Out of employment--Engaged as sailing-master and pilot--The steamer
_Ph[oe]nix_--Steamer life new to me--Steamer and crew new to blockade
running--Smoke a matter of importance in this traffic--A cruiser in
the distance--A chase cut short by night setting in--Arrival in
Galveston.
It was not without some feelings of regret that I removed my effects
from the old schooner, and handed her over to the new captain. The
vessel had been my domicile and source of business for nearly two
years, and considering her size for the extent of seas she had
travelled over, and the dangerous nature of the work she had been
engaged in, she had, when she got fair play, done her part very well,
and I was somewhat attached to her.
I now felt myself without position or occupation, and no longer in
the circle which was causing such a stir in Havana, and as living at
an hotel was irksome and expensive, I was wishful of settling up with
my partner, and getting into some active occupation.
The difficulty in the way of settling up was the cotton, which was
left at Tampico, and the accounts we had from the agents there were
anything but satisfactory.
Mr. P. had got a considerable amount of money advanced out of the
proceeds of the trips on account of his share in the schooner, and as
he attached a very high value to the cotton which was at Tampico, I
proposed to him that we should both go to Tampico on the Spanish mail
steamer, and ascertain the state of matters in regard to the cotton,
and try and get it shipped, or otherwise disposed of, and have all
accounts settled up.
Mr. P., who was not very fond of salt water, or of much exertion of
any kind, seemed to find himself very comfortable in his hotel at
Havana, thought there was no necessity of incurring the expense of us
both going to Tampico, and suggested that I should go alone and
arrange matters as I thought best.
This I did not approve of, and insisted on him accompanying me, as I
feared he was spending a little more money than his principal might
approve of. However, as he had got full powers from his principal,
that was no business of mine, but I wished the business wound up.
When the Spanish mail steamer arrived I had a letter from Messrs. G.
and Co., stating that, after many unsuccessful attempts to ship the
cotton on the mail steamer, each time incurring very heavy expense,
they had decided to ship the cotton on a brig, of which they were
themselves owners and agents, which had just arrived, and was going
to load for Liverpool. I thought this rather strange, as I was aware
that both the British and Spanish mail steamers had taken on board
cotton at Tampico on their two last trips.
Mr. P., who, though a somewhat indolent and pleasure-seeking man,
could see into a bit of sharp practice much faster than me, at once
remarked that the expected arrival of Messrs. G. and Co.'s own vessel
might have something to do with the difficulty of getting the cotton
shipped on the mail steamer. I did not quite agree with him in that,
as I thought that Messrs. G. and Co., which was a German house of
good standing, would do the best in their power for our interests, as
they had promised. Still, the advice was not satisfactory. They did
not say if the cotton was already shipped, when it would be shipped,
or what would be the rate of freight, and they seemed to be preparing
me to expect a very high account for charges.
There was now little use of going to Tampico. However, as I was not
quite satisfied with the advice, and I could not brook hanging about
idle, I resolved to go.
I had all arranged to sail upon the following evening, when, just as
I was going to bed that night, some gentlemen came to the hotel
inquiring for, me, and were shown up to my room.
They proceeded at once to state their business. They were the owner
and agents of a steamer which was then laying in the harbour. She
was all ready and loaded to sail. They wished her to run the
blockade into Galveston; but there was some little difficulty about
the management of her in the way of commanding. She had recently
come out from London with the object of running from Havana into
Galveston. The captain who had brought her out had fulfilled his
part by bringing her to Havana, and he would not engage to run the
blockade. The owner or acting owner, having learned something of the
powers that captains and consignees had over owners in the
Confederacy, and wishing to have more control over the vessel, wished
to be on the articles himself as captain. He had commanded steamers
on inland water, but had not much experience at sea, and knew nothing
of navigation. He had a first and second mate who were thorough
seamen, but neither was proficient in navigation, and they had never
sailed in the Gulf, and knew nothing of the coast of Texas; and as
correct navigation was everything in blockade running, they wanted a
man to act as sailing master who was a good navigator, and knew
something of the coasts and the entrance into Galveston.
