The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-21
WAR TINE BOTTLE POST.
A RELIC or A CONFEDERATE DEVICE
ON THE Potomac.
Practice 81 Sending Messages From MARYLAND
10 virginia In Hotties Through the Federal
Gunboat Blockade-A Trip Nhen Three
Out OF -Four blockade Runners Died.

49, 49, ''HAAa W. wv ~ 49,
old Cherry Grove estate the other day atightly
corked bottle half buried In the sand. In the
bottle was u slip Of paper covered with writing,
~till fairly lcgiblc, lie thought he had discov-
cred something which would lead TO treasure,
but when he took III to the big house on the estate
and had II read to him he realized that his lind
was a relic ~ war times and not the cipher
Leading to the buried spoil OF Capt. Kidd
Not for many years had u bottle despatch
been found In this neighborhood, and as n CON
sequence many Of the stories Of the war which
had been almost forgotten are being revived.
When war broke out between the North and the
South the Potomac River became the political
boundary between the two sections. but II was
not what might be called the boundary line Of
, sympathy. for the part Of Maryland bordering
on the river was strongly In favor of secession.
In the early part Of the war little difficulty was
experienced by the Confederates In getting
across the river. but later a blockade WAS es-
tablished with gunboats. As the problem Of
crossing the river, became more dinhcult more
determined efforts were made 10 slip through
the lines, with the consequence that there u
hardly a house on the Virginia side from Wash
ington to Smiths Point AZ the mouth Of the
river that has not some traditions of the way
In which the contraband goods were secured
for the Confederate Army. All Of the blockade
running In this region, whore the river Is i've
! miles broad. was done in canoes on dark,
stormy nights when the steamers would not he
likely 10 see or follow a chase and when their
shooting would be poor. Occasionally plans
miscarried and the blockade runners we're car
ried on to Federal prisons. With the idea Of
avoiding such unpleasant conclusions the bot
tie post was devised
This post was exceedingly crude and unccr-
tain, but often effective, People on the Mary
land side. being in the enemy's country and
having opportunities 20 observe his move
ments. gathered old bottles, tut into them tips
about the movements o. gunboats and where
oontraband Cargoes were TO be had. and set
them adri't on nj lights when the wind was from
the northeast. and trusted to luck to carry
them into friendly hands on the other shore.
In order that friendly hands might not be want
ing, the Nirginians established a patrol Of the
beach, to pick mp news from across the way.
Tide and wind being capricious allies at best.
a large proportion Of the bottles went astray,
hut some reached their destination. The mes
sage found by Jenkins is only one of many
hundreds that we're lost. and its contents will
show how they we're written. No name was
signed,
March 23-64.
b c~lrar-ready. s c. 4. NJ Full &C going up
"a. = down "a. Good time.
To the uninitjated the finding Of such a slip
m ght well cause visions OF treasure trove. hut
to old-timers hereabolts it simply meant:
March rs. 1864. There are no c~unboats making Il
! their special business to watch Bells house. and a
cargo Is ready there, Pour gunboatS are keeping a
J close watch on Smiths Greek. SO mind how you Try 20
| sip ia there. RI, St Mary's River is full ~ Yankee
boats. Two %gunhosts are going up the Potomac on
March 81. and their places will be taken by three
others on March 20. Now Is = good time 10 run over
the cargo at BellN
So much for tho mystery, but back OF this
translation IL one Of the tragic incidents Of
| river blockade runners. The Bells no sc rn-
ferred 10 is the home of Capt. Andrew jackson
Bell and his mother and IS situated on a little
creek which makes up into ~. Mays county,
Md. Mrs. Bell was an intense southern sym
pathileg and throughout the war devoted her
energies 10 assisting Confederate spies, dip
lomatlc agents and traders 10 and from the
North and to sending SUPP lies such as groceries,
cartridges, gun "a rs and r%eyolvers n the army.
Capt. Bell Vas a curious genius. larce-hearted,
daring. resource'ul and n consummate sea-
man. He was one % the first to brave the gun
. boats and one Of the last 10 deliver a cargo be-
fore the close Of the war.
He was forced to take refuge in Gamers
creek oncn,Ght in 1853 by n pursuing steamer.
He hid his boat. went to the Cherry Grove
house. without waking the inhabitants, s'Hit
on the porch and vas found there the next
morning, as q hundred or more such refugees
wee foJrd there before Lee surrendered.
FROM that time he made ms home with tao
family and died there nine yea"' ago. The
BOTTLE despatch just recovered was from his
d mother to him. After he had taken mp his
residence az cherry Grove, and while he never
received thst particular message, he did get 4
IL. 1y,a., v-I{1h ar, sfYpip. On nNa az ppEtfuc
, lin his lie.
when the captain heard that conditions
were favorable for n venture he secured Bene-
dict Crahbe and two negroes a. assistants
They reached his mothers house and took on
a cargo. on item of which was a large bag 81
salt, a Commod ~ very scarce in some parts
Of tho South. The next night, March 20, being
| unusually stormy and suited for eluding the
Northern watchers, a start was made for Viz
ginia. Until they were well out from under
the Maryland shore the crew did not realize
how hard il was blowing aud before they had
covered a mile Of tho "trip the situation resolved
itself into a question Of how 30 save their lives.
Part Of the cargo was thrown overheard and
the men sat as far out Oh the windward wash
board as possible, and also put the bag Of
salt on tho board 10 help right the canoe.
They had reached a point about three miles
from the mouth Of Gamers Creel; when a flaw
harder than the Others struck the sail and the
boat Capsi2ed. A. she went over one of the
negroes pitched forward, turned half way
round. clutChed the bag Of salt and went to the
bottom like a shot, weighed down by the 200
pound contents of the bag. The three remain
ling men managed 70 hold onto the high side.
but their condition vas dangerous. The wind
was blowing 40 hard that even the blockadins
steamers had to seek harbor. the night was
bitterly cold and the men were soaked To the
skin. The mast soon broke loose and drifted
away. which caused the boat to turn turtle.
a position even more difficult for the three men
than when II was only half over.
For three hours they driftcd, scarcely speak
ing a word and expecting each wave 10 wash
them OF, About ? A, NJ. the remaining negro
was helpless and It was evident that he would
soon GO. 4 little later he said.
"Good-by. marsters, ! amt got no more
strength and Use got to go. Tell my ole woman
died praisin' de Lord" With that he dropped
over and went to the bottom.
Crnbbe and Bell were unable 10 help him.
and were suffering 50 intensely that they
cared not how soon thay went the same way. .