Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-11-28
WEEKLY 5cdRNAL.
ze went down with the Harness ON.

Ae went down with the Harness ON.
We find, in the National Lntelyigen-
ecer, . letter to the Secretary Of the
Navy, written by Lieut.. Maury, giving
in detail the order Of events connected
with the loss Of the 'sCentral America. :"
Lieut.. Maury, who was o brother-in-
law Of the brave Herndon, in the intro
daction says:
Gas tribute to his (Herndon's)
memory, as material for history, as an
heirloom of the Navy, and legacy to
his country, I desire to place on record
in the Department this simple writing
and memorial of him."
The letter gives the history Of the
disaster as CLEANED from the most au-
thentic sources, and is thriIlingly beau
tifal. 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 humanity 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 on, off:
.ees of knightly courtesy were passed
among them.
ssAs one Of the last boats was about
to leave the ship, her commander gave
.. his watch to q passenger with q request
that it might be delivered to his wife.
He wished to charge him with message
: for her, also, but his utterance was
+. choked. "Tell her -" Unable
!. to proceed, he bent down his head and
buried his face in his hands for mo-
ment, as if in prayer, for he was de-
vout man and true Christian.
SIN that moment, brief as twas, he
endured the greatest agony. But it
was over now. His crowding thoughts,
no doubt, had been of friends and
home; its desolation; a beloved wife
and lovely daughter dependent alone
for support upon him. God and his
country would care for them now.
Honor and duty required him to stick
by his ship, and he saw she must 60
down.
ssCalm and collected, he rose up
from that short but mighty struggle with
renewed vigor, and went with encour-
aging looks about the duties Of the ship
as, before. He ordered the hurricane
deck to be cut away, and RATS to be
made. The lfe-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.
evan Rensselaer,, his first officer,
was also by him. Herndon has spoken
of him to me in terms Of esteem and
admiration, and Van Rensselaer, proved
himself worthy to the last of such COM
mendations. Side by side, these two
stood at their. post, and perished to-
gether, with their harness on.
"After the boat which bore Mr..
Payne, to whom Herndon entrusted his
watch, had showed off, the captain went
to his state-room and put on his UNI
form. The gold band around his cap
was concealed by the oil-silk covering
which he usually wore overit. He took
the covering off and threw it on his
cabin floor; then walking out, he took
his stand on the wheel-house, holding
on to the iron railing with his left hand.
A rocket was set off the ship fetched
her last lurch, and as she went down he
uncovered.
"a cry arose from the sea, but not
from his lips. The waves had closed
over him, and the curtain of the night
was drawn over one of the most sublime
moral spectacles that the sea ever saw.
ssJust before the steamer went down,
. row-boat was heard approaching.
Herndon hailed her. It was the boat
swain's boat, rowed by ''hard hands
and . gentle heart, returning on board
from . brig to report her disabled con-
dition. IF she came alongside she
would be engulphed by the sinking ship.
Herndon ordered her to keep off. She
did so, and was saved. This, so far
as have been able to learn, was his
last order. Forgetful Of self, mindful
of others, his life was beautiful to the
last and in his death he has added q
new glory to the annals Of the sea.
*
SIT does not appear certain that her
commander was seen or heard, after
she went down, by any Of those who1
survived the wreck. Mr.. Childs, one
Of the passengers, thinks he conversed
witk him in the water after midnight
on Saturday, only little while before
he himself was picked mp. But Hern-
DON Was small Of stature, Of delicate
frame and CONSTITUTE N, aud by no
means in robust health. He was al
ready suffering from the incessant la
Dor and exposure of the last two days
and that long Friday night. His fa-
tigue must have been great, and when
the waves closed over his ship he was,
in all probability, too exhausted to
struggle with the rest in that pool of
drowning men for floats and life.
Everything that could be done by
the best sea-captain to save his ship was
done to save this one. Brave hearts,
and strong arms, and willing minds
wore on board There was no lack Of
skill on courage. Order and discipline
were preserved to the last, and she
went down under conduct that fills the
heart With sentiments of unutterable
admiration.
ssHmndon was in the 44th year of his
IA m. L -. =. T.od ns.s nlru b,sxne