Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-03-25
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
LETTER FROM THE NAVY.


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Correspondence Of the Gazette
LETTER FROM THE NAVY.
U. s. FRiaArE MIxSRsorA,
AT SEA.
Dec. 29th.-We are off. At four bells,
morning watch, oil hands were called. This
capstan was manned and the order was
" Heave sway!" The fifer blowed on his fifs,
the crew walked around, steady tramp, che
heavy cable came slowly through the hawse.
pipe, and by seven bells the anchor was up
tished, and GATED, as per order. We imme
diately spread all her canvass and are now
going along finely under steam and sail, the
sea being very smooth.
AT ANCHOR OFF FORT FISHER, N. c.
Jan. 1.-Ou the Soth it began to blow and
rain. Night before last and yesterday morn
ing it rained in torrents. Put two reefs in
the topsail and furled the mainsail Ysster,
day morning, furled the loresail. They were
an hour furling that sail, there being SO many
landsmcn on the yard. That was the tim.
10 take the starch out Of them, tho useless,
worthless trash. Didn't want to 20 in the
army" ell? Well, some of them wished
themselves ashore yesterday, in the army or
anywhere. TO hear them talk in port, you
might think they were perfection in their
duties. Got to sea, they are really no, worth
their salt. Yesterday at 6 A. NJ, VIC
came to anchor. Worry heavy rain last night.
Now il is clear, with gale from the N. w.
|" - There are seven bluckadsrs ia sight. II
is ono p. NJ. Gale increasing. Must 20 to
sea if it increases much more. The New
Year has begun pretty rough with u.s.
2d.-9 A. n. Just weighed anchor and
are standing off shore. Bound round Slsi,h's
Island to hunt up the Admiral whom we
think to be there on the Fab Kes. ~ Hard
gale last night and piercing cold The watch
was allowed to go on the gun-deck, sentries
and lookouts excepted. ~ | attended A
temperance meeting yesterday from 6 p. M.
to NJ. The halt. deck (after part Of the
gun.deck) was fitted for the occasion. A
boats ensign was arranged over the desk,
and the ships ensign along the side over the
guns. Seats Of capstan bars on buckets.
Candies in lanterns and candlestcks, and
lamps in lanterns. Arm chairs for officers
who might attend. There were about go
of the crew present, and the pilot, and en-
sign, beside the doctor and tho chaplain in
the background. Standing at the desk was
man Of about forty five, dressed in man of.
wars mans garb. Long hair, combed back !;
heavy, brown whishers; black eyes and eye.
brows; big spectacles. 1t was old Tom
Beecher (sesmsn), prime mover Of this meet
ing. lie is man of sense, though without
much education, having passed most of his
time shoat, chiefly in our navy. He opened
with prayer for the whole world, for cur
country, for himself and all hands Read a
chapter, then hymn. About sixty unitod in
the singing. The attention Of the hearers
was then directed to paper, lying on the
desk. "This," said the speaker, :" is tenn
perance pledge, got up on board the Ohio in
Spring Of 81. 1t has about $50 names on
it. Some have kept the pledge. Some have
not. And some are dead" He urged them
strongly to sign. Told them how bad he had
bsen for forty years--bad as a man could be
and escape the gsllows--how, many times,
no had barely escaped with his life--that one
time in Boston, when reeling drunk, he
walked down wharf in dark night in Jan
uary, and was only saved from walking over.
board by stumbling over log and falling
asleep there. How he awoke in the morning
covered with snow. How he crawled to 4
house near by whore they wrapped him in
blankets, which kindness aiding his powerful
constitution carried him through. "Come
and sign for a year six months week
Only sign!" BY this time, our prim little
Captain came out from his cabin and took
seat. Moro exhortations and hymns. Then
Beecher whispered to the Captain, whereupon
the Captain stood up and said =" Men |!
Beecher is right. Take the pledge for year,
or six months, or week. don't think
there will be any difficulty in your keeping
it one week. / take little by the advice Of
my physician, but consider this pledge
good thing and will put my name down for
six months" (Signs.) Turning around after
he had signed, he said Beecher six
months" More hymns. Then six Of the
crew signed. and Beecher finished with
prayer. All the while the wind was blowing
a gale, but the ship rode finely. - When
Beecher asked the Captain if he could hold
temperance meeting, the Captain said yes,
and have it in any place he wanted, in his
Captains cabin il he wished, and any lights
he wanted, chairs from the cabin IL wanted,
in short anything that was in the ship. That,
assure yeu, was great deal. from the CON-
mander Of man of.war.
AT ANCHOR OFF CAPS FEAR RIVER, NC.
ID. Left New inlet yesterday a, 8 4. ~