The common sailors--the scum of all foreign ports--who manned the blockade runners, received as high as one hundred dollars in gold per month, and a bounty of fifty dollars for every successful trip, which from Nassau could be easily made in seven days.
Other people were paid in proportion, and as the old proverb says, "What comes over the Devil's back is spent under his breast," the money so obtained was squandered recklessly, and all sorts of debauchery ran riot.
On the ground where we were standing had been erected several large steam cotton presses, built to compress cotton for the blockade runners.
Around them were stored immense quantities of cotton, and near by were nearly as great stores of turpentine, rosin and tar.

A little farther down the river was navy yard with docks, etc., for the accommodation, building and repair of blockade runners.

At the time our folks took Fort Fisher and advanced on Wilmington the docks were filled with vessels.
The retreating Rebels set fire to everything--cotton, cotton presses, turpentine, rosin, tar, navy yard, naval stores, timber, docks, and vessels, and the fire made clean work.

Our people arrived too late to save anything, and when we came in the smoke from the burned cotton, turpentine, etc., still filled the woods.

It was a signal illustration of the ravages of war.