The Life of JAMES MAGLENN
Captain James Maglenn was one of the Ad-Vance’s most colorful officers. Maglenn was an engineer operating a locomotive on the North Carolina Railroad out of Goldsboro when he was chosen for a berth on the Ad-Vance. Joining the crew in early 1863, Maglenn initially served as assistant to Captain George Morrison, the ship’s Chief Engineer a the time and later was himself, the ship’s engineer.
Here, in a letter written by Captain James Maglenn, C.S.A. in October 1908 to Judge Walter Clark (later Chief Justice of the North Carolina State Supreme Court), James tells his story of the Ad-Vance and her adventures.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: the Ad-Vance was the only such vessel purchased and operated by a Confederate state, other blockade runners were, in fact, privateers, both southern and foreign).
A former U.S. Navy officer, Captain Thomas M. Crossan (later to command the Ad-Vance), and a Mr. Hughes of New Bern, subsequently went to England in search of a vessel that could out run and out maneuver the Yankee ships blockading Wilmington. In England, with a Mr. John White, North Carolina’s agent in England at the time, they purchased the side-wheeler “Lord Clyde” which was then in passenger and freight service between Glasgow and Dublin. Her name was changed to Advance (or Ad-vance in honor of Governor Vance).
The Ad-Vance made her first run through the blockade in the spring of 1863. Governor Vance, informed of her arrival at Wilmington, went to Wilmington the next day, a Sunday, to see the ship first-hand.
At Wilmington, the Governor saw a first class vessel with powerful steam engines, clean lines and good fittings. The Ad-Vance averaged 17 knots and could easily do 20 knots without difficulty. Her only weakness was her size. She was large and had a rather deep draught, thereby making it extremely difficult for her to cross the shoals and impossible for her to navigate the Cape Fear River with a full cargo. The Ad-Vance, commanded by Mr. Crossman, was captained by a Scotsman, Captain Willie (Wylie) and the crew was made up of dedicated southerners, veterans of the Royal Navy, and ‘pack rats’ picked up in various ports. For risking their lives the crew usually received $100 monthly in gold and a $50 bounty (bonus) per trip (about once every seven days).
The Ad-Vance became one of the best known of the blockade runners and was one of only a handful of such vessels to survive the war. Her adventures have become part of North Carolina lore and her officers and men basked until the end of their days in her reflected glory.
TEXT OF LETTER BY CAPTAIN MAGLENN
I joined the ship on her first arrival in Wilmington and was with her until captured in September, 1864, with the exception of one trip made from Wilmington to Nassau and return, serving in different capacity–first trip as second assistant engineer, second trip as first assistant engineer, then as chief engineer, making several trips to Liverpool (England) for repairs, returning to Bermuda in June, 1864, thence to Wilmington.
Some of her trips were very exciting and hazardous. On one occasion there were four steamers leaving St. George, Bermuda, including the Advance for Wilmington. Two of these arrived in Wilmington to put back to Bermuda badly disabled. The other was lost in the gale on this occasion. I was limited to 12 revolutions per minute for 36 hours during the severest part of the gale, which was just enough for the ship to mind the helm being headed into the gale all the time and water increasing in the hold to such an extent that it got within six inches of the grate bars.
I thought our time had come and therefore informed Captain Wiley how matters were in the engine and fire room and that we could not hold this out much longer. I therefore suggested to him the importance of turning the ship around and running with the wind to enable us to get the water out faster. He remonstrated by saying to attempt such a thing on a night such as this would be certain destruction to the ship and all on board, but to do the best I could until morning and when the worst comes he might attempt it in the daylight. But I felt confident that we would have a change for the better by morning as the barometer had commenced to rise and was going up rapidly. It was the first time it had moved in that direction in two days.
Strange to say by 8 o’clock the next morning it was perfectly calm but a tremendous sea rolling knocked us about considerably. On arrival at Wilmington we made some improvements which were actually necessary to make her seaworthy in anything like heavy weather.
Again coming from St. George, Bermuda, we expected to make Baldhead Light about 12 o’clock at night...A light was seen ahead about the time but it proved to be Cape Lookout...When this was throughly understood, a consultation was held as to what was best to do.
It was decided that we should try to get back to New Inlet. Failing to get in there, she was to run on the beach as we did not have coal enough on board to get back to Bermuda. We left Cape Lookout about 2 o’clock on a beautiful summer morning all excitement and with the ship working at full speed close to the land, determined to go in on the beach. It being a little hazy along the land was something in our favor.
