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Blockade Running Л\ EYE-WITNESS U( OI VI It Hi, J. WILKINSON l*UNI»hKI in l»TT w CWb, Aver, Ж У ‘•During the month of March. 1863 the Lee'» port of destination was St. George's, Bermuda. . . . After discharg¬ ing our curgo of cotton and loading with supplies for the Confederate Government, chiefly for the army of Northern Virginia, we sailed for Wil¬ mington in the Utter part of March. Our return voysfee was uneventful* until we reached the coast near Mason- borough Inlet, distant about nine miles north of New Inlet bar. The weather had been pleasant during the voyage, and we had sighted fires from the salt works along the coast, but before we could get hold of the land, a little before midnight, a densely black cloud made its appearance to the north and cast; and the rapidity with which it rose and enlarged, indicated too surely that a heavy gale was coming from that quarter We had been unable U. dis¬ tinguish any landmark before the storm burst in all ns fury upon us and the rain poured in torrents. Our supply of coals was too limited to enable us. with prudence, to put to sea again; and of course the marks or ranges for crossing the bur would not be visible fifty yards in such thick weather. Be¬ ing quite confident of our position however. I determined to run down the coast, and anchor off the bar till daylight Knowing the trend of the land north of New Inlet bar. the engine was slowed down and the lead kept going on both sides The sounding con¬ tinued quite regular three and three and a quarter fathoms, with the surf thundering within a stone’s throw on our starboard beam, and nothing visi¬ ble in the Winding ton cob of rain I knew that if my calculated ротки was correct, the water would shoal very suddenly (ust before reaching the bar; but a trying hour or more of sus¬ pense had passed before the welcome fact wus announced by the leadsmen. At the moment when both of the leads¬ men almost simultaneously called out 'and a quarter less three’ the helm was put hard д and the lee’s bow was pointed seaward. * We could not prudently anchor in less than five fathoms, as the sea was ruing rapidly: and that depth would carry us into the midst of the block¬ ading fleet at anchor outside. It seemed an age before the cry cunic from the leadsmen 'by the mark five.’ The Lee was instantly stopped, and one of the bower anchors let go. The cubic was then well stoppered at the ‘bias' and unshackled. The night wore slowly away; and once nr twice we caught a glimpse, by a flash of lightning, of the blockading fled around us. rolling and pitching in the heavy sea "We paced the bridge, anxiously waiting for daylight It came at last, and there, right astern of us. looming up through the mist and rain was I lie 'Mound.' We had only to steer for it. to Iv on our right course for crossing the bar. The stoppers were cut. the en¬ gine started ahead, and the fore stay¬ sail hoisted As the chain rattled through the hawse-hole, the Lee worn around rapidly, and the Ccmfcdcr.tc Hag was run up to the peak as she dashed toward the bar with the speed of a greyhound slrpped from the leash The bar was a sheet of foam and surf, breaking sheer across the channel; hut the great length of the Lee enabled her to ride met three or four of the chopping seas at once, and she touched bottom In leu than half an hour from the lime when we slipped our chain under the guns of the fleet, we had passed beyond Fort Fisher and were on our way up the river. "Usually the time selected lor sail¬ ing was during the dark of the moon, hut upon one occasion, a new pilot had been detailed for duty on hoard who failed in many efforts to get the ship over the ’rip.’ a shifting sandbar a mile or more inside the true bar More than a week of valuable time had been lost and I determined to run what appeared to be a very great risk The tide serving at ten o'clock, we succeeded in crossing the rip at that hour and as we passed over New Inlet bar. the moon rose in a cloud¬ less sky It was a calm night too. and the regular beat of our paddles through the smooth water sounded to our cant ominously loud As we ckwcly skirted the shore, the blockading vessels were plainly visible to us. some at anchor, some under way; and some of them so near to u* that we saw, or fancied we saw, with our night glasses, the men on watch on their forecastles; but as we were inside of them all. and in¬ visible against the background of the land, we passed beyond them undis¬ covered. The roar of the surf breaking upon the bs-aeh. prevented the noise of our paddles being heard. The Lee's head was not pointed seaward, how¬ ever. until we had run ten or twelve miles along the land so close to tie¬ breakers that we could almost fuse tossed a biscuit into them. Discovery of us by the fleet would have been n тне атАТе. м.г 7. toss