Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-18
Publisher and Pronrietol
[For the Public Ledger.l
CAPTURE OF THE UNDERWATER.
BY GEORGE W. GIFT.

No enterprise Of war is fraught witt
more danger, or brings more credit tC
the actors when successful, than the
's cutting out and capture of armed
vessels by boarding from row.boats. The
difference between ship and lot ol
frail open boats is so great that we can
scarcely conceive that it can be made
up by pluck and dash; and such achieve
ments are carefully recorded and treas
ured by naval historians and students, to
be held up as bright examples to the rising
generation of young officers. l will cite
only few of the great efforts in this
line. Our own Decatur, it will be re
memDered, cut out and destroyed the
Philadelphia under the guns of the bat
teries of Tripoli, gaining a footing
alongside the frigate by strategy. The
surprise was complete, as is evidenced
by the paucity of the killed and wound
ed--none on our side. The attack was
made from a local trading vessel filled
with armed men and not from row-boats.
An Englishman cut out a frigate from
the harbor Of Callao, Peru, many years
since, which is one of the most noted
conflicts of the kind. The boats pulled
square up to their work and went aboard
from all quarters. Great numbers were
killed and wounded, but the vessel was
captured. | do not call to mind any
striking affair of this kind in the life Of
Lord Nelson, but / am sure he must
have cut out good many Frenchmen
in his time. He undertook to cut out
MADEIRA and got beaten, and lost his
arm and was driven away. 1t is q very
notable fact that but four vessels were
captured during the war by boarding,
and they were all the property of the
United States. We lost none in that
way, although excellent opportunities to
make attempts on our vessels were fire.
auently offered, especially at Grants
Pass, in Mobile Bay. The affair have
undertaken to describe occurred at New.
bern, N. c., on the I'd of February, 1868.
Those who served in the army of Vir-'
ginia will recollect the expedition un7
'dertaken by Pickett from Petersburg at
the date above mentioned. AS ! have
been informed, the plan was formed
not by General Pickett, but came from
Hoke of the army and Wood Of the
navy. The army was to march from
Kinston, North Carolina, to NeWbern,
to move rapidly, surround the place
and 20 into it with the enemy, gently
prodding any OF his stragglers with the
bavonet who might be lazy or tired. ]
saw 20 into it with the enemy because, 1t
was known that he had force short
distance outside the heavy Notifications
which protected the p b. Whilst the
ever reliable infantry men were to tum-
bic into the town, We of the navy were
to climb on board whatever gunboatswe
could find in front of it, and capture
them, and thus make clean sweep of
everything in sight. This was the plan;
Wood was to be our commander, and
right good one he was-the truest of the
true. the bravest of the brave. Sagaoious,
quick of thought rapid Of movement,
to his superiors and pure of
mind, he was to the navy what Jackson
was to the army. Our force would be
near $50 men, and thirty or
forty officers, who were to come from
Charleston, Wilmington and Richmond.
We had an abundance Of fighting mate.
rial. all eager to 60 wherever Wood
would lead, but we had, as usual in the
Confederacy, but scant means OF con-
At Richmond two good boats,
which had been brought from the Nor
folk navy yard, could be mustered.
These pulled dozen or fourteen oars
each. and would accommodate four or
five sitters in the stern sheets, and two
or three on the bow gratings. Six or
eight big skiffs we're hastily improvised
at Richmond, which would each carry
ten people OF thereabouts comfortably.
But this would not answer, and l was
dispatched by Wood I've were midship-
men together in the Ohio to Whining
ton to get together all the boats to be
found there in the possession ct the
army; also to bring two splendid
launches, each Of twenty-four oars, with
large capacity for sitters and prisoners,
besides mounting each twelve-pounder
howitzer, fitted with field carriage, as
we'll as the usual boat carriage. ! went
with an order signed by his Excellency,
the President, commanding all persons
inferior to him TO give me everything i
wished in the shape of boats, oars, etc.
The navy, as a matter Of course, gave
up all it had, bat from the army | could
get nothing. Wood directed me 10 re-
port progress at noon Of each day, and
every day sang the same song: Gen:
Whiting viii not let me have the boats.
The President repeated the order, but
inasmuch as Whiting seemed TO rank the
in North Carolina, I made but
little progress. Between Whiting and
the navy existed bitter feud, and be-
lieve that he would have risked his com
mission in order 70 have placed an OBJ