The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-17
RUNNING A BLOCKADE.
DODGiNG HOSTILE BATTERIES ON
THE MISSISSIPPI.

Thrilling Episodes During the Trip from
New Orleans to St Louis-Making Fast
Time on an Old River Steamer-Boarded
by Hungry Men.
swell, here is your story of the running
the blockade of the Mississippi" said ex-
Mayor Brown. ''To me even now it is an
exciting Renaissance. My anecdote will
have the names of many old ST. Louisans
in it-many of them dead. At the break
ing out Of the war was commanding a
fine fast passenger steamer-the Louisiana
between st. Louis and New Orleans, car
rying many passengers, as at that time
there were no railroads running into New
Orleans
"As was well known at the time, the
north and south, and particularly the
south, was marshaling her forces prepara-
tory TO declaring her independence from
the northern states, and it was with some
hesitancy that / showed out the steamer
from the wharf at ST. Louis for New Or
leans ct a time when no man knew what
would be the next move in the drama, or
rather the tragedy, of the war.
"Wheu we reached New Orleans all was
excitement, business was entirely suspend
ed, and the levee was crowded with anxious
people inquiring what Missouri would do,
what Arkansas would do and if Kentucky
would 60 out
"At II o'clock on the day of our arrival
the United States flag was hauled down
from the custom house in plain view of the
steamboat landing, and then realized, if l
expected to get back to St. Louis, must
get away that night and not wait for an up
tip Of freight. Accordingly, shipped up
al the men that could be worked to dis
charge the steamer and as soon as dis
charged went to work to fill her up with
the very best of combustible fluid, part of
which was 9G0 cords of knots, 800 boxes OF
Pittsburg coal, 100 barrels of rosin, 90 bar
rels of turpentine in which to dip the wood
and 30 barrels Of tar, so that if Oh the way
up we struck bad or green wood pile we
could smother iS IN tar or turpentine. In
the meaatime we had heard that Arkansas
had declared out of the Union and we
knew that the excitement at Napoleon ran
very high rs we came down and that it
nesded only spark there to kindle fame.
II told every man to be at has post at the
appointed hour, as / intended to slip out
very quietly. Just as we were about TO let
20 the line with steam at whistsing heat,
an officer came on board and served paper
L
take out Southern Confederacy custom
house papers, so we had to blow off steam
through the safety and other valves, while
went to the custom house and took out
new papers headed, The Confederate States
of America and paying the fee 1 ran to
the boat, and without ringing the ready |
bell gave the order to the pilot, who stood |
ready at the wheel, and out bounded the |
ha off he Ea1
shot out of a cannon.
81 went back into the engine room and |
the engineers OF the watch were both |
standing by the throttle of their engines, |
watching every revolution. l said to the |
chief engineer, How many revolutions per
minute are they makingt' and this had to
say in loud, harsh voice, as the boilers
were making more steam than the engines
could work
"'Why,' he replied, she is making more
than she ever did in her career; she is max
ing twenty-four minute said, IF moth
ing breaks, when will that take us to Ma
poleop, for expected trouble there oh,
in about two days. came the answer.
That's al right l continued; give it to
her.
'The boats furnace was one seething
mass of flames. The engines groaned and I
surged and seemed TO leap ahead OF the
boat. The river up the shore was as
smooth as fish pond, and as we flew past
q wood yard, where we had engaged some
wood coming down, the darkies called out:
Here's de wood. What's de malta wild de
boat? She's all afreP
'But I called out: we can't stop now
Wen take it when we come down. That
boat never again came down, but war YES
sells took her place and death and destruc-
ton followed in her wake.
'OH the second day out, before dark we
reached Napoleon, and standing on the
hurricane deck, with q spy glass / could
see cannon pointed to the river and not
less than 1,0oe men on the landing. Then
l knew there was trouble ahead. | said to
the pilot, Let us sneak by if we can; it
will never do to land.
$50 we surged up the river until we were
fully abreast of the town, when 100 throats
called out with an oath that would not be
at all appropriate to put in good Sunday
paper, Come in here and acknowledge the
southern confederacy, or we'll blow you
ont of the water And at that instant
they fired cannon across our bow that
stood just above the crowd on the river
bank, with men standing ready to load it
again.
Il said to the pilot, Let her near into the
shore, but don't land her. and he did So
Then / called out: What do you want?
We have no business at Napoleon Yes,
you have they said; come in here and ac-
knowledge the southern confederacy.'
Then the question came up, what should
be done with the boat, and the decision
seemed to be almost unanimous to stop
her, and then, as they said they intended
TO stop all boats in the southern Confed-
eracy,' the excitement was intense, SO that
for half hour was afraid to say any
thing, but after awhile | climbed up on
the dining room table in the cabin, then
filled with excited men and many des-
perste and intoxicated ones, and said,
Gentlemen, I'm sorry to hear you have
determined to detain the boat, for she is
owned in st. Louis, l myself being part
owner, and a part of the crew are my
slaves and here trotted two or three of
the cabin boys out, and said:
"'If you confiscate this and other ST.
Louis boats You will iujure the cause Of
the southern Confederacy; and why should
you do anything TO prejudice Missouri if
you want her to join the Confederacy?
AT that moment a hundred voices called
out. The captain is right; let him go, but
the Cincinnati boats, we'll give them the
devil And they did, for they never let !
another pass up, but coDhscated both boat
and cargo, SO that we steamed out of Ma
poleon by the skin of our teeth.
The Esxt place we had reason to antici-
pate trouble was at Greenville, Miss, but
as we expected TO pass there in the night /
determined to run past it, paying attention
to no csIi order or persuasion, and did so.
notwithstanding they had built big fires