The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-01-17
citcment. Ono day he intimated to d !
pickney that he might take the Rover
down to tho bend above vickburg to

Ilckney That lie mlRnt take tho kOve1
down to tho bend above Vickbnrg to
ward evening tjust for M airingj and
anchor there for the night. We knew
what that meant. And all the weary
sufferers on board soon knew it, too. II
was better than dose Of uuinine.
There is no tonic like going into action,
or seeing your friend go in.
AT sunset we weighed anchor and
stood down the river and took "or.
chestra seats" as spectators and aud.
itors Of drama which would be lit by
the lurid blaze of artillery and accom-.
panied by the music of its thunder. II
was n clear and splendid evening, but
as tho shades Of night closed In the
sky, though starlit, became hazy, and 4
gloom settled over the river, which
rendered almost undistinguishable th,
outlines Of its shores. As the darkness
thickened heard the remark often re.
pcated among our invalid boarders
1T is just the night for It,"
IL was touching to sec wounded
veterans who that morning would have
thought 1t impossible to leave thei,
cots, straining their crippled sinews te
Chamber up to the hurricane desk,
where they might have the best view ol
the scene to be enacted. There was
little conversation on board that even
ing. Anticipation was too busy fol
words. We were oppressed with tha,
sense OF expectancy of something un
defined and fearful which engrosses the
attention and renders language mute
The time seemed interminable. w.
thought the devoted squadron would
never appear. We strained our sigh,
to pierce the thickening shadows, and
held our breath to listen for the pant
ings of the steam. At last we tired o
Watching and waiting. Midnight was
Mt hand and we began to fancy tha,
something had caused u postponemen,
| Of the movement.
A SPECTRAL PROCESSION.
Just then some one in the pilot house
exclaimed, in stage whisper, bu,
which was heard by all, SO intently
silent were we:
There they comet" We gazed up
the channel and saw the dark form o
the Benton evolve itself out Of the in
visible. Like Banquo's line of specters
the others followed. There was nc
CLEAN Of light, no wreath Of vapor, nc
pulse of the paddle wheels, and no res
piration of the steam. The long column
swept hy us in majestic but horrible
silence. There was weird ghostliness
about this death-like apparition more
impressive and appalling than il it had
shone with the flashes and shiverel with
the roar of the grim monsters We
knew were frowning from those dusky
portfolios. have witnessed wild and
thrilling scenes, but all fade beside tn.
memory of the awe-inspiring passage
Of that spectral procession.
The transports came last, and defined
against the glimmer OF the sky we could
distinguish the outlines of our friends
the pilots, statue-likc. at .ither side o
the naked wheels. Not man aboard
ship but envied them the rapture of the
fierce experience before them. AS tn.
shadowy squadron appeared so it van
ished. 1t glided out of the night ant
departed into it again. 1t left u.
hroathless, awe-struck. We rubbed
our ewes and wondered il thu vision ha.
been real. Then there was another
interval of excruciating suspense. W.
waited aaxiously. The last scene wa:
about to open.
the TnrNpERors ERUPTION.
At length We saw single flash. Their
another AMI another and another, ther
whole sheet Of flame, followed hy tn,
deep crashing thunder of the "drea,
artillery" The sky lit with the ligh
If a contlagration. The enemy, provi
dent for this event, had filed vacan
buildings with combustihles, and nov
fired them to illuminate the river an,
give their cannonecrs a better chanc,
for aim. Rut the night was still. an,
the dease smoke Of the burning struct
ures and Of the busy batteries hung lik,
a lurid shee: over the surface of til,
stream. Everything was enveloped il
u varors veil, through which could onl,
I've deserted the quick erup,ions cf til,
volcano of guns as they hurled thei
iron tempest ut the passing squadron
SO hewlllering was the storm tina
the pilot IF the Tuscumhia lost his bear
ags. and finally turned his ship com
lplcselv around, heading up tn,
stream, While i'm this position, bu
without yet suspecting it, her command
er, who was on deck, told me that h,
looked up and saw close above him tn,
upper works of one of the steam trans
ports rs she swep, 10y. The pilots
standing nj the naked wheel, loome,
ont like gigantic spcctess. He hailct
item to know how they were gettin,
on, Albright, by Cd" they shout
ed back. and on they went.
The passing Of Nicksburg took no
many minutes, but they were capacious
and had good deal crowded int,
them. We lost one of the transport
the Henry Clay) and had another $,
disabled taa. she had to be towed ou
Of range. Otherwise the damage wa
less serious than had been expected
Mos. of the enemy's shot We're thrown
away. Accuracy in shooting on tn,
wing with lao-pounders when all hand
are i'm q hurry is rot easy. Soon tn
glare of the conilagrations faded again
into darkness; the last echoes Of artil
lery ,hsnders rolled away over tn
Warrenton hills: the quiet Of a summe
midnight descended once more apo
the troubled bosom of The river, and "
knew that the gauntlet of Nickshur
defenses had been run.-Phiiddell,hs.
! Times.
A Coed Nerd for the s.Rullhead.'