The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-03-25
A Yankee Trick.
Toriginal.l


A narrow iron steamer, set low in
the water, painted light gray, lay at
a wharf at Charleston, 8. G. The time
was 1863, and 1t was evident that the
vessel was a blockade runner. Her
low build fitted her especially to e.
cape observation, and her hull was
most like the gray Of early dawn, the
hour that blockaders usually slipped In
and out of port. On her stern was her
name, the Petrol She was taking on
a load of cotton, a fabric worthless In
the Confederacy, but valued at more
than dollar a pound in Liverpool. A
lean man, with his hands in his peck
cts, sauntered up to the captain, who
was standing on the dock, and asked:
"Goln' to sail tonight Capri
The captain turned with a scOwl to
the intruder, whose accent was plainly
that Of a Massachusetts Yankee, but
did not vouchsafe a reply. His ques-
toner coOlly took out a pocketknife,
picked up a stick and began to white.
"See hyar, yo' blamed Yankee, what
yo' dom loose in South CarolinaT'
The Yankee laughed. Guess they
know more bout that at Richmond.
There's southerners in the Yankee
service and Yanks in the southern
service. know all about you. You're
goin' to run the blockade tomorrow
mornln' before daylight"
"Well, suppose am."
Tho vD,,IIOS n Rak aS,-nfonn o,,A
OF his pocket bearing the stamp Of the
state department at Richmond and ad-
dressed to a Confederate emlssary In
London.
"Guess you want a passenger, don't
your"
The captain looked puzzled, glancing
back and forth between the Yankee
and his packet. He did not want any
one he didn't know aboard his vessel,
but did not like to refuse to take q
messenger Of the Confederate govern
ment lie thought that II he could
see the contents OF the packet he
would be satisfied. But he had no
right to open it. He concluded to tele-
graph the state department for instruc-
tons.
"All right" he said; ''if yo're a bona
ode messenger yo' can Co."
About midnight the Yankee came TO
the dock with lot Of chickens well
cooped.
'Heard from RichmondY' he asked.
YES; it's all right. You can go. But
what are 20 going to do with those
chickensT
well, l suppose I'd ought to con-
tribute somethin' to eat durin' the
voyage, and l couldn't think o. any
thing better n brollers."
The captain again looked puzzled,
but permitted the Yankee to take his
broilers aboard
At the dead of night the Petrol left
the dock and steamed down the har-
Dor.
Lying outside was the Yankee gun
boat Montauk. Lieutenant Spanker
commanding At ? a. M, as was his
custom, he left his cabin and proceed
ed on deck. For more than an hour he
paced to and fro. cursing the fog and
declaring that there never was q bet.
ter night for blockade runners. About
half past 3, just as the coming day
rendered the fog less black, he thought
he heard a cock crow
"Mr. Havens," he called to a young
ensign, ARE there any chickens be-
lowY'
mo, sir: not a fowl of any kind
aboard"
"Well. then. there's one on a blockade
runner. distinctly heard a rooster
crow. Call all hands. She's got out.
and we must follow Order the en-
gineer 10 put ON all steam"
In half an hour II was day, and IN
ten minutes more the fog lifted. There
within a cables length was the Petrol.
Lay tor shouted Lieutenant Span
ker.
The Petrol replied by a number OF
angry puffs and sped away, but the
lAnmAmMk ennk q shot AMIR ~. e. ~