The National tribune., 1882-04-01
ADMIRAL DEHLGREN.

dupont He was brave. arrogant, and
think may say mean. Every officer ant
men on the feet hated him. His hobby wa
guns. lie was supposed to know more abou
ordnance than any other man in America
he did get up good gun, but 1t wa
alleged that he secured his leading idea OF
the subject from some one else. 1t was no
advisable, however, for an officer under hiE
control to admire anybody's guns but his
be was really versed in artillery, but was
more of a mechanic than a warrior. l don't
wish to say anything more concerning him
lest it might he imagined that I am airing
some personal prejudice, which is not the
case. After the big fight things settled
down to a routine work of blOckadin2
Charleston. Every night two monitors were
stationed in advance, and picket boats were
kept at every point of egress. This was
severe and dangerous duty. The monitor
PatGpScO was blown up by a torpedo one
night while posted on the ADVANCE and a
large portion of her crew was lost. The men
IN the boats suffered greatly. The weather
was often cold, rainy and stormy. and some
times dense fogs enveloped us. Pickets were
often liable to be fired on by our own men.
A GALLANT TAR.
On one occasion a picket party boarded
a blOckade-runner and beached it under the
! guns of Fort Moultrie. Tho exploit, which
was very daring one, was accomplished
under the leadership of seaman named
-IO FIR
made masters mate and presented with n
gold medal On another occasion the IRON
clad Lchigh got aground under confederate
/ artillery fire, and general engagement was
brought on. The entire fleet was ordered
up to her protection, and we fought until
she got off ard steamed to salter waters
FaITagut was once asked if he would take
command Of the fleet off Charleston. He
replied: If do, gentlemen, will find out
whether iron-clads are worth anything or
not" He would have gone into Charleston
If he had lost half the feet. l remember
| the ill-advised attempt to storm Fort Sum-
ter. A party set out in four boats one night,
under the command Of Captain T. H. Ste
vens, but the result was a repulse, and the
death or capture Of many of the men. Be-
fore the attempt was made Captain Stevens
came on board the PdSSdic, and awaited the
appointed hour. As an officer of the Pdssaic
/ participated in the capture of Fort Wag-
ner. 1t was in August, 1868. There was a
lamentable lack of cooperation between the
land forces and the fleet. We dismounted
{Ia 10 o4o
Of the institution, and drove the gunners
into their bomb-pro0fs. We began work in
the morning, and at about 8 o'clock in the
afternoon the fort ceased TO reply. Early
the next morning it was found to be de-
serted During this engagement Fleet Cap
tain George w. Rodgers and Paymaster
Woodbury. were killed, and, as far as 1 ever
heard, they were the only men who were
ever killed in battle on board that fleet,
picket operations excepted. A cannon-ball
struck the pilot-house in which they were
standing, and the concussion killed them.
THE SINKING OF THE "WEEHAwKEN"
The fighting at Charleston was really
more like an attempt to smash property than
to take life. We justly believed, however,
that we held existence by slender tenure,
for we never knew when wave or shell
might sink us, or q torpedo blow us up as
in the case Of the PdtGpsco. More lives were
lost by drowning than by the missiles of
the enemy.
One day, while performing duty as watch
officer of the PdSsaic the Quartermaster call
ed my attention to some commotion on
board the Feehdwken. Leveling my glass in
that direction noticed that that vessel was
sinking at the head. A signal was dis
played, which read: Captain required on
board.' This was Immediately hauled |
down. and substituted by one reading:
Assistance want" In less than five
minutes more the turret of that gallant |
iron-clad disappeared in the waves, and her
crew were struggling for their lives in the |
surrounding waters. Tugs and boats |
hastened to their assistance and picked them |
up. One nameless hero ran to warn the |
fremen and engineers that the vessel was
about to sink, but never returned He went |
down with them. Owing to the peculiar |
construction of the iron-clads, the time re-
CURED to retreat from the engine7room to
the deck by way Of the turret, sealed the
doom of these unfortunate men, 1t was
after the loss of the WeehGickcn that an
fitted with ladders, was placed
over the engine-rOom of each monitor The
cause of the disaster just described was a
simple one, and well illustrated the con-
slant peril we were in. 4 new commander
had taken charge of the Wcchg1ckcn, and at
the time of the catastrophe was visiting
some other ship. The forward hatch had
been carelessly left open, and being unship-
ped by a heavy sea, dropped down into the
hold. BY reason of its great weigh, nothing
could be done toward getting the hatch
back to its place and the forward compart-
ment speedily filled with water, and in five
minutes the Weehawken was under the
waves. Thirty-one lives were lost. An
investigation was subsequently ordered, but
as the commanding officer had only been
in command of the vessel one day and had
never had any experience on iron-clads,
nothing was done and the matter was
speedily forgotten. The Wceha,shen cost
about 100000, and her loss at that time waS
very discouraging. She was the second
ron-clad we lost by downright carelessness.
A 1tnpethcr four of that hatch of monitore