The State of Affairs at Wilmington, NC, Oct. 1863-- Part 9: Wilmington Is "Insufferably Dull"

"After finishing my work on the point I came to Wilmington where I spent two or three days pleasantly enough awaiting Gen. Whiting's orders. And they being received I came down here. In Wilmington I met some old friends who were very polite to me Willy Scott of Fredericksburg, Archer, John Payne, Little &c but the town was insufferably dull and I was glad to get away.

Now for Wrightsville Wrightsville is situated 9 miles East of Wilmington on Masonboro Sound, and is the summer resort of the nabobs of Wilmington.

It consists of about 20 old fashioned roomy sea-side cottages occupying about a mile of beach, and buried in the splendid groves of Cypress, pines & live oaks; Our own quarters here have fallen in pleasant places; Gen Whiting was camped with his whole staff down here till about 3 weeks ago, and he kindly permitted me to have his spacious floored tents, dining room, kitchen, stables &c."

Wrightsville Beach 150 Years Ago. --Old B-Runner--

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

The State of Affairs at Wilmington, NC in October 1863-- Part 7: Running the Blockade

Benjamin Blackford had dinner aboard the blockade-runner Advance under the command of his old friend Thomas M. Crossan and the ship was prepared to run the Cape Fear blockade as early as that night.

He continues: "There were about 15 passengers on board, one or two foreign officers returning home, one or two government agents, and 3 or 4 gaudy Israelites, with substitutes in the army, and the gain of much villainy in their pocket; there was also an artist, an author, and a bearer of dispatches.

It was like coming into a different world to slip from that desolate swamp, into the splendid cabin, and see once more a good dinner, well served, and you may depend I enjoyed it."

Ah, For the Good Old Days. --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago Today: November 6th to 8th, 1863

NOVEMBER 6TH:

CSS Alabama captures and destroyed bark Amanda in the East Inies with cargo of hemp and sugar.

NOVEMBER 7TH:

Merchant steamer Allen Coolier with cargo of cotton burned by Confederate guerrillas at Whitworth's Landing, Mississippi, after she left the protection of the USS Eastport. It was still not quite safe for Union shipping on the rivers without U.S. Navy protection.

Cutter from USS Sagamore captured schooner Paul off Bayport, Florida.

NOVEMBER 8TH:

USS James Adger and USS Niphon captured steamer Cornibia north of New Inlet, North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

The State of Affairs at Wilmington, NC-- Part 6: Dining On the Advance

"Everything in Wilmington shows the effect of this. Confederate money is of less value there than in Richmond by 25 per cent. $12 to 14 a day is the fare at mean (crummy) hotels.

"There are such numbers of Englishmen, officers, and crew of the blockade running ships who fling their gold around everywhere, that our currency stands less chance than anywhere else in the confederacy. The blockade runners try of course to make friends of the officers about Wilmington, and are sure to keep them well supplied with brandy segars and oranges.

"I dined one Sunday on board the Advance, a splendid steamer owned by the State of N.C. and commanded by Capt.(Thomas M.) Crossan of the Navy and old friend of mine; she was lying off Fort Fisher some 25 miles from town, and was all ready to go out that night."

Quite the Famous Blockade-Runner. --Old B-Runner

The State of Affairs at Wilmington, NC-- Part 5: Lots of Runners and Pilots

\Speaking on the pilots.

Still on the October 5, 1863, letter of Benjamin Lewis Blackford to his parents.

"...and inhabited exclusively by amphibious pilots; ignorant, stupid and disloyal. They had always earned an easy living by pilotage, and they are rebels against any Govt which interferes with it.

I never had any idea till I came to Wilmington of the number of steamers engaged in the blockade trade. Fifteen fine steamers came safely into the river, and two or there were run aground during the two weeks I was camped near Fort Fisher."

--Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago Today: November 6, 1863-- Another Ericsson Invention

The Confederates had put up a very extensive and complicated field of obstructions to prevent passage of the channels into Charleston Harbor, something that the North greatly wanted to do. Celebrated USS Monitor inventor John Ericsson had come up with another innovation to do just this.

His anti-obstruction torpedo was placed at the bow of the monitor USS Patapsco on this date. The device was a cast iron shell some 23-feet long and 10-inches in diameter containing 600 pounds of powder and was suspended from a raft attached to the ironclad's bow and held in position by two long booms.

The demonstration went favorably and the shock was barely noticed aboard the Patapsco, though a "really fearful" column of water was thrown some 40 to 50 feet into the air. A problem, however, was that he raft really interfered with the Patapsco's maneuverability.

--Old B-Runner

The State of Affairs At Wilmington, NC-- Part 4: Battling the Mosquitoes

"Awhile before dark we had to make a fire in the middle of the floor of rotten wood and old rags; after an hours dense fumigation we closed all the doors and windows, and as far as it was possible, in the fierce heat and suffocating atmosphere, we slept. Those mosquitoes could sting through a double blanket without the least trouble.

The great ocean which stretched on before us, and the magnificent surf bathing were the only bright spots in the Camp. The 'Point' was not over four miles broad, entirely destitute of cultivated land ...."

