The State of Affairs At Wilmington, NC-- Part 8: Blockade-Running

"Every day while I was camped down on the point we had some little excitement. The Yankee fleet lay in full sight, and their unsuccessful efforts to prevent the ingress and egress of the long fast white steamers was amusing and gratifying. Sometimes they would treat us to a few shells, and we made quite a collection of the huge unexploded 200 lb monsters.

They succeeded in running ashore a pretty little fast steamer right opposite of our camp and then they gathered round, like big boys stoning a frog, and fired at least a thousand shots through the poor little thing. I assure you there was not a peace on her hull as large as my hat without a shot hole."

Sometimes You Get Through, Sometimes Not. --Old B-Runner