running the blockade 15

running the blockade 15

Being under fire in a train was a curious experience, and perhaps more

exciting for me than the others, as I had my hand on the blessed

despatches, uncertain what to do. Fortunately we arrived safely at

Richmond, and I was very glad to be rid of my responsibilities. This was

the last train that got in on the direct Wilmington line; after that, in

order to get in and out, we had to make a long detour viâ Danville.

 

I found Richmond in a great state of excitement; the Northern attack had

become more animated; the investment was more stringent; the booming of

heavy guns was heard night and day; and hourly reports were brought from

the front. It was upon this visit that I accompanied Lee's Headquarter

staff on the celebrated march along the south side of the James river,

when he marched rapidly to Petersburg in order to confront the

Northerners' sudden change of front on that town. Upon a previous

occasion I had made the acquaintance of the great General, and on this

one I breakfasted with him. Shortly afterwards the march, which was very

exciting, began. We were constantly in close touch with the enemy,—at

one time marching through the woods, which were being shelled by the

Northern gunboats in the James river—at another time skirmishing at

close quarters with the Federals' flank; but as I had seen most of the

seven days' fighting round Richmond I felt almost an old campaigner. It

was a hard day, as, after being fifteen hours in the saddle without

food, I was obliged to return to Richmond on important business that

night, instead of bivouacking with the Headquarters staff, as I was

pressed to do. Wearied and almost exhausted I found on my arrival in the

city that all I could obtain at the hotel was some corn bread and cold

bacon washed down with water.

 

The following is an extract from a letter dated 15th January 1865,

written to my chiefs after this visit to Richmond.

 

 

Altogether I think the Confederate Government is going

to the _bad_, and if they don't take care the Confederacy

will go too. I never saw things look so gloomy, and I think

spring will finish them unless they make a change for

the better. Georgia is gone, and they say Sherman is

going to seize Branchville; if he does, Charleston and

Wilmington will be done—and if Wilmington goes Lee

has to evacuate Richmond and retire into Tennessee. He

told me the other day, that if they did not keep Wilmington

he could not save Richmond. They nearly had Fort Fisher—they

were within sixty yards of it—and had they pushed

on as they ought to have done could have taken it. It

was a terrific bombardment; they estimate that about

40,000 shells were sent into it. Colonel Lamb behaved

like a brick—splendidly. I got the last of the Whitworths

in, and they are now at the Fort. They are very hard up

for food in the field, but the _Banshee_ has this time 600

barrels of pork and 1500 boxes of meat—enough to feed

Lee's army for a month.

 

The above extract is interesting, as it showed that my diagnosis of the

position of affairs, written in January 1865, proved correct as to what

actually happened two or three months later. Sherman _did_ capture

Branchville, and in consequence Charleston and Wilmington. When the

latter port fell Lee _was_ forced to evacuate Richmond and retire

towards Tennessee and eventually capitulate. Had Charleston and

Wilmington been retained and blockade-running encouraged, instead of

having obstacles thrown in the way, I am convinced that the condition of

affairs would have been altered very materially, and perhaps would have

led to the South obtaining what it had shed so much blood to gain, viz.

its independence. No doubt at that critical time the North was making

its last supreme effort, and, had it failed, negotiations would probably

have been opened up with a view to peace.

 

The privations of the regular residents in Richmond in those days were

very great, as food of all kinds was very expensive; but all bore their

troubles without a murmur, and I think there was more enthusiasm

displayed there than in any other city in the South; probably because

the people, with the enemy at their gates, were always in close touch

with them, and also because there was such a large female element in

society there, for the ladies of the South were proverbially the

staunchest and bitterest rebels of the war. Of course money still

purchased most things, and we blockade-runners, who were well supplied

with coin, managed to live in comparative comfort and at times even

fared sumptuously. I remember a great dinner I gave to a few heads of

departments; it was a banquet no one need have been ashamed of. But oh

the bill!—a little over $5000 (Confederate) for a dinner to fourteen.

When one has to pay $150 a bottle for champagne, $120 for sherry or

madeira, and as much in proportion for the viands, the account soon runs

up. However, it was a great success, and well worth the cost.

