New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-04
LIFE ON A GUNBOAT.
Extracts from a Private Letter

more, is particularly pleasant 10 my exclable ma
,urs, and tie likelihood of lis remaining in stota qno
for an indefinite period of time to come, makts ny
everything that could be wished, "tLst is not exact
ly' by me, but perhaps 10y some.
Wien | wrote you my last letter we wero lying
at Key West, Florida, on New-Year's night (and by
the way, hope you enjoyed that night better than
did. The next morning we left there for Pensa-
cola, and by way of little excitement got up race
with the Sycamore. another gunbosi, Of Philadep ha
bui'i which had been ordered 10 the same place.
She headed about three miles on the start, and
when we sighted the forts around Pensacola we had
gained on her about q mie--a very neat thing in
distance of 430 miles At p. M, on the Alb, We
were overloaded by the steamer X. Il. Cuycr oil
Fert Pickens and sent to Ship Island to find the Nj
sgara We started west, ard " fetched" up nj 1918
with shot across our tws from the III Huntsville,
whom We had anost run down IN the dark vessels
OF the ilOC kade not being allowed To carry hstl.
After settling every thing TO tier satisfaction We
az ain started and about midnight got "barged at
again from auoher steamer, that tined TO catch ~.
bn, "couldn'I come it." The Captain raid it wss
getting "played oui," so be din't stop hut kelt
Straight on. Ahout 5 n. ~, during Thunderstorm,
struck 10y lightning, but az we were su
Hid with ghiniugrOds il did no more damage than
10 sipge the faint oil from tie outside Of the vessel,
Where tIey ran down INTO ibe sea. nv ~ y. H.. on
tie 5h We anchored at Slip Island, with about
twenty vail in sight, including the flagship Niagara.
TIE next morning we ohtained yernIlsi ION 10 70
ashore, aud went. There found The Goth Massa-
cbu-ets and eih Connect NJ Regiments, shortly be-
tore landed there by the Constitution, waiting for
Gen. Butler and the rest Of his command. II cir
position is not The envable imagnaLl nothing
grows on tie leland but sand aud that seems 10
thrive wonderfully. The Eighth, use there wss burnt
ont by the rebels when they evacuated the place
II y la esi by -
WAS nearly all demolished. BY the help of saId
bags and timber captured IA Seoesh steamer, how
ever, it begins 10 look something like fight. There
ARE four uiDeneh guns there, landed there from ole
Of the ships here End tie Of tie ports are cup
piled with round sticks o: 9ood resembling guns and
Which certainly have Tar been of Just much ute
SHORTLY after dark, the hln,sao hnseiis, Sagauore
WissAlic kon, Vino n aud New-Londgn, ali but The
first gunioais, started Oh tfip mp the Jtsifsip,l
SOUND "seekiig whom they night deyour ,om =
tctiy." We 'scooed' around ull III. hi and the
next day till about II H. IN, when we slg, Yea
schooner, AID short made out The Je' DAVIS nhs;
Golly. didn't We Z in. Sic bad a nir "nd aLd
sailed along =, autiiully. On rounding point IN TIE
snrrd sbout twenty niles from Mobile, there ley Il
burcb Of tiris a. nice ~ you ilehse-two steantts
and five sailing yefes, and all ~ about ght ieet 1
water. Now rs all drew III le'tt ten ana ball
feet and the man 80 the lead sung on, eleven. We
pladed that il war moe, time 20 stop SO stop we
did and hsd the tsisiaciion Of seclng the schooner
sailing back nnd forth Juet out d range as much hs
- ray, "You're very good looking, but you eau
come ~" II tie CAPTAINS held d cOnsuiiaion, aud
coming 70 tie cOuln,ilT tbnt the grapes were TOO
,our 10 eat we turned tail and started back again TO-
ward ship Island, where We anchored al Z. IA.
