The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-08-27
STORY OF A BLoCKADER.


was for about IS months in the
blockading service off Charleston har-
Dor. and good many strange things
happened aboard of us and around us
during that time. All the fighting was
left to the ironclads, as you know,
while the blockaders got their excite
ment in watching for the craft trying
to steal in and out of the harbor. 1t
also happened occasionally, when we
were on the outside of the fleet, that
we were off in chase of vessel which
had given the Others the slip.
Men will hardly credit in time of
peace what chances blockade runner
will take in time of war. The first re-
quisite of blockade runner was speed,
although many sailing vessels, and
some of them very dull sailers, were in
the business. The successful ones,
however, were steamers, and the first
thing to be done was to paint them
a cloudy white and furnish them with
coal which emitted neither smoke by
day nor sparks by night. You won't
believe that a steamer would try to
enter a harbor watched by at least
20 vessels outside, and its channels
patrolled by half dozen boats, but
that's what the blockade runners did
in so different cases with success. 1t
was taking big chances, but they were
reckless lot.
My first sight of SNEAK" as we
used to term these crafts, brought dis
aster to me. 1t was dark, rainy
night, and | was lookout on the port
bow. There were seven of our vessels
inside of our station, and it did not
seem possible that any outward bound
err could pass through them and reach
us. / had my eyes open, because dis
cipline compelled it, but so dark was
the night that l could not have seen
a white house so feet away. My trick
as lookout was about half over when
something suddenly rubbed against
the bow of our vessel and slid along
aft. At the same moment made out O
steamer, and gave the alarm. had
0lCCiy 1CllCd oub WhNh a iuhlP VI
coal struck me in the face, and it was
half an hour later when came to in
the sick bay. The "sneak" had been
seen by others, hailed by the officer Of
the watch, and two of the guns cast
loose and fired at her, but she worked
her way through the rest of the feet in
safety and reached Nassau with big
load of cotton. The man who threw
the coal was standing forward on heI
bows, and could not have been over ter
feet from me, as I cried out. How he
could have figured that knocking me
over was going to help his craft to es
cape 1 can't see, but he heaved the
missile with right good will and gave
me an ugly scar to carry to my grave
As an offset to the above, / was OF
the lookout on the starboard quarter
one, night, six months later. On this
occasion we were lying close in, ant
the night was dark and rainy. We hat
Information that "sneak" would
come that night, and all attention wa.
therefore directed forwards. | ha(
just rubbed the cobwebs out of my
eyes for new look around when
made out a black lump close aboard
and caught the sound of strange
voice. This time did not cry out, bu
turned and reported to the officer O.
the watch. He raised his night glas
for look, and a minute later two guns
were manned, and he was crying out
Surrender, you sneak! have tw'
guns trained upon you, and you move
a foot I'll blow you out of water!"
Don't shoot-I surrender" cam,
the reply, and five minutes later W,
were in possession of steamer hav
ing cargo valued at almost 81 900 200
She had lodged through fleet of
vessels, being bound in, and am sur,
that If I had not discovered her sh
would have been at the wharf il
Charleston before daylight. got pro
motion and good bit of prize money
and that rather evened up matters
though the scar is far from being al
ornament.