Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-19

was now stinging from dozen six
shooters at once. t.f .nI...
BY my estimate we were 200 yRrdl
from the enemy when he fired his FIRST
shot. In forty.fve seconds we went
alongside him pell NELL. The marines
stood up and returned the fire until we
boarded, which gave us a better chance
TO get footing undisputed. The broth
ers Gill, two young engineers from Nor.
folk were the FIRST 10 gain the deck
springing up as soon as the grapnels
were thrown. One received three NOR.
tai wounds almost as soon as he touched
the deck, and the other slew the
man who shot his brother, 10y
alfs cockswain, an active, power
ful German, followed the Gills, re-
iuforced by Woods cockswain, an
Irishman, / regret that cannot re-
call his name, which is sunpardonable, as
he was afterward Boatswain Of the
Olustee, having been promoted for gal
lantryl, who, in all probability, was the
best man, physically who fought that
night. He was beauty TO look at, and
as willing a soul for shindy as ever the
Green Isle turned out; and il matiered
little whether il was fisticufs or broad
swords, he was equally good at either
Wood and Conrad were probably the
next aboard, and thereafter there was no
telling, as the young officers and seamen
tumbled aboard as fast as they could
climb up. Tho firing Of pistols was very
rapid and for an instant Just one in
slant, it was everybodys fight and no
L. .l..ia .f i
had time to heel themselves, and with q
dozen good men-and they were good
ones-disputed every plank on the quar-
ter-deck, and we had to shoot pretty
nearly all of them before we got posses
sion. aaahl
Whilst this sharp and destructive
fighting was going on, my boats crew
stood up with their guns ready and
eager to FIRE; in fact, so eager that |
found il difficult to prevent them from
shooting on to the decks, amongst
friends as we'll as foes. Suddenly form
appeared on the wheel-house and
dozen voices let me know it. Shoot him,
/ cried, and before the word was fairly
out Of my mouth four score Of rifles sent
their singing pellets at the solitary
enemy. He rolled down, and we con-
graduated ourselves that we had not
been entirely idle. A couple of hours
afterwards my friend Conrad showed me
sundry holes through his garments
made by that same volley. He had
chased man to the top of the wheel
house, and remained there long enough
to get fred at as related. Being doc.
tor, it was no business of his to be
chasing people, and he remembered that
fact Immediately aftor we tore his
clothes, and went down and found poor
Gill, and held him in his arms, and gave
him some whisky and water and words
Of comfort. #l9N#A
Notwithstanding we ran good old
Daniel off the wheel-house, he was lion
in conflict, and as tender of his patients
as o woman of her first born.
Forward the fighting was not as fierce
as aft, but there was respectable work
done there. Three midshipmen, Lee
(brother to Fitz), Saunders and the
white.headed youngster, who ought to
have been at home with his mother,
agreed to form trio and keep
together. Saunders ran off by himself,
poor fellow, and got two mortal wounds
In the rear part of the head, one with
boarding-ax and the other from pistol;
he was entirely insensible until he died.
Lee heard his white headed chum
squeal,' as the registering youngster
expressed it, and went to his rescue. A
man had backed him up to the bulwark,
and was choking the life out of him.
Something had TO be done, and that
quickly; and that something
amounted to the splitting open Of the
head of the choking party, which was
fairly and neatly done at single blow
from broadsword. A boy of sixteen
or seventeen was run through and
through the body with a broadsword,
which Conrad judged to have passed di-
rectly through his heart. The wound
was not an ugly looking one, and the
victim seemed to have passed the river
without physical pang. The counte-
nance was as composed and sweet as if
good tidings had just been Delivered
probably it was tbe case. The engineers
were to seize their part Of the ship, dis
possess the enemy and get up steam as
rapidly as possible. They found the
engineer on watch unarmed, and very |
obliging fellow. He volunteered to turn
the engine over and make them ac-
quainted with the pipes and pumps.
A remarkable case of forbearanee oc-
Cured that night. Lieutenant Kerr one
of ours, met an enemy in the dark un-
der the bridge and demanded his sur
render. Both were ready to FIRE, but the |
enemy got the first shot, which wounded
Kerr in the left arm, but so slightly that
his opponent did not perceive it, but he
did perceive that Kerr was about to shoot |
him, and thereupon threw down his pis-
tol and surrendered. Kerr quietly re-
ceived his submission, remarking that II |
he should get shot once or twice more
he might get dangerous TO fool with.
Most people would have killed that fell |
low. i
As fast as prisoners were captured
they we're placed under sentries aft on
the quarterback with their hands tied |
behind them. The captain OF the |
steamer was wounded and carried below
into the cabin to get his wounds dressed |
by one of our assistant surgeons. bis
wound was not very serious, and the
doctor soon got through and turned his
attention to others. The captain seeing |
that be was not observed, glided on deck |
and was in the act Of sliding down the
rope with which the stern of the vessel
was made fast to the shore, and by
which he purposed to make his escape, |
but one Of the seutinels over the pris-
sners saw the msneuyer and shot him
dead rEf|LH -.f| LL.la |
Allthe incidents aud events have
attempted TO describe occurred within
three or four minutes. In less than a
minute we had won the prize, and our
captain determined to get away with
her il possible. The moment firing
ceased on board the prize the Newbern
fort opened on US, captOrs and prisoners,