The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-09
A BLOCKADE RUNNERS STORY,
How the Elizabeth Escaped by the Skin
of Her Teeth.

How the Elizabeth Escaped by the Skin
of Her Teeth.
Capt. Geo. @. McDougal sends The
,Suaday Neacs the following graphic
account of successful running OF the
blockade under Capt. Tom Lockwood
In the Elizabeth. It is given in the
gallant shippers own words:
When the Kate had made several
voyages Mr.. Thodore Wagner, of John
Fraser & Co., said they must have
more steamers and ordered Capt. Tom
Lockwood (Oakie) to turn the Kate
over to Capt. Gooding. (the Nashville
had been burned in Ogeechee River,)
90 out on the Kate and buy steamer.
I also had orders to go with him. We
went to Halifax, N. S., and St. Johns $,
N. B., but could find no steamers
suitable and we drifted down to Ha-
vana, Cuba, where we found three
steamers of the Morgan Line, Of New
Orleans and Galveston, two Of them
iron, the Austin and Rusk, and one
wooden, the Atlantic. Capt. Tom
bought the Atlantic, renamed her
Elizabeth, overhauled her engines and
boilers, coaled up and went across to
Nassau for cargo.
While repairing in Havana Capt.
:Carlin came down from Charleston,
bought the Austin, and renamed her
Ella and Anna. She got away before
us.
After taking in a cargo at Nassau
we sailed for Charleston. On the way
across I asked .Oakie' how he was
going to work in? He said hewas 60
ing to try Ship Channel. As all of
the blockade runners had been going
IN from the northward, the Yankees
would not be SO watchful to the south
ward, but we found out different be-
fore we got in.
We made good run across and had
nearly she whole Of the night to work
in. We picked up Hdisto breakers,
then along by Stono breakers, nearly
up to.Ship Bar, when I heard some
one running along the upper deck and
the captains voice at the upper engine
room door: George, the Yanks have
sighted us; bottle her up, I am going
to try to make Ship Channel; if we
cant do it I am going over the top Of
Coffin land, or leave her bottom
there. . We had good head Of water
IN IN the boilers, and set the men prick
ingout the fires to raise plenty OF
steam.
Invent on deck to take look
around. The air was full Of shells,
the sea was alive with Yankee ships.
I went forward to where the Bahama
pilot was standing, but missed the
chief mate. asked the pilot where
he was. BE said he was over the port
bou hanging OF TO the anchor. The
anchor hao been cleared away and he
Was swinging to the crane just below
the level Of the deck. / went over to
the port bow and looked down and
sure enough there was the mate
astraddle of the anchor stock, with
both arms around the shank of the
anchor. The port bow was inshore,
and the opposite side from the Yam
kee ships.
The firing had by this time walked
up the Confederate pickets. They
had set the range lights. The old
light house had been blown up or we
could have seen how far We would
have to run to make Ship Channel by
getting the lights in range. | went
oyer to the starboard, where the cap
tain was standing, and said: "What
are the chances, Oakie?' Bad,
was his reply.
We had forged by allthe ships-the
only danger from them was their
shells-all, except one chap, coming
down from the northward nearly head
and head. 1t looked as if we would
both get to the Bar together. Pres
emily the captain said, "It is no use;
that fellow" /" pointing to the one com
ing from the northward, 'sis going to
run us down and sink US. l will give
you time to run the gags down, then !
will head her over Coffin land
There was. companionway amid
ships that went down to the main
deck and l started for it. About the
time got to it a shell went over my
head, between the walking beam and
smokestack, dropping in the water on