The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-01-15
Personal sIcrOIsIn = uriMC the War.

Collection aad Preservation OF Records of indi'id,
uai Brsverv-The Hazardous Undertaking OF
Exploding the Powder Boat At Fort Fisher
Prom the New York Commercial Advertiser.
There will be No lack of historians 70
chroaicle the achievements of cOn.ending armies
during our unhappy civil strife; 10 n.rrate low,
impelled by the enthusiasm and impetus Of mum
bers, serried columns of brave men hurled them
selves one upon another, stood W all day to
receive each others deadly fire, or dashed forward
in the charge TO meet death AT the masked can
cons mouth But, while this IS done, the midi
vidual instances of daring herosm and self
sacrifice should be collected ana preserved,
sHording alike enduring monuments OF American
valor and examples for future youth to emu Ate.
Every campaign, every battle, FURNISHED these
instances, which were known and should be told
by one to the public. The publication now for
the first time of the story Of the Fort Fisher
powder boat brings 10 notice few brave spirits
whose names have won an immortality. When
General Butler proposed to Admiral Porter the
scheme of lnjuring the Fort Fisher wall by the
explosion Of immenee mass Of powder, and
the Admiral approved of 1t, he Issued a general
order calling ter volunteers for a hazardous duty
stating that the chances were death or glory,
honor or promotion" We are told by the ohron-
icler OF the story that the Admiral was loaded
down with applications Although the nature
of the service for which they were required was
entirely unknown, volunteers from Ccmmodores
70 masters mates registered their names cam
didates for the chance OF getting killed. Porter
finally selected a few from among the many vol
unteers to engage il the enterprise. The war
worn Louisiana was loaded with two hundred
and fifty tons Of gun powder,sup even with the
matches, while the Wilderness was put il trim
to tow the Louisiana into the Wilmington har-
Dor, pilot her to her destination, and bring OFT
her officers and crew. Everythin being ready
for action the volunteers stepped 10 their posts.
They were led by Commander Alexander c
Rhind, then commanding the AgawaIn, Lleuten-
ant Samuel W. Preston, who had Just returned
from rebel prison, having been captured il an
assault on Fort Sumter, Engineer Mullan, of the
Agawam, and Masters Mate Paul Ryder, OF the
same vessel Acting Master Arey, OF the old
crew of the Wilderness, and other gallant spirits
took part in the peri!ous enterprise,
While portion of the volunteers were to
manage the Wilderness, the remainder were to
set fire to the slow matches on the louisiana,
after the latter was got into position, and then
escape to the former boat. An imperfect fuse, q
misstep or careless act, mi ht blow both vessels
to atoms. After the expedition was under head
way, the leaders became satisfied that the rebels
had OWNED their purpose and would probably
sndeavor to thwart it. Thereupon the officers
and men OF the powder boat met and drew up an
additional plan Of operations, OF which the follow
ing were the tenth and eleventh points specified:
Should the rebel fort open and the Wilderness
be disabled, and should all efforts to drive off
the boarders fail, and the capture OF the vessel
become inevitable, the final measure should be
adopted. Lieutenant Preston being, in view of
this contingency, stationed IN M6 lster }odoCley
rom, was, upon signal from Commodore Rhind,
to blow up the Louisiana to insure the success
of the enterprise. This was to be done, to use
Prestou's own words, by Sticking lighted can
die into the nearest open bag The signal (for
the self-de.truction Of the party was to DO three
distinct and measured raps on the deck by Com
Aodore Rhiud. Admiral Porter cordially APP
proved of the plan of operations, with the e1-
ception of the tenth and eleventh articles, but,
being told these had been adopted by the unani-
nous wee of the party, ne reluctantly assented
to them all. What followed is familiar to our
readers, how the boat successfully evaded detec.
tion, and was exploded after the departure of
the volunteers, without, however, any damage.
Though the enterprise proved failure, the
names of the brave men who carried it out de-
serve To he written in letters of gold