Chapter I: Preface

There are few instances in modern times where the exigencies of war so much barred the free run of intercourse and paralyzed trade and commerce as the blockading of the Southern ports during the American Civil War, or where such inducements were offered to break through the barrier by what was called blockade running.

The writer has neither the knowledge nor the capability to attempt to write anything like a history or treatise on this subject; he therefore confines himself to a brief detail of his own acts and experience, and what came under his own observation.

The idea of blockade running during that war has been generally depicted by swift steamers running into Charleston and other ports in the Atlantic States, and it was there that it was chiefly carried on during the earlier part of the war when the blockade was somewhat inefficient.

It has also been supposed by some that the danger of capture lay only in passing through the blockading fleet while entering or leaving a port, and that beyond the limits of the blockaded port no danger existed; this was a mistaken idea.

As the war progressed, the naval force of the United States was greatly augmented. The seas were patrolled by cruisers, and the blockaded ports became fewer in number as they were successively captured and occupied by the United States forces; and during the latter part of the war, the traffic was confined almost exclusively to the Gulf of Mexico and the States bordering on its shores; and it was there carried on with great activity till the very end of the war, in the face of a powerful blockading fleet and numerous cruisers, which overhauled and seized anywhere at sea, all vessels to which they thought any suspicion might attach.

Hence the traffic was then attended with more difficulty and risk; captures were more frequent, and the whole business more hazardous and exciting.

In connection with the traffic in the Gulf there was one feature which has been very little noticed: this was the great amount of blockade running which was done by small sailing vessels.

On the shores of the Gulf States there were many rivers and inlets, the entrances to which were generally blocked by shallow bars or shoals, which could only be entered by vessels of light draught of water. These entrances were largely taken advantage of by what were called centre-board schooners--a class of vessels much in use at that time in these parts.

Although one or more war vessels generally lay off these entrances or inlets, they could not, on account of the shallow water, get sufficiently close to effectually block the passage in and out of these small craft by night, therefore a strict lookout was kept for them outside: and, in order to suppress the traffic, a number of patrolling vessels cruised along the coast and over the Gulf, with the view of picking them up at sea.

The shallow waters of these ports also confined the traffic to vessels of small class, and these had to run to neutral ports in Mexico, Cuba, or elsewhere, which made their occupation somewhat adventurous. Often very heavily overladen, they had, besides the risk of passing the blockading vessels, the dangers of a long sea voyage, throughout the whole of which they were liable to be picked up by the United States cruisers; and winter being the chosen time, on account of shorter daylight and better winds, they often encountered heavy gales, and being in constant dread of capture, they were often driven along with extreme recklessness.

The writer through force of circumstances brought on by the war was in a measure compelled to engage in this hazardous business, and had some experience in this small-craft traffic and afterwards in steamers, as well as in some of the less pleasing incidents of business in the war time.

He has still in his possession many papers and memoranda of business and other events, as well as remnants of his log-books; and in now publishing this little account of his experience, he trusts the public will excuse the many defects in his composition, as he has no pretensions to literary abilities, but endeavours to relate, in a plain, blunt way, events just as they happened. And if those who may take the trouble to read through these pages should find anything to interest or amuse them, his object will be attained.

WILLIAM WATSON.

_January_, 1892.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

A country distracted by war--Effects of a blockade--Getting away from the turmoil--The schooner _Rob Roy_--Description of a centre-board vessel

CHAPTER II.

The writer begins his narrative--The schooner boarded by the _Alabama_--Arrival at Belize, Honduras--American vessels changing their flag--Effects of the American paper currency on the West Indian market--No market for cargo--Sails for the coast of Mexico--Finds there a large fleet of shipping--Reasons for the presence of the same

CHAPTER III.

Communication with the Confederate States through Mexico--The cotton mania--The Brownsville route across the plains--Its difficulties and uncertainties

CHAPTER IV.

No prospect of business--Reduced to straits--Resolve to try a bolder venture--A new captain and crew shipped--Captain J.--A word of warning as to him--Departure for the blockaded coast--Arrival in Texas, but not unscathed

CHAPTER V.

State of things in Texas--Scarcity of gold and silver--A forced currency--Jobbers--Vessels at a premium--Devices to obtain possession of them--Descent of the Federal forces on the coast--The _Rob Roy_ pressed into the Government service--Beginning of troubles--Blockade runners regarded with suspicion--Proof of fealty an important essential--Military rule

CHAPTER VI.

More troubles--Sinking of the schooner--Captain B. sympathizes and proffers his advice--Kindness of Captain Downs--Strange conduct of Captain J.--A plot to get possession of the vessel--A new partnership formed--The sunken vessel raised--A personal encounter--A good riddance

CHAPTER VII.

The vessel again repaired--Another detention--A large Federal fleet on the coast--Capture of Captain Downs's vessel and others--The Forts bombarded--The _Rob Roy_ again employed in the Government service--Arrival of a schooner escaped from her captors--Captain McLusky--Account of his capture and escape

CHAPTER VIII.

My share in the schooner reduced to one-eighth--Appointed master of her--The Brownsville route intercepted--Captains of blockade-running vessels to be furnished with commissions--A schooner on the bar--My old friend Captain Downs again turns up--Amusing story of his capture--I am entrusted with important despatches

CHAPTER IX.

