I learn from official reports that after Captain Roe of the U.S.S. _Sassacus_ had practically destroyed the _Wild Dayrell_ by gun fire he stood out to sea and regained his position in the outer line of cruisers, known as the Bermuda line or track, and that at daylight of the 4th of February, 1864, he discovered a blockade runner to the northward, which proved to be the fine new iron steamer _Nutfield_ of 750 tons (unusually large size), from Bermuda bound for Wilmington. The _Sassacus_, being the faster ship, increased her speed to thirteen knots, and at noon succeeded in getting in range of the _Nutfield_ with her 100-pounder rifle guns, which did such execution that the hard pressed _Nutfield_ changed her course, heading for the land, and ran ashore at New River Inlet. The _Nutfield's_ crew set her on fire and fled precipitately in their boats for the beach. One of the _Nutfield's_ boats capsized in the surf and the Federals tried to rescue the crew but only succeeded in saving the purser, the others being supposedly drowned. Efforts were made by the _Sassacus_ for two days to haul off the _Nutfield_, which was a very valuable prize, being loaded with an assorted cargo of merchandise, drugs, munitions of war, Enfield rifles, a battery of eight very valuable Whitworth guns, and a quantity of pig lead; the battery and the lead were thrown overboard during the chase. The _Nutfield_ had escaped from the blockading fleet at New Inlet the night before and was off New River intending to try the Cape Fear the following night, but most unfortunately fell in with the _Sassacus_, a fast cruiser, during the day. A large part of her valuable cargo was taken out of her by the Federals. The "Banshee's" Narrow Escape.[2] Mr. Thomas E. Taylor was agent for the blockade runner _Banshee_, and I quote his narrative: "One very dark night (I think it was either on the fourth or fifth trip) we made the land about twelve miles above Fort Fisher, and were creeping quietly down as usual, when all at once we made a cruiser out, lying on our port bow, and slowly moving about 200 yards from the shore. It was a question of going inside or outside her; if we went outside she was certain to see us, and would chase us into the very jaws of the fleet. As we had very little steam up we chose the former alternative, hoping to pass unobserved between the cruiser and the shore, aided by the dark background of the latter. It was an exciting moment; we got almost abreast of her, as we thought, unobserved, and success seemed within our grasp, till we saw her move in toward us and heard her hail as we came on, 'Stop that steamer or I will sink you!'