Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-03-28
SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH %, 1868.

heavy air, the lamps burned dimly, and the
water, waist deep, splashed sulcnly against
the ward-room's sides. One lingering look,
and he left the Monitors cabin forever
Time was precious; he fastened to the
deck, where, in the midst of a terrible sea,
Lieutenant Greene nobly held his post. He
seized the rope from the whale-boat, wound
it about an iron stanchion, and then around
his wrists, for days afterwards swollen and
useless from the strain. His black body
servant stood near him.
Can you swim, William, he asked.
NO, replied the man.
'Then keep by me and I'll save you'
One by one, watching their time between
the waves, the men filed in, the captain
helping the poor black to place, and at last
after all effort for others and none for them
selves, Captain Bankhead and Lieutenant
Greene took their places in the boat. Two
or three still remained clinging to the tur-
ret the captain begged them to come down
but paralized with fear they sat immova5le,
and the gallant Brown, promising to return
for them, pushed off and soon had his boat
load safe upon the Rhode Islands deck.
Here the heartiest and most tender rcccp-
ton met us. Our drenched clothing was
replaced by warm and dry garments, and all
on board We'd with each other in acts Of
kindness. The only one who had received
any injury, Surgeon Weeks, was carefully
attended to, the dislocatcd arm set, and the
crushed fingers amputated by the gentlest
and most considcratc Of surgeons, DR.. Web
stcr, Of the Rhode Island.
For an hour or more we watched from
the deck of the Rhode Island, the lonely
! light on the. Monitors turrct a hundred
times we thought it gone torevcr--a hun
drcd times it re-appearod, till at last about
? O'Clock on Wednesday morning, it sank,
and we saw it no more.
We had looked, too, most anXiously. for
the lifc-boat which had last gone out under
the command of Masters Mate Brown, but
saw no signs Of it, We knew it had reached
the Monitor, but whether swamped by the
waves, or drawn in as the Monitor went
down we could not tell. Captain Trenchard
would not leave the spot. but sailed around
looking in vain for the missing boat, till late
on Wednesday afternoon, when it would
have been given up as hopelessly lost, eX-
! cept for the captains dependence on the
coolncss and skill of its tried officer. He
thought it useless to search longer, but hop
ing it might have been picked up by some
coasting vessel, turned towards Fortress
Monroe.
Two days sail brought us to the fort,
whence we had started ON Monday with 50
many glowing hopes, and, alas. with some
! who were never to return. The same kind
ness met us here rs on the Rhode Island
loans ofmoney, clothing and other necessa-
rics were offered u.s. Ii was almost well to
have suffered, so much beautiful feeling did
it bring out.
/ 4 day or two ut the fort, waiting for Off
clal permission to return to our homes. and
we were on our way-thc week seeming, as
we looked back upon it. like some wild
dream. One fling only appeared real ; our
( little vessel was lost, and we, who in months
gone by had learned to love her, felt a
strange pang 60 through Us as we remom-
! bercd that never more might We tread her
deck or gather in her little cabin at evening
| We had left behind us, one more treasure
added TO the priceless store which the
ocean jealousy hides. The Cumberland and
! Congress went first; the little boat that has
avcrgcd their loss has followed; in both
noble souls have gone down. Their names
are for history and so long as we remain a
| people, so long will the work Of the MoNI-
TOR he remembered, and her story told tC
our children's children.