They had been told that I was the very person to suit them, but had
learned that I was about to leave for Tampico on the following day,
and therefore they apologized for calling upon me at that
unseasonable hour; but if I would accept the position, and undertake
to navigate the vessel into Galveston--dangers of the seas and
enemies, of course, excepted--they would pay me a bonus in advance of
500 dollars, and at the rate of 150 dollars per month from the
beginning to the end of the trip, and another bonus of 500 dollars
when the trip was successfully terminated. I would not require to
take any watch, or any part of the ship's duty, except as regarded
the navigation.
I said I would give them no answer that night, but would think over
the matter, and I would come on board in the morning, and have a look
at the vessel.
I somehow felt no great inclination to ship on a steamer on these
terms. It seemed a sort of subordinate position; but when I
reflected upon the time it would be before we could get advices of
the proceeds of our cotton and get matters settled up, I could not
brook the idea of hanging about idle till then, and I must find some
active employment in the meantime.
In the morning I went to see the steamer. She lay near the head of
the bay. Her name was the _Ph[oe]nix_. She was not a paddle
steamer, but a double propeller, somewhat larger, and had a little
better carrying capacity than most of the blockade-running steamers.
She was of a flat, shallow build, with considerable breadth of beam,
and when loaded would draw a little over seven feet of water. This
was just deep enough to enter Galveston by the Swash Channel, which
was the deepest channel that I was acquainted with; but as she would
be lightened up by her consumption of coal before reaching that port,
I thought I could take her through. She was schooner-rigged, and
would have at a distance the appearance of a United States gunboat.
I thought there might be some advantage in this if we were not called
upon to signal.
After a little talk over the matter I agreed to join the vessel, with
the special understanding that the entire conduct of the navigation,
look-out, and strategical movements should be left to me.
I then went to the Consulate, and signed the articles as sailing
master.
The steamer was tolerably well found, and had a good chronometer,
which was at the optician's; but I took my own sextant and charts,
the charts on the vessel being of an old date and not very correct,
whereas I had marked on my own several errors, and anything I had
found worthy of note on the Texas coast, and the entrance to
Galveston.
I thought of taking my own chronometer, which I could better depend
upon, but as I knew that I would lose it if captured, and the ship's
chronometer seemed a good one, I decided not to risk my own. I took
only a very small kit, merely what clothing I might require for the
trip as I knew that, if captured or destroyed, I would lose
everything except what I stood in.
We sailed out of Havana just before sunset about the 1st of March,
standing along the coast to the westward until it was quite dark, and
then shaping the course direct for Galveston.
I found things very different on this vessel from what I had been
used to on the _Rob Roy_. On that vessel there was but few of us,
old hands well known to each other, and united together, as it were,
by our little adventures and escapes. All had a kind of veneration
for the vessel, and seemed to take as much interest in everything
about her as I did myself; all seemed to agree and were happy, and
took great delight at spare times in talking over little incidents
where we had eluded the vigilance of the Yankees.
On board this vessel it was quite a different state of things. There
was, besides myself, the captain, first and second mates, two
quartermasters, two seamen and a lamp boy, first, second, and third
engineers, four firemen and two trimmers, cook and steward--some
twenty in all. Some of them had come on the vessel from London;
others had joined at Havana, but only two amongst them had ever run
the blockade.
There was on this first night out a sort of reserve and estrangement
over the whole crew. They seemed to be impressed with an idea that
they were going upon some desperate undertaking, and some appeared to
be awe-stricken, others seemed sullen and discontented. The firemen
had been drinking and quarrelling, and some of them had begun to find
fault with their food and to rebel against their treatment in
general, and wanted to be put ashore. This, of course, was a very
usual thing with them after they had got their advance. Upon the
whole, I thought things rather unpleasant and cheerless, and very
different from what it was with us on the _Rob Roy_.
As it was getting dark, the boy was placing the lights. I remarked
to the captain that as soon as we shaped our course for Galveston
they must take in these things.
"What!" said the captain; "do you intend to sail without lights? We
can't do that; it would be against all regulations."
"When you enter this business," said I, "you must adopt a new code of
regulations; and you know that I am to direct these things."
"Oh, certainly," said he; "what you say shall be done. But do you
think there will be no danger of collision?"
