The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-09
HE RAN THEGANTLET
HOW A CONFEDERATE BOAT WAS
TURNED OVER TO THE ENEMY.

The Planter Was Taken by Robert smails
Out OF Charleston Harbor and Delivered
to tho Federal Notwithstanding Story
Connected with q War Claim.
How Robert Smalls, the we'll known
negro politician of Charleston, took pos
session Of the Confederate steamship Plant
er in Charleston harbor during the war and
delivered her to the Federal authorities
forms the subject of one of the most inter
esting war claims now before congress
At that time Smalls received q part of the
prize money, but the full amount to which
he was entitled was never paid him, and
there is now before the house bill, favor
ably reported, which appropriates SEQ, 900,
to be paid over to him for the performance
of one Of the most daring feats of the re-
bellion. The case is not entirely new In
congressional history, for Mr. Smalls has
not been idle all these years, and tho meas
ure has been previously considered by the
COMMITTEES and favorably recommended.
But comparatively few persons know the
history of the case, which is given in de-
tail In one Of the reports recently made to
the house from the committee on war
claims
On May 10, 1862, the Confederate steam
ship Planter, the special dispatch boat of
General Ripley, the Confederate post com
mander at Charleston, was taken by Rob
ert Smalls under the following crcum-
stances from tho wharf at which she was
lying, carried safely out of Charleston har-
Dor and delivered to one of the vessels of
the Federal fleet blockading that port.
On the day previous, May 12, the Plant
er, which had for two weeks been engaged
in removing guns from Coles island to
James island, returned TO Charleston
That NIGHT oil tho off chrr x1I
slept in the city, leaving on board crew
Of eight men, all colored. Among them
was Robert Smalls, who was virtually the
pilot of the boat, although he was only
called wheelman, because at that time
no colored men, in fact, could have been
made pilot. For some time previous he
had been watching for an opportunity to
carry into execution a plan he had con-
ceived to take the Planter to the Federal
fleet. This, he saw, wis about as good a
chance as he would ever have to do so, and
therefore he determined not TO lose it. Con-
sulting with the balance of the crew,
Smalls found that they were willing to CO.
operate with him, although two of them
afterward concluded to remain behind.
The design was hazardous in the extreme
The boat would have TO pass beneath
the guns of the forts in the harbor. Fail
ure and detection would have been certain
death Fearful was the venture, but 1t was
made. The daring resolution had been
formed and, under command of Robert
Smalls, wood was taken aboard, steam was
put on, and, with her valuable cargo of
guns and ammunition intended for Fort
Ripley, new fortiRcation just construct
ed In the harbor, about o'clock in the
morning the Planter silently moved off
from her dock, steamed up to North At
lantic wharf, where Smalls wife and two
children, together with four other women
and one other child and also three men,
were waiting to embark. All these were
taken on board, and them at 3:25 q. m,
May ID, the Planter started on her peril
Gus adventure, carrying nine men, five
women and three children Passing Fort
johnson, the Planters whistle blew the
usual salute, and she proceeded down the
bay. Approaching Fort Sumter, Smalls
stood in the pilothouse leaning out of the
window, with his arms folded across his
breast, after the manner of Captain Relay
the commander of the boat and his head
covered with the huge straw hat which
Captain Relay wore on such occasions
The signal required to be given by all
steamers passing out was blown as coolly