Masters of the Shoals
Tales of the Cape Fear Pilots Who Ran the Union Blockade

Masters of the Shoals
Tales of the Cape Fear Pilots Who Ran the Union Blockade

Throughout Jim McNeil's book he presents many tales of pilots who fearlessly guided in to the port ships bringing in arms and other everyday goods to the south. He gives a detailed description of the river and the challenges it presented to both the blockade runners and the Union blockaders. He presents evidence of how the dual inlets provided a blessing to the Confederacy and a curse to the Union.
McNeil gives history's of the families of Federal Point, Smithville (present day Southport, NC) and Wilmington and how they played an integral role in shaping the trade of the pilotage in the Cape Fear region.
His accounts of pilots bringing in their charges presents tales fraught with danger, intrigue and excitement. He presents many stories of specific vessels and their missions as well as how many times each pilot ran the blockade and his successes and failures.

Jim McNeil

McNeil, Jim. Masters of the Shoals Tales of the Cape Fear Pilots Who Ran the Union Blockade. Cambridge, MA: De Capo Press., 2003

Swing, Matt