The British steamer Nellie.
Capt. Thomas J. Moore, at the request of many friends, and in reply to inquiries, furnishes to the Charleston
Courier the following interesting statement of the case of the British steamer
Nellie:
The
Nellie was placed under my command early last January, and soon after called from this port for a port in the
Bahama Islands.
where she was told and transferred to a British subject, therein re-aiding and duty registered as a British ship under the
British flag, I still retaining the command — From that times I regularly traded, without even being over hated or spoken by any Yankee blockading vessel or cruiser up to the 26th May At 6 A. M. when up with the west and of Island, saw a spanish schooner which I took to be a coaster, but he soon introduced himself by opening on us with shot and shell from Long Tom. amidships.
I did not heave my ship to ascertain which undesired, but kept my ship steadily on her course, the schooner in full chase, and continuing her fire as fast as possible.
Soon came blockader, No. 2, opening on us with shot and shelf and from guns of heavy calibre, about three points on the port bow and one and a half miles distant, and
Blockader No. 3 two miles distant, broad on my port beam but holding his fire.
I continued to his my ship close along the breakers of
Long Island Beach, until up with Captor's Inlet, when the ship steam being within a miles and a half, distant, opened on me, and the one ahead, although within a mile distant, fire and headed immediately in for the point of breakers which I had to clear to save my ship.
This I saw impossible to be done, and decided at once to try and get into
Caper's insist or beach the ship.
Although the wind was blowing strong from the northeast, and breakers running high, I deemed it better to try to save my people among Clends, at the risk of drowning, than risk a Yankee prison.
The boats were lowered, therefore, to put the people on shore.
(and now comes a scene that all the civilized world should know, and more particularly the mariner, as he is taught that with his country's flag at half mast and union-down, he demands the constance of a brother mariner and the sympathies of an enemy, and particularly a defenceless ship in a defenceless position.) The three vessels now opened are on my ship, mostly with shell, until the boats were started on shore, when they drew their fire from the ship and directed it at the boats, trying to destroy those poor creatures while battling with the to save their lives.
Deeming it, my duty to try to prevent this, I hoisted the
British ensign, my national flag, half mast and union down, with my own hands, thinking it would appease their wrath, seeing my ship was in a defenceless condition.
But instead of that it seemed to increase their which, for the shell from the two largest ships came faster and with more precision, scoffingly determined to destroy all the defenceless souls on board that fated ship.
I walked after and hewed down that emblem which is dear to every sailor's bosom, disgusted with myself that I had ever hoisted it half mast or union down, but rather have taken the chances, as I had to do, of having all my people destroyed, than to have shown distress to so inhuman and detestable an enemy.--We all succeeded in getting on shore, however, without taking a dose of the
Yankee pills.
They followed up their shelling on the 26th and 27th to the tune of a boat one hundred and fifty per day, at the old ship and battery on the east end of San van's Island, with no other damage than the killing of one checked and wounding of two , one mortally, the other slightly; but they got better pay than that, for while attempting to land with five boats, on the eve of the 27th ult., the battery on the east end of Sud van's Island; under
Captain Haskell, opened fire on them putting a shot through one of their boats and killing or wounding two of their men, when they turned ship and made double-quick time back to their ships again.
