Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-04-20
OLD SADLER'S RESURRECTION.

Ialklnp ABOUT SnoSlS, Salu tllt cap
tain, 81 listen while spin you a bit of a
yarn which dates back some twenty five
years ago, when, but a wee bit of a mid
shipman, was on board the old trigate
Macedonian, then Flagship of the West
India squadron.
" 1t would hardly interest you to tell
what a clever set of lieutenants and
ward room officers we had, and how the
twenty three reeters in the two steerage
messes kept up a racket and a row all
the time, in spite of the taut rein the
first lieutenant, Mr.. Bispham, kept over
us. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles
and | can see him now, with the buttons
shining on his blue coat, as he would
pace the quarterback, eyeing us young
gentlemen of the watch, as demurelv we
planked up the lee side, tired enough,
and waiting for eight bells to strike to
rush below and call our relief, He was
an austere man, and unlike the brave
old commodore, made no allowance for
our pranks and skylark ing.
" Among our crew, made up of some
really splendid fellows, there was an old
man -ot-war's man named Sadler-a little,
drled-up olJ chap of some sixty years,
who had fought under Nelson at iratal.
gar, so he said, and had been up and
down, all around and criss-cross the
world so often that he had actually for
gotten where he had been, and so had
all his geography lessons, learned by
cruising experience, sadly mike op in
his head; which att ough small, with a
little old, weazencd trontispiece. was full
of odds and ends of yarns, with which he
used to delight us young aspilants for
naval honors, as he would spin them to
us on the booms on moonlight nights,
after the hammocks had been piped
down. How well do remember the old
fellows ppearance! his neat white
trocll and trowsers, his low-quarter pur-
ser's shoes, with a bit of ribbon for a
bow; no socks, save the natural. flesh
tinted ones, a blue star, done in India
ink, cleaning on his instep; his broad.
blue collar, falling gracefully from aneck
which, as we youngsters asserted. had
received its odd-looking twist from hang
ing too long by a grapevine. with which
the Isle of Pines pirates had strung him
up when he was chasing them under old
Commodore kearney's command. ANY
how, Old sharp faced, Wrnklcd, and
tanned to the color of Il sole.leather
trunk, the whole cut OF his lib told YOU
at once that he was a regular lnan-of-
wars man--onc of a class whose faults
| can hardly recall while remembering
their sense of duty, their utter disregard
OF danger, and the reliance with which
you can lead them on to attack ANYTHING
from AN hornets nest to an ironclad.
"Well, so it happened, one hot day.
while cruising in the Gulf of Mexico. that
the news came to us that old Sadler was
dead; and sure enough it was so, for the
Old fellow had quietly slipped his moor
lngs, and, as we all hoped, had at last
gone to whore the sweet little cherub sits
up alott who looks out for the soul of
poor Jack. Then, after the doctors had
had shy at lin, to see why he had
cleared out so suddenly, his remains were
taken in charge by his messmates. who
rugged the old man out in his muster
clothes, sewed him up in his clean white
hammock, with an eighteen pound shot
at his feet, and reported to the officer of
the deck that the body was ready for
burial. SO, about six bells in the after
noon watch, the weather being very Rot.
and not n breath of air to ripple the
CLASSY surface Of the water, the licuten-
ant OF the watch directed one of the
young gentlemen to tell the boatswain
to call All hands to bury the dead:
and soon fore and aft the shrill whistles
were heari, followed by that saddest of
all calls to a sailor at sea- All hands to
bury the dead
"Our good old boatswain seemed to
hnger on the words with a feeling akin
to grief at parting with an old shpmate,
ana as the last man reached the deck
he touched his hat and in a sad sort of
way reported, 'All up, sir, to the first
lieutenant, who in his turn reported.
Officers and men all on deck, sir, to the
commodore, who thereupon gave an
order to the chaplain to 60 on with the
services.
The courses We're hauled up, main
topsail to the mast, band on the quarter
deck, colors hali-mast. and all hands.
officers and men, stood uncovered, look.
ing silently and sadly upon the body as
1t lay upon the gang boards in its white
hammock, ready for the last rites.
Solemnly and most impressive'y were
the services read, and at the words, 'We
commit this body to the deep, heavy
splash was heard, and poor old Sadler
had gone TO his long home forever.
Some OF us youngsters ran ur in the lee
main rigging to ses him go down. and
as we watched him go glim,nering and
glimmering down ~ mere spsck, we