National Republican., 1884-09-13
A GUNBOAT EPISODE.
REMINIsCENCE OF THE WAR ny AN Ex-
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
Attack on Gunboat by Infantry-A Sharp
and Novel Combat-Gllmpse OF an Old vir-
Einia Plantatlon-Scen and Incidents OF
Which Historians Have Taken No Note.

Elnia Plantatlon-Scenes and Incidents OF
which Historians Have Taken No Note.
In the summer Of 1862, shortly after
the battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks,
the federal gunboats on tho James river
were accustomed to come up the river with
in two or three miles Of Drury's bluff (Fort
Darling), and very frequently their crews
landed, and, without saying "by your
leave" helped themselves very freely to
provisions and live stock from tho rich
plantations adjacent to tho river banks
The intelligent contrabands, too, availed
themselves Of tho opportunities
which those frequent raids afforded
to betako themselves and their belong
ings-and sometimes their owners be-
longings-to the land Of freedom repre-
sented by Gen. Butler at Fortress
Monroe. Tho planters on the banks Of
tho James were thoroughly torrorized,
and those Of them who had the means
left their plantations in tho hands Of
their negroes and removed with their
families into Richmond or Petersburg;
or, ip the words of the "Contraband
Song'-
He seed de smoke way up dc ribber
where de Linktum gunboats lay,
An he TUX his hat an he ler mighty sudden,
An speot he's run away.
And still further is it literally true in
the words Of tho songs-"An' I'll mako
my bed on dc parlor floor, and wait for dc
kingdom to come" for surely no such
yyantOn daalructinn nf valuab1a uaranual
property as occurred in tho richly
furnished houses on tho plantations along
the James during tho period when Nc
Clellan sat down before Richmond was
witnessed anywhere else during the war.
This state of affairs aroused the confed-
crate authorities. and special details of
artillery from tho best light batteries
were made, escorted by cavalry with in
structions to take position at favorable
points on the river and to engage tho gum
boats, wherever found. Now at this
time tho majority Of the gunboats were
wooden vessels. so that it is not to be
wondered at that often times the batteries
got the bost of them, for by the selection
of proper positions on the bluffs the bat
teries would be out of reach Of tho heavy
guns of tho boats for the first three
rounds or so at all events.
If the reader will look at the map and
consult good history of the war it will
be seen that McClellan's left did not ex-
tend to tho Charles City road. that runs
from Richmond parallel with and nearest
to the river. Both banks of the river as
far down as the mouth of the Chicka.
hominy were up to the date of the Seven
Days battle practically in the hands OF
the confederates, except for the occasional
appearance Of a scouting party of federal
cavalry. Neither army had any consid-
cradle force in this locality, however.
All the attention was directed to the east
and north of Richmond.
On the date stated at the beginning OF
this article the authorities were informed
that there was q large amount of grain,
| forage, and live stock on tho plantation
of Mr.. Allen, situated on the left bank oi
the James, sOme three or four miles iii
my memory serves me aright) below
Drury's bluff. The information was
given by Mr.. Allen himself, / believe,
with the request that troops be sent to
bring the spoil into the lines. Mr.. Allen,
| who was tho gentleman who had adopted
the poet, Edgar A. Poe, as his son, lived
in Richmond. For some reason or other
the federal gunboats had spared his prop,
erty, and it had remained in pretty much
the Same state of hearty prosperity a:
existed before tho war begun. None o
the stock or grain had been molestod
and, moreover, not one of the one hun
dred and fifty slaves on tho place hat
deserted.
Well, early one bright morning dc
tail consisting of four companies from
tho eleventh and seventeenth Virgins
regiments, each accompanied by com
psny of cavalry, left the lines befor,
Richmond and, escorting long train o
wagons, took up tho line of march down
tho Charles City road en- route for tn,
Allen plantation. No artillery accom-
panied the column.
After brisk, breezy march of three Of
four hours we reached the gate of til,
magnificent avenue of live oaks whicl
led up to the mansion house, and fount
the entrance thronged with lively
chattering throng of blacks who greeted
us with the warmest of welcomes, having
been apparently notified of our coming
but, true to their nature, men. women
and children followed tho battalion in it
march up tho avenue, begging for to
bacco. No tobacco was grown upon tn
Allen estate, and for some time .th
negroes thereon had boon suffering iron
a tobacco famine. 1t is needless to sa,
| tUdJ llc nun tHtlE pluRb
with these people, who had given them 8
arms on tho spacious and we'll
kept lawn before tho house, tn
wagons were brought up, and under tn
direction of the overseer, one of the mos
digniiied, intelligent, and courteous col
ored men L ever saw or ever expect {
see, they were loaded with the produce o
the plantation. All the cattle, horse.
and mules that W erenot absolutely neces
sary for the support of the plantation col
ony, were brought out and corralled an
drivers placed in charge of them. Mean
time tho cavalry was picketed in front Q
US.
, As indicative of the carpe diem natur
of the negro, it was sad to an intelligeu
mind to note how lightly the negros
witnessed the taking away of the anima
which they had reared, the spoiation
of the crops raised at their hands, the r,
moyal of the furniture of the big hous
familiar 70 their eyes from earliest chile
hood-all of which were signs that tn
, conditions of their surroundings, with n
tho pleasant memories (fOr the negroC
were the happiest people that eve
existed when owned by humane an
, gentle masters) of childhood an
. | HluuHOuu Wblo ouuhNh'y W 10 ShaHSc'
But they laughed and frisked about III
troops, bringing offerings of fried chcke
and succotash and cake and sweet mil
and buttermilk, until the men could CT
{ and drink no more, but lay back on I'll
smooth sward under tho shade of tho oal
smoking their pipes in q dreamy dolce +,
} inente, la2ily watching the little half-cla
piccaninnies, who were timidly fumblin
about the cartridge boxes on the stacl
of arms and eyeing wistfully the beautifl
1 battle dag as its folds filled aud sunk
8 the kiss of the languid breeze from IL
, river. | shall never forget that pastor
, scena-the old mansion house, tho statel
, trees, tho broad green sward, the dol
and the fowls about the great portic
IL. ..n.rrn man woman md nhi