Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-14

CoXetter and his SubalternS that
British ship, flying the British flag
had not only been fired upon on the
high seas by the United States sloop Of
war Adirondack, but also actually
chased and fired on at the harbor
mouth.
Primed with that explosive ammuni
ton the British frigate steamed forth
to overhaul the United States sloop of
war and Capt. Coxetter and his still
shivering crew expected soon to hear
the latter blown out Of water But a
blissful silence ensued and later in the
day the two war vessels were deserted
steaming amicably into harbor side by
side. What had happened was some
thing like this:
SaIutes Settled It.
The British commander showed his
hand to the United States commander.
The latter expressed astonishment Of
the strength of the cards and admit
ted it would be useless to play out the
game. The proper thing was to apollo
gize for disturbing the serenity Of her
majestys representatives and forth
with salute the British flag. The sa-
lutte was cordially returned and the
visiting officers were invited up to
town for refreshments. At the best
hotel in Nassau. that afternoon, ac-
cording to an eye witness, there was
an animated discussion of the extra
ordinary happenings Of the sea, ac-
companied by a continuous fusilade Of
popping corks. All Of which goes to
show with what ease international
complications may be averted if the
parties in acting possess the requisite
discretion.
Capt. Peck's next vessel was the
Leopard, later called Stonewall Jack
son. He made two successful trips in
her and then turned over the command
to Capt. Black. Capt. Black ran safe
out of Charleston harbor and return
ing had escaped the blockaders. But
coming in the Swash channel he ran
too close in shore and grounded on
the bar that runs out on the Isle Of
Palms side of Breach Inlet The Jack
son never made port again. She left
her bones on the bar, but at least a
part Of her cargo was saved.
The foregoing facts have been CLEAN
ed from Capt. Peck's son, Thomas +.
II. Peck, who was chief engineer on all
of his fathers ships. Chief Peck, now
73 years old, lives at Is Bee street in
this city. He is badly crippled by
rheumatism, but his mind is clear,
though he is somewhat forgetful Of
dates and names not intimately con-
nected with his personal experiences.
He is now generally known as Capt.
Peck, but he modestly explains that he
got the title from commanding the
steam dredges Of the Marine and Riv-
er Phosphate Mineal company that
dug up the bottom Of the Stono river
Son Also Played the Game.
Capt Thomas Peck, as engineer, ran
the blockade even more frequently
than his father and like him had the
ashore. His last ship was the Alice,
which ran the blockade with the regu-
larity of a packet liner, as he puts it.
Almost every ten days she was on the
go between Charleston or Wilmington
and Nassau or Hamilton, Bermuda. A
steamer named Fanny ran with equal
regularity, but Capt. Peck cannot re-
call who commanded her.
The Alice was owned by William c.
Bee & Co., and commanded first by
Capt James Eagan and Capt. Grant.
The purser of the Alice was Eugene
Jervey, a nephew of Theodore d. Jer-
vey, one of the members of the firm of
William c. Bee & Co.
After the war Eugene Jervey also
became a member Of the firm. He is
still living, and now connected with
the Virginia Carolina Chemical COM
pany. The carpenter of the Alice was
Hugh Ferguson, afterward for several
years sheriff Of Charleston county.
Ferguson died some years ago.
The Alice was a fast steamship for
those days, capable of making about
IS knots an hour. She was about 1000
tons burden and could carry at least
1,200 bales of cotton. Being much fast
er than the majority Of blockaders, she
usually had little difficulty in eluding
them, but on one voyage she had
narrow and memorable escape. 1t
was toward the close Of the war. The
Federals, profiting by their blockading
experience, had posted a second line OF
cruisers on the west edge of the Gulf
Stream so as to intercept blockade
runners leaving port by night at day
light next morning. The Alice had
left Wilmington by night and escaped
the first line of blockaders, but next
morning was menaced by a pursuer
under full press Of steam and sailed
away up to windward.
Cotton Dumped Overheard.
To lessen the chances of detection
steam blockade runners did not carry
sails. The pursuer therefore, held a
substantial advantage and was visibly
gaining Capt. Grant knew that his
main chance of safety was edging up
to windward so as to lead the enemy
into a course where his sails could not
draw. but he had been caught so far
To leeward that he was in u fair way
to be caught before he could get far
enough to windward. The enemy con-
tinued to gain and the last chance of
the Alice lay in throwing her cargo
overheard. Accordingly over went the
cotton bales. In all $50 bales were
pitched into the sea and as her burden
was lightened the Alice began to drop
the enemy The Gulf stream was like
cotton storage yard. Every mer-
chairman in sight, and there happen
ed to be good many, bore down on
the floating bales and lowered boats to
pick them up However. the Alice es-
capped with something like 200 bales
which she landed safe in Nassau
The Alice kept out Of the clutches of
blockaderS to the end, and after the
close of the war was taken across the