The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-05
UNNIN THE. BLOCKADE;

RUNNING THE. BLOCKADE;
Snap Shots at Life on a Blockade Fun.
ner when Pursued by the Enemy.
Late in June, 1864, I was stationed
on Sullivan's Island, near Charleston,
in charge of one Of the signal stacions,
when the chief of the signal corps of
the Confederate Government paid the
post a visit, and after a short talk
ordered me to report to department
headquarters for duty in Northern
Virginia. This transfer was not a
pleasant one, but orders had to be
obeyed, and ~forty-eight hours after
ward I was on a railroad train bound
for Richmond, Va. Passing through
Wilmington, N. c., my destination
was changed and I was detailed as sig
nal officer for a blockade nne
scheduled to leave for Bermuda on the
night of the 9TH Of July. During my
short stay in Wilmington [ secured a
suit of citizens clothes for which I
paid many hundreds Of dollars in Con.
federate bills, and pluned myself
upon being as elegantly dressed rs a
boy of 20 could be, but alas, these
supposed fine feathers actually seemed
shabby a few days later in Bermuda
when compared with even the ready
made articles displayed in the shop
windows.
We dropped down the Cape Fear
River and anchored just inside Of Fort
Caswell until the moon set, and as we
started my experience in blockade
running began.
Steam had been gotten up, the fires
banked, hampers closed, all lights put
out and everything shut down tight,
so as to prevent, if possible, even a
spark from being seen. No one was
allowed on deck except the captain,
pilot, chief engineer and myself. We
were dressed over all with long shirts
as nearly like light smoke color as we
could get, so as to prevent our being
seen, and all orders were given in a
whisper and passed from one to the
other. Having seen from the mast
head the previous afternoon upward
Of twenty blockading vessels lying in
the ofing, my excitement as to our
ability to elude them all can be better
imagined than described, particularly
so because I had never yet been on the
broad ocean.
Our vessel, the Alice, a fine iron
side-wheel steamer, originally built
for the Baltic Sea trade, was now pop
ularly known as one Of t. mail
steamers" between the Coz ederacy
and the Bahama and other islands,
she having made along with her sister
ship, the Fannie, many successful trips
without the loss of any cargo. We
were painted the regulation ''fog"
color, or as zeal it as possible, and
gliding out under the guns Of Fort
Caswell, were almost invisible and
noiseless, having patent paddles which
dipped into the water with scarcely a
sound. Very soon we were in the
midst of the ~blockading Aeet, but
quickly discovered hat there was lit
tie to fear, as the 'sounds Of revelry
by night proved conclusively chat all
hands were celebrating the "Fourth
of July"
Passing out to sea every one except
the "watch" turned in for some rest
and were not disturbed until the next
morning just as day began to break,
when, having nearly reached the Gulf
Stream, we were awakened by the cry
Of "Sail no !"
Tumbling on deck we saw at some
distance on our starboard quarter Just
emerging from the darkness what was
apparently a huge steamer, 1t soon
lightened enough to see she was in
chase of us, flying the Stars and
Stripes, and not long after, having
been as a younger boy fond Of going
about the docks in Charleston, I re-
cognized her as the "Keystone State
formerly on the Philadelphia and
Charleston Line. AS we found we
were gaining on her we did not alter
our course, which was then east by
south, but shortly afterward another
steamer of the same old line, the
"Quaker City," appeared, bearing
down On u port quarter.
This began to be exciting, and many
trips were made to the engine room to
watch the number of revolutions the
shaft was making. On we steamed,
sometimes one and then another hay
ing apparently gained a little.
Just as we were finishing a hurried
breakfast the cry of "Sail no !" was
again heard, and it proved to be q
third steamer, only the smoke Of which
was just visible on the horizon on Gu,
port bow. AS We were now apparently
gaining steadily on the Keystone State
our course was changed a little to the
southwark, and we held that until the
steamer on the port bow rose enough
to be recognized as the Rhode Island.
and while we were discussing the point
as to whether or not it would be better
to haul more to the southwark and
thus get the Rhode Island astern Of
US, smoke was seen on the starboard
bow.
Things looked ticklish at this time.
for here we were being chased by three
of the fastest boats in the Yankee
navy, and an unknown one just sighted.
but we concluded to hold as we were
and drive the engine all we could. An
hour or two satisfied us that We had. q
little more speed than our pursuers.
and were just beginning to breathe
more easily when the chief engineer
came on deck with a very long face
and said journal on one Of the engines
was almost red hot and that he had
done everything he could to cool ii
without success.
What were we to do -? To stop meant
certain capture, and probably impris-