, 1865-04-06

meDl AaQ served ou1 IQclf LINE, HNu HEIG tA
sEcipway to Springfield, Illinols, where they
wcre tc be mustered out Of the service. Ma
.ipr Files bad all tie papers belonging to the
prirates. ard consequently the four survivors
who arrived here yesterday are without any
papers whatever, either upon which to obtain
tAlir rsy, amounting to nearly Sau0 each, or
upon which to ob.aln transportation to their
htmes.
Upon arriving at this city Col: Vincent
Co,yeT. Superintendent Of tho New York
Stale Soldiers Depot, at Nos. 80 and So How
a;d street, had thtse four eurviytn. veterans
conducted thither, where they will receive
every comfort requisite during their stay
Iere.
STATEMENT oF 4 SOLDIER, ONE or TIE SUR
yIyon5.
1ziah c. Colby, Of Company E, 9Th Ohio
cavalry, enc OF the survivors OF the terrible
Disaster, arrived In this city yesterday noon
: by the steamer General Sedgwick. Mr.. Colby
has served in the army for the last thirty eight
months. during which time be has never had
heroes that made The irresistible march
through Georgia and the Carolinas. When
that army connected with Gen. schotield's In
North Carolina, Mr.. Colby's time Of service
1ad expired, and he was discharged; and at
the time OF the burning was on big way to
his home In Ohio. He gives the following
particulars cf the calamity:
"1he Y. s. transport General Lyon runs
between Wilmington and Fortress Monroe.
shc left the har OF Wilmington on the morn
Ing Of the 30th, bound to The latter place,
with about five hundred and fifty souls on
board, among whom were two hundred and
four discharged soldiers belonging to the 56th
Illinois 1nlantry, End. in round numbers,
about one hundred and sixty paroled and es-
capped Union prisoners; also between thirty
and forty families Of refugees. The rest Of
| thcEe on board were composed Of the guard
%1--n
and crew. We had been out to Sea one day
! and night when the Dire broke ont ; it was
about Q D. IN. on the 31st Inst, and the
| vessel stood off Cape HstteFns. Flames
utre first seen to Issue from the por-
! fer's room, situated back Of the ptlothouse.
ye,y nearly aznidshsps. Several OF us manned
| tle pumps and worked them for shout forty
minutes in trying to put out the fires; but
! to no purpose. / heavy gale was bio wing as
lie time, which famed the fire, and guam
tity Of oil which WAS On board the snip
caught fire and spread rapidly over the dce Z,
Thee quarters OF an hour after tne uamta
broke ont TIE FIRST boat Tas launched IL ,,iae 1ne
fhe stern Of the vessel and WAS smaahed 70
pieces br The paddle-wheel. Ten men TeEe
f. the beat, seven of whom were drowned. N
Guiding the captain Of the vessel. FINDING
the fire could not be checked !
tore q door from the galley ana ihfes
t It overheard ana - tneu Wno"1 sas ~
: IS ~ I could o. d. Judge. when TIC sts,%s3 ten! 8
General sedgwick hove in sight and picked eos1
/ me M. / was then at least ], 500 yards IRON
The burning vessel. She was still bnfnlne
and ,apay drifting o. ts zhosis' al thsf nf at 9nt
observable above deck was her smoke.stack
While in the water I eaw two boats hllet
with about twelve soldiers in each; but tn
sea WAS so rough TINT there Was no chance O.
their surviving It. One Of the boats was los
Nhile tho Gen. eedgwiek was endeavoring t
eave her. She eapsized, and Of those on boart
only one pereon was saycd, negro cook
1ns & chlet Engineer Of the Gen. sedgw1ck
Ehne t1ying to save q drowning man
fen overheard and was drowned q
belonged TO this cltY, hut l do not know Iii
name. The other Of the two boats have n
knoxledge Of. I think She vas picked up b b
the Gen: sedgwick, but am not sure, as
! was entirely exhausted when rcscued. an
Tas sent bt!ew. 4 schooner nlso came mn /,
sight half an 1our before was picked nm bu
, she could not assist nc, she having on to
much headway. 4 rope was throwR ne hu
could not catch It. After my rescue, t