"Not much without lights," said I, "as there are but few vessels on
these seas; but with lights there would be danger of collision with a
ball, which might be sent across our bows. Our policy is to see, and
not to be seen, to keep a good lookout from the forecastle-head at
night, and from the mast-head by day."
He quite understood me, but did not seem at all easy in his mind
about running without lights.
This was my first trip in a steamer, but I had been often on board of
blockade-running steamers, and had conversations with captains and
engineers, and knew well their policy and system of working. I
therefore requested to see the chief engineer, in order to have an
understanding with him.
The chief engineer was a tall man of a military appearance, and
sported a military moustache, and wore a foraging-cap. I asked him
at what hours he generally cleaned his fires. He said that he
cleaned only one fire at a time, so that the speed of the vessel was
never much affected. I said that on blockade-running steamers it was
necessary to have everything cleaned on the morning watch, so as
always to have a good head of steam, and be ready for a spurt at
daybreak, in case daylight might show a cruiser close by, when we
would want all the speed he could put on to get beyond reach of her
guns.
The next thing to guard against, as much as possible, was the
emission during the day of clouds of black smoke. In this matter the
cruisers had a decided advantage over the blockade runners. The
cruisers used a peculiar kind of anthracite coal, which emitted very
little smoke. This particular kind of coal could be obtained only in
the United States; and after the war broke out, the strictest
prohibitions were put upon it, and it was not allowed to be exported,
or used for any other purpose but the United States navy. Therefore
cruisers sent up very little smoke, and were not so easily observed
at a distance as steamers which burnt soft coal, and sent up volumes
of black smoke. The engineer seemed to understand and appreciate
this, and said he would do his best to meet the circumstances.
At daylight next morning I went to the mast-head with the glass, and
took a good look round the horizon, but nothing was in sight.
A man was now stationed at the mast-head, to keep a strict look-out,
and report anything that might appear on the horizon. The weather
was calm, and the sea smooth, but the steamer was making but little
over ten knots by the log, at which the captain was much
disappointed, and declared that she had made thirteen knots on the
passage out from London. When I worked up the position at noon, I
found by observation that we were about 180 miles from Havana, which
just agreed with the log. The engineer, when giving me an extract
from his log, was also rather disappointed at the speed. I reminded
him of the great difference in the temperature of the water in the
Gulf Stream, which would greatly affect the condensation, and lessen
the vacuum. He said he had allowed for that, and still the speed was
deficient.
I then referred to the vessel's bottom being foul, and asked how long
she had lain in Havana harbour. He said they had lain there about
six weeks. I said her bottom must have fouled considerably in that
time, which would greatly affect her speed, and she ought to have
been docked and cleaned before attempting to run the blockade. This
was one of the chief advantages that the blockade runners had over
the cruisers--oftener docked.
On talking on this subject to the captain, I learned from his
conversation that he had had a good deal of trouble after coming to
Havana, and that he had been obliged to sell a part of his vessel to
raise the necessary funds to make this trip, and could not afford the
means to have the vessel docked. I guessed what his position would
be, as I had had some of the same kind of experience myself.
Having been accustomed to a sailing vessel, I felt this steady going
along under steam to be somewhat dull and monotonous. There was no
variety to keep the mind occupied, nothing to animate in the way of
speeding along under a rattling breeze, or nothing to fret about in
the way of light or baffling winds or calms, no hiding from cruisers
under bare poles, or creeping out of sight by aid of the long oars.
I had often been worried by crosses of that kind, and I now felt
unhappy because they did not exist.
It was now a steady, continued state of anxiety; and as nearly every
one on board was new to this kind of business, every object seen
betwixt sky and water caused alarm, until I told them that I believed
that they would be startled at the sight of a sea-gull.
On the third morning an alarm was given at daybreak that a steamer
was on the starboard bow close on. I ran on deck, and saw her about
five miles distant, but she had already altered her course, and was
standing away to the eastward; and from the volume of smoke she was
sending up, it was easy to see that she was no cruiser, but a
blockade runner, which had taken us for a cruiser, and was standing
away from us. We kept on our course, and also sending up a column of
smoke, she soon resumed her course, evidently satisfied that we were
no cruiser.
We saw nothing more until we were about thirty-five miles to the
south-east of Galveston. Here fires were banked, and we lay to, to
await nightfall.
