The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-15

ade out of the Santee river, S. c., in
small schooner, the Lucy c. Holmes,
with 166 bales of cotton on board, be-
longing to Street e. West, of Charles
ton. but was captured the next morn
ing by the United States steamer San
tiago de Cuba on her way to the Gulf
for blockade purposes, and was taken
a prisoner to Key West. and confined
in Fort Taylor for six weeks
From there he was sent to New York
on the transport Connecticut, together
with $50 soldiers, who had been wound
ed at the capture of New Orleans. This
was one of the severest experiences he
had during the four years of the war
for he was kept in close confinement
for seven days in the ships brig. When
he reached New York he was placed in
the house of detention for two weeks.
On his release he went to Matanzas,
Cuba, where he was informed by a
Confederate agent that the Alabama
would call at Havana shortly. He wait
ed two months for the vessels arrival,
but the ship di.2 not put into that port.
He then made a successful trip to
Mobile on the blockade runner Alice, of
which Capt. Charles Austin of Savan-
nah was chief officer. and from there
he went to Nassau, and joined the
blockade runner Pet, remaining on 1t
ten months, during which he made
eight successful trips. He was cap
tured on his ninth trip by the steamship
Montgomery, which fired about twenty
shots at the Pets crew. compelling
them to surrender the ship.
The attack on the Pet was about 10
O'clock one night in February, 1858.
The weather was bitter cold, but des-
pite this and the fact that the vessel
was ten miles from shore, Capt. Mar
melstein with FIVE others, lowered a
small boat and. without compass or
provisions, started for shore. After ten
hours in the boat they landed on the
beach eight miles south of Fort Cas-
we'll at the entrance of Cape Fear riv-
er, North Carolina.
From Fort Caswell Capt. Marmel-
stein went to Wilmington, then to
Nassau on the steamer Alice. He
Joined the blockade runner Syrene
there and made two successful
trips between Wilmington and Nassau
At this time yellow fever was rag
ing at Nassau, which stopped the block
ade running there, and Capt. Marmei-
stein went to Bermuda and Joined the
blockade runner Old Dominion. Two
successful trips on this ship ended his
career as a blockade runner. His
experiences were not only excit-
ing. but at times he was in great dan
ger. On one occasion while m the
Old Dominion, the ship was chased Tor
five hours during which time eighty
five shots were fired at it. None took
effect, owing to the great speed of the
ship. Grant Wilkins, now of Atlanta,
was with the crew at that time.
After the surrender of Gen. Lee,
Capt. Marmelstein returned to Savan-
nah, in June, 1865. He received
his 14-foot certificate and re-
newed his connection with the pilotage.
He ran between Savannah and Phil
adelphia on the steamship Tonawanda,
for two years as pilot, and also on the
San Jacinto and the Magnolia, between
Savannah and New York. for three
years In game capacity. In 1872, with
Ave other pilots. he built the John
Stoddard. After nine years she was
sold and he then served on the Sprite
until the completion of steam pilot boat
]. II. Estill, on which he is now serv-
ing. During the last eleven years he has
been off duty but seventeen days.