 

That morning I had met by appointment the Commissary-General, who

divulged to me under promise of secrecy that Lee's army was in terrible

straits, and had in fact rations only for about thirty days. He asked me

if I could help him; I said I would do my best, and after some

negotiations he undertook to pay me a profit of 350 per cent upon any

provisions and meat I could bring in within the next three weeks! I had

then, discharging in Wilmington, the _Banshee_ No. 2, which had just

been sent out to replace the first _Banshee_, and in which I had run the

blockade inwards. I telegraphed instructions to have her made ready for

sea with all speed and await my arrival. After a somewhat exciting and

lengthy journey of three days and nights, owing to having to go round by

Danville, I reached Wilmington, successfully ran the blockade out,

purchased my cargo of provisions, etc. at Nassau for about £6000 (for

which eventually I was paid over £27,000), and, after a most exciting

run in, landed the same in Wilmington within eighteen days after leaving

Richmond.

 

In the interim between our leaving Wilmington and our return, Porter's

fleet had made an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Fisher, and he was just

then at the time of our appearance upon the scene concluding his attack

and re-embarking his beaten troops. When morning broke and we were near

the fort we counted sixty-four vessels that we had passed through. After

being heavily fired into at daybreak by several gunboats (the fort being

unable to protect us as usual, owing to nearly all its guns having been

put out of action in the attack of the two previous days), it was an

exciting moment as we crossed the bar in safety, cheered by the

garrison, some 2000 strong, who knew we had provisions on board for the

relief of their comrades in Virginia.

 

I wrote under date of 15th January 1865 to my chiefs at home with

reference to this trip:

 

 

I went over in the _Banshee_ and had an exciting time of

it; we arrived off the bar when Porter's vast fleet was there,

and I think the Confederate Trading Company ought to

be proud of their two vessels (_Banshee_ and _Wild Rover_)

both running through that immense fleet and getting safely

in. The _Banshee_ was out in front of them all for half an

hour after daylight, as we were rather late and could not get

up to the bar before. They said at Fort Fisher that it was

a beautiful sight to see the little _Banshee_ manœuvring in

front of the whole fleet. They sent some vessels in to

pepper us, but every shot missed, and we got in safely.

Porter's fleet left that evening, and I think they have given

up the attack for a time.

 

I shall never forget that trip. We sailed from Nassau at dusk on the

evening before Christmas day, but were only just outside the harbour

when our steam pipe split and we had to return. As it was hopeless on

account of the moon to make the attempt unless we could get away next

day, I was in despair and thought it was all up with my 350 per cent

profit. After long trying in vain to find some one to undertake the

necessary repairs, owing to its being Christmas day, I found at last a

Yankee, who said: "Well _sir_, its only a question of price." I said

"Name yours," and he replied "Well I guess $400 for three clamps would

be fair." I said "All right, if finished by six o'clock": he set to

work, and we made all arrangements to start. Shortly after six the work

was finished, but the black pilot then declared he couldn't take her out

until the tide turned, there being no room to turn her in the harbour.

As it was a question of hours I said, "Back her out." He grinned and

said, "Perhaps do plenty damage." "Never mind," said I, "try it"—and we

did, with the result that we came plump into the man-of-war lying at the

entrance of the harbour (officers all on deck ready to go down to their

Christmas dinner), and ground along her side, smashing two of her boats

in, but doing ourselves little damage. "Goodbye," I shouted; "a merry

Christmas; send the bill in for the boats." Away we went clear, and

fortunate it was we did so, as we only arrived off Wilmington just in

time to run through Porter's fleet before daybreak.

 

The trip out was equally exciting, as I had as passengers General

Randolph, ex-Secretary of State for War, who was going to Europe

invalided, and his wife. I did not want to take them, as the _Banshee_

had practically no accommodation whatever, particularly for ladies.

However, _she_ had such a good character for safety, that they pleaded

hard to be taken, and I at last consented, though I did not like at all

the responsibility of having a lady on board. I was determined, however,

to make Mrs. Randolph as safe as possible, so told the stevedore to keep

a square space between the cotton bales on deck, into which she could

retire in case the firing became hot. And hot it did become. Running

down with a strong ebb tide through the Smith's inlet channel, we

suddenly found a gunboat in the middle of the channel on the bar. It was

too late to stop, so we put her at it, almost grazing the gunboat's

sides and receiving her broadside point blank. Mrs. Randolph had retired

to her place of safety, but she told me afterwards that, alarmed as she

was, she could not help laughing when, after she had been there only an

instant, my coloured servant, who had evidently fixed upon the place as

appearing to be the most safe, jumped right on the top of her, his teeth