The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-27
ROBERT sMALLS.

Story of the Services Which Entitle Him to
BE Placed the Retired Navy List
Special to tho Indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON Jan. 26.-The naval commit
tee of the House has decided to report favora-
bly, the bill authorizing the President TO
place Robert Smalls upon the retired list of
the navy, with the rank of captain. The
report of the committee, giving record of
the valuable services rendered by Mr.. Smalls,
is an extremely interesting document The
story of the taking by Robert Smalls, the
slave of the Confederate steamer Planter, of
the special dispatch boat of General Ripley,
Confederate post commander at Charleston,
S. c., reads like a romance. On May -, 1862,
the steamer Planter, which had for two
weeks been engaged in removing guns
from Coles Island to James Island, re-
turned to Charleston. That night all the
officers went ashore and slept in the city,
leaving on board crew of eight men, all
colored. Among them was Robert Smalls,
who was virtually the pilot of the boat, al
though he was only called a "wheelman,"
because at that time no colored man could
have, in fact, been made pilot. For some
time previous he had been watching for an
opportunity to carry into execution a plan
he had concocted to take the Planter to the
Federal feet. This he saw was about
as good a chance as he would ever
have to do so, and therefore he
determined not to lose it. Consulting
with the remainder of the crew, Smalls
found that they were willing to cooperate
with him, although two of them afterward
concluded to remain behind. The design
was hazardous in the extreme The boat
would have to pass beneath the guns of the
forts in the harbor. Failure and detection
would have been certain death. Fearful
was the venture, but it was made. The
daring resolution had been formed, and
under command of Robert Smalls, wood was
taken aboard, steam was put on, and with
her valuable cargo of guns and ammunition
intended for Fort Ripley, new fertilization
just constructed in the harbor, about
o'clock in the morning the Planter silently
moved off from her dock, steamed up to the
North Atlantic wharf, where Smalls's wife
and two shildren, together with four
other women and one other child, and
also three men, were waiting to embark.
All these were taken on board, and then, at
3:25 A. NJ, May 10, the Planter started on her
perilous adventure carrying nine men, five
women and three children. Passing Fort
Johnson, the Planters steam whistle blew
the usual salute, and she proceeded down the
bay Approaching Fort Sumter, Smalls
stood in the pilot-house, leaning out the
window, with his arms folded across his
breast, after the manner of Captain Relay,
the commander of the boat, and his head
covered with the huge straw-hat which Cap
tain Relay commonly wore on such occasions.
The signal required to be given by all steam
ers passing out was blown as coolly as though
General Riply was on board going out on
tour OF inspection. Sumter answered by
signal CAN right" and the Planter headed
toward Morris Island, then occupied by
Hatch's light artillery, and passed beyond the
range of Sumters guns before anybody sus-
pected anything was wrong. When at last
the Planter was obviously going toward the
Federal fleet off the bar, Sumter signaed to-
ward Morris Island to stop her, but it was
too late.
By that act sixteen slaves gained their free