Getting to sea at last--Half-manned in a gale--Passing the gunboats in the darkness--Hard work, but happy--George and his sea proverbs and superstitions--Dodging cruisers in calm weather--A hot chase and a narrow escape--No desire for company--Arrival at Tampico

CHAPTER X.

Landing of the cargo at Tampico--A mysterious stranger makes friends with me--A chance to make a fortune by betraying trust--Tampico under French rule--Rejoicings at Maximilian's acceptance of the Imperial Crown of Mexico--Departure from Tampico--Arrival at Havana--Settling up accounts

CHAPTER XI.

Trying to get a freight--Confederate regulations as to inward cargoes--Sympathizing speculators--Patriotism _versus_ Number One--Basis of blockade running changed from Nassau to Havana--Rigging of the market--Arrival of the _Harriet Lane_ and _Matagorda_--Attention of steamers turned to Galveston--My old friend Captain Dave turns up--His views as to costly vessels for blockade running--He invests in a cheap one--Arrangements for a second voyage

CHAPTER XII.

Second voyage--Departure from Havana--Captain Dave sails same night--Light winds and calms--Plans to keep out of sight of cruisers--Narrow escape--We meet an old friend--We don't like her looks--We make a warlike display--She sheers off--A long passage--Get in with difficulty--Captain Dave ahead of us--He brings in with him a Federal naval officer and prize crew

CHAPTER XIII.

Captain Dave makes a demand upon me--How his vessel was captured--How he recaptured her--A flag of truce--Dave has a parley with the commander of the blockading fleet

CHAPTER XIV.

Loading of the vessel--Yellow fever--Clearance and letter of consignment--Captain Shaeffer and the _Mary Elizabeth_--Cruising in Galveston Bay--Novel method of cleaning a vessel's bottom--An extraordinary statement of accounts--No pass out till settled--A blockade on both sides to run--Father Ryan a passenger

CHAPTER XV.

Outward trip--Going out without a passport--Sail in company with the _Mary Elizabeth_--Passing close to a gunboat--The strictest silence enjoined--A cock crowing nearly betrays us--Singular superstition arising from the incident--Overtaken by a hurricane--More danger from the seas than the enemies this trip--The _Mary Elizabeth_ never heard of--Dangerous crossing of the bar at Tampico

CHAPTER XVI.

Landing and dividing of the cargo--Tampico under the Government of Maximilian--The French commanders and the civil authorities--Mexican tardiness and formality--French impulse--Condemned army stores--Sail for Havana--Father Ryan takes passage with us--He is willing to bear a hand--A sailor's method of dealing with well-meaning busybodies--Arrival at Havana

CHAPTER XVII.

The new custom house at Havana--Singular story of the building--Mr. R. M. ignores the action of the house in Texas--He prevails on me to make another trip--Great excitement in blockade running--Steamers _versus_ sailing vessels--Their respective merits compared--Havana and its institutions--Officials--Pensioners--Poor--Criminals-- Lotteries--Captain Flagg and the _Bilateria_--Jim Hyland turns up--His wife desires to be present when he is paid off--Loaded for another voyage

CHAPTER XVIII.

Third voyage--Departure from Havana--A dead-weight cargo--Heavy weather--A chase--Loss of a topmast--Get into Galveston during a norther

CHAPTER XIX.

Shore business--Our new consignee, Mr. C.--Collision with a transport--Loss of our main-boom--Increase of business at Galveston--Difficulty of getting compressed cotton--Arrival of my friend Flagg--He plays a joke upon me--He makes amends for it--I wish to leave quickly--Load with uncompressed cotton--A small cargo--Clear for Vera Cruz

CHAPTER XX.

Outward trip--Waiting for a favourable night to run out--Take the first that offers--Not very favourable--Observed by the blockading fleet, and brought to--The enemy's boat comes alongside--Singular accident--Perilous position of the enemy's boat and crew--A scene of confusion--We escape in the flurry--A cruiser in the distance at daylight--Southerly winds--A norther--A false alarm--Arrival at Vera Cruz--Landing and disposal of the cargo--Departure from Vera Cruz--Arrival at Havana

CHAPTER XXI.

Mr. R. M. brings up the question of the second voyage--We dissolve partnership--The schooner sold by auction--He buys her in--She sails on another voyage--Fate of the _Rob Roy_--Havana crowded with blockade-running steamers

CHAPTER XXII.

Out of employment--Engage 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 darkness setting in--Arrival at Galveston

CHAPTER XXIII.

On shore at Galveston--Appointed to another steamer--The steamer _Jeannette_--Short of coal--Sail for Tampico--An exciting chase--Arrival at Tampico

CHAPTER XXIV.

Waiting at Tampico for orders--Seized with small-pox--My old friend the Yankee captain--Startling news--Death of Lincoln--Surrender of General Lee--General surmises as to the situation--I leave for Havana--Find on arrival there a United States fleet entering the harbour--A demand on the Spanish Government by the United States--Critical state of affairs--Total collapse of the Confederacy--End of blockade running

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

(1) A BLOCKADE-RUNNING SCHOONER LOADED WITH COTTON ... _Frontispiece_

(2) SCHOONER "ROB ROY"

(3) A UNITED STATES GUNBOAT

(4) VERY NEARLY CAPTURED IN A CALM

(5) MIDNIGHT IN A HURRICANE

(6) CROSSING THE BAR AT TAMPICO IN A GALE

THE ADVENTURES
OF
A BLOCKADE RUNNER.