The Republican journal., 1874-03-19
Attempt to Blow up the Memphis

'iie I, -. DtcttiItl AicliilllS, NLlIc OIL tHt
: blockadng service, is from The Campfire,
q paper published by the Grand Army OF
the Republic, in Massachusetts, Capt
Patterson. an officer as brave aud merit
orious as he is modest, is native and
resident Of Belfast, and now chief pilot of
the steamer Cambridge. The account
was written by an officer OF the Memphis,
who took part in the affair
The [. $. steamer Memphis. Capt II. o.
Patterson. had been, for months. doing
blockade duty in the South Atlantic squad
ron, from Murrill's Iulpt North Carolina
to St. Simon'S Sound. Georgia. The Off
GERS and men had watched long, weary
nights in the fleet oft Charleston, had
participated in the terrible boat attack on
Sumter, had chased the long, low block
ade runners through peril of shoal and
sea, had gone through the monotonous,
drearN watch for weeks at Bull Bay, had
been under fire often Oft Morris Island
| and the guns Of Moultrie, when, in ,Ianu-
arV, 1864. orders came from the admiral
to leave the station, OIL Warsaw Inlet
South Carolina, and proceed to the North
Edsto River for blockade duty. The
rivers and bays of the southern coast are
all connected by various hayous and
creeks, and inside the outer line of reef
the sea hows in crooked, devious channels,
through which rebel boats could advance
without cncountering the perils of the
open sea.
The North EdiSto, 4 pretty river, de-
! bouching from swamps and rice-iield7,
twenty miles south of Charleston bar, with
irnrmerable tributaries. offered every OPP
portunity for rebel reconnaissance. and
blockade duty was arduous in the cN-
treme.
pom the south bank an army signal
station had been erected, guarded by a
platoon Of soldiers, by which comnunica-
ton was had between our forces ut Morris
Island and at Port Royal. Here for weeks
we lay at anchor, the dull monotonv only
broken by u raid among the oyster beds of
the creeks, and reconnaissance by armed
crews towards the rebel batteries up the
river, OF explorations OF the forests which
| lined the banks of the river at intervals.
Occasionally a bullet would Whiz by over
the heads of the watch on deck. and now
and then party in gray could be seen
stealing along the shore in the dim, south
ern twilight; often the deep roar Of the
cannonade, from the batteries on Morris
| Island. would be borne on the still night
ar, telling of excitement at the front, and
making us all wish that we, too, might be
relieved from this irksome, tedious block
ade duty and sent where active service,
even with death in the foreground, might
offer a chance for glory and promotion,
We had a good ship, a berth and our
meals; the army often suffered for want
of them, but we had what they did not a
prison life where day succeeded day with
the same dull round Of routine duty until
we had talked each other ont OF ideas, and
! the very sight OF each others faces became
almost obnoxious when the sight OF a dis
| tant sail on the far-Otf horizon was u
| splendid theme Of conversation, and the
| changes Of the weather were the only
variety of our life. We were shut Oft
from the world, weeks had elapsed since
we had had mail, when, one morning,
the supply ship brought Us information Of
| the blowing up, by torpedo ram from
| Charleston, of the splendid ~loop OF war
Housatonic, off the Swash hanncl and
the consequent loss OF life
Orders came. to be on our guard. and
the watches at night redoubled their
anxious scrutiny through the long hours
| of darkness tor reports We're received from
deserters that the North Edisto river
would soon be cleared Of the invaders
Moving lights could occasionally be seen
far up the reaches of the river, rs though
work was going on, and in the thick togs
that sometimes hung upon the river the
plash Of an oar. from rebel picket-bOatS,
tell upon the ear.
The eve Of the 9Th of March came, calm,
cool, and pleasant Hammocks had been
piped down, the watch relieved and at :
bells (eight p. Ny the good ship Memphis
swung at her anchor with the tide. The
sentinels on the torecastle and aft. well
armed, watched the reaches of the river
and the dmly seen shore; 4 careful man
stood Al the shackle Of the chain-cahle
and the officer of the deck and quarter
master paced the quarter-decks with every
sense alert The four hours passed slowly
away, the moon rose, and with it q slight
haze settled upon the river
At bells - midnight, the watches We're
relieved, and again quiet reigned on the
North Edisto. At about bells the officer
stepped from the quarter deck, and was
moving forward to inspect the guns crews
resting near the guns and the sentlncls on
guard Bluff old John Williams, Il surlv
old man-ot-warS man, quartermaSter OF
the watch, was on duty att, and it was
well known aboard no sight or sound
escaped him Suddenly he dropped upon
his knees at the tatfrail and resting his
nght-glass upon the rail, peered up the
river. The tide was running flood, and
the stern of the Memphis tailed up the
stream: with 4 muttered oath Williams
sprang to the break of the pooI-tiech, and
: in earnest, thrilling tones sang out, Fol
(1-ds sake. come aft, sin" Drawing
his revolver, and calling all hands tC
quarters as he went, for there was evi
IDENTITY something ''in the wind, the oiii
: Ger rushed aft and gazed up the river
There, not three rods off, coming doWl
: the stream against the tide, appeared what
e looked like a long log Of wood Steadily
: it came on No log could float against the
tide, and the truth flashed upon the brain
of the lieutenant. rebel torpedo ran
was upon the ship To order the watcl
to fire volley, the howitZer depressed
i was but the work of a second but the III
l fernal monster was within the range Q
$ the howitzer before it could be depressed
and the bullets from the muskets rattle'
{ off its iron deck
The officer of the deck leaned oyer tn
. taffral and fired his last charge from tn
i revolver directly down upon the monster
" and heard the clang of the bullet as it raj
, = tied off What was to be done? A hun
r r dred men were sleeping below, trusting t
his judgment, and the ram was alread
- under the run. Turning, he dashed to tn
|, break of the after deck, gave his orders
d slip in loud, ringing tones and rang fou
: bells in the engine room \ careful
"a watchiul man that night stood at til
y. cable -shacllle, or the Memphis had tinishe
:, her career In an instant the clash of tn
ID cable, rafting from the hawse-pipe, W;
:. - heard, and the engineer of the watch, dc
ID tecting danger IN the tones of the orde
on deck, and the unusual order from tt
70 bell, opened wide his valves, and til
r. hanges Of the propeller turned round el
y 4l,o lact tomas of thn ball oaacpd n Y