The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-03-22
THE BOATSWAIN'S STORY.

THE BOATSWAIN'S STORY.
The last campaign of that veteran OF
the Mexican war, Gen. Wool, was
made when he led a division of the
volunteers of 81 from Newport News
and Fortress Monroe, and occupied
Norfolk, Suffolk, and Gosport in Vir-
ginia, after the contederates evacu-
ated those places.
We were aroused before dawn that
morning by repeated explosions from
across Hampton roads and tlOcked from
our tents and stood wondering in the
light from the conilagration what the
sounds and the glare could mean.
1t was not long before a courier ar
rived from the fort who brought the It'd
ings that the confederates were retiring
and had set fire TO the buildings in
Gosport navy yards. What they could
not burn they had blown up, and last,
but not least, they had exploded the
magazine of the Merrimac and sunk
that formidable ironclad in the Eliza
beth river. He bore orders to the
brigade commander to hold the troops
in readiness to embark on transports
which were on the way, and report of
the fortress.
The transports arrived in a few
hours, and we steamed down the roads
and up the Elizabeth river, and landed
within short march of the city Of
Norfolk. On the way we were met by
the mayor and civic delegation, who
went through the motions of a surren-
der, and we camped at different points
and threw out guards.
1t was while we were on guard one
day that the boatswain told his story.
He was fine specimen of Uncle Sam S
Jackets; but it was the matter of his
story, perhaps, and not his manner of
telling it that drew the relief guard
close around him as he told the simple
tale.
You see," he began, when the
Merrimac pushed up the roads that
day and SUNK the Congress and the
Cumberland off the News she passed
our craft, the flagship, at quite dis
lance in one of the north channels of
the roads. Ye see, the roads is full Of
channels, not very big; good enough
in places for frigate to swing in, but
there's bars between the channels, and
as it was getting late in the afternoon
and it might be dark before she could
get down toward the Rip Raps and
steam up to us-as she was a slow-go-
ing craft-and, as l suppose, she
thought she had glory enough for one
day in sinking two of our tirst-class
frigates. she pitched a shot at us as a
card that she would call in the morn
ing, and went back TO her moorings up
here in the river where we are. You
see, the flagship had run aground and
stuck fast on bar, and when the old
man, that's the commodore, found the
Merrimac going to dock he set all
hands to tighten ship. After we pitched
over everything we could lay hands on
we were stuck as fast as ever. Then
the old man had Us open the magazine
and lay train and the boats were got
ready, you see, so we could slip OIL
and blow the old girl up whenever the
Merrimac was sighted. They knew well
we were stuck on the bar.
1T was just closing in evening when
the old man from the quarterback
spied a strange craft coming up from
the fort, and he kept his glass on her
for long time. They've got the col
ors, anyway says he, as he shut up
the glass and laid hold OF his trumpet
And he waited till she was within hail
and he bawls at her:
"'What craft is that?' and the an
swer came back:
"'The floating battery Monitor, Capt.
Worden.
"The cheese-box came under our
quarter and we looked down on her
from the deck and she looked along
side of us like a handful of duff at the
bottom of the cooks big kettle.
"The old man shook his head and
ordered her to lay by till morning; but
he didn't take up the train from the
magazine.
THE most of us turned in, but were
all on deck at dawn.
along in the forenoon we saw the
smoke coming down by Sewall's point,
and then the Merrimac came out, and
it looked as if she was steering straight
for the fortress. All of the shipping
seemed to think so too, and such as
had steam began to creep in under the
guns of the fort and the tugs pulled
away at the sail.vessels.
at was sight to see fleet running
from a thing that looked like long
woodshed on shore. But the Merr-
mac was after the flagship. When she
got the channel she turned and came
straight for us.
when the old man saw the ma
neuver he ordered the Monitor to stand
out and meet her. Then all hands were
piped to quarters; not to fight you see,
but to be ready to quit the ship; we
all knew the old man doubted the
Monitor, and so did We.
sWhen the id little cheese-box
steamed round us and stood down the
channel and got well away, we could
see the Merrimac stop to look at her,
but the Monitor kept on full head and
bore down.
Then the Merrimac steered q bit,
sn1 tbars uss a nuff ~ smoka from her