Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Captain Joseph Fry, Cmdr. of Agnes E. Fry-- Part 2: Saved the Eugenie

Joseph Fry then served the Confederacy.  He was severely wounded at the Battle of White River in Arkansas, also called the Battle of Saint Charles.  (I will write more about this battle I'd never heard of before in a later post.)

While recovering on sick leave he was ordered, at his own request, to command the Confederate blockade-runner Eugenie.  He once grounded off Fort Fisher while making a daylight run into the Cape Fear River.  His ship was loaded with gunpowder and blockaders were firing at him.  Commander of the Fort, Col. William Lamb ordered  him to abandon the ship.

Instead, captain Fry told anyone who wanted to leave to do so, but stayed aboard, but he would stay and try to save the ship's cargo.  Several boats left for Fort Fisher and a few remained with him who lightened the ship and with a swelling tide floated again and Fry brought the ship and badly needed cargo into Wilmington.

--Old B-Runner

No comments:

Post a Comment