About an hour before sunset we saw a cruiser to the eastward. She
was a long distance off, and we could only see her masts. She seemed
to have come from seawards, and was steering towards Galveston. If
she continued on her present course, she would come a little nearer
to us, but if she saw us laying still, she might take us for another
cruiser and pass on, whereas if we started to run, we would send up a
smoke which would betray us.
The captain was a little anxious to know what I intended to do, but I
said just to lay still, and not send up any smoke, and watch closely
the movements of the cruiser.
In the meantime, the sun being about due west, I got a good
observation, which gave me the correct longitude and our exact
position, and by a comparison with the position at noon, showed there
to be but a very slight current from the westward.
There was no danger of the cruiser overhauling us, even if she was a
faster vessel, as it was so near nightfall that she could not get
close enough to hold sight of us in the darkness, but a chase would
put us to a great disadvantage, as it would put us out of our
reckoning if we stood out to sea or to westward, and spoil our chance
of getting in that night, and not only shorten our supply of coal,
but subject us to danger all the following day while laying to, with
cruisers on the alert.
If we stood in, she would be pressing on us when we came near the
blockaded port, and it required a little time and caution to find the
entrance to the channel, which, from our draught of water, would
require great caution if the tide happened to be low.
The cruiser continued on her course for a time, and we thought she
was going to pass without noticing us, but shortly before sunset she
altered her course, and steered direct towards us.
As soon as this was known, the crew were a little flurried, and the
captain was impatient to start. The engineer said he could have a
full head of steam in a few minutes.
I was unwilling to alter our position of departure, as I wished to
lay a straight course from there to where I intended to strike the
coast, and I thought if darkness would close in before the cruiser
got within six or seven miles, we would be able to start off on that
course without her seeing what direction we took.
As every one seemed impatient to get started, I decided to proceed
and steer a straight course W.S.W. and log correctly the distance
run; this would keep our distance from the cruiser, so that she would
lose sight of us in the darkness and would not see us when we changed
our course. This gave satisfaction to all, and the steamer was soon
running along at a good speed with the cruiser fully nine miles
astern.
As it got dark I was looking astern with the glass to see if we were
losing sight of the cruiser, but the smoke from our own funnel
falling astern obstructed the view. The engineer was standing by,
seeming greatly to enjoy the novelty of a chase. Annoyed at the
smoke obstructing my view, I turned to him and said that I wished him
and his black smoke were both in that place where darkness and smoke
reigned supreme.
"Where is that? in Glasgow, do you mean?" said he, with a meaning
laugh.
I saw he was hinting at my nationality, and I replied that I believed
he must have learned his business at that place, and delighted to
send up black smoke _in memoria_ of it.
"You are not far wrong," said he; "I served my apprenticeship not far
from it at a place called Greenock, which perhaps you know; but I can
stop that smoke for a short time if you wish."
"I wish you would," said I, "and let me get a good look astern."
He then called to the firemen to open their doors a little and the
smoke cleared away. I then took a good look astern, but could not
through the darkness discover a trace of the cruiser. The captain
also, with his long glass, with which he thought he could see
anything, could see nothing of her.
We had now run about six miles on this course, and it was about as
dark as it would be. I said if the engineer would now send up a good
column of black smoke for a few minutes and then check it quickly, we
would under cover of that alter our course and head away direct for
Galveston. The engineer said he could easily do that, and soon the
funnel was sending out quite a cloud. This was continued for a few
minutes, and then suddenly stopped, and at the same moment I brought
the steamer's head round and set her course to make the land about
five miles west of Galveston. This would take us clear of the
blockading fleet, and we could then work up the coast in shallow
water until we found the entrance to the Swash Channel. I would have
kept more to the westward, and given the fleet a wider berth, had we
not been chased by the cruiser, but I wished to take as short a cut
as possible and reach the coast before the cruiser, in case she
might, as soon as it got dark, have steered straight off for
Galveston to reach that port before us and put the fleet on the alert.
The captain, who was very wishful to know the meaning of every
movement, asked what was the object of sending up a dense column of
smoke, the thing I had always been so wishful to avoid.
I pointed to the cloud of smoke which still darkened the sky astern,
and said would it not be pleasing to think that the cruiser would be
steering for that, thinking us away beyond it, while we were now off
in another direction.
