I consider that the only chances the blockading squadron had of capturing a blockade-runner were in the following instances; viz., in a fair chase in daylight, when superior speed would tell, or chasing her on shore, or driving her in so near the beach that her crew were driven to set fire to her and make their escape; in which case a prize might be made, though perhaps of no great value; or frightening a vessel by guns and rockets during the night into giving up.  Some of the blockade-runners showed great pluck, and stood a lot of pitching into.  About sixty-six vessels left England and New York to run the blockade during the four years’ war, of which more than forty were destroyed by their own crews or captured; but most of them made several runs before they came to grief, and in so doing paid well for their owners.

I once left Bermuda, shortly before the end of the war, in company with four others, and was the only fortunate vessel of the lot.  Of the other four, three were run on shore and destroyed by their own crews, and one was fairly run down at sea and captured.

I saw an extraordinarily plucky thing done on one occasion, which I cannot refrain from narrating.  We had made a successful run through the blockade, and were lying under Fort Fisher, when as daylight broke we heard a heavy firing, and as it got lighter we saw a blockade-runner surrounded by the cruisers.  Her case seemed hopeless, but on she came for the entrance, hunted like a rabbit by no end of vessels.  The guns of the fort were at once manned, ready to protect her as soon as her pursuers should come within range.  Every effort was made to cut her off from the entrance of the river, and how it was she was not sunk I cannot tell.  As she came on we could see N——­, her commander, a well-known successful blockade-runner, standing on her paddle-box with his hat off, as if paying proper respect to the men-of-war.  And now the fort opened fire at the chasing cruisers, from whom the blockade-runner was crawling, being by this time well inshore.  One vessel was evidently struck, as she dropped out of range very suddenly.  On came the ’Old J——­,’ one of the fastest boats in the trade, and anchored all right; two or three shots in her hull, but no hurt.  Didn’t we cheer her! the reason of her being in the position in which we saw her at daylight was that she had run the time rather short, and daylight broke before she could get into the river; so that, instead of being there, she was in the very centre of the blockading fleet.  Many men would have given in, but old N——­ was made of different stuff.

We got well clear of the cruisers before daybreak, and keeping far out to sea, were unmolested during the run to Nassau, where we arrived safely with our second cargo of cotton, having this time been eighteen days making the round trip.