The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-03-17
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
From, Key West.
On BOARD U. S. SCHOONER ORvErTA,
Key WEsT HARBoR, FLORIDA,
March l at 1852

Aosy AOOSs j
EDITOR EVANSVILLE JOURNAL When
left Evansville last December for the pur-
pose of joining the Navy, promised some
of my friends, and the gallant Captain and
officers of the Evansville Rifles especially,
to let them bear from me through your pa
per. If you deem these few lines worthy a
space in your columns, you will confer a
favor on them and me by publishing them.
We sailed from the Brooklyn Navy Yard
on the Both OF January, with sealed orders
under command of that gallant and well
tried officer, Capt. Francis E. Blanchard
When we got outside of Sandy Hook he
opened bis orders, and proceeded forthwith
to this place. The first four days out was
pretty rough and stormy, and must say l
had my doubts of our getting here safely
with our heavy armament, which consists
of two heavy 32-pound guns and one l3
inch mortar amidships, weighing $4,000
pounds, which is not trife on boa rd a
I;ttIo ob.~
was up mountain high, her topmast touch
ing the clouds, and the next entirely en-
gulphed in the trough of the angry sea. 1t
made fellow feel kind of glorious and
warlike, but at the same time little scaly.
But after we rounded Cape Hatteras the
storm abated, and we had fair wind and
weather as far as Abaco lighthouse. We
then had light southerly winds, and made
but little progress for several days, until we
made North 3emini, where we were en-
tirely becalmed, and had to come to an an
chorage off the Island.
We were Immediately surrounded by
wreckers in their boats, who wanted pro-
visions, but we had no more than we want
ed, and could not accommodate them. They
then told us there were some sick women
and children on the Island and no physi-
Clans and wanted medicines; but our ply
sician told them we did not keep an apoth-
ecary shop on board, but he would go ashore
and see the sick, and if be could do any
thing for them he would. Accordingly a
boat was lowered, and the Captain, Doctor,
and your humble servant went on shore.
We were Immediately surrounded by
large crowd of cripples and inValids,
who wanted treatment. Our physician
said he had not made up his mind to locate
there as yet, but he extracted Eve or six
teeth for the old ladies and amputated three
or four toes that were troubled with cofns,
and told the young ladies he would call on
bu0Lu HI SOLlc luluEc hhh ACpultChs
We lay at anchor some three or four
days, when the wind came around fair and
we again made all sail and arrived here on
the morning of the goth of February. We
found sixteen of our feet here already, and
several regiments of New York and Penn
sYlvania volunteers awaiting US. There
are several vessels more to come, when we
will make a move of come sort, but when,
I cannot say. When we do make start
we will raise the dust sure, that is, if you
chaps on the Mississippi will give US a
| chance From the news / hear, you are
doing great work in your parts, and / ex-
pect if we go to New Orleans or Pensacola,
| if we don't hurry up, we will find the stars
and stripes flying there and the Indiana
boys standing guard. Bless their souls, |
am in the navy but my heart is vita the
Indiana volunteers, and want to see them
make mark that shall nsVer be erased.
Well, believe l have told you all can
until something of more moment trans
pires, when you shall hear from me again.
Yours, to command,
GEO. W. NEXSEN, Jr.,
United States Navy.