Thomas Leslie Outerbridge
Thomas Leslie Outerbridge (died 5 September 1927) was a notable Bermudian, who participated in the American Civil War as a sailor aboard blockade runner ships from Bermuda. Involvement in the American Civil War During the War, the Union imposed a blockade on the Confederacy, which was then an important trade partner with European countries, particularly England. Harbours such as Bermuda's St. George harbour and Nassau in the Bahamas became important bases for blockade running missions. Such missions became exceedingly dangerous; blockade runners were paid far greater sums than ordinary sailors. Outerbridge and his brother both took this opportunity. On one occasion, Outerbridge was serving aboard the steamboat Robert E. Lee. Departing from Wilmington at about 9 p.m. (at high tide, which is when the large ship could get over Wilmington's sandbar), the Robert E. Lee joined a small fleet of blockade runners which was soon attacked by two Man-of-War ships, flanking the fleet on either side. The Man-of-Wars immediately attacked with heavy cannons, destroying a winch and severely wounding a number of foreign sailors. One of them approached the Robert E. Lee close enough for small arms fire, though there were no casualties. While the captain, Wilkinson, studiously ignored the