Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1886-01-14
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garrison was miserable failure. My
theory is, that the steamer was affoat
in deep water when she blew up, and
that had she been hard and fast ashore
the result would have been very Sc
rious.
THE DROWNING OF MRS. ROSE GREEN
HOW.
A writer in the Norfolk Ledqer,
gives some interesting incidents of
blockade running into Wilmington,
n. c., during the war, gives the fol-
lowing account of the death of Mrs
Rose Greenhow, widow of Robert
Greenhow, native of Richmond, and
former translator of the State Depart
ment at Washington. The writer says:
"1 ou must not suppose these block
| ade running incidents were always ex.
empt from tragedy. This same steam
er, Night Hawk, was indirectly the
case Of one ofmy saddest experiences at
Fort Fisher You have doubtless heard
of the famous female spy, Mrs. Rose
| Greenhow, a beautiful widow, whose
/ fair face decorated the 500 Confeder-
ate notes. She had been of great ser
vice to the southern cause, and had
passed the lines to and from Washing
! ton a number Of times, and had been
to England and France ON an impor-
tant mission, and after leaving her
two young daughters at school in the
latter country, was returning to the
South ria Nassau in the Bristol steam
er Condor with important news from
the French Court. The steamer had
passed the blockading fleet safely and
jnst before dawn was approaching the
bar, the range lights having been set
in answer to her signal. The pilot
! deserving the Night Hawk lying
ashore on his starboard bow, imagined
her bloclladcr, lost his head, and ran
the Condor on the breaker.
"At day light the Federals, seeing
her ashore, sent one Of their steamers
in, which fired several shets at her,
but the blockader was promptly driven
off by our long-range guns. There
WAS Il heavy zca ON, and II being im-
possible to communicate with the
steamer By boat, | went to headguart-
.ers 10 await the raising tide, expect
ing u talliltI Hti u pom 1tS IIOOIi tt
scntly diminutive looking specimen
Of humanity, hareheadeI, in his shirt
and drawers, which were wringing
vet, stood shivering before me, and
With his teeth chattering, announced
most ludicrously that he was Maj. TAFT,
of the British army | could hardly
suppess Il laugh when he informed me
that he was Of "a party who in attempt
ing to leave the Condor, had been up
, set and barely escaped drowning; that
he feared Mrs. Greenhow was drown
ed, and that Prof. Holcombe was
: completely exhausted aud in criti-
cal condition.
This was no laughing matter, and
sending the British Major to the hos
, pital, | FASTENED to the shore. There
| faund the soldiers had rescued Prof.
Holcombe and several sailors besides
the Major from a capsized boat, but
Mrs. Greenhow, who had embarked
with them, was missing. [ sent the
Professor, who had been away on Il
diplomatic mission for the Confedera-
cy, to the surgeon, and had diligent
search made tor the unfortunate lady.
Her lifeless body was soon found, the
; cruel waves having cast it up on the
cold wet sands when the flowing tide
came in 1t WAS Il sad, touching
sight; that graceful form, that lovely
face, with the indomitable spirit flown
beyond all human recall. Tenderly
we took her up and gave her over to
= sympathising women's care, for the
dead heroine was too sacred Il charge
for soldiers camp.
''Nhen the sea subsidized the COM
mander of the Condor, a Victora
crossman and an officer OF the British
Navy came ashore. The brave sailor
: was almost unnamed at the pitiful
fate of his passenger. He told me
that when the blockader approached
at daylight Mrs Greenhow, fearin G
capture when so near her journey s
end, insisted upon going ashore, Il
though he protested against it, assur
ing her of the protection Of the tort
aed the great danger of the sea. She
insisted, boat was lowered, but the
passengers and her crew had hardly
gotten in, before it was upset by Il
breaker and drifted beyond help.
She was caught under, while the men
crawled up on the bottom Of the boat
and hung on until rescued. One of
the soldiers brought me Il small satch-
el containing one hundred sovereigns,
: which had been suspended around
the poor lady's neck, and which may
have helped to drag her down when
the boat upset.
81 met Capt. Hewitt, of the Con
+ dor, at a dinner party in 1879 in
England. He was an Admiral, anG
had been knighted for galIantry since
our war, and he is now among the
most distinguished admirals in the
British Navy, having recently been
sent on an important mission to King
t John of Abyssinia."
t MT. Davis, of El Dorado.
From The Ncao York Sun.
Mr. Il TT Davis - funny oent la