The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-04
RUNNING THE EBLOCKADE.
An Experience OF tho War Recalled
by the Ships at Charleston.

An Experience OF tho War Recalled
by the Ships at Charleston.
AS blockade running is once more
brought before the public mind-most
| notably by the presence OF the United
States tlcet around Charleston harbor,
| 1T follows that experiences in that very
hazardous business arc quite interest
Ing reading, especially when the story
Is told by actual participants therein
IT, is ono thing 10 play soldier and an
other to be soldier sure enough and
only the man who has heard the wick
ed "whiz" " OF the bullet and tho indie
| scribable shrick Of Il big parrot shell
can enter into the great excitement at
month Of June, 1864, your corrcspon-
dent arrived in Wilmington, N. c., to
try tho efficacy OF Uncle Sans block
ndc, as it was found that it was no use
making an effort from closely guarded
Charleston. | was notified that tho
| steamer " Let Her Be" would sail the
| first dark, cloudy night, and Captain
CoXettcr, her commander, required
everything to be in readiness for de-
Darture at moments notice. Being
thus warned, | took steamer at Viii
mington for run down Care Fear
| river, and at Smithvillc found the fin
| est little steamer ! had ever seen all
! ready Tor tho dangerous effort. Six
hundred and fifty bales OF cotton con-
stituted the cargo, snugly stored undcr
| and above dock, and Il wcll-organiZed
| crew were determined to make Nassau,
bahamas, II they could. Fortunately
| it was dark night, one Of the darkest,
and not a light was permitted on the
steamer. Very soon | felt from the
vibration OF the engines that the ship
was "under way" slowly and quietly
stealing down to the broad Atlantic,
with only the tritling impcdimcnt OF
ten or twelve Wcll-prcparcd United
States ships-Of-war to dispute the ven
turc-if it was discovered. And it was
a time, too, for serious ruil"ctiUn-thc
night shadows, dark and murky, the
little ship with lcathcrcd paddles
silently pursuing her way, dark forms
moving hithcr and thithcr, orders
given almost in Il whisper and every
thing ready in case Of discovery to put
every pound Of steam that could be car
ricd and make her fly through tho wa.
ter. And just then the lights Of the
blockadcrs came into view, no less than
twelve ships, all OF them ready to
| p0unCc upon us, and our six hundred
bales OF cotton if they only had the
chance. But we were singulurly
fortunate, for We had almost reached
the line Of the last ship, had passed
the admirafs vessel, and all the
others, when tho steamer "Montgom-
cry discovered Us, and up went a
rOckCt--and ia u moment answering
sig nails were on every hand, calcium
Fights were brought TO bear on Ms and
If you eve" saw paddle wheels go round
those belonging to the Let Her BE ,
were doing the best that can be dc
COmDliShcd in that line.
Now we were permitted to smoke
and talk, and laugh, and everything
was dOcc to promote checrfulncss, cs
pccially as we found that We had NJ
cause for alarm, for if there were nj
enemies ahead Of M those behind W.
were surely leaving. Gradually they
gave up tho chase, until when tn,
morning dawncd there was only one shil
the Connecticut" which seemed dc
termincd to continue to make us do on
best. Threo or four shots she fired at us
but they fell SO far a.stcrn she con
cluded to waste no moro powder ant
gave up the chase. And q happy MAI
was our captain, for in the most gcnia
manner he told stories, sang songs
ono OF which was something abOut
"McGinegaw," and we were expected
to join in the chorus.
Well, no doubt, the captain fell
Bfehbiy relieved ne might have hau
an interest In the cargo, and while
the Connecticut" seemed to be
getting uncomfortnbly close there was
anything but the assurance OF getting
safely into port. But We distanccd
them all and at 10 o'clock next day
there was not one to be seen. This
gave yourl corr espondcnt nice time
to look over the steamer, become ac-
quainted with the engineers and other
officers, and to find out what large
cargo we had on board for such snip.
True, we were not overloaded espc'
cially on such business rs we we're
bound, but deck cargo is always In
the way, and never more evident than
when chased by Il number OF last
cruisers, and all the space Is necessary
for quick movements and prompt exc.
cution OF orders. The steamer was q
new vessel built on the Clyde In Scot
land and had all the appliances for
quick running, and steady movement
in ~ sca-Way.
We'll, We found that instead of sha-
ping our course for Nassau, Bahamas,
it would be safer to bear up TO: St.
| Georges, Bermuda, and in all probabil-