Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-10

C15zaK ia saSe In saw that mn
4-, part Of the country has
changed less in physical
| appearance, as well as
In many othor respects.
during the years be-
tween 1865 and 1893
Wilmington was the last port Of the short
lived confederacy, and there are many sights in
and near that city which recall war memories
As one walks along the streets now there comes
before the mind Fort Fisher. which commanded
the then chief inlet to the Cape Fear river, and
also the scenes IN Wilmington during the ex-
citing period OF the blockade, which lasted from
1862 to mid-January, 1865. In those DAYS
| rakish blockade runners, somber -colored. with
all the signs Of speed about them, lay in the
river. while ashore were many foreigners, who
| represented European houses English officers
on leave to see the sights. mingled with soldiers
o. the large garrisons. cotton planters and
| naval store producers from the interior. The
odor OF tar. pitch and turpentine was in all the
air. whlle big warehouses, government and pri-
vate. were filled with what the confederacy and
the state had to barter for clothing and equip
| ments.
DOWN THE RIVER,
colored dark brown by the stain of the cypress
along its supplying streams. the scenes are
pleasing. The barrier dividing the river from
| the sea for many miles is very narrow, as a
glance at the map will show. the lines of river
and ocean being nearly parallel. About this
Cape Fear river there is yet another popularity
1t Is the only one OF all North Cardinals
streams which Rows directly into the ocean, the
others all flowing into sounds. There were during
the war two inlets, one at the mouth of the
river, ut what was then Smithvilie and is now
southport, the other at New inlet, some miles
mp the stream. The latter inlet is now closed,
thn ITy,st fofn h.
$4,000 .0OO done the work by blocking it en-
tirely by means Of dam Of stone three miles
| in length.
1t was at New inlet that the confederates
built Fort Fisher, the two attacks on which be-
| came so notable IN the history Of the war; In
the construction OF this immense work only
sand was utilized. and the engineers to a great
degree awaited themselves OF the mounds or
dunes which the wind raises or sweeps away
There was large fort, built to repel attacks by
land. sea or river, and chain of mounds or
separate batteries, each mounting one gun. OF
these the outlines all remain, thanks mainly to
the growth OF sea oats or OF scrubby bushes,
which retain the sand. Some of the hillocks
loom up in quite lofty fashion. 1t il at the
southern extremity OF the fort that the houses
of tine river Improvement force which closed
the inlet we're bult. Tho place il very Desc
late. Eastward there Is the roaring sea. the
surf breaking in long lines upon a beach OF
snowy sand. Out beyond the breakers the iron
work OF several blockaders projects above tho
heaving waters. and there are similar views of
all now remaining Of blockade runners which
adventured too near the shore or were driven
IN by the blockadng squadron. The guns
furthest down on this point were a couple OF
100-pounder Blakely rifles. presented by English
business men and sympathzers with the con-
federacy, and there are many stories vet extant
OF the excellent practice made with those guns,
then triumphs OF English skill. On the west
ward of what was the fort is the bread river
with a soft haze nearly always hanging over it,
and with gimpses on the landward side of tho
stream OF low-lyinG rice fields. pine-covered
bluffs and OF the moss-covered trees Of the
southern streams.
LITTLE LEFT FOR RELIC HUNTERS
Fort Fisher now yields little to the relic
hunter. just after the war the junk dealers
appeared at Wilmington and found the negroes
apt pupils in the collection Of old iron. Into
the junk pile went thousands CT shells, guns,
bayonets, 1c., from the fort and its vicinity.
These have long since been iCer,.ily turned into
plowshares. Very few articles can now be
found in OF near the fort. The place is looked
over many times a year for relics. In Whining
ton some are preserved, aud there are also the
official drawings OF the attacks on the fort, as
well rs illustrations Of the same. What is
spoken Of as the Butler attack made in De-
cember, 1864, and during it Gen. b. +. Buffers
powder boat was exploded. The explosion did
no damage save to the vessel winch held the $50
tons OF powder. At Christmas time that year
Gen. W. II. c. Whiting the commsndant at the
fort. sent to Gov. (now Senator) Vance a couple
Of l5-inch shells fired by monitors at the fort.
These were accompanied by letter saying that
they were christmas gift" Those shells
were placed on pedestals either side of the
approach to the statue OF Washington in the
Capitol Square at Raleigh. and there they vet
in fan and L
ing aught Of their history. People who were in
the fort say that after each attack it was quite
possible to walk for hundreds Of ya.ds upon
shell fragments and at the second and success
full attack bodies lay thick in all directions.
FORT CAswRLL.
Where there WIS once New inlet, so stcrnly
guarded and off which the blockadiny fleet lay
for years. no vessel could now enter and fort
would be useless. At the mouth Of the Cape
Fear river there stand the grand ruins of Fort
Caswell, one of the largest Notifications on the
Atlantic coast. This guarded the other en-
trance to the Cape Fear river, and in a great
semi-circle seaward from this opening were the
blockading vessels. The ruin OF the fort is
nearly complete and is one of the most perfect
reminders OF the war to be found in the coun-
try. Vast masses OF brckwork, shattered
arches, splintered stone and burned buildings,
with missing roofs and gaping doors and win
dows, look Just rs they did when tho confeder-
ates destroyed the costly fortifcation
and abandoned it the night after
the capture of Fort Fisher. And yet there
was no attack made upon Fort Caswell and
only three shells were fired into it by the block
aiding fleet The fort il on OAK Island and was
built about 1920 brick being used in its con-
struction. Had all the powder exploded that
night in January, 1865, the ruin would be ten
times greater, but only one magazine was de-
stroyed. Not a soul il now seen there The
ordnance sergeant nominally in charge il on tho
mainland, two miles away, and the only signs Of
hfe on the island are at the life saving station.
half mile distant. In of war the fort
would again become important, as it guards the
states greatest waterway. In war times the
channel was right under the guns of the fort and
many score OF blockade runners have slipped
by there at night. Now the channel is much
further away.
THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS.
In those war times little Smithville was a
lively town. In no place in the entire confed-
eracy save this was specie in any way current
There gold aud silver, mainly the former, was
pla fnl md lots no.