Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-06-27
BLOCKADE RUNNING.
An Incident Of the Late War which
Has I,ocaI UmtereSt.


During the civil war Nassau was the
chief depot of supplies for the confederacy
Blockade runners piled between it and the
ports of Charleston and Wilmington, car
rying out cotton and bringing back cargoes
of general merchandise. Capt. Wilkinson
in his Narrative of a Blockade Runner ~
relates many adventures which befel him
on such trips. He was in command of the
steamer Lee, and on the 9th of August.
1868, sailed from Wilmington TO Nassau.
We passed safely through the blockading
fleet off the New Inlet bar, he says, receiv-
ing no damage from the few shots fred at
US, and gained an ofiing of 80 miles before
daylight. By this time our supply Of Eng
lish coal was exhausted, and we were obliR-
ed TO commence upon North Carolina coal
OF very inferior quality, which made a ter
! rible smoke.
This was little after daylight. Very
soon afterward the vigilant look out at the
masthead called out, Sail no I" and in re-
ply to the Where away - from the deck,
sang out, Right astern, sir, and in chase"
The morning was very clear. On going
to the masthead | could Just discern the
royal of the chaser, and before [ came
down, say in half an hour, her topgallant
sail showed above the horizon. It was evi-
dent that our pursuer would be alongside
oil us by midday at the rate we were going.
| The hrst orders we're to throw overheard
the deck load of cotton and to make more
steam. The second of these orders proved
to be more easily given than executed the
chief engineer reported that it was impos-
sible TO make steam with such wretched
fuel filled with slate and dirt.
moderate breeze from the north and
east was blowing, and every stitch of can
vas on board the square-rigged steamer in
our wake was drawing. The advantage
could only be neutralized either by bring
ing the Lee gradually head to wind or edg-
ing away TO bring the wind aft The for
mer course would be running toward the
land, beside mourning the additional risk
OF being intercepted and captured by some
OF the in-shore cruisers. began to edge
away, therefore, and in two or three hours
enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing our pur-
suer clew up and furl his sails. The breeze
was still fresh, but we were now running
directly away from it, and the cruiser was
gong literally as fast as the wind, SO that
the sails were rather a hindrance than a
help. But the cruiser was still gaining up
on us. A happy inspiration occurred to
me when the case seemed hopeless, and
sent for the chief engineer.
MIR. ). let us try cotton saturated with
spirits of turpentine"
There were on board, as part of the deck
load, 30 or 40 barrels of spirits. In few
moments bale of cotton was ripped open,
a barrel tapped, and buckets full of the sat.
urated material were passed down into the
hreroom. The result exceeded our expec-
tatlons. The chief engineer, an excitable
hIte Ffenchman, soon made his appear
ance ON the bridge, his eyes sparkling with |
triumph, and reported a full head of steam.
was curious to see the effect upon our
speed, and directed him to wait moment |
TILL the log was hove. threw it myself |
nine and half knots
Let her go now" l said Five minutes |
afterwards hove the log again-thirteen
and quarter!
We now began to hold our own, and even |
to gain little upon the chaser but she |
was fearfully near, and | began to have
visions of another residence at Fort War
ren. | wonder if the officers of the cruiser
could have screwed another turn of speed |
out of her if they had known that the Lee
had on board, in addition to a cargo of cot
ton, large amount of gold shipped by the
confederate government.
There was slight change in our relative
positions till about o'clock in the after
noon, when the chief engineer reported
hues, and that the steam was running down
only keep her going till dark" re.
pied, and we will give our pursuer the
slip yet"
A heavy bank was lying along the hori
zon to the south and east, and saw a pos
slble means of escape. At sunset the chAs-
er was about four miles astern and gaining
ON us. | stationed an officer on each wheel |
house, with glasses, directing them to let
me know the instant they lost sight of the
chaser in the growing darkness. At the
same time ordered the engineer to make
as black a smoke as possible, and to be in
readiness to cut it off by closing the damp
ers instantly, when ordered. The twilight
was soon succeeded by darkness.
Both officers called out at the same mo-
ment, we have lost sight of her." while
dense volume of smoke was streaming
far in our wake
CLOSE the dampers!" I" l called out, and
at the same moment ordered the helm
hard starboard." Our course was al.
tered eight points, the cruiser was thrown
off the track, and two days later we arriv-
ed safely at Bermuda. Boston Journal.
The vessel which chased the Lee was the
sloop of-war, Iriquois, in her day the fast
est ship in the navy. She was at this time
commanded by Captain A. L. Case, now a
retired Rear Admiral, and among her Off
GERS was Ensign NOW Commander) Allan
d. Brown, well known in Brattleboro and
now a resident here during leave of alb
sence on account of ill-health contracted in
the naval service. Commander Brown
readily recalls the excitement of that day,
as it was during his watch that the Lee
was first discovered, and lowing to the
small number of officers then on board he
had the deck for nine hours of the twenty
consumed in the fruitless chase. A cap
ture would have resulted in the tidy little
sum of 100000 or $4,000 for the COM
manding officer, while an ensign's share
would have been some "a 900 but, as was
unfortunately too often the case our Off
GERS saw the prospective additions to their
purses ''go up in black smoke"