He seemed greatly pleased with the device, but I told him it might be
of no avail, as the Yankees were not easily deceived, and it was
possible that as soon as the cruiser lost sight of us when darkness
set in she would stand away for Galveston, where she knew we must be
bound, and look out for us there; but as she would very likely make
for the main entrance, we would stand more to the westward and crawl
up close to the beach, and he must be prepared for some dangerous
work.
The weather, which had been calm and hot for the last few days, now
showed signs of a change. Heavy clouds were banking up to the
northward, with occasional flashes of lightning in that direction.
This was all in our favour so far, as the wind, if it came, would be
off the land, while the dark clouds would shroud us like a veil.
It being the second engineer's watch, the chief came on deck, not
wishing to go to sleep as we were coming near the critical point. As
much depended upon the engineer, I was desirous of finding out
something about his qualifications and experience, as I thought he
had more the appearance of a military man than an engineer. I got
into conversation with him, and referred to the remark he had made
some time before about his having learned his business in Greenock.
He said he had served his apprenticeship in Greenock at Scott and
Sinclair's works; that he had subsequently, through some mad freak,
enlisted in a cavalry regiment, in which he served for some years,
which accounted for his military appearance.
So far as I could make out he seemed to have been a man of good
family and well educated, but something of a scapegrace.
I had previously warned him of the draught of the vessel being almost
too much for the channel through which we would have to pass, and
requested that in using his coal he would keep the vessel trimmed so
as to have her as near even keel as possible.
He now asked me when we would get into this shallow water, and if we
should be stirring up the mud?
I said if all went well we would be stirring up mud before an hour.
He hastened below to get his boilers pumped up before we got into the
muddy water; I saw from this that he knew what he was about, and that
gave me confidence.
It was now very dark, and we took a cast of the lead and found we
were in thirteen fathoms of water; we kept on, keeping a sharp look
on the starboard bow for the blockading fleet until we got into four
fathoms. We then slowed, and kept on till we got into three fathoms.
We now changed course to the eastward, and moved along slowly,
keeping in three fathoms, which led us to a course about E.N.E. This
was all right, and I looked with some anxiety for a light on a high
building in Galveston known to blockade runners as the "light on
Hanley's buildings," but could see nothing of it. I wondered if that
light had been discontinued. There were some reports that the
Federal fleet was going to bombard the building on account of the aid
given by the light to blockade runners, but it would be difficult to
get near enough to throw shot with any accuracy.
I was just beginning to wonder whether the light had been
discontinued, or I had made a bad landfall, when the light was seen.
It was not far off, but dim, probably from the scarcity of oil. From
the direction it bore from where we were--in three fathoms of
water--the entrance to the channel would be about half a mile
distant, and there must be a gunboat at anchor close by on our
starboard bow.
For some time there had not been a breath of wind, and the sea was
calm, and there was not much sound of breakers on the beach, but the
wind was now beginning to come in gusts off the land, and there was
every appearance of a storm, probably a norther. This was also
favourable to us, as the blockading fleet would have swung out to
seawards, and seeing the weather looking threatening they would be
engaged paying out chain and otherwise making snug.
We drew as close up to the land as we could with safety, and moved
along slowly, keeping the lead going on the port side, and soon got
into the channel, which was perfectly smooth, but with barely eight
feet of water, it being nearly low water. I knew that this was the
deepest end of the channel, and that near the inner end there was a
short space where there was nearly a foot less, and very likely we
should there take the ground. However, when there we should be
pretty safe from the blockading fleet, and from the easy way that we
had dropped into the channel I suspected the tide was rising.
This I explained to the captain and the engineer that they might be
prepared for it, at the same time I assured them that there was no
danger.
We kept on going slow, and the water, as I expected, shoaled down to
seven feet, and the vessel stuck and the engines were stopped, I was
not altogether satisfied at the position we were in, I had never
known the water to be so low in this channel before, and we had not
seen, and I could not now make out with the glass, any of the
blockading vessels, and I hoped I had made no mistake and got into
the wrong channel, or some _cul de sac_. I had gone out twice by
this channel, but never before came in by it. I felt slightly
uneasy, and ordered the small boat to be lowered. As soon as the
boat touched the water she swung forward towards the bow of the
steamer. This assured me that the tide was making. I took two hands
with me and took soundings. We found about the same depth of water
for about one length ahead, after that it deepened. I could also, by
the aid of the lightning, make out the fort on the port bow. This
showed we were all right, and as the tide was rising we should soon
get in.
