Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-18
RUNNING A BLOCKADE
popoINo HOSTILE BATTERIES ON
THE MISSISSIPPI



BY Hungry NsH.
-won. here Il your story ~ the running
tb. bioskadr Of the Mississippi sald tx.
Mayor Brown. TO me even now y l. Az
exciting rrnlniscence. Ny nnecdote Will
have the MINES Of many old -. lonlsins
In it-msny u them dead. ~ tho brrak.
ing ont Of the war was commanding a
fine last passenger s'sainer-the Louisiana
--iutwccn - Iloui. and NV Orleans, car
ring many paucngcrl, as NJ thnt time
there were no railroads running into Nsw
Orleans.
AS WIS well known NJ the tins. the
softh and south, and particularly the
south, was marhaling her forres pvparn'
tory 10 declaring l,cr independeoee from
the northern staten. and IL WIS with some
hedtanoy that I showed out the steamcr
from the wharf at 81 Louis for New Or.
leans 1T a time when no man know what
would 10 the nett move IN the drama, or
rather tho tragedy, Of the war.
"wipn We reached New Orleans OIL was
excitement, business was entirely suspend
81, and the ltvrr was crowded with ANXIOUS
people inquiring what Missouri would do,
what Arkansas would 10 aud II Kentucky
would &c ont.
'At III nctufN on inc uhy ot 'uF NNi'"
tho United State. ma WV hauled down
from the custom house In plain view OF the
steamboat landing. and then rcalikc'l, " ]
expected 10 gct back 10 Il Louis, must
t,t away TINT night. and not wait Tor an up
trip Of freight Accordingly, shipped up
all the men that could 10 worked To dis
charge tho steamer and a. soon a. dis
charged went 20 work 10 iill her up with
.l...a assl. "a %
which was 80 cori- 81 knots, 80 boxes OF
Pittsburs coal, ioD barrels Of ruain. % bar
rols Of tarpen,in. In which To dip the wood
and 70 barrels 81 tar. 20 that II on the way
up WI struck bad or green wood pile We
could smother II In tar or turpcntinc. In
the rncantimc W. had heard that Arkansas
had declared out OF the Union and w
knew that the exciihmcnt At Napoleon rnn
very high as We came down and that IL
nrcici only spark there To iindlc flame.
II told every man 20 b. ut bis post nj the
appointed hour. a. I intsndod 10 slip out
scry quietly. Just M we were about 10 let
70 the line with steam at whisiling heat,
an olflcer cnmr on board aud served paper
on mo TO the effect that l would have 10
take out Southern Confrderncy custom
house papers. 20 VIZ had " blow on steam
through the safrty and other valves, while
went 20 the custom house aud took out
now papers headed. The Confederate States
Of America and paying the fee l ran 10
tho boat. and without ringing the ready
bell gave tho order 10 the pilot. who stood
ready nj tho wheel. and cut bounded tho
Louisiana She was OF up the river like
shot out Of cannon.
Il wcH back Into the engine room aud
tho enginccrs On the watch wcf, both
standing by the throttle Of their engines,
watching every revolution. | said 10 the
chief engineer. How many revolutions per
minute arv they makingf and this bad 10
my in loud, harsh VOICE. a. the boilers
were making more steam than the engines
could work.
"'why, ho replied, she Is making more
than al. ever did In her carrcr. She Is max.
Ing twcnty.four a minute | sail, II moth.
ing breaks, when viii that take US 10 Ma.
poleon' for expected trouble there oh.
In about two days. came tho answer
That's all right continued. give IL 10
hcr'
1.-THE boats furnace wns one see,hlng
masA Of flames. The engines groancd aud
surgcd and seemed 10 leap ahead Of the
boat The river up tho show was ~
n wood yard, where We had engaged some
wood coming down, tho darkies called out.
Here's d. wood. What's do malta Wild dc
boat' she's all afrcr
"iiut l called out, We can't stop now.
Well take u when we come down. That
boat never again came down, hut war YES
hrls took bor place aud death and destruc.
tlon followed In her wake.
la Is..a al a
reached Napoleon. and standing on tho
hurricane deck. with a spy glass could
~. u cannon pointed 20 the river and not
less than 1000 men on tho landing. Then
i know there WIS trunhle ahead. said 70
tho pilot, let Us sneak by II wo can. 10
will never do to land.
80 we aurgrd up the river until We were
fully abreast Of the town, whcn 100 thronts
called out with an oath that would not bo
at all appropriate 10 put Ia good Sunday
paper. Come In here aud acknowledge tho
southern confedcracy, or wen blow YOU
out Of the water And ~ that instant
they fired cannon across our bow that
stood just above the crowd on tho river
bank, with men standing ready to load &c
again.
II said TO the pilot, let her near into tho
shore, but don't land her and he did 40.
Then l called outs What do you wantf
We have no business ut Napoleon Yes,
you have they said, come In hcFc aud nc.
knowledge the southern confcdrracy.i
Then the question cameup, what should
be done with the boat, aud the decision
heomed to DO almost unanimous TO stop
her. and then, IA they said they Intended
10 stop all boats IN the southern Confcd.
eracy.' the excitement was intense, 80 that
for half hour ] was afraid TO say any.
thing. but after awhile ! climbed up on
the dining room table Ia the cabin, then
hllod with excited men and many do..
perata and intoxicated ones, and said,
rentlenlen, Tn sorry TO hear you have
determined 20 detaln tue boat, for she Il
owned In st. Louis, ! myself being part
owner. and part Of the crew arr my
slaves, and here trotted two or three OF
the cabin boys out, and sald;
"'lf you oonlsnste this aud other ST.
Louis boats YOU Will inlure the cause NJ
the southern confederacy; aud why should
you do anything 10 prejudice Missouri II
you want her 10 join the ConfedrraeyP
Az that moment a hundred voices called
ont. The captain " right; let him 20, but
The Cincinnati boats, wen give them tho
devil And they did. for they never let
another pass up, but coniscatel both boat
anu cargo, 80 that We steamed out VI Ma.
polron by the skin Of onr teeth.
The next place We had rrason 20 nntlcl.
pate trouble was AT GFrenvillu, Miss, hut
~ we expected 10 pass there In the hight
a1ermined 70 run past IL, paying attention
70 no call, order or persuasion, and did 40,
Notwithstanding they had built BIZ iiros
"a the hank and hrod three shots AZ m.
nut they must have fired wide OF tAe mari.
NJ Ne went by unAeathed.