According to Kevin Foster, the recently retired head of the National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program, who is writing a book on the blockade-runners, the ships would try to cut across the waters of the Gulf Stream in late afternoon, keeping a sharp lookout for the masts of the first of the three picket lines of blockaders.
Captains would be shooting to make landfall well north or south of the Cape Fear River at night, then run close into shore just outside the line of breakers. With luck, if spotted, Confederate artillery could keep the Union ships off until the runner reached either New or Old Inlet.
Lights were all snuffed out and crew members were not allowed to smoke. Whenever possible, anthracite coal was burned because it was much more smokeless.
The toughest obstacle was the inner picket line which had the fastest blockaders. Often, these were captured blockade-runners and extremely fast.
Running the Blockade. A good name for a Blog. Someone Should Use It. --Old B-Runner
No comments:
Post a Comment