ON the eth We siartcd for Psss Il IOutre with
extectaions 81 storm on the parsage, and IT Is 30
ore than iair TO ray that our expectations were
tnllv realized Az the sun went down the " wee
utd wind cau.e MP, 40 ,hs, by dark wo were in tAe
uji-t Of what il known III thIs rgiDn ~ nof,h'f-
tint i. ,tonn from the north. Our little SNIP be-
huNod " ell la a. beinS diy, Tor tbe dIdi nilP
RIM eea but se made up toF II ali ~ roiiins ano
,ai. { she DO tha, hille tiinE to pero,i'n ANY
al q 10 believe il has ouly 20 take look ht tie last
derre,ging stock of crookery ware on board to be
to,Ong y convinced OF her calabii'ies III that noe
overhead one II the silorr ray thai 'le cOuld OUT
roll the Wabash, ld tho could onfoil Toe de'p All
of us. however with Ito exception Of lhe ooc'"f'
managed 10 weather II lie fOon tie BUT oi hu-
ruefous and sundfy jok-s Of the mot aggra'"tHg
kind The picture War one worthy oil the ien,ll %
d rie Crayon. The doctor ia the nhddle, hoi1iiB
Oh 10 the ssh-shute ~ tho ride oil The sip VI. IhB ~
he uens lie cOu u think a 10 pr0on. IL N"'uuh
IN. ,tig,stri, al e iJis aud tormented ~ Ire ruf
,ci,y inn of hardened fiDDer- Only thosc hay
i,, the otLsche or 10. fea-soknc,s are lie h.h'Iy
oof MAD enough 10 wish for t~o thirg- before dying
-ole TO rel loot again on fcTf3 PfWn-ahu 'n'
other 10 catch tie man II =, wrote " l'iIe ." 'ne
Oc,ao Wave" Ar Boon as lie got fniid, he - u'eu
be desied remit in the lo4s Of bs ainuer, and then
felt better. , -,
l,rly next morning Nc anchored on 'hs ih-s' ,ioso
10 tne Mi.,i,tirpi, tho Mcucdiia, and the VIM
cuu.s Tie oru, Of which lett the sauuo Gay Tor "A
mic Tins being our hrst night Oh TIC b'o' kade,
..yc,,,t5uy yyas pnt ia order Tor immediate list
boarding MEETINGS put up, guns loaded, All hghis ek-
tiuOt.l,,d aud every one Oh tie qui r.Ut WIN we
eruefaii,n OF having "a Writ from his IofdsiIp, the
Ram" before uofniDg. Although We have not
Vet Lad the pleasure # bis ncqnaiDtanre, we nave
card enough nLout bin 10 excite our inaYihh,IohS
% tue Gtmo.t lie 10 represented az beng an ron
clad s,e.mer with submarine proboScib ~ The roint
Of winch ~ Az anger worked w steam. The "odns
oyer0nd, in TO fret strke vest aud Then 10 prove
perfect bOre said vestel baying III The mean no we
saiisaclipD Oi firing away al bonD-iho"i c"IhB Oh
rail DAD iron, which, " the way, ID very good Iof
practice.
Every two or three days we have little variety
IN getting under way and cuasing something "hicb
iar always far turned Gut 10 be true blue, but we
live III bopes.
Suudays we have the Episcopal service on board,
and aiterward The reading OF the Articles Of Nhf.
think that oil all solemn sefvi,es wbich have At
tended, that on naiOI-war IL Il mort ! he ui'-
covered heads, the weatuerbeaun coubionances, the
expressions, the cnl sillDere tint ruiioundB
all lend To pIyc due weight to inttors II thenis, lvcb
%, such importance. Although IA ,aiior when gen
orally ,eeii, VI the mOst prOIhne individual
i,,yi,aie yet lac seems 10 take the most interest
IN ritual lnntGeis, when brought directly into
lice, OF auy or.
On he l0sh tie Captain woke up 10 the necessity
Of lsnching the men on board the sublime art Of
.r1l;, a ,uueLct aud tie lame OF your humble eef-
want "having gone out 'hfoubh hii TIC snip, Tie
,on,eouepce WAS that was requested 10 epread my
self. me ",preada,ion" being suti.faco,y, was
immediately piaccd commander in. cbief OF the com
b,pcd sr,nic. of the MinODa 90 dill the officers