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Gray Phantoms of the Cape Fear : Running the Civil War Blockade
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About Gray Phantoms Of The Cape Fear : Running The Civil
Product Description After the elimination of Charleston in 1863 as a viable entry port for running the blockade, Wilmington became the major source of external supply for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The story of blockade running on the Cape Fear River was one of the most important factors determining the fate of the South. Here author Dawson Carr takes a comprehensive look at the men, their ships, their cargoes, and their voyages. Photos, maps. From the Back Cover In mid-1863, the small city of Wilmington, North Carolina, found itself facing a difficult task: it had to supply Robert E. Lee's army if the South was to continue the Civil War. Guns, ammunition, clothing, and food had to be brought into the Confederacy from Europe, and Wilmington was the last open port. Knowing this, the Union amassed a formidable blockading force off storied Cape Fear. What followed was a contest unique in the annals of warfare. The blockade runners went unarmed, lest their crews be tried as pirates if captured. Neither did the Union fleet wish to sink the runners, as rich prizes were the reward for captured cargoes. The battle was thus one of wits and stealth more than blood and glory. As the Union naval presence grew stronger, the new breed of blockade runners got faster, quieter, lower to the water, and altogether more ghostly_and their crews more daring and resourceful. Today, the remains of nearly three dozen runners lie beneath the waters of Cape Fear, their exact whereabouts known to only a few fishermen and boaters. Built for a special mission at a brief moment in time, they faded into history after the war. There had never been ships like the blockade runners, and their kind will never be seen again. Gray Phantoms of the Cape Fear tells the story of their captains, their crews, their cargoes, their opponents, and their many unbelievable escapes. About the Author Dawson Carr grew up in Stedman, North Carolina, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retired from his positions as instructor and associate dean at Sandhills Community College, he is the author of The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Sentinel of the Shoals. He lives at Seven Lakes in West End, North Carolina.
