The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-02
RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.
An Experience of the War Recalled
BY the Ships at Charleston,

An Experience of the 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 fleet around Charleston harbor,
it follows that experiences In that very
hazardous business are quite interest
ing reading, especially when the story
is told by actual participants therein
1t is one thing to play soldier and an
other to be soldier sure enough and
only tue man who has heard the wick
&c "whiZ " of the bullet and the indie
scribable shrek OF a big parrot shell
can enter into the great excitement at.
tendanto on running the blockade. In the
month of June, 1861, your c0rrespOn-
dent arrived in Wilmington, N. c., to
try 4, " efficacy Of Uncle Sans block
AIDE, 40 u Was iounu LnuL it US no use
ma ing an effort from closely guarded
Charles ton. | was notified that the
teaner Let Her BE" would sail the
first dark, cloudy night, aud Captain
Coxetter, her commander, required
everything to be in readiness for de-
Darture at u moments notice. Being
t1us warned, | o steamer at Will
mington for u run down Care Fear
river, and at Smithville found the fin
est little steamer had ever seen all
ready for the dangerous effort. Six
hundred and fifty bales of cotton con-
stituted the cargo, snugly stored under
and above deck, and a well-organized
crew were determined to make Nassau.
Bahamas, if they could. Fortunately
it was q dark night, one of the darkest,
and not u light was permitted on the
steamer. Very soon | ftlt from the
vibration OF the engines Thai the ship
was under way" slowly and quietly
stealing down to the broad Atlantic
with only the triling impedim Mt of
ten q" twelve well-prepared Unlted
State. irs.uf.war to dispute the ven.
turc-if it was discovered. And it was
n time, too, for serious renection-the
night shadows, dark and murky, the
little ship with %leathered paddles
silently pursuing ner way, dark forms
moving hither and thither, orders
given almost in a whisper and every.
thing ready in case Of discovery To put
every pound OF steam that could be car.
ried and make her fly through the wa.
ter. And just then the lights of the
blockaders came into view, no less than
twelve ships. all of them ready to
pounce upon US, and our six hundred
bales OF cotton il they only had the
chance. But we were singularIy
fortunate, for we had almost reached
the line OF the last ship, had passed
the admiral's vessel, and all the
others, when tho steamer "Montyom-
cry discovered us, and up went a
rocket-and In u moment answering
sig nails were on every hand, calcium
lights were brought to bear on us and
II you eve" saw paddle wheels go round
those belonging to the LET Her Be-
were doing the best that can be ac-
complished in hat line.
Now we were permitted to smoke
and talk, and laugh, and everything
was doce to promote cheerfulness, es.
pecially as we found that we had NO
cause for alarm, for II there we're no
enemies ahead OF us those behind we |
were surely leaving, Gradually thew
gave up the chase, until when the
morning dawned there was only one ship |