Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-07-25
T ** rs i. III, i 4 .s $50 / NH
Written for the Transcript. :ss 9s@$$s.E::
Experience Of sfSinbad,, In the NAVY.

,E=h7l - So,
Experience Of 'fsinbad'' In the Navy.
In the month aof December, 1863,
being Of: ausiage when the youthful
breast is most easily excited to patriots
ism, I became iu'bued with the idea
that the Union: never could be pre-
served without my personal assistance.
With that view shipped, without
bounty or other remuneration except
ing $12 per month, as a landsman in
the American Navy for the term of
three years sunless sooner discharged"
Chat "sooner,"'< BY the way, is delu>
sion). I was sent to the Boston navy
yard and was placed on the 20 uard
Ship" (which at that time contained
some two thousand men, waiting to be
Transferred to regular vessels. THIS
was my first advent into society, and
my first Impressions were rot very fa~
vorable for the e society: I began to re-
alize. that I had ''put my foot 10 it,"
or rather my whole body. To get out
was impossible, for Uncle Sam had a
mortgage on me for $40 for my outfit
of clothing, and he would not recog>
TT.
nlze a writ Of "habeas corpus I had
not remained long on the guard ship
when I was transferred to the U. S.
sloop of war Ticonderoga, which was
ordered to Halifax, N. S., to look after
a Rebel blockade runner that. was sup
posed to be fitting out in that port.
The reader must know that the at
mosphere off the coast of Nova Scotia,
10 December, is not as ''salubrious'' as
it might be, and Sinbad was generally
to be found in close proximity to the
smoke stack, I was standing one day
in that position when 1 was accosted
by an officer, who asked me if could
write. said I could, and he invited
me to descend to the "Ward.room" and
give him a sample. On arriving there
I found comfortably warm stove, by
which he told me to be seated and he
placed pen, ink and paper before me.
| 1 thought to myself, 'Sinbad, now is
the time 10 your affairs, which, if taken
at the food, will lead to-what ?"
l seized the pen, but on attempting
to write found my fingers so numb
that the marks [ made rcsembled her
scratches more than writing. The off
Ger observed the state Of affairs, tod
NE to ''put stopper" on and warn
my hands, went into his room and
brought out wine>glass of No. one
brandy, and told me to "get outside o.
that;"' so [ proceeded to keep my spir
its up by pouring spirits down. Ate,
thawing out my fingers gave him the
required sample, which pleased him SC
well that was ordered to do no more
duty on deck, but come once day tc
the "Ward roon'," and write up the
Log" l thanked him, retired in
good order, and congratulated myself
on my good luck, which, by the way
followed me all through my four years
cruise. Iguess I must have left it be,
hind when came home, for I have
not seen it since.
After cruising off the coast Of Nova
Scotia for about month, our ship
was ordered to the West Indias. On
arriving off Hatteras. as the ship was
sailing under press of canvas and a
full head of steam, a squall struck the
ship and carried away the foretopmast
at the cross.trees. All hands were at
once employed in shortening sail and
clearing the wreck. While this was
being done word was passed that the
foremost was sprung at the heel, and
orders were at once given to cut away
the mast, which was done. The
weather rigging was cut and the mast
event by the board" and this was No
sooner done than the main to- gallant
mast broke short off. All these mis-
fortunes happened in a very shor,
space of time, and placed the vessel in
a rather precarious position, as the rea
was running high; but after consider.
able hard work the week was cleared
and the ship put before the wind and
headed for the most convenient port
During all this time "Sinbad' had
been an observer. lie did not offer tc
7 fFH +
assist because he realized that he was
a green hand and would only be il
The way. Everything was quiet, com
paratively, by "eightx beils,' and I re,
tired to my hammock - At about
midnight was aroused by the call q
the bo'sn's mate, "all hands save ship
[ did net think hammock the 5es!
place in the world about this time, mol
did desiresto 60 to: "Davy Jones' lock
err without struggle, 80 jumped GU,
into the waterzup'to my knees, dashed
| up my hammock, and started for the
upper deck, where | worked at the
pumps until / was exhausted. ~Tht
ship was finally pumped out and We
met.with no II more rough weather. Ar
terra run of few~days we arrived al
] >Philadelphia With only sa@swreck o.
4 what had been, only a few. days be,