Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-04-09

toughest seaman or youngest powder boy.
Their bravery needs no comment that
has already become matter of history
but, in social intercourse, l never met
more modest, unassuming and genial set
of men than | found among her officers,
"a more orderly, quiet and warm-heart-
ed set of fellows than the jolly tars who
had just passed through such scenes.
One thing was most charming to an
outsider, and that was to hear how the
sailors spoke of their officers. 1t would
be invidious to mention names but l
could tell you, if would, of officers there
who were literally adored by their men.
OF one man there is no harm in being out
spoken, and that is the gallant Capt. Me-
lancthon Smith. Officers and men all
agree in saying that sublimer courage was
never exhibited than he showed, "He
has never been known to speak an angry
word to any body" said one of his off,
GERS TO me, "and yet no one is so readily
and so cheerfully obeycd." In the heat
of the engagement, with death and des
truction hailing around him, there he
stood cody lighting his cigar with flint
aud steel, and calmly arranging with
Lieut. Dewey how to destroy the ship
that he found he could no longer save.
Capt. Smith, without making any out
ward parade of religion, is truly de-
vout man. When the bloody engagement
was over, and his officers had collected
around him, taking retrospect of their
losses, and commenting upon the almost
miraculous nature Of their escape, he
turned around and said in the hearing of
the officer from whom I received the ancc-
dote: Gentlemen, is not this enough to
make any one a Christian ?"
| could fill column with the suffer-
ings of the sailors after they were COM
PEELED to leave the vessel. Those of them
who escaped alive to shore, by swimming,
walked along the river side, watching the
progress of their beloved and ill-fatcd YES
sci, on fire, until they got to our pickets,
nearly opposite which she blew up. This
was 5 o'clock A. NJ, and they had been
ever since 2 o'clock wading through un-
known swamps, shoeless and many almost
naked. Several lost their lives in the
attempt. Officers and men all came away
with nothing whatever but what they had
on their bodies. Some of the poor fel.
lows lost their way through these desc.
late swamps, and did not find their way
to the river side until IL o'clock next day,
when the st. Maurice brought them to
Baton Rouge.
A private letter from clergyman who
was on board the Mississippi says:
"We!l, l have been through it. Ihave
stood in the midst of that magnificent
and awful laundering and lightning and
quakings, with deadly missiles flying
through us; this at night, and wrapped
in the binding smoke-clouds of our own
great guns. 1t was the most severe and
deadly action (by wooden ships against
earthworks) of this war; and l humbly
thank God that | am safe; that the Rich
mond, with her very noble and gallant
captain and crew, is safe, and compare.
lively unhurt.
I should not wonder if some of oul
croakers talk of this as as great calam
ity and disgrace, and inquire what oul
navy is doing. Tell any such for me, as
an eyewitness, that the main object Of
the movement--viz, securing the cutting
off Of the enemy at Port Hudson from
Red Rivers accomplished, since the
Admiral, with the Hartford and Albatross
passed above The old Mississippi, in.
deed, was burned falling into the
hands of the enemy, as she had missed
her way and got fast aground. And the
Richmond, Genesse, Monongahela and
Keneo, after getting nearly past, had tc
return--from injuries which made it more
or less difficult to stem the current above
Ours, which were the most serious, arr
already nearly repaired l o oA
TALENT and virtue are less frequently
hereditary than the gout.