Dealing With the "Disloyal" Pilots. --Old B-R'er

The State of Affairs At Wilmington, NC-- Part 3

"The only redeeming point in the first two weeks operations in N.C. was that the officials both in Wilmington & at Fort Fisher, were as thoughtful as possible, and did with the greatest Energy and promptness Every thing, I asked of them. I was furnished with guards, horses and boats, and had it not been for musquitoes and starvation would have gotten on well enough.

We were camped in a swamp 6 miles above Fort Fisher, and I believe the king of the mosquitoes had selected the same locality for his dinner court. I had never had the faintest idea of the meaning of the word before. To sleep with door or window open (I was camped in a small house) was impossible."

A Real Skeeter Hater. --Old B-Runner

End of the Career of the Blockade Runner Margaret and Jessie

This date 150 years ago, the blockade runner Margaret and Jessie was captured at sea east of Myrtle Beach, SC, after a prolonged chase by Army transport Fulton and USS Nansemnd, Lt. R.H. Lamson.

The chase had started the previous evening by the USS Howquah near Wilmington, NC. The Howquah kept the steamer in sight all through the night. The USS Keystone State joined the chase in the morning and was on hand when the capture was made.

The Margaret and Jessie had run the blockade 15 times, one of the more successful runners. The steamer was then bought by the Navy and renamed the USS Gettysburg.

--Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago: November 5, 1863

NOVEMBER 5, 1863:

Ships of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron continue bombarding Fort Sumter in concert with Army batteries ashore on Morris Island. Dahlgren reports "The only original feature left is the northeast face where Union guns can't reach), the rest is a pile of rubbish."

**  The USS Virginia seized British bark Science and, with the USS Owasco, capture British brigs Volante and Dashing Wave at the mouth of the Rio Grande River. A big payday for the crews with all that prize money.

**  Union General Banks has been asking for more Navy gunboats to assist him in operations along rivers west of the Mississippi River. Rear Admiral Porter writes that more are preparing to go to him and that will give him 22 and even more will be on their way after the Confederates are cleared from the Tennessee River.

**  USS Beauregard seized British blockade runner Volante off Cape Canaveral, Florida.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: November 3-4, 1863-- Operation in Texas

NOVEMBER 3-4TH, 1863:

 Union naval force consisting of the USS Monongahela, Owasco and Virginia convoyed and supported troops of Gen. Banks at Brazos Santiago, Texas.

The landing began on the 2nd and continued until the next day. On the 4th, Brownsville, Texas, was evacuated by Confederate rtroops and Union foothold on the Mexican border was secured. There had been quite a lot of blockade-running from there.

NOVEMBER 3RD:

Rear Adm. Dahlgren closely examined Fort Sumter from his flagship and reported it to be "a mass of ruin" but that it was still capable of harboring Confederates and would be a problem until "expelled by the bayonet."

NOVEMBER 4TH:

The USS Virginia seized British schooner Matamoras at the mouth of the Rio Grande River with cargo bound for the Confederate Army. This further shows the importance of the operation from Nov. 3 to 4.

--Old B-Runner

The State of Affairs At Wilmington, NC-- Part 2

"There was no use grumbling, so we started in 12 hours after the receipt of the orders, and after a doleful journey on troop trains and 24 hours detention in Weldon, we reached Wilmington safely.

Wilmington is a town about the size of Lynchburg, surrounded by low pine & cypress swamps, but still a pretty place, and showing very many handsome public & private buildings.

At Wilmington I received orders to prepare a careful map of the peninsula known as Confederate Point between the Cape Fear River and the ocean. We steamed down the river to Fort Fisher, and were landed on as desolate a sand bank as was ever seen."

Not Happy About His Transfer. --Old B-R'er

The State of Affairs At Wilmington, NC in Oct. 1863-- Part 1

From the 10-5-13 Civil War Day-By-Day, UNC Libraries.

From an October 5, 1863, letter from Benjamin Lewis Blackford about his transfer from Virginia to Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC.

"Camp at Wrightsville-- 9 miles East Wilmington

Oct. 5 1863

My dearest Mother,

This is the third time I have commenced a letter to you. Twice I came to N. Carolina, but each time I have been interrupted. Until the last two or three days (in which I have been sick) I have had no moment to spare; I have been worried and miserable ever since I came into this wretched State.

But I will commence at the beginning, and give you a history. You recalled that I had received orders to begin surveys of the South Side of James R. commencing with Powhatan and Cumberland counties, and my Corps had already started, with a pleasant prospect for the winter, when telegraphic orders required me to 'proceed with all hands to Wilmington'"

Evidently Not a Fan of the Old North State. --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: November 2-3, 1863-- Operations at Fort Sumter

NOVEMBER 2-3RD.

Lt. Cmdr. Greenleaf Gilley of the USS Catskill reported on Confederate operations at Fort Sumter to meet any Union attempts to breech the obstructions between Forts Sumter and Moultrie as the furious Union bombardment of Fort Sumter continued.

He reported: "Two boats under sail were seen moving from Sumter towards Sullivan's Island. About 11 p.m. a balloon with two lights attached arose from Sumter and floated toward Fort Johnson.... At midnight a steamer left Sumter and moved toward Fort Johnson.

At sunrise...observed the three rams [CSS Charleson, Chicora and Palmetto State] and the sidewheel steamer anchored in line of battle ahead from Johnson toward Charleston, and each with its torpedo topped up forward of the bows."

Being Vigilant, Very Vigilant. --Old B-Runnee