Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-24

proclamation Of April. 1851. forbidding
her subjects to engage In assisting eitner
side during the late unpieasantness,
these ships, when they made the mis-
take OF entering the port of Wilmington,
instead OF Halifax, and running the
blockade. violated their registers, ana.
consequently, on the return voyage, had
to get out a new register.
IAN the vessels, tins property OF the
Confederate Government, we're registered
as the property Of Frazer. Trenholm q
Co. Liverpool. Eng, the commercial
agents OF the Confederate Government In
that country.
THE blockadorunners were built with
double set of boilers. end prior to
making the coast steam was got up on
all the boilers, 80 as 10 give the ship
all the steam che could carry. Every
vessel had steam blow-oT cocks below
the water-line. No lights were shown on
the vessel while at sea, and all vessels
burned anthracite coal. which is COM
paratively smokeless. and cost from SIS
to 80 ton. No dogs or ROSTERS were
allowed on board ship. Oiiiccrs and men
while running the blockade were always
IN their s,ocking.fcgt.
I'm running blockade the leadsman
is stationed in the main chains, the sig
signal-boxes. the captain and pilot and
two men at the wheel on the bridge and
two men aft at the wheel. SO in case the
bridge is shot away they can unshackie
the chains and steer the ship from the
stern. All lights are extinguished. The
land was generally made by the ship
SIX TO ten miles 20 the southwark OF
the old Inlet at Wilmington, and about
the same distance to the northward
or new inlet. The blockade was generally
run from a quarter to half a mile Off
the coast. and sometimes nearer. Mill
tary telegraph Offices were stationed AZ
close intervals along the coast, ten TO
hfteen miles to the southern on old inlet.
and the same distance to the northern
or new inlet; and by the signal-officsr
ABOARD the blockade-runncr cathlng one
or these telegraph stations with hts sig
nals communication was at once made
with Fort Fisher and Fort Caswell TO the
effect that such vessel with Captain So
and so, giving his name was In the act
OF running the blockade and 20 lool,
out FOR her and protect her. which was
often done when the blockadc-runner was
chased by the enemy.
IN THE DAY.
The blockade was run only twice du.
ring the war IN Wilmington In the dav-
time. once by the Gibraltar, the ex-Con.
federate war steamer Sumter. which was
commanded By Captain Semmes. and
which, by the way, was the first war veg.
sci ever fioated by the government. Nv
trick she succeeded In running II from
the north'ard by hosting the Federal
tag. she ran down to the fleet, the Fsde.
rails thinking she was a transport from
the North. She had On board four 200.
pound Whitworth guns ard other NUM-
tons OF war for Fort Sumter Charleston
harbor, and Fort Fisher She got, under
the protection OF Fort Fisher beiSe the
Federals discovered their error the VIII
o. the Wisp, Captain Caper, owner and
commander, succeeded on another coca.
sion IN running the blockade in the day
time. The captain was Scotchman.
aud one day some OF the blockade run
ners on the Board OF Trade were guying
him about the insignificant appearance
or his vessel, which was small, but one
Of the best for speed in the port. She
could make eighteen knots an hour. They
offered 10 bet him 10000 against $4,000
that he could not run the blockade IN
daytime. He took them up. 1t was Gus
tomary for bloekade-runners TO load and
run down and anchor off Smithyilie. al
the mouth Of Cape Fear river under
the protection OF our forts. and then make
the blockade at night. The Federal fleet
saw the VIII o. the Wisp coming down
the river, and supposed of course, she
would anchor, but instead she shaped her
course right through the fleet. They
had nothing that could catch her. They
fired two shots at her one passing
through the cabin above the water line,
and the other carrying away her flag
staff. Captain Caper won his 100000. and
became the hero OF the day.
Showing the systematic manner In
which the blockade was run. | remember
the Virginia Importing and Exporting
Company, of Petersburg, Va, who owned
a line of two fine ships named the City
Of Petersburg and the Old Dominion
which for over two years ran the block
ade out OF the port Of Wilmington anC
port Of st. Georges, Bermuda, on regu
lar schedule advertised time. Each oil
these ships cost $4,000. and after the wal
they were taken to Liverpool. England
and made a daily line between the city
OF Liverpool. England, and the city Of
Dublin. Ireland.
STRANGE NAMES.
MANY strange names were given e
ships running the blockade. Among then
a
to a London blockade-running firm. Thes,
boats were christened Letter Il. Letter
Go, and Letter Rip. The finest vesse
In the business only made one voyage
She was christened Colonel Lamb. anc
was built TO carry 1900 bales OF cotton
The war ended soon after she was built
and put an end 10 her career as block
ede-runner.
zone of the sad incidents IN running thu
blockade was connected with a ship be
longing TO James II. Crenshaw. Of Rich
mond. Va. His ship cleared in 1863 FOL
ST. Georges. Bermuda, and her pilot
named Davis. had yellow-fever, and Wa.
just recovering from IT, The captain
asked him IL he would take the ship in
He replied that he would If 1t was tbs
last ship he ever plotted. The night tbs
ship made the coast he took a relapse
and was carried on the bridge in chair
and successfully piloted the ship into
port. and when the ship dropped AN
Choir his spirit went aloft.
another distressing incident was wher
the Greyhound, Captain Beard. was run
ming in the new inlet. She accidentally
ran ashore Mrs. Greenhow, who wa.
so long kept a prisoner in her residence
at WASHINGTON by the Federal Govern
ment and guarded by negro. was q
passenger on board this ship with bel
daughter. In stepping into boat to 90
ashore she made msstep and was car
riod down by the weight OF gold that she
had IN two belts around her body. Hei
body was recovered next day.
"The Greyhound. in running the block
ade out OF Wilmington, was captured by
the United States sloop-of-war Connects
cut. Ensign Harding was put In COM
mand OF her, with orders to take her 10
New York. She had as passengers Mr.
Pollard editor and proprietor OF the
Richmond Examiner. and the famous
Belle Boyd.
"The Confederate Government built the
a. oht.- afr1,c ward " fyAr-