Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Two Blockade-Runners Run Into Cape Fear and Get Captured

JANUARY 20, 1865: Blockade-Runners Stag and Charlotte, unaware that Fort Fisher and fortifications of the Cape Fear River had fallen, anchored in the harbor of Smithville near the USS Malvern, flagship of Rear Admiral Porter (which had been a former blockade-runner itself), and were captured.

Porter wrote: "I intrusted this duty to Lt. [Commander] Cushing, who performed it with his usual good luck and intelligence.  They are very fast vessels and valuable prizes."

Earlier I had written that Porter had insisted that the lights used for the blockade-runners be kept on in case something like this might happen.

The Stag was commanded by Lt. Richard H. Gayle, CSN, who had previously been captured while commanding the blockade-runner Cornubia on 8 November 1863.
The Ruse Worked.  --Old B-Runner

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