The Washington herald., 1915-01-24
LIEUT.. CUSHING TURNS NEAT
YANKEE TRICK"
January 10.


Fifty years ago today Lieut.. William
3. Cushing. L s. n. the young officer
who had won fame by destroying the
Confederate ram AIbemarle with a tor
pedo in the Roanoke River on October z.
1864. turned another neat Yankee trick"
as the Confederates termed it-by Turing
two blockade runners into the Cape Fear
River, and making them prizes when
their pilots thought them safe under
Southern guns.
The ruse was made possible by the dis
COvery OF the signal lights with which
the Confederates had guided blockade
running steamers bound for Wilmington
into the Cape Fear River at night. These
lights were on the beach near Fort Cas-
well. a work defending the west channel
Of the two into the river. After the fall
Of Fort Fisher January Is. the garrison
At Fort Caswcll abandoned the work and
blew up the magazine.
Lieut. Cushing. who comman nded A small
Gunboat called the Monticello. was the
first Federal officer to reach the fort
knowing of the blockade runners system
Of lights on the beach. he made a search
for the place where the lights we're dis
played and found it,
A guard of Federal sailors was posted
at the lights. and plans were laid for
using them to entrap some Of the block
adc runners. who. coming from England.
Bermuda and Nassau. could not have
lea rned of the fall of the Cape Fear River
defcnses. and the consequent closing TO
them Of Wilmington. the last OF the
ports that had remained open tC their
trade.
Into Federal Trap.
The method Of displaying the lights
having been learned from a negro. the
signals were carefully made each night
with tho purpose OF deCoying blockade
runners into the river
On the third night the lights werc.
thus shown (January 19 the ruse brought
success. Two bloCkade-runninC steamers
off shore saw the friendly signals, and
making a dash through the blockadng
fieete-one Of them with three shots In
her hull-reaChed the river
Without showing a light their gray
forms slipped into the channel. EaCh
was in charge of a local pilot taken on
a Bermuda. who knew every turn in the
way. and the steamers were brought
safely TO a point opposite Fort CasewIl.
Here it had been customary for the
runners TO recsSe a second signal. in
forming them that all was well aheau.
Lieut.. Gushing knew nothing OF this. ann
the signal was missing. The pilot on the
leading steamer took alarm. and was or
derinC the vessel to put to sea again.
when a quick -witted Young officer Act
ing Ensign Thomas b. Huntington. OF
the Monticello. hailed the blockade run
nNr in a quiet tone. saying. It's all
right: keep on to Smithville.''
Assuming the hail was from a Confed-
crate vessel. the pilot kept on. and :he
other runner followed. Both steamers
were now completely in the Federal trap.
Joke mt supper
When the two runners" had anchored
off SmithviIle their officers and passen-
gers. according to custom. sat down TO
good supper in celebration Of having
brought a valuable assortment OF Ell
roreau goods into the South.
While they were merTily engaged. and
,hampaE Eue was hubbIinE in glasses raised
in juhilant toasts boat rowed along
side each Of the steamers. The ensuing
sceue on ono OF the steamers. the Char
lnttr. has been described
As the Federal boarding officer stepped
into the cabin and stood before the COM
pany seated at the table. he said: Gen
tomen. you arc my prisoners
'Prisoners?" was the answer. We're
safe in port. my boy" The speaker was
an EnGlishman. You can't interfere
with one Of her majesty's vessels. you
know. Aren't YOU Joking"
The Young Federal officer replied that
the speaker evidently couldn't understand
a joke il it were fired at him with a 81
puunder
But" replied the EnGlshman. how
can you fire a joke out Of a 32-pounder7"
This conversation did not conceal from
the Confederates the fact that they were
prisoners officers Of the ship who were
on deck improved the moments by sccur-
ing Cetrain papers. putting them into a
sack with a pig of lead. and quietly slip
ping the sack over the side into the silent
waters Of the river.
Rich CargOes on Prizes.
The blockade runners proved rich
prizes The Charlotte. 400 tons had a
mixed cargo. She was owned in England
and carried five English passengers. one
of whom was an army officer.
The other boat. the Stag (Which had
been hitD, was owned by the Confederate
government and commanded by Lieut..
Richard II. Gayle. NJ the Confederate
army. She had recently left Wilmington
with a cargo OF cotton for Bermuda, and
had now returned with a valuable mixed
cargo. including boxes OF French bOnncts
laCes and other feminine finery. which |
commanded high prices in Richmond
from the favored few whose protectors
had made money out of the war. She
also carried French brandies. shoes and
stores.
Both vessels were sent to New York. |
where their cargoes were sold at auction
and the steamers taken into the govern |
ment service.