ng. It was, indeed, impossible to do so; the result
to the very close of the war proves this assertion; for in spite of the
vigilance of the fleet, many blockade-runners were afloat when Fort
Fisher was captured. In truth the passage through the fleet was little
dreaded; for although the blockade-runner might receive a shot or two,
she was rarely disabled; and in proportion to the increase of the fleet,
the greater would be the danger (we knew,) of their firing into each
other. As the boys before the deluge used to say, they would be very apt
"to miss the cow and kill the calf." The chief danger was upon the open
sea; many of the light cruisers having great speed. As soon as one of
them discovered a blockade-runner during daylight she would attract
other cruisers in the vicinity by sending up a dense column of smoke,
visible for many miles in clear weather. A "cordon" of fast steamers
stationed ten or fifteen miles apart _inside the Gulf Stream_, and in
the course from Nassau and Bermuda to Wilmington and Charleston, would
have been more effectual in stopping blockade-running than the whole
United States Navy concentrated off those ports; and it was
unaccountable to us why such a plan did not occur to good Mr. Welles;
but it was not our place to suggest it. I have no doubt, however, that
the fraternity to which I then belonged would have unanimously voted
thanks and a service of plate to the Hon. Secretary of the United States
Navy for this oversight. I say _inside the Gulf Stream_, because every
experienced captain of a blockade-runner made a point to cross "the
stream" early enough in the afternoon, if possible, to establish the
ship's position by chronometer so as to escape the influence of that
current upon his dead reckoning. The lead always gave indication of our
distance from the land, but not, of course, of our position; and the
numerous salt works along the coast, where evaporation was produced by
fire, and which were at work night and day were visible long before the
low coast could be seen. Occasionally the whole inward voyage would be
made under adverse conditions. Cloudy, thick weather and heavy gales
would prevail so as to prevent any solar or lunar observations, and
reduce the dead reckoning to mere guess work. In these cases the
nautical knowledge and judgment of the captain would be taxed to the
utmost. The current of the Gulf Stream varies in velocity and (within
certain limits) in direction; and the str