When I returned on board I told the captain that the tide was low but
rising fast; that by working the engines we could push through into
the deeper water, but I thought it just as well to lay still and make
no noise for half-an-hour, when we would float over quite easy.
There was little danger from the enemy, as we were now in past the
fleet, and within three hundred yards of the Confederate guard-boat.
The engineer said he would work the engines if we desired it, but he
did not like stirring up the mud as it would get into his condenser
and boilers if we were long in getting off, and he would rather we
would wait a little till the tide rose, that was if we were quite
safe from capture.
"Quite safe," said I, "if you don't begin sending out your black
smoke, or hissing off your steam; but mind, the Yankees are sharp,
and if they smell your smoke or hear steam blowing off we may have a
boat with an armed crew alongside before we can get out of their way,
and as I nearly drowned a boat's crew very near this spot not long
ago I have no wish to have another such encounter."
Just then I heard the captain cry out, "Stop, there; where are you
going?" and ran to stop some men who were making their way to the
boat which had been left alongside.
This was some of the firemen and trimmers trying to slip into the
boat and desert the vessel. Their reason for so doing they could not
well explain. They said they did not want to be captured, made
prisoners, shipwrecked, worked to death, starved, and otherwise
ill-treated and abused, all of which they had been on board of this
vessel, and they refused to return to their duty.
On my asking the engineer what they meant, he said that some of the
firemen and trimmers had been picked up about the grog-shops at
Havana, and a more worthless and despicable set he had never seen.
They were recent imports into Havana, of that class of loafers and
sea lawyers which infest sea-ports, and had come to Havana to prey
upon the blockade runners. They had never intended to make the trip,
but to get their advance and then desert, but the laws in Havana were
strict, and he had been able to prevent them. They had feigned to be
sick, done little work, and caused much trouble and extra work to
others on the passage over, and they now wanted to get ashore to get
drink.
I laughed, and said it was evident that they knew nothing of the
place they had come to, or they would not seek to desert their ship.
They would find little drink ashore at this place, and more kicks
than sympathy. I told the captain in their hearing that I thought
the best thing he could do was to let them go; when they got ashore
the Provost-guard would take charge of them and conscript them into
the Confederate service, which was an excellent place for
straightening up into good behaviour such fellows as them, and he,
the captain, would be a fool if he afforded them any protection or
plea for exemption as being a part of his crew.
This rather abashed them, and the captain, seeing this, told them
that as they had refused to obey him and do their duty, they were
quite at liberty to go, and he added, at my instigation, that if they
did not go now he would hand them over to the Provost-guard as soon
as the vessel got into Galveston. On hearing this they sneaked off
and went down to the stoke hole.
The rising tide had now caused the steamer to float, and the engines
were set in motion and we were soon into nine feet of water, and soon
after into thirteen feet. This was the main channel, and the course
was changed to north-west. The storm which had been threatening had
now come on, and the rain was pouring down in torrents, and we soon
reached the guard-boat, which we hailed in the midst of a violent
thunderstorm.
There was now nothing exciting in the arrival of a blockade runner at
Galveston, there had been so many of them lately. Having satisfied
themselves that we were all right, they told us to anchor and await
the boarding officers.
We passed on a little further to give room for a good swing of chain,
keeping clear of the _Westfield_ wreck, where I told the mate to
anchor, warning him at the same time that it would very likely blow
hard for a few hours, and to give her plenty of chain, as if she
drifted she would drift right into the midst of the Yankee fleet.
The mate, I believe, put down every anchor he had.
It was now about 2 a.m., the rain had ceased, but a strong northerly
gale was blowing, and it had become bitter cold. I had been drenched
to the skin by the rain, and as soon as I saw everything all right,
and the anchor watch set, I went below to get some dry clothes on.
