New-York tribune., 1885-03-01

TAers ara times to fight and times TO get ont oi
range This is one of the latter we arc hat = The
Let her drift and will 60 down anu oe0 """
Is left the pilothouse and walked to the stern p 70
go below the enemy s again tSis 0 time drfted some
masko.Iy. pus "r5s wo % avay and the fire did us ho
damage. ~, .l and 6red twice at
Ole ne 81 sV ,hosa on deck behind the cotton bales.
sized a mnsket with the intention Oh shooilne VIZ VIZ
fellow bnt suddenly bethought me Una, n,v +" direct
others To do it. So handed the mnsKeb pacA w. ,r M
owner and said shoot that fellow. ne sai,"s T
fired and the soldier fell dead oelne 81 M dnr;nc the
fine only man we killed of the enemy dur'ns '"o
engagement. ,. ,o ,olI.d the fighting
daek a shocking scene was presenter. lWehty u'o
nersons Law on the deck killed or wonnned, "mrms nt
the dead poor woman VIE OF me pt
who had her right arm ana snouei mseIsss y the
enemv,s sheL The side of the vessel ana her stern
were riddIcd and everything seemed torn 10 pieces:
q E;re the guns Off ! ordered, even ~ you can
b;t anythIng-don't let them think we are h,lrt'
Three contrabants loaded and hIed one OF tue guns-
the only fired after the hrst-there was ho oHo
In the engine room tound the engineer dead
with his hand on the thrOttle-valve tie was s,ahai
ing really to Obev orders from the deck wren s,Iu %
by a shell. In his couvulsiOas he turned on INC
steam which caused the vessel TO stop. lis TWO
assistants were killed or wounded
opened the throttle and the engine mo'eu' 'oi ~
had not been injured. -. 49,,
We proceeded rapidly down the river and in three
minutes were around point
The Confederates soon hnished all the contra
bands that were swimming in the river or ciinghe
had n relative on board the Cricket who had
gone on the expedition to see iiaoes io was
satisfied that what he had was next door 10 H.
ard lie was willing to return to his post. ,..o
As came ont OF the engine room saw q coutIa-
band holding on to Mrs. Holiness horse Why
Bob" said |. "you are a big or cowaru than thdI
horse you are frightened 70 death and 9ngEt 10 nG
ashamed of yourself" No, massa answered
Bob. q amt no coward. Dis Niger stans by his
colors TO de ias' If you was haf as frightened as
his chile you'd swim TO de sho. I've got what you
call de moral courage, sah' 49,.
And SO he had and that sort of courage Is better
than physical bravery.
took Bob home with me after the war anu h"uo
In August. ISSi, | received the following letter
from Pilot Drehing whose cool bravery on tnis oc-
caslOn deserves remembrance. 80, .
Yet q grateful country has so far withheld pm
son to which he is clearly entitled lie must DC
upwards OF eighty years OF age
GALENA, H., Aug. q, 1851
Adpi,ai Porter Washington. D. q.
DEAR Your very kind letter is received ana win
Twenty years have passed since the battic, yct re
member each name Of the killed and w9unded ana
firing To see the greatness OF inc country Az our eo
''"''' 0''' " 7. G. bnKSING
As soon as possible proceied down the river to
Alexandria to bury the dead and have the wounded
properly cared for conld do no good TO- those
above thev had to run the batteries ~ we did.
-Four miles Mellow fell IN with Captain selir1dge
in the light ron-clad Mosho.
Had had a single iron-clad we cond have driven
of our assaiants, but tin-clads don't amount 10
much in a fight against artillery.
sent Selirdge up to attack the batteries. Iretty
soon afterward fell IN with Lieutenant Bache IN
the Lex ingon who had been engaged all tue alter
noon with dying Whitworth batteries.
The Lexington was a good deal cnt mp. utDachc 3
S-lnch shell guns too much for the enemy, so
that we had AT least one success that day.
do not mention our little incident as a battle
but simply to show the kind of experience 10 which
the navy in the West was subjected. and tho
courage which the officers and men exhibited.
1t is one tb ng to 6c the open ocean able to see
your enemy and know that you can give gun fer
gun in manly fashion. instead of being shot ut from
behind bushes and banks.
Think of being pursued day after day by party
of bushwhackers, watching from behind trees FOR
chance to pick YOU OIL
One can hardly realize the danger to which the
pilots and engineers of the squadron were exposed
have g. - q pilot receive ball in his brain just ~
his hand touched the wheel.
The pilots were targets for the euemy to shoot ~,
and he who could boast that lie had killed one was
popular man.
The pilots were mostly Western men by birth;
hut passing their lives on the Mississippi brought
them into Intimate relations with the Souther
people. who looked upon all that were loyal To the
Union as traitors to the Southern cause.
DAVID y. PORTER.
Admiral L. ). NJ
Copyright. 1855.
.rlts from a work now prcp1rpx " Admiral