Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-18
Running the Blockade.

In the article in the Southern BivoUac
for December relating to the Northwest
ern Conspiracy occurs the following ac-
count of the escape of the Confederate
Commissioners from Wilmington, N. q:
ave went on board the Thistle. a swift,
Clyde-built steamer, on the morning of
May 6, 1854, and slowly steamed down
the Cape Fear river to Fort Fisher, reach
ing the fort about 4 p. m. We waited
until it was quite dark, and then started
to run out OF the harbor. We could
plainly discern out at sea the United
States blockading squadron, thirteen
ships in number. The Thistle was very
fast. 1t was said she could make near
IA knots an hour. She was long, narrow
side wheel steamer, lying low in the water,
painted gray or nearly white, so that she
could scarcely be seen at night. White
has been defined to be the absence OF
color, 80 that may say she was colorIess.
Ali OF the blockade runners were 80
painted. Her machinery was perfect and
in exquisite order. 1t was pleasure to
visit her engine room. Everything was
clean and tidy, and the brass and steel
FURNISHED until they looked like gold and
SILVER. All the parts OF the machinery
were kept well oiled, so that they worked
nOiselessly. When we began our run
every light was extinguished. We burned
anthracite coal and made little or no
smoke, and a sort OF hood was put over
the furnace to prevent any reflection of its
fires being seen.
ssTbe land lubbers aboard were smartly
excited; we were unused to that sort of
thing, and when we crossed the bar, about
s D. M, and were creeping along and
twisting our devious, and perilous way
through the huge blockaders, whose tower
ing hulls we could easily distinguish
81. foIf
oueerly. mtt seemed at times as il stone
could have been pitched from our vessel
into one of these dangerous neighbors. If
we were detected we might expect a
broadside. Our Captain SAID, however,
that the real danger would come with
davlight-iust at daylignt-when we
could be seen, and not far away from the
harbor might find our ship close to some
war vessel ready to give chase. Then we
would have to run for 1t. A blockade
runner was not built to fight, but intended
to trust to her heels. A man was always
kept at the masthead, scanning the hori-
ION with a powerful glass. He paid no
attention to sailing vessels, but so soon as
he discovered a steamer notified the Cap
tain, who changed hissshlp's course. These
blockade running steamers often ran
away from each OF her. About a. M, on
Nav 7, the lookout gave notice that he
had sighted steamer. Our course was
at once changed. The stranger immedi-
ately changed her course; and so on
again and again. until it was plain that
we were being pursued. We could see
the black smoke pouring out from the
chimneys of the pursuer, and our Captain
said she was gaining on us-in few
hours she would be near enough to nre
into us. This was pleasant intelligence
to gentlemen gong out on diplomatic
business. 1 thought might as well have
remained and have been shot in the regu-
lar way on land. The Captain thought
this pertinaciOus steamer was the United
States war steamer Connecticut. reputed
10 be very fast. We made all arrange
ments 10 burn our mail and papers, and
10 distribute the money. Each passenger
hogan TO prepare his little story, that he
might be able to properly entertain his
captors, All these dispositions finished,
we thought IL best TO pledge our resolu-
tions and fOrtify ourselves for the coming
encounter with some excellent Dutch
courage furnished from the Captains
stores. We all agreed a.terward that we
were very cool and calm-that is, each
man sald he was-and that we would have
tried with patriotic integrity TO escape a
fote not provided for In our lnstructions.
Fortunately we never learned how we
would have stood the racket. The chase
lnstad five hours. We were taking in
more courage during all that time. The
Yankee seemed to gain on us rapidly. All
at once our Captain got excited for the
first time, and announced that we were
running away from the enemy. He sup
posed that some part of ner machinery
had failed. At any rate we got away, and
in a short time we're out OF sight OF that
ominous black smoke.
"Without further adventure. we ran
safely into the Bermuda islands and the
mort Of st. George. The British flag fly
M on the fort in the narbor saluted the
Confederate flag displayed from the
Thistle"