N.C. Civil War Timeline for September 1864-- Part 2: Recons of Wilmington and Capture of Two Blockade Runners

SEPTEMBER 19--  Reconnaissance near Wilmington for the examination of its defenses.

SEPTEMBER 25--  Destruction of the blockade runner Lynx.

SEPTEMBER 27--  Reconnaissance near Wilmington for the examination of its defenses.

SEPTEMBER 29--  Destruction of English steamer Night Hawk.

SEPTEMBER 29--  Action  in Scuppernong River , engagement of USS Valley City with Confederate forces.

--Old B-Runner

Blockade Runners At Nassau January 26, 1865: Little Hattie Was There

Since I was writing about H,S. Lebby and the Little Hattie in earlier posts this month.

From the March 21, 1865, Savannah Daily Herald.

A Dispatch from Nassau dated  Jan. 26 stated:

The following vessels:  Flamingo, Falcon, Hansen, Banshee (II), Stag, Emily, Dream, Secret, Night Hawk, Wild Rover, Susan Bierne, Badger, Star, Rothsay Castle, Ellen Denma, Kenitworth, Marimon,  Mars.   Little Hattie, Mory and Ella, Colonel Lamb, Watson, Alice, and General Clinch are all lying here idle, part of them having never made a run.

The Vulture and Evelyn have gone to Havana for repairs.  It is reported that the Will of the Wisp has been captured off Galveston.

--Old B-Runner

The USS Niphon and Blockade Runner Condor

On the night of 29 September 1864, the USS Niphon fired on the blockade runner Night Hawk and observed her go aground by Fort Fisher.  A boat crew led by Acting Ensign Semon boarded it under the fire of Fort Fisher, set her afire and brought off its crew as prisoners.

The Niphon was largely responsible for the Condor running ashore but unable to board it because of gunfire from Fort Fisher.

It is usually thought the Condor ran aground because it mistook the wreck of the Night Hawk for a Union blockading ship.

--Old B-Runner

The Blockade-Runner Condor-- Part 1: Made It Through Blockade, But Ran Aground

From Wide Open Space--  Famous Blockade Runners.

Earlier this summer, the state of North Carolina opened the Condor Dive Site.

The blockade-runner Condor was 270 feet long, with a 24-foot beam and crew of fifty.

It was chased on its maiden voyage by blockaders but arrived under the guns of Fort Fisher safely on 1 October 1864 at Swash Channel Bar at the New Inlet entrance to the Cape Fear River and Wilmington, its destination.

However, it ran aground, possibly while avoiding the wreck of the blockade-runner Night Hawk.

--Old B-Runner

Blockade-Runner Night Hawk Destroyed Off Fort Fisher

DECEMBER 29-30, 1864:  The USS Niphon forced blockade-running British steamer aground off Fort Fisher and burned her.  Late on 29 September, Niphon fired upon Night Hawk as she attempted to run into New Inlet, and observed her go aground.

A boat crew led by Acting Ensign Semon boarded the steamer, and, under fire from Fort Fisher, set her ablaze and brought off her crew as prisoners.  Ensign Semon's conduct on the occasion became the subject of a diplomatic note from the British Ambassador, the latter charging cruel treatment of the officers of the Night Hawk and a premature burning of the ship.


Semon was subsequently cleared of all implications of misconduct by a court of inquiry.

--Old B-Runner