Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-24

Alden. adicu! my native shore
Fades DER the wa,els blue
The night winds sigh, the breakers roar
And slrieks tho wihl sea new
You sun that sets upon the sea 'FfT
We follow in his flight tH
Farewell awhile to him.. and thee
My native laud-good night?
On the 2Sthof january, the Palmcttoe$
embarked from Mobile for AN unknown
destination. Maj GLADDEN., with three
companies ca'harxett on the snip, hifegslie
on the 10Th of January; on the 2Sth Lieut..
Col. -Dickenson with three companies en-
barkcd on the ship Oregon, and on the same
evening Col Butler and the remaining four
companies embarked on the old Alhambra.
The Oregon and Alhambra laid that night
i'll Mobile Bay. Early OH the morning OF
the 10Th under bright sky, and stiff.
trcshening breeze, we weighed anchor, un-
furled our sails, and soon were far out on
the stormy bosom of the Gulf of Mexico.
will not attempt to describe the swell
ing emotions OF our hearts as we stood with
steadfaSt eyes, gazing on the faint, blue
crest OF our native land rs it faded into in
dlstinctcss, and finally sank beneath the
watcry horizon. We were now out Oh the
widc and stormy Gulf; beneath us ONLY
the blue wavcs-aboye us only the blue
skies, and around us waste of waters,
the sun went down in a bed of crimson
glory, the stars came ont from the quiet
sky, we babe our native land "good night"
and retired TO cur first sleep upon the bo-
som of the deep, if the througimg, fond
memories of home, and friends and native
land, and the strange, wild, forcboding Wis
ions of the future permitted MS to sleep.
We were going, we knew not where
We bad embarked under sealed orders,
which were not to be opened until we were
out at sea. When opened we were Informed
thnt Vera Cruz was our destination, and
we knew that in a few days we would have
stern work to do.
We started with the old Alhambra as
our companion, but the greater speed of
the Oregon in few hours left the slow.
lumbe ing old Alhanbra, lost in the dis
tlncc. The sun of the second lay rose
clear and bright, and with favoring breeze
we sped gaily on. We passed the mouth
OF the Mississippi, which freshens the gulf
for hundred miles with its turbid waters.
1t will not nnngle with the waters of the
gulf. AT the distance of sixty miles from
its mouth, could have put my finger on
the line of d&tinctness end separation be-
tween the salt blue of the gulf water. and
the muddy green of the Mississippi. All
waswell, until the evening of the third day,
When q terrific northor came upon MS with
IN suddcnness which almost snapped the
masts, and cRpsized the vessel. Through
the speaking trumpet the captain gave his
quick, prompt, telegraphic commands, the
eailcfs merrily'eliinbe the tsasts, and will.
every rag of sailtaken down, under bare
poles, the chip was prepared to ride out the
fury of the storm a chilling rain drove
,ls below deck, where in darkness, and
gloom and terror, amid noise and confusion,
indescriboblc, ina sickening, fetid, loath-l
some, pcnt up air, we passed night of
suffering, Whose horrors no language can
portray. All of IT'S were suffering the first
throes and qualms of sea sickness, whose
hearings responded to the heaying waves.
The bowling winds kept 81 music to that
night of horrors Our stomaoIis were
churned TO gall, our heads almost bursting
with seaesick agony, as we tossed, and
tuEned that night upon oar hard beds, WOO.
inga sleep which came not, as bricfre-
spite tooursuforings phe morning came.
mtit brought little mitigation of onrfsuf-
ferings The mountain waves, still dashed
with terrible fury against our ship, she
tossed,and heaycd and pitched while every
Observation-Disclosures with the shocks.
and the waves dashed over her PROV, and
swept down her docks Ii was a f,.arft,,
aid an awful scene, We could NOT siond
etdeck without imminent danger, oe beine
thrown overheard, antllthe few Who travel
it,wore seen lsuggiug tho masts, and cling
iilg on to The ropes, tosayc them from be-
i'g dashed to death against the vessels
SIDES, orthrown over into tue CALF An