Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-06

| ms DrlhES ono TO captain VIII
kinson's account OF the last dash for
II Southern port and graphically
shows what glorious deeds the men
OF the confcdcracy who went down
to the sea In ships" performed. The
| pages of history will never record
| such hcroisn. such magnificent con-
| tempt for danger ana death. as the
| record Of the Confederate Navy re-
veais. except those that portray that
wall of gray ana steel which his
| torians have named the Army OF
! Northern Virginia.
Captain Wilkinson says: AS the
| Giraffes crew was shipped only for
| the voyage to Nassau and Il market.
!: was necessary to cancel the en-
gagcmcut OF those who did not wish
TO follow her fortunes further.
were paid of and provided with
/ passes 10 England. and the balance
signed articles for Havana and a
| market Everything being In rcadi-
ness, We sailed on December 20. 1862.
having, on beard u Charleston pilot
as we'll as one for Wilmington. had
| not determined on sailing which port
| TO attempt. but having made the land
| near Charleston har during thick
| weather on the night of the 2Sth, our
pilo; WAS afraid TIA venture further.
We made an oi'ing. therefore, before
| daylight. and circumstances favorins
Wilmington. we approached the west
| EN- bar OH the night Of December
-" tNotc--bthcr accounts. notably
| Thomas r. Price In his The Christ
mas Eve OF SiNty-Two.' gives the
| date ut December 20 we had hccn
| bidiug our time since - o'clock that
| day close into shore. about forty
| miles southwest OF the bar. aud in
the deep bay formed by the coast be-
| tween Wilmington and Charleston
Tho weather had been so clear and
the sea so smooth that We had com
munica.cd with the Confederate pick
cts at several points along the coast,
l ..9Hl. ft-..,
aloft. until about O'Clock in the
/ Afternoon, when cruiser bore IN
sight - the northeast. AS sh" was
| coasting along the land and APP
preaching us wc turned the Giran"'s
| bow away from her and 20, up more
steam. easily preserving oar distances
| as the stranger was stcaining AT u
low rate of speed. little while be-
! around and We lmmcdiateIy fol-
lowed her example. gradually less
cuing the distance between US. and "a
-Four or more after dark W" had the
! pleasure al passing inside %. her at
anchor of New River Inlet;
'';i,. ."as evidently h!ockading
! that harbor and had run down the
coast 10 r"c"nnoiter. B"!nrc an
tain precautions against disaster
| which ever aftcrward followed.
Any one that showed AN open light
when we were near the fleet wa.'
liable 10 the penalty Of death upon
tn, spot: - cool steady lcadmDn wns
stationed on each quarter TO CIV"
| master TO the wheel aud n kedsc
bent ia ~ stout ldwscr waS slung
"a each quarter. AL lights We're cx-
tinEu.shcd: the iirc-rOOm hatch Gov
tilted over tho pinnacle. Win small
circular opening FOR the helmsman
I" see In. compass through the
aperture.
Urnrhrd B!urknding Fleet.
About 10 O'Clock we PASSED inside
the first ship OF the bloCkadinS fcct,
about I'VE miles outsid. the bar, and
four or. i've other" appeared in quick
succcssiou as the Giraffe was cut
ting rapidly through the smooth
water. We were going AZ fun speed
when, WIFI u -nock tina; threw nearly
everyone on board on his feet the
steamer was brought W. all standing
and hard and fast aground Tn"
| nearest blockade was rearfully close
TO ~ and all seemed lost. We had
struck upon the lump u small. sandy
knoll two or tire. miles outside tn"
bar With deep water on both sides Of
u. That knoll waS the rock ahead
during the Whole War for blockade
Obscurity OF night to Judge accurately
! 90 til. d!stanc" To the coast and there
| wer" no landmarks or bearing. which
! would enable them TO steer clear o.
t.
| The dra, order was 10 lover the
! tvs" quarter boats; in one OF them
| wore packed tn" Scotch lilhovraphcrs.
| who We're safely landed. and kcdge
was lowered into the other with or
| dcrS 10 the officer Ia charge TO pull
| off shOr" and drop the kcdEc. Tn"
risk. though Imminent was much re-
! duc"d aft"r our panic stricken pas
S"nE"rs had got fairly aWt. from the
snip ana the spirits .; officers ana
| men rose 10 meet tn" emergency.
| TN" climmrr of light ar an uucau-
Of . "a
! hr"adsid" from the frowninE battery
I crashing through our hulwHrks :"
near ne goal q ,honShp and now
|" IAN. but did not despair.
To execute tho order 10 drop tn.
! k"dgc. II was necessary directly 30
approach on" OF the DiOckuders. and
SO near 10 her did they lei !, go that
the officer of the boat was afraid To
call out That II mad been dropped and
ihHif!cd 'hc oars "a lac returned to
max" his report. Fortunately tho
| thirty minutes Of trying suspense
| the order was given to 81, taught on
inc hawscr. ana our pulses heat high
as me stern Of the Giraffe slowly
| ara steadily turned seward.
In fact she swung round on stern
as upon pivot. As soon as the
hawser 'tr"adca' right astcrn. tho en-
| ginccr was ordered to back hard and
| in very few revolutions OF the
wheels the ship slid rapidly off into
deep water.
ttuNScT was Cut.
The hawScr was instantly cut and
| we headed directly for the far chan
mel. We were soon out OF danger
! from Ia" blockahing feet. hut as we
| drew near in tOwardR Fort C'aScwrll
one Of the lOokouts On the wheel
| house twho. Xix. the thief In shakes
! p"aTe. feared each bush IN oaicer')
| would every now and then say 70
the pilot. that looks like :. boat
| ahead on the Starboarl how. MIR ID
! and Il; las: there is rock ripht
| ahead. Mr.. u at which last remark
! ID, losing all patience, exclaimed o.
| Ny man. there isn't "a rock as hl.
| as my ha; In the whole d-d state ~
| North Carolina. We passed safely
| over the bar. and s;eamirg IN Inc
| river. anchored OFF Smijhvillr a utiia
before midnight. the 2atn of D.nr,n-
| Der. 1862"
| End or "GiruTc."
| Thus ended the voyage Of ,bo
| Giraffe: which a few days later wnv
| commissi stoned in the Confcherat. scr
| vice, and named the Robert T. r.ne
| Twenty-onc times did III. Lee" nm
der Captain " ikinson's supsrh se.
manshu run the blockade ana wit.
| in so doing his name high ON thc
walls tf valor's hall" This is only
| one Of the many escapes this MAG
! rifceni boat made in her brillinn,
| career and incidentally tells the sinrv
| Of the iIdomitablc courage of tbocn
! Freyhounds Of the sea that fourh. or
| the wolf from the door of the CON
| fcdcracy.
J. Thomas schaaf, in mis- in