Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-22
laws later the same lucky Eolius over

days later the same lucky EOiluS oNef-
hauled the Lady Sterling. The cargo
and ship brought s509,194. Each Of the
acting ensigns, mere boys, received So
$50, and the ordinary seamen $4,000.
The Lady Sterling was only captur-
ed after a 35-mile chase, under forced
draught, burning both oil and coal,
during which she almost escaped. She
was repeatedly struck and set on fire
and 1SO burning bales had to be thrown
overheard. A more profitable capture
was probably never effected by so small
a vessel. 1t recalls the days OF the
Spanish galleons, loaded with plate
from Mexico to Peru, which were cap
tured by the buccaneers.
Although 1000 captures were made
during the rebellion, one half OF these
were condemned and sold. The total
proceeds were s25.OOO,OO0. while prop
erty of equal value was destroyed. In
January, 1864, Admiral Lee reported
that twenty-five steamers had been
captured within six months, or one
every 10 days. The same year Admiral
Porter reported the capture and de-
struction Of property worth s55,0OO,o0O
in fifty days:
One of the most successful blockade
runners was the Giraffe, afterward the
Robert E. Lee, side-wheeler Of light
draft and great speed, built on the
Clyde. She made her first voyage from
Nassau the day after Christmas, 1862.
She ran the blockade twenty-one times
in all, but in the absence Of her intre-
Did commander she was captured on
her way from Halifax to Wilmington,
though, as her stanch old helmsman
declared, with tears in his eyes, "She
would have gone in by herself, If only
let alone" Capt. Wilkinson also COM
manded the Chickamauga and Chame-
leon, in which he made his last cruise
before the war ended. The consummate
seamanship, resourcefulness, courage
and audacity which he exhibited
should perpetuate his name with that
of Paul Jones, Decatur and Gushing In
the records of naval exploits. On the
occasion Of his last trip to Wilmington,
when chased by two Federal cruisers,
nothing saved the Chameleon from cap
ture but her twin screws, which ena-
bled her to turn as on a pivot In the
narrow channel between the bar and
the rip, directly under the guns of Fort
Fisher.
The Banshee, built at Liverpool In
1868, was the first steel vessel to cross
the Atlantic and the first boat built es-
pecially for blockade running. She was
a side wheeler, 214 feet long, 20 feet
beam, and drew only eight feet OF water.
Her masts were mere poles for look
outs, and she had very little rigging.
To insure greater speed in heavy sea,
she had a turtle back deck forward.
She was of PIT tons register, had a
speed Of nine to ten knots and used 30
tons of coal day.
When making her runs the lookout
man had 81 for every sail he sighted,
but IL 1t was first seen from deck ne
was fined SIS. Only moonlight nights
were chosen for trips. Constant watch
fulness and determination were the es-
sentials of success, and three and four
nights were often passed without sleep,
while the days were fully occupied In
loading and unloading.
When preparing to enter or leave
port, everything aloft was taken down
and the boats lowered to the level Of
the rails. The crew even wore white
suits at night, as being less conspicu-
Gus. No lights were allowed, not even
a cigar, and orders were given in whis-
pers. The hatchways were covered
with tarpaulins, at the risk of suffo-
eating the sweating engineers and
stokers. Even pinnacle showed only
the merest slit No sound was heard
but the throb Of the painting engines,
and the beat of the paddle-wheels,
while the crew crouched behind the
bulwarks and the officers on the bridge
strained their eyes to pierce the
darkness.