Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1886-01-14
BLOCKADE RUNNING.
SOME INTERESTING REMINISCENT
CES OF THE WAR.
Zeb. Vance's Visit to Fort Fisher
"Coms out of that Hat !'- Buffers
Famous Powder Ship-The Drown
ing Of Mrs. Rose Greenhow.

ing Of Mrs. Rose Greenhow.
Col. William Lamb in recent ad-
dress delivered before the Northern
Club of Norfolk, says;
We sometimes had our fun in camp.
Zeb. Vance visited us not long after
his election as Governor of North Car
olina. He wore black stove pipe
hat on the side of his head as he came
sauntering through the fort. 1t was
the first appearance of beaver in
the garrison. He had not gone far
before from behind the barracks came
the command, "Cope out of that hat p
81 see your legs" "Come out of that
hat y and presently concealed voices
in different directions had caught up
the cry, "Come out of that hat"' [ see
pour legs" "Come out of that hat"'
Good-natured Zeb. rather enjoyed
the joke, but it was not the reception
| desired to give the Governor of the
State, and l had the drums beat to
quarters and the battalion formed for
review, which effectually squelched
the fun.
Next evening, at dres. parade, an
order was read, threatening any sol
dier with condign punishment who
should call out to visitor to ''come
out Of his hat" Everything remain
ed serene and quiet after that order,
despite the visits Of several clerical
gentlemen to the garrison with rusty
stovepipe hats, until one morning [
espied bewlegged blockade running
captain, who had got safely i'll during
the night, coming UP from the beach
with great shade hat on his head,
which looked for all the world like an
inverted coal scuttle. He was about
opposite one Of the barracks men
when sepulchral voice growled out,
Stay in that hat. Against orders to
come out Of that hat - Il see your
legs, Stay in that hat - which com
niand was repeated along the line
with startling emphasis Il. the bewiI-
tiere,i Brtisher made haste to reach
headquarters. | surrendered at dis
erection, and never is:ued another or
der on the hat question.
BEN pUrLER's POWDER BOAT.
Some of you have heard OF Ben
Buffers powder boat, which We be-
iieve was sent against Fort Fisher, TO
! blow the bottom of the ocean out
| subrlcrge the fort, dcmoralize the gar
rison and stop block ade running
General Benz F. Butler had some
three hundred tons Of powder put Oh
a steamer disguised AS = blockade
runner, and tried TO destroy Fort
Fisher by running her il rear tbs
fort and exploding the great mass Of
powder. He had heard Of the terri
Bile destruction for many miles around
BY AL explosion Of gurporder at
Firth. England, and he concluded the
safest and quickest way 30 capture
| Fort Fisher WAS to blow us all up, OF
at least to scare us to death.
Admiral Porter's fleet had appeared
off Fort Fisher December 20th, 1864,
but stormy weather prevented the
impending attack. On the night O
the 23d the steamer Little Hattie ran
III safety through the fest from Mas
.au, and / WAS talking TO Captain
Lebby, who had landed about mid
night, when from several posts on the
ramparts came the cry for the Corpo
raj of the Gaurd, and the Officer o
the Gaurd reported steamer on fire
about one mile from the fort and not
far from shore, l went upon the par
apet and saw what seemed to be al
English built blockade runner on fire
Captain Lebby thought it must be the
steamer Agnes Fly, which left Nassau
with his vessel for Wilmington, and
so telegraphed General Whiting.
Watched the fire until after l o clock
when | went to headquarters, one
story brick house, formerly used by
the light-keeper, and laid down on my
lounge, hoping to get little rest be-
fore the anticipated engagement next
day, but | had hardly lain down be
fore | felt gentle rocking Of the
house, which | would have attribut
ed either to my imagination or to yer
tigo, bat it was instantly followed by
an explosion, sounding very little
louder than the report OF ten-lnch
Columbiad. The Corporal Of the
Gaurd was called for in every direc
ton by the scntincls, and the officer OF
the gaurd reported the blowing up oi
the magazine Of the vessel which had
been on fire.
| went on the parapet, but ali was
silence and darkness, save the roar o.
the breakers and the phosphorescent
CLEAN of the surf as it laved the shore
| telegraphed General Whiting, II
Wilmington, Of the explosion, and re
tired to rest In the morning the eX
plosion was subject Of conversation
among the officers, and some had no
even been aroused by the commotiol
it created. 1 thought so little of i
that the only entry made in my diar.
was as follows: "a blockader 90
aground near the fort, set fire to her
self and blew up!
l was indeed surprised to learn from
prisoners captured on Christina
night, after our defeat of Butler an,
Porter, that the explosion was that o
great floating magazine intended t.
demolish the works and destroy tn
garrison. The feet had retired twent,
miles off to prevent any injurious Ell
feet to the vessels. The concussio
was distinctly felt in Wilmington
twenty miles @ : and in the countr
| around, but its effect on the fort an