News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-24
ONE INCH OF FUSE.
A Clear Case of Heroism by an As
sistant Engineer.

A Clear Case of Heroism by an As
sistant Engineer.
SIN 1868, after the passage Of the
Union feet under Admiral Porter by
the Vicksburg batteries, it was decided
by General Grant to cross his army,
then on the west bank of the Mississippi
to the east bank of the Grand Gulf at
the mouth of the Big Black River, from
which the general was to have begun
aggressive movements. In order to
learn the strength of the Confederate
batteries at this point a reconnaissance
was made On board the steamboat Cen
eral Price, a gun-boat captured by the
Union forces at the fall of Vicksburg.
General Grant was present, and having
drawn the fire of the battery, it was
thought by both Admiral Porter and
Grant that the capture of the place
would be the matter of a very short
time. The next morning the iron. clads
went into action.
"The current in the river, however, was
so swift, the eddy so treacherous and the
batteries so inaccessible to proiectiles,
that after five hours or more of almost
incessant b~ombardment the gun-boats
were forced to return to their former
anchorage, and the capture of the forts
was abandoned. Two hulks that had
been loaded with quartermaster and
commissary stores, guarded by a de-
tachment of cavalry with the expecta-
ton of making an Immediate landing,
had the forts been captured, lay at the
head of the reach, and it was decided
that rather than unload them they
should be towed by the batteries to a
point below. This duty was assigned
to the steamer Gen. Price. The river
was narrow, the turn abrupt, and it
was necessary to run within one hun
dred yards of the vicksburg batteries,
which were mainly composed of eight
inch siege guns. The undertaking was
one of no little danger. Fears were
entertained at one time that all three
vessels would be sunk. 1t was on this
occasion hat a deed of valor was &C.
complished."
"What was it ?"
"The night was bright and starlight
when the Price, under full head of
steam, with her tow dashed alongside,
came within range of the batteries. The
gun-boats had dropped down, in the
meantime, and opened fire in the hope
Of drawing attention away from the
tow, but it was to no purpose. The
wooden vessels presented such a tempt
ing mark that every gun was turned at
them. Fortunately they were SO close
in running the bend that the shells,
with few exceptions, went over or
merely passed through the upper works.
There was many a close call, however,
as our boilers were entirely exposed,
but each minute we were leaving danger
behind and the chances were improving
in favor of our getting safely to our
anchorage below. I was an officer of
the Price, and was standing with the
captain on the hurricane deck. Our at
tention was suddenly called to immense
columns OF water in line between the
batteries and ourselves, showing con-
clusively that an enemy's shell was
ricocheting directly for us.
"We had hardly time to. confirm our
opinion before there was a crash. The
shell had struck us, and l was immedi-
ately sent to ascertain the damage. On
my way to the lower deck I encountered
the crew rushing aft in the widest con
sternation. Learning that the shell
had struck forward, 1 pushed my way
in that direction, when, ON reaching
the boiler-roonas,I foJlad a third as
sistant engineer standing before the
fire.doors with a deck-bucket in his
hand. He was coolly delugfng with
water an eight-inch shell which had just
come aboard, passing through the side
and a heavy hog-beam in its way. The
missile had landed beneath the great
bars of the furnace, among the red-hot
cinders. While the stokers and fire.
men on duty had left their posts in alb
ject fear, he alone had remained to rake
it out, and through his presence of
mind and heroism saved the ship and
the lives of all on board"
ga close call, surely" said the re-
porter.
eyes. Upon further investigation it
was found that this shell had first struck
the steamer dashed to our port side, had
passed through the quartermaster's
stores and through the bodies of four
horses before coming aboard of us and
landing under boilers. Had it remained
another moment among the burning
Goals an explosion would have occurred
which would have sacrificed every life
on board. The next day the bushlng
was removed from the shell, and the
fuse, which was a ten-second one, was
found to have burned within an inch of
its limit. 1t was sent to Washington,
and was for many years on exhibition at
the Navy Department"
"Who is the hero ?"
in the excitement of war bravery
was the rule, not the exception, and it
is extremely doubtful if this truly hero
ic deed was received at the time with
more than passing notice, or whether
the brave mans name was aver heralded
beyond those who were personally cog
infant OIL it. 1t has long been forgot
ten, I recall the circumstance so many
years after its occurrence only to cor
rect the impression that it is
necessary to look abroad to learn OF
deeds more gallant than anything of
the sort ever before ~chronicled.'"
Nobody Took His Part.
An old sailor who was run in last