Perfidy among the blockade Runners.
--"Dixie,"the
Richmond correspondent of the
Atlanta Appeal, writes:
‘
The loss of the
Venus a week ago at the month of
Cape Fear river, was a severe blow to the
Quartermaster General, and the casualty was the more lamentable because it was the result of treachery.
I have seen and conversed with a gentleman who came passenger on the
Venus, and he me that the vessel had nearly got through the blockading squadron without discovery, and in five minutes more would have been safely out of range of the enemy's guns, when some traitor among the crew rang the steamer's bell, thus giving the
Yankees the alarm, and indicating in the darkness the exact direction in which they should open fire.--This they did with such fatal accuracy that three men on the deck of the
Venus were killed by the first shot.
Two other shots successively struck the vessel.
At the moment of firing signals were made to all the other ships of the fleet, several of which moved rapidly across the mouth of the river to interrupt the
Venus, and nothing was left the captain but to run her upon the beach.
The vespid had no sooner struck than she was surrounded by the launches of the blockaders, and the passengers and crew were descending one side of the ship as the
Yankees were swarming over the other.
Twenty-two only made their escape.
Twenty-eight were taken prisoners by the enemy.
The fate of the
Venus should be a warning to the captains of Government vessels to be exceedingly careful in the selection of their crews, especially in shipping men in
Bermuda and
Nassau.
The
Yankees, well enough convinced by this time that they cannot effectually close the port of
Wilmington by their blockade, are resorting to strategy to compass the capture of our steamers.
Bermuda and
Nassau are overrun with the agents of
Seward, and these men will lose no opportunity of getting their hirelings on board Confederate vessels, agreeing to pay them enormous sums to betray the ship on which they take service into the hands of the blockaders.
’
