The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-07-25
THE HOSPITAL FLAG.
tiOw the Hospital B0at, Red Rover, Obtnin-
~ Yellow FlaG-A War Rcmlnis-
cence.


Hurried TO completion during the autumn
IF 1862 to be ready to participate in the
combined army and navy movement directed
upon the defenses of VicSsburg orders came
late in December for the Rover to "report
without delay" to Admiral D. d. Porter, at
the mouth of the Yazoo river. 1t is usually
the fate of vessels fitting for cruise that
they are never ready until under weigh, and
such was the case with the Rover. In the
midst OF a confusion of all sorts of parapher-
nalin, pitched heller SHELTER on her decks,
her anchor was extracted from the embrace
of Ohio river mud and we waved a glad
adieu to Cairo. AS We glided down the
Mississippi, busted in putting things to
rights, the report reached us that the town
of Hickman, a few miles below, was occu-
pied by the Confederates, and thnt our pass
age might be disputed. This made quite
stir. In belligerent theory a hospital ship is
regarded as non-combatant, and we pro-
posed to avail ourselves of this exemption,
notwithstanding that Admiral Porter, on the
principle of "peaceably il we can, forcibly
If We must, " had mounted on our forecastle
q long 32-pounder, which contrasted rather
strangely with the rest of the appointments.
While in anxious consultation over what
was to be done in the expected emergency,
Il was remembered that to entitle us to Free
iom from responsibility as belligerents we
must "fy the yellow flag" emblem of the
phianthropic and Christian character of our
equipment, and all were aghast at the dis
covery that in the haste of departure the
hospital flag" had been forgotten. The
ship was ransacked, but not shred of yell
low bunting could be found. We had the
glorious old stars and stripes, but we were
nearing neighborhood where this had re-
Gently become exceedingly unpopular, and
it seemed diplomacy just then 10 avoid un-
necessary irritation of sectional susceptible
ity 1t was suggested that we hoist sheet,
taken from one of the hospital cots. An
other proposed regulation United States
navy blanket. But neither met the require
ment of color. Meanwhile the Rover was
speeding on and Hickman doomed up in the
distance.
sailor came Fastening forward with beaming
face and in his grasp yellow funnel petti-
coat, the property of our old colored washer
woman. She had just withdrawn it from its
ablutions, and unsuspicious of the dangerous
distinction to which she was exposing it had
hung it out to dry. 1t was of a rich orange
yellow, and save being somewhat dense in
texture was just the thing" seam was
speedily ripped in this sample of Aunt
Snsan's drapery and the yellow pettcoat
was made fast to the halliards. Meanwhile
orders had been issued to the guns crew to
"cast loose and provide" our artillery
Then it was objected that the enemy would
Internationally see this warlike preparation
aud might fail to perceive exactly how to
reconcile the simultaneous phenomena of
the 32-pounder and the yellow petticoat, es-
pecially as they evidently did not precisely
comport with each other. 1t was proposed
to hide the gun with a tarpaulin, but this
seemed ratner unufgnfned.
In the midst of these diplomatic doubts
we came in front of Hickman. Up went
our flag to the forepcak, and with the yellow
petticoat of peace futtering amicably above
the grim majesty of war beneath, the Red
Rover passed triumphantly on her way. II
there were any of the hostiles at Hickman
there were, doubtless, SO non-plussed at the
spectacle of our novel duplex system OF
diplomacy that they forgot to shoot. Aunt
Susans petticoat long graced the masthead
Of the hospital ship and was never desc
Grated by a hostile shot but once. -Phits.
delphiG Times.