 On May 12, 1862, the planter was docked in Charleston, carrying a load of four cannon that were intended to add to the city's defense. When, in the evening, the officers left the ship, Smalls and the crew took the boat, met with their families at a pre-arranged spot in the harbor, and fled to the Union blockade. This was no simple feat. Had they been caught, they would all certainly have been executed.