We did not see any of the (Yankee) fleet until we passed Wrightsville where we sighted Fort Fisher. As we approached the Fort the gunboats made for us firing shot which fell short. We were approaching them very rapidly and on account of a point of shoal we had to turn to make the channel inlet.
By this time their shots would go over us and had it not been for the Withworth guns at Fort Fisher, which stopped the nearer approach of the fleet we certainly would have been disabled and forced to run on the beach to save ourselves. As it was we sailed by the fort to an anchorage of safety with the Stars and Bars flying at our mast heads. This was running the blockade under difficulties and in broad daylight which was another of her narrow escapes.
We left Wilmington, September 9, 1864, with a full cargo of principally cotton bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia and anchored at New Inlet near Fort Fisher and in full sight of the Federal fleet of 20 or 30 vessels who of course understood our design and would be on the lookout for us that night.
Although the night was not altogether favorable we started as soon as the tide would permit. Of course smoke sparks and flame from the stack had to be kept down. This was very difficult to do as our last shovel full of good coal was used shortly after crossing the bar and in plain sight of some of the fleet.
Those who could see us threw rockets indicating the direction we were going, then the dodging on our part and the frequent changing of the ship’s course to keep from running into them.
The excitement at this time was very great yet all were as quite as a grave on board and every man was at his post doing his duty faithfully. The rocket firing and shouting was very great and nothing but good management on the part of our officers could have pulled us safely through the fleet that night.
At sunrise there was nothing in sight yet our black smoke was giving us away and some of the fleet was following it. About 8 o’clock a vessel was discovered following us and gaining. Everything possible was done to increase our speed but the steaming qualities of the coal was against us. We were using Egypt coal which was very inferior, in fact nothing but slate or the droppings of the mine. Our good coal at Wilmington was taken for the use of the Confederate cruisers which accounts for our capture. We were in hopes of evading the pursuing steamer in the darkness of the night but in our present conditions she was too fast for us and was able to throw some shot over us sometime before sundown which caused us to stop the ship and surrender.
From the stopping of the ship to the boarding of the U.S. officers some time had elapsed causing an accumulation of steam which was blowing off very freely. The Federal engineer corps officer seeing the condition of affairs asked me to have my men haul the fires and arrange to supply the boilers with water. I told him I had nothing more to do with the ship and considered him in charge. He then asked me if my assistant engineer would go down and attend to it. I pointed them out to him, saying they would answer for themselves. On their refusal the lieutenant ordered us on the bridge on top of the boiler saying, “If she does blow up, I will send you all to eternity.”
Imagine us sitting on top of the boilers waiting for the explosion. However, we knew that there was no immediate danger if they would succeed in getting the pumps to work, which they did in a short time and we were relieved from our dangerous position and were sent on board the Santiago De Cuba which captured us. All were examined as to their nationality. Many North Carolinians and Virginians on board claimed British protection. In fact, all on board except two–one from Connecticut and one from Virginia–all claimed British protection and all pronounced the letter “o” in home very broad.
Mr. Carter, our purser, was the only one on board who was sworn and this was on account of the clothing he wore, it being a suit of North Carolina homespun. The Yankee captain looked at him from head to foot and vice-versa, saying he was the first Englishman he ever saw with a suit of clothes of that kind. Therefore, the Bible was produced, Mr. Carter swearing he was British from Birken Head.
We arrived in Norfolk Sunday afternoon and had the privilege of freedom of the city, that is, inside the Provost Marshall’s limit. We, however, wanted to go “ ‘home” and had to appeal to the British consul at Norfolk. We had some trouble at first but the consul finally took our case to heart and wrote to Lord Lyons stating the way Her Majesty’s subjects were treated. This did the work for us and we were permitted to find our way home as best we could without interruption. This is the last I saw of the “Ad-Vance” but I understand she was altered to a gunboat and named the “Frolic” and has been seen in Wilmington waters several times since.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: Both, Ad-Vance Assistant Chief Engineer James Maglenn and State Supreme Chief Justice Judge Walter Clark are interred in Historic Oakwood Cemetery.
James Maglenn is buried in the Maglenn family estate property at Historic Oakwood Cemetery’s, Anderson Section, Division “G”.