The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-01
Running the
Blockade
Bv DONALD CHAMBERLlN

harbor. In that region are many is.
hands lying between the mainland and
the ocean on which is produced what
IL called sea island cotton, an article Of
very superior grade. When the ri 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 wal grown 1t was worthless:
beyond the Yankee blockading squad.
ron It was often worth more than q
dollar a pound
The United states government SEM
II naval and military force to Port Roy
al t" occupy the harbor. and adjoining
the islands. so,ne fifteen or twenty
miles from the mouth Of the harbor, IL
the town Of Beaufort. and one day
during the early part Of the war a
steamer lay at the wharf taking on cot.
ton. A man on the deck was watching
q gang Of negroes rolling the bales
aboard. A long. thin man with lean
cheeks and u tuft of beard on his chin
and wearing a butternut suit ra:rr
sauntering along and stood lo"kin' Il
the loading.
Are yo' the cap'n O this ~" s,:i.
he said to the man on deck
II am"
"I'm lookin' fur tranSIm'-~ IN
want to git out O. this d"h 1",t,i
Yankee ridden country Eve sold an
my little plantation and put the none,
into cotton. I got twenty bales"
Don't you know that the Lincoln
government won't let any cotton leave
the ConfederacyT
"You don't say so!'
YES. III take your cotton for you.
but there's a big chance Of its being
captured by a Yankee gunboat lying
of the mouth Of the harbor. If so It
will be confiscated."
"Waal. now. l reckon that's inter
FERN with a mans material rights"
But II you git it through. If it's
sea island cotton. you'll make a small
fortune out Of It,"
"Well?"
If 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"
I'm that case yo' bette not risk It,"
But yo' say yo' goin' to risk It with
yo' cotton"
II am"
what 20 paintin' yo' ship that colo
fo'?"
That's the color of q fog. l shall
not go to sea till can git a misty
night. That gray paint is exactly the
shade of a misty mO'ning just befo'
day."
A bargain vas struck between thu
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 a fog
gy night should enable the ship to get
to sea. there being five chances Of
success to n of capture.
Finally an east wind brought in
murky weather, and the captain told
his passenger that there was a pros
pect Of her getting early the next
morning. The latter went aboard with
his baggage. Il hair trunk. a bandbox
and a 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 a ship
About I o'clock in the morning the
wind Iulled and a dense fog settled
down. The captain concluded to try to
slip out between the gaHboats outside
the harbor. Just before the fog shut
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 bar
boris mouth.
On passing out a dim hulk appeared
on his port quarter. He knew that it
was a blockader. but he had the nd
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
blockadinl ships. when from below
there arose the resonant sound Of a bu
gle. Dasii:ng down the companion
way. he foi!nwed the sound. which led
hlm to his passengers stateroom. The
mai WAS i''acticing ON a cornet. The
e. captain WITH Il blow sent it scurryinc
i on the too:
You iI:at" im exclaimed. "Wha
At" ynii t. IA" "~,:y<,, -
VIA, ca 20 mean yo'Self? / NJ
'ays frHr'%"e~at this. time o. the morn
IN %.+ -.
Fool: DO you want to lose. your
.OttOn?" E" ~&.~s..