THE LAND BLOCKADE.
I have now come to the end of my blockade-running yarns. I have
endeavoured to avoid giving offence to anyone: to the American officers
and men who manned the cruisers I can, as a nautical man, truly and
honestly give the credit of having most zealously performed their hard
and wearisome duty. It was not their fault that I did not visit New York
at the Government's expense; but the old story that 'blockades, to be
legal, must be efficient,' is a tale for bygone days. So long as
batteries at the entrance of the port blockaded keep ships at a
respectable distance, the blockade will be broken.
A practical suggestion that my experience during the time I was a
witness of the war in America would lead me to make is, that, both for
the purposes of war and of blockade, speed is the most important object
to attain. Towards the end of that contest, blockade-running became
much more difficult, in fact, was very nearly put a stop to, not by the
ports becoming more effectually closed to traffic, but by the sea being
literally covered with very fast vessels, who picked up many
blockade-runners at sea during the daytime, especially when they had
their heavy cargoes of cotton on board. The Americans are also perfectly
alive to the fact that, for purposes of war, speed is all important. An
American officer of rank once remarked to me: 'Give me a fifteen-knot
wooden vessel armed with four heavy guns of long range, and I'll laugh
at your lumbering iron-clads.' Perhaps he had prize-money in view when
he said so; or, what is still more important, he may have felt how
easily such vessels as those he proposed would sweep the seas of foreign
privateers. In these views I can but think he was right and far-seeing.
Time will show.
It may have struck my readers as strange that, in a country with so
large an inland boundary, the necessaries of life and munitions of war
could not have been introduced into the Southern States by their
extensive frontiers: but it is only a just tribute to the wonderful
energy shown by the Northern Americans during the civil war, to state
that the blockade by land was as rigid as that enforced by their fleets;
and almost as much risk was run by persons who broke the land blockade
as by those who evaded the vigilance of the cruisers at sea. The courses
of the large inland rivers were protected by gun-boats, and on account
of the rapids and other impediments, such as snags, with which they were
filled, the fords or passes for boats were few and far between, and thus
easily guarded; besides which, it was always a difficult matter to avoid
the pickets belonging to either party, who were very apt to suspect a
man they found creeping about without any ostensible object, and anyone
suspected of being a spy in those days had a short shrift and a long
rope applied before he knew where he was. More from a spirit of
enterprise than from any other reason, I determined to see what the land
blockade was like, and while at Richmond, happening to meet another
adventurous individual also so inclined, we commenced our plan of
campaign.
First of all (by the way, I ought to mention that we were both nautical
parties) we engaged a pilot, thereby meaning a man who had a canoe or
two stowed away in different parts of the woods, and who was well
acquainted with the passes on the river. Our amiable friend, the
correspondent of the 'Times.' showed so much confidence in our success
that he entrusted to our care a packet of despatches, which were
intended, if we got through successfully, to delight the eyes of the
readers of the 'Thunderer' some weeks afterwards.
We had to buy a horse and buggy, as naturally enough no one would let
them out on hire for such an enterprise; besides, those were not days
when men let out anything on hire that they could not keep in sight.
However, we sent a man on before us, in company with the pilot, to a
station some miles from the frontier, whose business it was to bring the
trap back when we had done with it. We stowed in our haversacks a pair
of dry stockings, a good stock of tobacco, and a couple of bottles of
brandy, against the road; we also had passes to produce in the event of
questions being asked by the patrols on the Southern side of the
frontier.
All being ready, we started, leaving Richmond at four o'clock in the
morning. We travelled on a long, dreary, dusty road all day, stopping
about noon for two hours at a free nigger's hut, where we got some yams
and milk, and about sunset arrived at the station above mentioned, at
which we were to dismiss our conveyance; and right glad we were to get
rid of it, for we were bumped to death by its dreadful oscillations.
At this station our pilot was waiting for us. There were also
bivouacking here a picket of cavalry, who told us they had seen some of
the enemy's patrols that morning, scouring about on the opposite bank of
the river just where we proposed to land. Somehow or other, people
always seem to take a pleasure in telling you disagreeable things at a
time when you rather want encouragement than fear instilled into you. We
had some supper, consisting of eggs and bacon; and at nine o'clock, it
being then pitch dark, the pilot informed us it was time to start. I
must say I should have been more comfortable if I had been on the bridge
of my little craft, just starting over the bar at Wilmington, with the
probability of a broadside from a gun-boat saluting us in a very short
time, than where I was. But it would never do to think of going back, so
we crawled into the wood.
Our land pilot informed us that the bank of the river, from whence we
should find a clear passage across, was about two miles distant. I never
remember seeing or feeling anything to be compared with the darkness of
that pine wood, but our guide seemed to have the eyes of a basilisk. We
formed Indian file, our guide leading, and crept along as best we could.
At last, after stealthily progressing for half an hour, a glimmer of
starlight through the trees showed us that we were getting to the
borders of the wood.
A few minutes afterwards we were desired to lie down. Feeling helpless
as babes, we passively obeyed, and watched our guide as he moved about
like a spectre in the long grass on the banks of the Potomac, looking
for his canoe. At last he returned and whispered that the boat was all
right, and we all crept like serpents to where it was concealed. Nothing
could be heard but the wind blowing through the trees, and the
discordant noises of frogs and other denizens of the swamp. So dark was
the night that we could hardly see fifty yards across the river. I
suppose this was all in our favour; but how our guide knew the marks by
which to steer was a puzzle to me, and as I never meant to profit by
this experience I asked no questions.
