Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1857-11-19
Miscellaneous.
He went Down with Harness on.

N'UNNO"O0oOlOOoO0OoooNoo Nooo~OD~O-0NONN~OOOO~
He went Down with Harness on.
We find in the National Intelligencer,
letter to the Secretary of the Navy,
written by Lieut.. Maury, giving in detail
the order of events connected with the
loss of the steamer ''Central America ,"
Lieut. Maury, who was brother-in-law
of the brave Herndon, In the introduc-
ton, says:
As tribute to his (Herndon's) memo
~, as material for history, as an heirloom
of the Navy, and legacy to his country,
desire to place on record IN the Depart
ment this simple writing and memorial of
him.
The letter gives the history of the dis
aster as CLEANED from the most authentic
sources, and is thrillingly beautiful. We
make one extract, which we know will
draw tears from eyes unused to weeping.
The letter says:
There were many touching incidents of
the most heroic personal devotion to duty
and to him during that dreadful storm
Even after the ship had gone down, and
her passengers were left IN the water
clinging by whatever they could lay hands
OH, offices of knightly courtesy were pass
ed among them.
As one of the last boats was about to
leave the ship, her commander gave his
watch to a passenger, with arequest that
ii Inissht be delivered 10 his wife. He
ssislletl v charge him with message fgr
her also, but his utterance was choked.-
4 ssI'ell her, Unable TO proceed, he
bent down his head and buried his face In
his hands for moment, as if in prayer,
for he was devout man and true Christ
IAN"
In that moment, brief as it was, he en-
dured the greatest agony. But 1t was
over now. His crowded thoughts, no
doubt, had been friends and home; Its de-
sOlation; beloved wife and lovely daugh-
ter dependent alone for support upon him.
God and his country would care for them
now. Honor and duty required him to
stick to his ship, and he saw she must GO
down.
Calm and collected, he rose up from
that short but mighty struggle with re.
, newed vigor, and went with encouraging
: looks about the duties of the ship as be-
fore. He ordered the hurricane-deck tc
be cut away and RATS to be made. The
, life-preservers were also brought up and
distributed to all who would wear them
Night was setting In, and he directed
Frazer, the second officer, to take charge
of the arm-chest, and send up rocket
every half hour.
: Van Rensselaer,, his first officer, was
also by him. Herndon has spoken of him
to me In terms of esteem and admiration
and Van Rensaleer proved himself wor-
! thy to the last of such Concentrations
Side by side these two stood at their post
and perished together with their harness
on.
After the boat which bore Mr.. Payne
= to whom Herndon entrusted his watch
f had showed off, the captain went to nj:
state room and put on his uniform. The
!, gold band around his cap was concealed
0 by the oiI-sIlk covering which he usually
e wore over it. He took the covering OF
and threw it on his cabin -four. then walk.
t ING out he took his stand ON the wheel
Q house, holding on to the iron railing witt
! { his left hand. A rocket was set of the
Q shin fetched her last lurch, and as she
. went down he uncovered.
+ Acry arose from the sea, but not from
b his Iips. The waves had closed over hIm
i and the curtain of the night was drawn
3 over one of the most sublime moral spec
< tacles that the sea ever saw.
! Just before the steamer went down, ;
i row-boat was heard approaching. Herndol
I, hailed her. 1t was the boatswain's boat
4 rowed by hard hands and gentle heart
: returning on board from brig to rePor
q q her disabled condition. If she cam
as alongside she would be engulphed BY tn
:, sinking ship. Herndon ordered her t
! ! keep off. She did so, and was saved. Tn
re so far as 1 have been-able to learn, was hi
IN last order. Forgetful of self, mindful
: others, his life was beautiful to the last
a. and In his death he has added new glor
Y to the annals of the sea-
- - ta.T
en- Itdoes not appear certain that her com
:. mander was seen or heard, after she wei
Cd down, by any of those who survived th
mt wreck. Mr.. Childs, one of the passer
y y gers, thinks he conversed with hmm In tn
o water after midnight on Saturday, only
ds little while before he himself was pickle
= = I'D. But Herndon was small of staturr
of of delicate frame and constitution, and b
'se no means IN robust health. He was a
4. ready suffering from the incessans labC