Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-09-13
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE GAZETTE.
Letter from the Navy.
U. 8. FRIGATE MINNESOTA, !
Orr FORTRESS MONROE. (

Orr FORTRESS MONROE. I
The book, "The Refer of 76," you
sent would do very well for any one but O
sailor, though several of our mon were high
| ly pleased with it. The author drew toe
long bow. Evidently, he knows as much
about ship as ship knows about him.
The other book, the Indian story, was not tc
my taste, but made something out of it by
reading it to man while he did some sewing
for me, and finally sold it for trihe which
will send ashore for stamps. If you have
any spare copies Of Blackwood or the Re
views forward them. i Target-shootina
yesterday. Distance 1860 yards. IF it had
been a schooner should have struck her every
time with ten-second shell. The shell is
cast-iron and filled with powder. When the
gun is discharged the fuse ignites and in the
given number Of seconds the shell bursts
The pieces fly in all direction wounding and
killing. Either or 10 or 10 second shells
may be used according to the distance to be
reached. Solid shot arc not much used now
The guns are primei with caps and fired by
pulling lanyard attached to the hammer
When discharging our guns we do not have
to run them in. The Tecoil sends them in
full length of the breeching. * Il The First
Lieutenant is trying to perfect us in use ol
our arms. You will remember that there are
other arms beside the big guns. Here is a
sketch:
GENERAL or VARTERs
Men with their arms on. Mine, cutlass
and revolver. Others arc pikcmen having a
pike, pole 10 feet in length with iron sharp
ened on the end. Then the marines, l. e.
soldiers with muskets with bayonets. The
rattle is turned, making sound like watch
mans rattle. This is for the boarders to
hurry up to the spar-deck.
First Lieut." Boarders on the port side
Pikemen cover the boarders ~ q. e. stand
behind the men who have the cutlasses and
revolvers.) er
f. L." Repel boarders - Cup on the
hammock-cloths they rush and cut down
every rebel they can reach.) tE#
f. L." Fall back, boardcrs! Pikemen
cover the boarders y (We drop on our
knees and the pikemen shove their pixies
over the hammock cloths and the marines
fire upon the enemy if they appear)
FL" Boarders rcpel boarders on the
starboard bow! Hurry up, my lads p
(Away we 60 upon the Jump $500. -.a.
f. L" Repel boardcrs on the port quar-
ter! Be lively, my boys" (Off we go
again. ....---.
r. L." Boarders away to your quar-
ters" (Away we go officers and all, put
our arms away and take our station at the
guns. Then the retreat is beat and we go to
sleeping, others to reading, &C.,
Our new lieutenant is an able-bodied look
ing man-speaks sharp and loud and quick
when giving an order-just the kind of man
like. One knows how to take him. hate
your mincing men. = Our boats re-
turned to-day from an expedition up Black
River. They destroyed nine schooners and
brought one down. They expected to7fnd
batteries and to have some work, but the in
habitants fed. There were about 800 fight
ing men in the boats. They would fight
know for am well acquainted with the most
of them. Some of them would sooner fight
than die. Gen. Wool visited the com
modore to-day. Gen. Butler also was on
board. A Dutch frigate arrived last evening
and her captain paid his respects to the com
modorc this morning. Epaulets-cockcd
hatred nose-regular sea-dog, or gull.
The other day, man kept on reading a
newspaper in sermon time and after the chap
lain had called his attention to the impropri-
ETY.. Worship ended, the commodore ordered
the man to be put in irons every Sunday un-
til further orders. The contrabands, of whom
about forty are in the ship, were very atten-
tive during the service. These contrabands
have come in boats from various places. One
told me that he ran away from Lancaster
county, Va, because they were going to make
him fight. He wanted to know if the cap
tain would sell him. I eased him on that
point. Last evening they gave US regular
plantation dance to the tune of one fiddle and
the delight of the sailors. I asked one of
them what the commodore said to him. He
said the commodore told him to make him
self comfortable. They are not set to work
though they take hold sometimes. They re-
port that all the darkeys would leave their
masters if they had chance. While am