Not a word was spoken as we (myself and my friend) launched the canoe
silently into the water and seated ourselves, or rather obeyed orders
and lay down, the pilot sitting in the stern, with his face towards the
bows of the boat, having a light paddle in his hand, which he worked
wonderfully well and silently. The distance across the river was about
three miles.
We shot ahead at a rapid pace for about five minutes, when suddenly,
bump went the canoe against something. To lie flat down was to our guide
the work of a second, and the canoe was at once transformed into a
floating log.
Well it was so, for it seems we had struck a small boat that was
fastened astern of the gun-boat guarding the river. That the noise of
the collision had been heard on board was evident, for a sentry hailed,
'Boat ahoy!' and fired his musket, and one of those detestable bright
lights which the American men-of-war have a nasty habit of showing
flashed over the water, making everything visible for a hundred yards
round. The current of the river, however, was very strong, and I fancy
we had drifted out of the radius covered by the light, as we were
fortunately not discovered; or perhaps the diligent watchman on board
the man-of-war thought some huge crocodile or other monster had come in
contact with their boat. Be that as it may, we were safe, and twenty
minutes more paddling brought us to land on the opposite bank of the
river; but unfortunately our little adventure had thrown us out of our
line, or as we sailors should have called it, out of our course. We
hauled the canoe out of the water, and hid her in the long grass. All we
could see around us was a dismal swamp, with the dark wood in the
background. Our guide honestly told us that having been thrown out of
his 'reckoning' in regard to our position, to move from where we were
before daybreak would be madness, so we took a pull at the brandy
bottle, lighted our pipes and waited patiently, having moved well in
under cover of the long grass, so as to be out of sight of any vessel
lying in the river near to us.
When the day dawned, our pilot after having reconnoitred told us that we
were very well placed for starting for Washington; but that it would be
impossible, on account of the patrols that were constantly watching the
river's banks, for us to move during the daytime, so we were doomed to
remain all day in the damp grass. Luckily we had put in our pockets at
last night's supper some black bread and an onion or two; so we made the
best of things, and so did the sandflies. How they did pitch into us,
especially into me! I suppose the good living I had been accustomed to
on board the blockade-runner, or my natural disposition to good
condition, made me taste sweet. Several times during that fearful day I
was tempted to rush out from my hiding-place, and defying patrols,
gun-boat's crew, and all authorities, make my escape from that place of
torture.
Anyone who has experienced the necessity of remaining quiet under such
an infliction as an attack of millions of sandflies on a hot sunny day
will appreciate my feelings. About one o'clock we got as a diversion
from our tormentors a great fright. A boat's crew of a gun-boat lying
about a mile distant from our retreat landed, and out of sheer idleness
set fire to the grass about a hundred yards from where we were lying
concealed.
We heard the crackling of the grass and thought of leaving our
concealment at the risk of discovery; but our guide wisely remarked that
the wind was the wrong way to bring the fire towards our hiding-place,
so we felt safe. The feeling of security was more pleasant, because we
distinctly heard the men belonging to the gun-boat conversing with
others, who clearly were patrols on the river's bank.
The evening at last closed in, and as soon as it was quite dark we moved
on, and after struggling through a thick wood for half an hour, got on
the high road to Washington. We travelled by night, meeting occasional
patrols, whom we dodged by either lying down or getting behind trees
till they had passed.
We concealed ourselves carefully during the day, and on the third
morning before daylight we were within half a mile of the city. As we
got near the bridge close outside Washington, we tried our best to look
like the rest of the people who were going on their ordinary business;
and though somewhat severely scrutinised by the guard we managed to pass
muster, and got safely into Washington, footsore, hungry, and regularly
done up.
We went to a small inn that had been recommended to us when we were in
Richmond, where probably they had some Southern proclivities. No
questions were asked as to where we came from, though, I take it, the
people of the house had a shrewd guess. We found ourselves among friends
and perfectly safe from meddling inquiries.
Thus the land blockade was run. I do not think much experience was
gained by this particularly unpleasant exploit, which after all there
was no very great difficulty in performing, and I certainly prefer my
own element.
After a short stay we made our way easily to New York, not feeling any
anxiety from the fact of our being staunch Southerners in our opinions,
inasmuch as there were numbers of sympathising friends wherever we went,
more perhaps than the authorities were aware of. I stayed a few days in
New York to recruit my strength after the fatigue of the journey, and
saw all the sights and enjoyed all the pleasures of the most delightful
city in the world, except perhaps Paris and London. I shall not attempt
to give my readers any description of New York. This has already been
done by abler pens than mine.
While in New York I was greatly struck with the calm confidence of the
bulk of the Northerners in the ultimate success of their arms against
the South. If I gained nothing else by running the land blockade, I at
least got an insight into the enormous resources possessed by the North,
and a knowledge of the unflinching determination with which the Federals
were prepared to carry on the struggle to the end. I must confess that I
left New York with my confidence that the Confederates would achieve
their independence very much shaken.
Not being desirous of going through the risk and inconvenience of
running the land blockade again, I returned to Nassau by steamer from
New York.