The captain whose mind had been in such a state of suspense during
the passage, that he had seldom entered into anything like
conversation, now came down to the cabin quite relieved and in high
spirits, and after some congratulations began to throw off his
oilskins, observing at the same time that he wondered why I was not
provided with those things. "You see," said he, "if you had had a
suit like that it would have saved you that drenching you got."
I said that I found them too hot for this climate.
"Hot!" said he, "you don't call this hot; this is surely a cold
climate you have brought us to."
"It is rather colder in winter than in Havana," said I, "but this is
not the usual climate here even in winter, this is one of those cold
winds called northers, which sweep over the country and the Gulf
occasionally during winter; and I have just now been thinking it a
strange coincidence, that the last time I came in here in December
last, we had one of the same, and a hard time of it we had warping up
that channel in the very teeth of it, till we came to anchor in this
very spot."
"How often have you run the blockade into Galveston?"
"This makes my fourth trip into Texas, and my third into Galveston."
"Well, I can assure you, that I am glad that we have got in safe. Do
you know that I think I never endured such a painful suspense, as I
have done during the last few days?"
"What would you think," said I, "of a passage of eighteen days as I
had in the middle of last summer, with fourteen hours' daylight out
of the twenty-four?"
"That would have killed me altogether," said he. "What was you doing
all that time?"
"Laying becalmed, with our sails down about half of the time, keeping
a look out from the masthead, and when we saw anything upon the
horizon, pulling out of sight with the sweeps."
"Well," said he, "don't you think we have been fortunate in getting
in so easily?"
"We have been very fortunate," said I. "We saw only one cruiser, and
that at a time when we could easily get out of her way, and this dark
night favoured us in getting past the fleet. We never saw any of the
blockading vessels."
"I hope we may get out as easily. Is there as much danger in going
out as in coming in?"
"Not near so much," said I, and when I explained to him the
difference, he seemed so happy that I thought he would have talked
the whole night; but I reminded him that he might have a busy time
when daylight came, and I suggested that he should take a few hours'
sleep, and we both retired.
Shortly after daylight the boarding-officers came on board, and the
usual formalities were gone through, and we steamed up to the harbour.
There was now much more stir about the harbour at Galveston than what
had been during the past summer, although there was no substantial
improvement of things in general, rather the opposite. The general
scramble seemed to have become more desperate, and blockade running
was now carried on to a reckless degree. Some five or six steamers
were loading at the wharfs, and arrivals and sailings were quite
frequent.
At this time I often heard it remarked, and it was perhaps worthy of
remark, how a profitable investment or enterprise might be for a long
time overlooked or neglected, because no one chooses to make the
venture, but when once started a general rush is made and it is often
pushed to a reckless extent, and often persevered in long after it
has ceased to be safe or profitable.
During the early part of the war, and prior to the capture of
Galveston by the Federals in 1862, the blockade of Galveston had been
little more than formal. An old sailing vessel named the _Santee_,
little better than a hulk, and said to be without a rudder, was
anchored off the inlet to Galveston to serve as a blockade, and
forbade all ingress or egress to the port. So little experience had
the Texans at that time, of war and its contingencies, that although
much privation might have been averted and large fortunes been
realized with very little risk, they never made any attempt at
passage in or out, considering the declaration of blockade and the
old hulk an effective veto.
Now, a fleet of from twelve to fifteen heavily armed steamers lay off
the port, and a number of fast cruisers patrolled the waters in the
neighbourhood of the port, and cruised all over the Gulf of Mexico,
overhauling and capturing vessels whereever they found them, yet in
the face of all this, notwithstanding, the number of steamers and
schooners that passed in and out was almost incredible.
I have heard much said about the traffic between Nassau N. P. and
Charleston and the other Atlantic ports, but I believe that was far
exceeded by the traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, during the latter part
of the war, after the Atlantic ports had been captured by the
Federals. 'Tis true that many were captured, but still the
proportion that went free was very great.
It was a common expression among blockade runners at that time that
they could afford to give the Yankees a prize now and then to
encourage them to maintain the blockade and keep up the price of
cotton, and a common toast at some of their convivial meetings was:--
"The Confederates that produces the cotton; the Yankees that maintain
the blockade and keep up the price of cotton; the Britishers that buy
the cotton and pay the high price for it. Here is to all three, and
a long continuance of the war, and success to blockade runners."