University of Virginia Library

92. Chasing a Blockade-runner
By CAPTAIN JOHN WILKINSON (1863)

WE were ready to sail for Nassua on the 15th of August, 1863, and had on board, as usual, several passengers. We passed safely through the blockading fleet off the New Inlet Bar, receiving no damage from the few shots fired at us, and gained an offing from the coast of thirty miles by daylight.

Very soon afterwards the vigilant lookout at the mast head called out "Sail ho! "and in reply to the "where away "from the deck, sang out,"Right astern, sir, and in chase."The morning was very clear. Going to the mast bead I could just discern the royal of the chaser, and before I left there, say in half an hour, her top-gallant sail showed above the horizon. By this time the sun had risen in a cloudless

sky. It was evident our pursuer would be along side of us at midday at the rate we were then going. The first orders were to throw overboard the deckload of cotton, and to make more steam: the latter proved to be more easily given than executed; for the chief engineer reported that it was impossible to make steam with the wretched stuff filled with slate and dirt.

A moderate breeze from the north and east had been blowing ever since daylight, and every stitch of canvas on board the square rigged steamer in our wake was drawing. We were steering east by south, and it was clear that the chaser's advantages could only be neutralized either by bringing the Lee gradually

head to wind or edging away to bring the wind aft. The former course would be running toward the land, besides incurring the additional risk of being intercepted and captured by some of the inshore cruisers. I began to edge away therefore, and in two or three hours enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing our pursuer slow up and furl his sails.

The breeze was still blowing as fresh as in the morning, but we were now running directly away from it, and the cruiser was going literally as fast as the wind, causing the sails to be rather a hindrance than a help. But she was still gaining on us. A happy inspiration occurred to me when the case seemed hopeless. Sending for the chief engineer I said, "Mr. Simoine, let us try cotton saturated with spirits of turpentine."There were on board, as part of the deck-load, thirty or forty barrels of spirits. In a very few moments, a bale of cotton was ripped open, a barrel tapped, and buckets full of the satu. rated material passed down into the fire room.

The result exceeded our expectations. The chief engineer, an excitable little Frenchman, from Charleston, very soon made his appearance on the bridge, his eyes sparkling with triumph, and reported a full head of steam. Curious to see the effect upon our speed, I directed him to wait a moment until the log was hove. I threw it myself, nine and a half knots. "Let her go now, sir! "I said. Five minutes afterward, I hove the log again; -thirteen and a quarter. We now began to hold our own, and even to gain a little upon the chaser; but she was fearfully near, and I began to have visions of another residence at Fort Warren, as I saw what seamen call the "big bone in the mouth"of our pertinacious friend, for she was

near enough to us at one time for us to see distinctly the white curl of foam under her bows. I wonder if they could have screwed another turn of speed out of her if they had known that the Lee had on board, in addition to her cargo of cotton, a large amount of gold shipped by the Confederate government?

There continued to be a very slight change in our relative positions till about six o'clock in the afternoon, when the chief engineer again made his appearance, with a very ominous expression of countenance. He came to report that the burnt cotton had choked the flues, and that the steam was running down. "Only keep her going till dark, sir,"I replied, "and we will give our pursuer the slip yet."A heavy bank was lying along the horizon to the south and east, and I saw a possible means of escape. At sunset the chaser was about four miles astern, and gaining upon us. Calling two of my most reliable officers, I stationed one of them on each wheel-house, with glasses, directing them to let me know the instant they lost sight of the chaser in the growing darkness. At the same time I ordered the chief engineer to make as black a smoke as possible, and to be in readiness to cut off the smoke by closing the dampers instantly, when ordered. The twilight was soon succeeded by darkness. Both of the officers on the wheel-house called out at the same moment, "We have lost sight of her,"while a dense volume of smoke was streaming far in our wake. "Close the dampers,"I called out through the speaking tube, and at the same moment ordered the helm hard a star-board. Our course was altered eight points, at a right angle to the previous one. I remained on deck

an hour, and then retired to my stateroom with a comfortable sense of security.

At one time during the chase, when capture seemed inevitable, the kegs containing the gold had been brought on deck, and one of them opened by my orders, it being my intention to distribute its contents among the officers and crew. The chaser proved afterward to be the Iroquois. Feeling confident that she would continue on the course toward Abaco, and perhaps have another and more successful chase, I changed the destination of the Lee to Bermuda, where we arrived safely two days afterward.