, 1879-04-02
CAPT. MAI, GORDON.

an Old a1nti- of SVnr'R- a1nn SnIns tho Ynrn nf
IN" Cnp.ur" ol Tho snvn Ship Erie, CnH.
Nat tinrtl"n. by The United stAtos Steamer
Mahlcan, Capt. Gertlon.
IN Tic i:l'snr Ut 11t Tribune.
CHICAGO. Mnrcf 3a.-f hope yui will ',p kinl
enough 10 etvu tl.rse few slnrs place IN your
paper. rcn.l m artieis III Tua TRlDu.H uf
tho a0tl, concerning Capt. Nat Gurlon's capture
ast his nigs ut tl,a tno that Ia nut hltngblIler
rIyl,t. belonged to the mn,l-ofwar Ut lii:
tine Ut tlc capture. III The first place, Capt.
tinr,iou did nut cun,,nal tic brig Triton, til
stntcu, at the time or hs capture, bit lie cul..-
minded a ful-siGgul ship by il,u na,na oi
Erie.
In the feconl place, )lo did mol tlirnw tle
cargo overheard, ns stated. We captured tue
whole t!iing, ntlI got uur prlzc.1noncy for II In
1sGa,
III the third place, It was not tllc mnsl-ns-war
Constellation thAt capt,rcs! her, nR stated: 1t
wns the United stutra steam sloop.of-wnr No
hicln. Or the "blArlt-snent." rs tile lsehals
called her at tic ba.tlu Of Port Royal, i. e.,
nlni commanded by United Statcs Capt. =. ".
Gurslon, uf Philadelphia.
writo tlsts letter 50 that tle public may
know l1lG truth, Mu give tlu right Of the cup
turu tn tliG right rartpa.
Sp lar ns ts,e capture, wc did not avc .nucll
trHtbl1 III tnAS tic Erie, w sighted ilr
sllp III tlle morning clrlS. II Was 0no Ut tf.oan
ino tn!rilfsi.s with very light brecze, aucIs rs
you VIII experience u, tt. c,ast of Africa, In tr
nriEl.lofhiIol, ,Uf CbnEH iaiyer-u Aunt bn'elnek
We iycit NJ Ia fser within l,ntttlig Iisinilgr, hut
tltey wollA not stop. HI ,Ye gave them ono or
ourninc.ll.ell rile sos nrross lr bow. n,,.E can
tell you. sir, TINT mule lltcm stop. Tlsy knew
then tint VIC meant bustnrAs. You cuu|ts sec
the ctl running tu tlW oravus to haul The yards
nl|1ck, nsn til" man ut tflH wllrp! nut It lnril
tldwIf, s'l let tue ship come np 10 llm wind.
II u II II t,,t
l"ng III getting cluse mp to ller. ", We sent Ii
ltonL I'LL board uf ller with twu officers md a
crew Nf tlllreGn men well ARMED. So sUun Us
une o!irpr rot III, bnars! or her In Stationed our
,Net, SHOULD 10 anrth[nE contrary 10 orders,
willis TIT ntl,cr u|lterr went lowiI III tl,r cnt,tl
to loUk ut the ships papers. THIS latchcs were
all put on md Es"r'is put III tho t'old to kcep
twas not luns bcfore,,uur oliccr cnmo 1p ont
of i!r eabu Hl,u UrlGret t,ilr lnhlGtlpEln nlul
rrcw to iako fulI c1nrsc. IL, tils 1neall-
ttulc DO made signals tt mir Rhil, for nI,ultIcr
arINcd h0nt's crew. Oi'r men wrnt to work mud
tU1k tho hatelles oil, hd what Il sight tero WIS.
As B,ul. III THE hatetics el,nu ulE, tic nrgrues
eofnn,cEced tl,wliils anl rinpifnE tllefr lhtmIs.
They knuw ut once t!ry we're gons u bc saved,
louk ri, nt,-rtnrtlltIg similar iu thc hugs coming
In u il1e rAtlTNlu.
so suut M our otllcr l'ont rot aloncsfde Of
her, CRpt. Gnrdun, niatc, mil csnw were nrlcred
LO EO Nv kllitL QShk E0 VII PuukA III sup
for examination. llry weru nll marched aft oil
the quarterback to orr Commander. can tell
YOU, sir, tl'"Y were ilnu Bnt u lnel-!t Ilixtnrr
Uf every Mnttos', from NorwcEan tn u lrerk
All VI them tint clalmc.i to b. American els-
xcns were sent hack along with their Cnutnin
un inalc OH l,onrl Ut tic Er!e u. INT III iros
the rest uf tic crew, tunr uf them shipped
with It's. aud thu rust wcrc sutt VI, snrG ut heIr
by Officers u,ul ercw 'frou, ti;s Suilca,,, ',,,st
slic,l snnt OH lrr wav u lant thu nuyrors
ngal,i, md FROM ttrru to New iork. And ,tnt
Nus the last rrnhe tlat Capt. u0r1on lna.lo on
tho Gust Ut Afrten nittr hineks.
The o'ts altlp Er.. nnco saycr, wax doing
EUul uycsnl.lunt services III tlle Rebellion, She
WIS lifted utlt tni0 stUrt-sllfp fur the navy.
as soon as l,e gut to New Yurk hu (liur!on)
turned Ills back oH tht guul old tug tliat aatl
nAe III! what lio was, to Join Ills comrades III
gray.
Mr. Editor, ! hopo you will oblIrc an old man.
United Suites Nary, an.. Iupw a citizen tt CHI.
tago, By publishing tic foregoing. | remain
your obedicnt servant, Il. ". EuMoSsEN.