On The Blockade by Oliver Optic (readera ebook reader .TXT) 📗

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY—AFLOAT Two colors cloth   Emblematic Dies   Illustrated
Price per volume $1.50 TAKEN BY THE ENEMY
WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES
ON THE BLOCKADE
STAND BY THE UNION
FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT
A VICTORIOUS UNION THE BLUE AND THE GRAY—ON LAND Two colors cloth   Emblematic Dies   Illustrated
Price per volume $1.50 BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER
IN THE SADDLE
A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN
ON THE STAFF
AT THE FRONT
AN UNDIVIDED UNION *   *   *   Any Volume Sold Separately   *   *   * LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS BOSTON

The Blue and the Gray Series ON THE BLOCKADE BY OLIVER OPTIC AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD" "THE
GREAT WESTERN SERIES" "THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE STARRY
FLAG SERIES" "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES" "THE ONWARD
AND UPWARD SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES"
"THE LAKE SHORE SERIES" "THE RIVERDALE
STORIES" "THE BOAT-BUILDER SERIES"
"TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY"
"WITHIN THE ENEMY'S
LINES" ETC. BOSTON LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1890, by Lee and Shepard All rights reserved. On the Blockade. TO MY SON-IN-LAW, SOL SMITH RUSSELL, of the united states of america,
though residing in minneapolis, minnesota,
who is always
"On the Blockade" against Melancholy, "The Blues,"
and all similar maladies, This Volume is affectionately dedicated. 7 PREFACE

"On the Blockade" is the third of "The Blue and the Gray Series." Like the first and second volumes, its incidents are dated back to the War of the Rebellion, and located in the midst of its most stirring scenes on the Southern coast, where the naval operations of the United States contributed their full share to the final result.

The writer begs to remind his readers again that he has not felt called upon to invest his story with the dignity of history, or in all cases to mingle fiction with actual historic occurrences. He believes that all the scenes of the story are not only possible, but probable, and that just such events as he has narrated really and frequently occurred in the days of the Rebellion.

The historian is forbidden to make his work more palatable or more interesting by the intermixture of fiction with fact, while the story-writer, though required to be reasonably consistent with the spirit 8 and the truth of history, may wander from veritable details, and use his imagination in the creation of incidents upon which the grand result is reached. It would not be allowable to make the Rebellion a success, if the writer so desired, even on the pages of romance; and it would not be fair or just to ignore the bravery, the self-sacrifice, and the heroic endurance of the Southern people in a cause they believed to be holy and patriotic, as almost universally admitted at the present time, any more than it would be to lose sight of the magnificent spirit, the heroism, the courage, and the persistence, of the Northern people in accomplishing what they believed then, and still believe, was a holy and patriotic duty in the preservation of the Union.

Incidents not inconsistent with the final result, or with the spirit of the people on either side in the great conflict are of comparatively little consequence. That General Lee or General Grant turned this or that corner in reaching Appomattox may be important, but the grand historical tableau is the Christian hero, noble in the midst of defeat, disaster, and ruin, formally rendering his sword to the impassible but magnanimous conqueror 9 as the crowning event of a long and bloody war. The details are historically important, though overshadowed by the mighty result of the great conflict.

Many of the personages of the preceding volumes have been introduced in the present one, and the central figure remains the same. The writer is willing to admit that his hero is an ideal character, though his lofty tone and patriotic spirit were fully paralleled by veritable individuals during the war; and he is not prepared to apologize for the abundant success which attended the career of Christy Passford. Those who really struggled as earnestly and faithfully deserved his good fortune, though they did not always obtain it.

Dorchester, Mass., April 24, 1890.

Mulgrum and the engineer (Page 75)

11 CONTENTS page CHAPTER I. The United States Steamer Bronx 15 CHAPTER II. A Dinner for the Confederacy 26 CHAPTER III. The Intruder at the Cabin Door 37 CHAPTER IV. A Deaf and Dumb Mystery 48 CHAPTER V. A Confidential Steward 59 CHAPTER VI. A Mission up the Foremast 70 CHAPTER VII. An Interview on the Bridge 81 CHAPTER VIII. Important Information, if True 92 CHAPTER IX. 12 A Volunteer Captain's Clerk 103 CHAPTER X. The Unexpected Orders 114 CHAPTER XI. Another Reading of the Sealed Orders 125 CHAPTER XII. A Sail on the Starboard Bow 136 CHAPTER XIII. The Steamer in the Fog 147 CHAPTER XIV. The Confederate Steamer Scotian 158 CHAPTER XV. The Scotian becomes the Ocklockonee 169 CHAPTER XVI. Captain Passford's Final Orders 180 CHAPTER XVII. A Couple of Astonished Conspirators 191 CHAPTER XVIII. A Triangular Action with Great Guns 202 CHAPTER XIX. 13 On the Deck of the Arran 213 CHAPTER XX. The New Commander of the Bronx 224 CHAPTER XXI. An Expedition in the Gulf 235 CHAPTER XXII. A Night Expedition in the Boats 246 CHAPTER XXIII. The Visit to a Shore Battery 257 CHAPTER XXIV. Captain Lonley of the Steamer Havana 268 CHAPTER XXV. The New Engineer of the Prize Steamer 279 CHAPTER XXVI. The Battle with the Soldiers 290 CHAPTER XXVII. The Innocent Captain of the Garrison 301 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Bearer of Despatches 312 CHAPTER XXIX. 14 The New Commander of the Vixen 323 CHAPTER XXX. The Action with a Privateer Steamer 334 CHAPTER XXXI. A Short Visit to Bonnydale 345 15 ON THE BLOCKADE CHAPTER I THE UNITED STATES STEAMER BRONX

"She is a fine little steamer, father, without the possibility of a doubt," said Lieutenant Passford, who was seated at the table with his father in the captain's cabin on board of the Bronx. "I don't feel quite at home here, and I don't quite like the idea of being taken out of the Bellevite."

"You are not going to sea for the fun of it, my son," replied Captain Passford. "You are not setting out on a yachting excursion, but on the most serious business in the world."

"I know and feel all that, father, but I have spent so many pleasant days, hours, weeks, and months on board of the Bellevite, that I am very sorry to leave her," added Christy Passford, who had put on his new uniform, which was that of 16 master in the United States Navy; and he was as becoming to the uniform as the uniform was to him.

"You cannot well help having some regrets at leaving the Bellevite; but you must remember that your life on board of her was mostly in the capacity of a pleasure-seeker, though you made a good use of your time and of your opportunities for improvement; and that is the reason why you have made such remarkable progress in your present profession."

"I shall miss my friends on board of the Bellevite. I have sailed with all her officers, and Paul Vapoor and I have been cronies for years," continued Christy, with a shade of gloom on his bright face.

"You will probably see them occasionally, and if your life is spared you may again find yourself an officer of the Bellevite. But I think you have no occasion to indulge in any regrets," said Captain Passford, imparting a cheerful expression to his dignified countenance. "Allow me to call your attention to the fact that you are the commander of this fine little steamer. Here you are in your own cabin, and you are still nothing but a boy, hardly eighteen years old."

17 "If I have not earned my rank, it is not my fault that I have it," answered Christy, hardly knowing whether to be glad or sorry for his rapid advancement. "I have never asked for anything; I did not ask or expect to be promoted.