The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-15
BLOCKADE RUNNER DEAD.

/ About two weeks ago Alexander
| Collie died in New York in obscurity.
| For Il quarter Of a century he had been
| n fugitive and had concealed his iden-
| tity under the name Of George Mcneil.
! Writing Of his death. the Washington
| correspondent of the Richmond Dis
| patch gives some facts that will be in
| teresting to North Carolinians. We
quote:
| During The civil war Wilmington. y.
| G., was noted for its blockade runners.
and famous Fort Fisher. commanded
| by Colonel William Lamb, Of Norfolk,
| Va. was the fayoite gateway into the
! Cape Fear River. Among the English
houses who were engaged in blockade
running and the one that owned by
| far the largest fleet Of splendid boats.
was that of Alexander Collie & Co. the
reputation and high commercial stand
| ing of HON were Worldwide. Their
steamers We're of the finest. each sub
sequent one 4;urpaSsing the former in
size, speed. and general adaptabiIity
| for the purpose OF eluding United
States cruisers.
IN Wilmington, the firm leased one
| of the most elegant Southern homes,
and brother, William Collie, who re-
sided there at the time, dispensed with
lavish hands a like hospitality.
Many of the steamers of this firm
we're saved by the guns OF Fort Fisher;
and in some cases, where the vessels
wsre lost. as in the case of the Venus,
| Condor, and others. the caTgoes we're
saved by the garrison of that fort,
| When Fort Fisher fell 1.-THE 18th of
January, 1869 at the second attack Of
| the Federas (the first under Batter
and Porter having faiEed), it's Confed-
crate commander was desperately
wounded, and supposed to be dying.
| After the general surrender he vas re-
moved to the North where he received
from an anonymous source, through
a New York banking house credit Of
& 100. with the information that when
that was used a draft for any needed
amount would be honored This con
duct on the part Of Alexander Collie
for il was for him the funds came to
an officer whom ne had right to sup
pose could not again assist him WAS a
marked characteristic Of himself and
familY,for among the generous acts Of
the brother in Wilmington were many
gifts to the poor and needy wives and
children Of absent soldiers.
Dul'ing the war Alexander Collie 4
60 had carried ont many contracts for
the State OF North Carolina, while Zeb-
Hon Vance was Governor, and at the
close of the war the State morally, if
not legally. owed very large amount
10 this firm. for which the State held
in trust large number of bales of cot
ton, which cotton ! am under the inn
preston was seized by the Treasury
Department OF the United States and
sold. The claims against the State of
North Carolina held by this firm, which
were evidenced by certificates issued
by the State, having been assigned to
the creditors of the firm on it's failure
an offer was made by some of the
friends Of Alexander Collie, including
ex-GoYeTnor Vance. thcn Senator Of the
United States. To have the Legislature
of North Carolina redeem These GER
titcates by q grant Of unorcupied
lands belonging to the literary fund Of
the State; and "a proposition was made
to hc English creditors thct. II they
uodid surrender these certificates aud
allow liberal portion Of the proceeds
for expenses. ald for Mr. Coiiic. the
grant would be suat'e But the Eng
lisa creditors. more GREEDY than wise
retired the proposition. and row the
cert. |icat@s t5ey bold are as worthless
as Confederate notes