E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Martin Pettit,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()
| Transcriber's note: Some obvious typographical errors have been corrected. The useof double quotation marks for quotations within quotations hasbeen retained as in the original, and the reader's attentionis called to the author's failure to close some quotations. |
THE NARRATIVE
OF A
BLOCKADE-RUNNER.
BY
J. WILKINSON,
CAPTAIN IN THE LATE CONFEDERATE STATES NAVY.
NEW YORK:
SHELDON & COMPANY,
8 MURRAY STREET.
1877
Copyright,
SHELDON & COMPANY,
1877.
PREFACE.
In deference to the judgment of two or three literary friends, I haveentitled this, my first attempt at authorship, "The Narrative of aBlockade-runner." They do not agree with Shakspeare that "a rose by anyother name would smell as sweet," to the reading public; nor that it isalways advisable to call a thing by its proper name. It will be seen,however, by any reader who has the patience to peruse the work, that itembraces a wider scope than its title would imply. I have endeavored togive a full account of the passage by the U. S. fleet of the forts belowNew Orleans; and to contribute some facts that will probably settle thecontroversy, in the judgment of the reader, as to the real captors ofthat city. "Honor to whom honor is due."
It will be seen that I have been favored with access to CommodoreMitchell's official report of that conflict, a document never published.The[Pg 6] information derived from it, added to facts and circumstancescoming under my personal observation, furnishes the means of layingbefore the public an account of that action from a new point of view.
In bearing testimony to the kind and humane treatment of the prisonersof war at Fort Warren, I perform a most grateful duty. It was my goodfortune to be captured and held a prisoner, before the "retaliatory"measures were adopted by the United States Government.
I have contributed some new, and, I hope, interesting facts about themanner in which blockade running was conducted.
I cannot do better than furnish the following extract from a literaryfriend's letter to me in reference to this effort of mine. "I amparticularly glad, believing as I do, that such a volume will help tothe production of that state of mind, North and South, which every goodman wishes to see grow. It is only necessary that we shall all fall intothe habit of talking and writing about war matters without feeling; thatwe shall forget the bitterness of the conflict in our interest in itshistory; and if you or I can amuse Northern readers, or entertain themwith our recollections, we shall[Pg 7] certainly leave them in a pleasanterand better state of mind than we found them in."
I should be happy to believe that I had contributed, in ever so small adegree, to this consummation so devoutly to be wished for. But I wouldmake no sacrifice of principle nor of interest to achieve this end.
While accepting the situation consequent upon the unsuccessful appeal toarms, the Southern people do not stultify themselves by professing torenounce their conviction of their right and duty in having responded toth