoothly, and
although we took in our additional car
go inside of twenty-four hours the
steamer delayed her sailing to the fifth
day, on account of a Yankee man-of-
war lowering on the coast in hopes to
nab us. Meanwhile the crew had jolly
time among the taverns, and Savage
and myself bore our full part. 1t was
one evening when we were both the
worse for liquor that he took me aside
and began:
William, l believe you to be re-
liable man. You are poor. and can
put you in the way OF handling snug
So. .0OO."
His language sobered me up and as
tonished me. He beat around the brush
for awhile, and then came to the point,
which he stated as follows:
Here's steamer and cargo worth at
least 81, 100000 What's TO prevent us
from sezing her, making Yankee
port, and coming in for the priZe-mon-.
ey?"
'.Why, the captain and crew will
prevent" l replied.
The captain may try to. but the
crew are all right. I've sounded them
to a man, and they'll stick by me-"
Wouldn't it be mutiny and pira-
cy?"
Exactly. If any of us are fools
enough to return to England we must
stand our chances The Yankees will
be only too glad to welcome u.s."
To my discredit perhaps, 1needed but
little urging to join the conspiracy, and
when We finally put to sea everything
was ripe for the seizure. The pilot,
who was Southerner, was the only
man beside the captain not in the plot.
| Savage had sounded him bit, but
found him loyal 10 the core, and gave
him up. 1t was arranged that the seiz-
ure should take place at midnight. At
that hour the pilot was asleep in his
berth, the captain DOING with his
clothes on, and the steamer was run
ming through calm sea. with the stars
shining overhead. As the moment az
rived Savage and [ went down to Sc
cure the captain while two others went
| to take care of the pilot. The latter
was the one who got the start of us. The
! men went down to find him Just turning
out. and though they threw themselves
/ upon hm he knocked them right and
left and got upstairs 10 the pilOt-house.
! There he was attacked by the two men
at the wheel, but the row ended in his
| shooting one stone dead and bouhcing
the other out with broken head. The
racket raised by the pilot when first as
saulted alarmed the captain, and he
greeted It's with a shower of bullets anc
forced us out of the cabin, Savage be-
ing shot in both the arm and leg.
Then began high old time. Every
man of us had a revolver, and we divid-
ed off so as to keep the captain below
and the pilot in his house. The engine
ers and tiremen quit their posts so as to
take hand in, and in about an hour
the steamer Law idle on the sea, having
no longer any steam. We were now in
for it and bound to have the craft. We
could keep the captain below, but we
must down the pilot. l should say that
100 bullets were fired into the pilot
house between midnight and daylight,
but none of them wounded him. In re-
turn ne killed one man and wounded
two. When daylight came we were
scattered about wherever we could find
cover, and we opened on him again. 1t
! became evident, however. after we had
wasted good deal of lead that the only
way to get him out was to make a
rush. Nobody wanted to head one, as
two or three men were certain to be
killed. We had him penned up, but he
had us rolling on the sea as helpless as
log.
! 1t was about o'clock, and we had
gone aft one by one for bite TO eat,
! when Yankee blockader hove in sight.
] Indeed, when we first saw her she was
only ten miles off. Less than an hour
later she was alongside and we were
all prisoners. We told our story, claim
ing, believe, to have been melted to
capture the craft by patriotic motives,
; but all the priZe-money which we got
out of it was three months in jail
apiece. Either the story didn't wash or
the Yankee commander didn't want to
whack up on his rich hauL-Detron
Free Press.