The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24

FORTS FISHER, ANDERSON, CAsWELL AND JOHNSON
Orton Hendal Old Church. Carolina Beach, Southport
In the Bay--A Run to Sea.

pests devour % per cent. of all he rice
made on the Cape Fear. They appear
every Fall together on the same day and
depart during single night when The
rice gets too hard for them. The pant
ers have never been able to protect the il
crops from the yearly ravages of these
birds. Although a gang Of boys ana
men are kept firing guns at them all
day, a very small proportion of the inn
mense droves is killed. For a dainty
supper, fat riceS bird is perhaps the
most delicious morsel that every tickled
the palate Of an epicure
. FIRST NAVIGATORS OF THE
CAPE FEAR.
The first reference made in history
to Big Island is in the report of the
commissioners sent from Barbados IN
October. 1868, to explore the river Cape
Fear.
After describing the voyage to tue
Cape, they say that the channel is on
the East side by the Cape shore, and
that it lies close aboard the Cape land,
being Is feet at high water in the shall
lowest place in the channel, just at the
entrance, but that as soon as this shall
II
inward. thirty and thirty-fiye feet wa-
ter is found which continues that depth
for twenty-one miles, when the liver
becomes shallower until there is only
twenty-feet depth running down to len
feet where Wilmington now stands.l
These bold voyagers brought their yes
sci some distance higher than Whining
ton. and were much pleased with the
land on the main river above Point
Peter.
They found many Indians living on
their plantations Of corn, which were
also well stocked with fat cattle and
hogs stolen from the Massachusetts set
tiers Of 1860 on the Cape opposite Orton
Point. Game was very abundant, and
fish was also plentiful During an expe-
dition higher up in as mall boat, they
killed four swan. ten geese, ten turkeys,
forty ducks, thirty-siN paraquitos and
seventy plover
They were attacked by Indians once;
q display Of firearms afterwards com
PEELED the peaceful recognition of the
natives. And when the ship reached
Crane Island (now Big Island on the
return, Sunday, Goth November, 1868,
Fear Country, the Indian Chief Wat
the Barbadins. Anthony Long, William
Hilton and Peter Febian.
CUSHING'S EXPLOITS.
Opposite Big Island. on the East side.
is Todd's Creek, known also as Motifs
Creek, which was the scene of Lieut..
William B. Cushing's brave exploit June
23d, 1864. This gallant young naval
officer perhaps accomplished more by
personal valor than any other individual
on either side during the war.
At half past seven o'clock on the night
of May 9th, 1864, the Confederate iron
clad Raleigh under the command of
Lieut.. j. Pembroke Jones, G. S. ~,
crossed the New inlet bar and attacked
the blockading feet The Federals were
taken by surprise, and after a feeble re-
sistance took fight, the Raleigh" hay-
ing damaged one or two OF the block
aders by her well directed fire. After
crossing the Inlet, on her return the
Raleigh stuck on the Rip Shoal and
sunk where she still remains buried in
the sand Lieut.. Gushing, then attached
to one of the hlockaders, the United
States steamer ':Monticello,' volunteer
ed to attempt the destruction Of the
"Raleigh,' whose fate was unknown to
the Federals He also undertook a re-
connoisance Of the defences Of the Cape
Fear River for the information Of the
United States Government, which was
then preparing an expedition for the
capture Of Wilmington. On the night
of June %, 1864, he left his vessel in the
first cutter, accompanied by two subor-
dinate officers and fifteen men, crossed
the western bar and passed the forts and
town Of Smithville without discovery.
He then proceeded fearlessly up the riy-
er. and with muffled oars steered his
boat Immediately under the guns of Fort
Anderson.
AS Gushing attempted to leave Fort
Anderson the moon came out from the
clouds and disclosed the party to the
sentinels. who hailed and Immediately
opened fire. The fort was reused and
the confusion general Gushing boldly
pulled for the opposite banks and swift
ly disappeared along the other shore.
On the following day he made sketches
of the Notifications around Wilmington
and captured boat-load of Confeder
the Raleigh" which he subsequently in.
spected in person. He next put his prs
oners (six mem into boat without oars
or sails and sent them adrift to get
home as best they could. He reached the
blockading squadron safely after an alb
sence of two days and three nights.
CAROLINA BEACH.
The next point Of interest on the cas-
side is the wharf Of the New Hanove
Transit Company, from which there j
short railroad connection Of about tw'
miles to the favorite seaside resort, Caro-
lima Beach.
This place was long known to fey
of our people as the finest and safes
beach on the Atlantic coast, but gen
GRAFTON after generation of our inhabi
tants lived and died without having see
the beautiful foaming breakers curtin
over these hard white sands, which eS
tend for five miles along this exquisit
shore. Before the Wilmington AM