New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-31
A Naval "Reminiscences

was gaining glory before Tripoli, alike for him
self, his officers and crews, and for his country,
Lieutenant Commandant Richard Somers had
command under him ofthe Nautilus, q schooner
of IA guns
During the several fights which had previous4
~ occurred with the enemy, this officer had
shown great bravery as commander Of gun-boat
No. /; and now suggested to the commodore
snat happy result might possibly be obtained
oy converting the keteh Intrepid, q captured
craft OF about rs tons.the identical vessel with
Hhlch the gallant Decatur had boarded, RECAP
tured and burned the frigate tePhiladelphia-into
hre-ship and sending her into the harbor
under the walls Of the Bashaw's castle, in direct
contact with the entire marine force of the
Tripolitan.
This daring and highly dangerous enterprise
being determined upon, somers, with whom it
had originated, received the orders, to which he
was thus entitled, to conduct it; and the neces-
sary preparations were promptly made by him
Fifteen thousand pounds Of powder were first
placed, loosely, in the hold of the keteh, and
upon this two hundred and fifty thirteen-inch,
fused, shells with a train attached from the
cabin and forepeak. Only one officer, the ta-
Tented and lamented Lieut.. Henry WadsWorth,
brother Of the present Com. Wadsworth, was to
accompany him, and four volunteer seamen we're
to compose his crew. gs#s4 E -
All things we're now in readiness, except the
selection OF the men, for it came to this at last,
every man on board the Nautilus having volun-
teered for the service. This done, it was deter
| mined, without delay, to attemptthe enterprise
| to succeed in it, or perish. 4sg
| Two nights successfully did the Intrepid
move; but owing to the light and battling winds
nothing could be accomplished. Those failures,
| and an unusual movement in the harbor after
dark, on the third night, led Somers to believe
| that the suspicious of the enemy had been ex-
cited, and they we're on the lookout It was the
general impression that their powder was
nearly exhausted, and as 30 large quantity as
\ was on board the ketch If captured. would
greatly tend TO protract the contest, before set
ting off he addressed his crew upon the subject,
telling them that no man need accompany him
who had not come to the resolution to blow
himself up, rather than be captured; and that
such was fully his own determination! Three
cheers was the only reply. The gallant crew
rose as single man, with the resolution of
yielding up their lives, sooner than surrender
to their enemies, while each stepped forward,
and begged as favor, that he might be per-
mitted to apply the match. 1t was a glorious
moment and made an impression on the hearts
of all witnessing it, never to be forgotten.
All then took leave of every officer, and of
ever man, in the most cheerful manner, with q
shake Of the hand, as il they knew their fate
was doomed; and one and another, as they
passed over the side to their post on board the
ketch, might be heard. in their own peculiar
manner, to cry out, s' say, Sam Jones / leave
| You my blue jacket and duck trowsers, slowed
away in my bag;n and s. Bill Curtis, you
may have the tarpaulin hat, and Guernsey
frock, and them ipetticoat trowsers, got in
Malta-and mind, boys, when you go home,
give q good account of us!" In like manner
did each thus make his oral will, to which the
writer was witness, and which ss last will, and
testament he caused to be executed to the very
letter. I
1t was about nine o'clock on the night of the
fifth Of September, 1904, that this third and
| last attempt was made. The Nautilus had been
ordered to follow the Intrepid closely in, to pick
, up and bring out her boats crew in case they
should succeed in the exploit. Hence, though
it was very dark, we never lost sight of her, as
| I had been directed by the first Lieutenant
] the late gallant Washington Reed-who COM
Inanded in the absence of Somers, to keep con-
: stant watch of her for this purpose, with
| night glass.
pl Az the end of an hour, about 10 o'clock p NJ
while was engaged in this duty, the awful ex-
plosion took place For moment the flash
illumined the whole heavens around, while the
terrible conclusion shook every thing far and
4 near. Then all was hushed again, and every
object veiled in a darkness Of double gloom. On
: board the Nautilus, the silence of death seemed
to peryade the entire crew, but quickly the din
d of kettledrums beating to arms, with the noise
if of confusion and alarm, was heard from the in
d habltants on shore. To aid in the escape of the
n boat, an order was given by Reed T" to show q
y light upon the appearance of which, hun
is dreds OF shot, from an equal number of guns of
heavy calibre, from the batteries near, came
It rafting over and around u.s. But we needed
y them not. One feeling alone had possession of
h cur souls--the preservation of Somers and his
is crew.
el As moment after moment passed by, without
Of bringing with it the preconcerted signal from
the boat, the anxiety on board became intense
ID end the men with lighted lanterns, hung them
selves the sides of the vessel till their heads
ID almost touched the Water-a position in which
Id an object its surface be seen farthest In
I'D q dark night: with the hope of discovering
,k something which would give assurance Of its
safety. Still no boat came, and no signal wal
e, given; and the unwelcome conclusion at las
n was forced upon us that the fearful alternative
| of blowing themselves up rather than be cap
tured, SO bravely determined upon, at the outss
l of the enterprise, had been as bravely put i
execution The fact that the Intrepid, at th
ne time of the explosion, had not proceeded as ia
Ter into the harbor, by several hundred yards as
was the intention of Somers to carry her, befor
od setting her on fire, confirmed us in this appre
ay hension still, fingered on the spot till broa
be daylight, though we fingered in vain, in tn
hope that some one, at least, Of the number
he might yet be rescued by us from fioati plan
Ter or spar, tell the tale of his companions fat
nv To our establishment, we learned the nes
of day that Lieut.. Israel, gallant youth who ha
ids been sent with orders from Commodore Prebl
or- to Somers after he was under way in the ketcl
had accompanied him in the expedition, and ha
in shared his destiny rs a5 gss a#sgs
1ld Such was the, end of the noble fellows wi
He only few days before, on board their own gul
ppe boat No l. had beaten six of the enemy's hee
ld- Of equal force with themselves Immediate
vas under the guns, and within pistol shot of
shore battery; an achievement accomplisht
vas only in their peculiar position, by .backir
? :" astern, and keeping up an inoessant fire of ca
put vas bags, filed with one hundred musket bal
He each, till our gallant Commodore, in the Coz
we stitution, stood to take the fire of the batter
and thus enable us, under his cover, to obey i
we order 'sto come out Of action;'' signal whit
ere had already been flying more than an heu
sily and which Somers at first would not. and
red last (from the herceness of the fght) could n
i as see.
en- HUNTING HYENAs IN AFRIcA.-The ruins
the ancient city of Sufetula, amid which
was says recent traveller, one might almost fan
md himself wandering through the majestic, tim
ind worn palaces of Baalback,', are beautifully
an. tuated on an eminence, in the southern part
ster Tunis, in Africa, and abound in holes, caver
sty and clefts, were hyenas resort for sheltt
These subterranean, abodes of this fierce bea
mi ora franeraiiV rorrov NOT to admir- II