The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-06-17

--X&E who carried car
- ~ goes of scarcities
-. into blockaded
Conf g d era 9
ports One of the
principals, who acted as supercargo on
several different vessels fitted out by
English spectators, was Thomas E.
Taylor, young man just out Of his
teens. He made 20 trips into Secessia.
After various adventures and thrilling
escapes on the Atlantic coast he started
for run into Galveston, with little
side wheeler called Banshee No. 2, just
at the close Of the war. The cargo from
England was consigned to parties in
Havana, but after the Banshee left that
port she was on dangerous ground and
liable to be overhauled by Federal
cruisers, or fired upon and sunk if she
failed to heave to when summoned by a
shot across her bow. But let Mr.. Tay-
lor tell just how he got out of his di-
lemma and dashed through the blockade
Of United States warships off Texas:
"When Wilmington was on the point
Of falling, there was nothing for it but
to transfer our operations to Galveston,
and to accomplish this I took the Ban
shee No. over to Havana with valu-
able cargo in order to make an attempt
to run into Galveston. This proved to
be my last trip.
"The third evening after leaving
Havana we had run our distance, and,
on heaving the lead and finding we
were within a few miles Of shore, we
steamed cautiously on in order to try
and make out the blockading squadron
or the land. It was a comparatively
calm and very dark night, just the one
for the purpose, but within an hour all
had changed, and it commenced to blow
a regular 'norther,' wind which is
very prevalent on that coast Until then
I had no idea what 'norther' meant.
First rain came down in torrents, then
out of the inky blackness Of clouds and
rain came furious gusts until hurri-
cane was blowing, against which, not
withstanding that we were steaming at
full speed, we made little or no way,
and, although the sea was smooth, our
decks were swept by white foam and
spray. Suddenly we made out some
dark objects all around us, and found
ourselves drifting helplessly among the
ships of the blockading squadron, which
were steaming hard to their anchors,
and at one moment we were almost
jostling two Of them. Whether they
l/vo hot ,ic%o
one Of themselves matters not. They
were too much occupied about their own
safety to attempt to interfere.
Gas to attempt to get into Galveston
that night would have been madness,
we let the Banshee drift, and when we
thought we were clear Of the feet we
steamed slowly seward, after awhile
shaping course SO as to make the land
about 80 miles to the southwest at day
light. We succeeded in doing this, and
quietly dropped our anchor in perfectly
calm water, the norther having subsidized
almost as quickly as it had risen. Hav-
ing seen enough Of our pilot to realize
that he was no good whatever, we de-
cided after conference to lie all day
where we were, keeping sharp lookout
and steam handy, and determined as
evening came on to creep slowly up the
coast until we made out the blockading
feet, then to anchor again and make a
bold dash for our port.
"All went we'll. We were unmolest-
ed during the day and got under weigh
toward evening, passing close to a
wreck, which we recognized. Immedi-
ately after that we very nearly lost our
own ship too. Seeing post Of Confed-
crate soldiers close by on the beach, we
determined to steam close in and COM
municate with them in order to learn all
about the tactics of the blockaders and
our exact distance from Galveston. We
backed her close in to the breakers in
order to speak, but when the order was
given to go ahead she declined to move,
and the chief engineer reported that
something had gone wrong with the
cylinder valve and that she must heave
to for repairs. 1t was an anxious mo-
ment. The Banshee had barely three
fathoms beneath her and her stern was
almost in the white water. We let GO
the anchor, but in the heavy swell it
failed to hold. The pilot was in help
less state Of furry when he found that
we were drifting slowly but steadily
toward the shore, but Captain Steele's
presence of mind never once deserted
him. The comparatively few minutes
which occupied the engineers in tempo
rarily remedying the defect seemed like
hours in the presence Of the danger mo-
mentarily threatening us. When at
length the engineers managed TO turn
her ahead, we on the bridge were great
~ relieved to see her point seward and
clear the breakers.
GAS soon as we reached deep water
the damage was permanently repaired
and we steamed cautiously up the coast,
until about shutdown we made out the
topmasts Of the blockading squadron
right ahead. We promptly stopped, cal
culating that, as they were about 10 OF
II miles from us, Galveston must lie a
little farther on our port bow. We let go