Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-01-07
Running the
Blockade
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN


harbor. In that region are many is
lands lying between the mainland and
the ocean on which is produced what
is called sea island cotton, an article Of
very superior grade. When the war be-
tween the states opened and the south
ern ports were blockaded this was a
favorite point for running the blockade
with cargoes Of this valuable cotton.
Where it was grown it was worthless;
beyond the Yankee blockading squad
ron it was often worth more than
dollar pound
The United States government sent
a naval and military force to Port Roy
al to occupy the harbor, and adjoining
the islands, some fifteen or twenty
miles from the mouth Of the harbor, is
the town of Beaufort, and one day
during the early part of the war
steamer lay at the wharf taking on cot
ton. A man on the deck was watching
gang Of negroes rolling the bales
aboard. A long, thin man with lean
cheeks and tuft of beard on his chin
and wearing a butternut suit came
sauntering along and stood looking at
the loading.
Are yo' the cap'n O. this hyer ship?"
he said to the man on deck
II am"
"I'm lookin' fur transportation. !
want to git out o. this dod rotted,
Yankee ridden country. I've sold out
my little plantation and put the money
into cotton. | got twenty bales"
Don't you know that the Lincoln
government won't let any cotton leave
the Confederacy"
"You don't say sov'
YES I'll take your cotton for you.
but there's big chance of it's being
captured by Yankee gunboat lying
off the mouth Of the harbor. If so it
will be confiscated."
"Waal, now, I reckon that's inter
FERN with a mans material rights"
"But if you git it through, if it's
sea island cotton, youth make small
fortune out of it."
"WellY
eff yo' want to take the risk I'll
carry it for you for 20 per cent of what
yo' sell it for.''
"Yo' goin' to carry over this what
yo' takin' aboa'd"
"I'm goin' to try
"I'm afeard I mought lose my cot
ton"
'In that case yo' bette not risk it,
But yo' say yo' goin' to risk it with
yo' cotton"
81 am"
"What yo' paintin' yo' ship that colo
fo'?"
That's the color of a fog. l shall
not go to sea till I can git a misty
night That gray paint is exactly the
shade of a misty mo'ning just befo'
day."
A bargain was struck between the
two, the captain agreeing to take the
lean man and his cotton to England
for 20 per cent of it's value in Liver
pool provided the blockade could be
run safely The twenty bales were
taken to the wharf and rolled aboard.
The owner remained ashore till fog
gy night should enable the ship to get
to sea, there being five chances Of
success to one of capture.
Finally an east wind brought in
murky weather, and the captain told
his passenger that there was pros
pect of her getting out early the next
morning. The latter went aboard with
his baggage, a hair trunk, bandbox
and leather case evidently contain
ing a musical instrument But the
captain, who was busy experimenting
getting the ship off. had no time to
inspect the passengers baggage.
Steaming down on to the broader
waters the ship cast anchor between
two Confederate forts on either shore
to wait for an opportunity. There were
considerable wind and rain during the
night, but nothing to conceal ship.
About Z o'clock in the morning the
wind lulled and a dense fog settled
down. The captain concluded to try to
slip out between the gunboats outside
everything from view he took his bear
ings from his compass and. with speed
only sufficient for steerage way, aided
by an outgoing tide. drifted to the har-
boris mouth.
On passing out dim hulk appeared
on his port quarter. He knew that it
was a blockader, but he had the adj
vantage Of his ships being the color of
the mist, and he passed safely. Half
an hour passed, and he was congratu-
lating himself on having cleared the
blockading ships, when from below
there arose the resonant sound of bu-
gle. Dashing down the companion
way, he followed the sound, which led
him to his passengers stateroom. The
man was practicing on cornet- The
captain with a blow sent it scurrying
on the floor.
"You idiotr' he exclaimed. what
do you meanw
"What do yo' mean yo'self? | al,
ways practice at this time O. the morn
In"
~ 20