Wichita eagle., 1888-05-27

"A - ) E sEss stHSH. aeIII a
branches and flying splinters. WordIess
called the ceaseless fire a military wood cut
ting machine; cords of wood might have been
gathered the next morning in our vicinity,
though it would hardly have been worth the
powder and iron expended for it.
In lull of the cannonade We overheard
a group Of men near us giving directions as
to the disposition of their bodies in case they
should be killed. Being all married but one,
they wished their remains and what money
and valuables they had on their persons
sent home to their wives. The bachelor, who
was the Bohemian correspondent of a Chi
cago newspaper, said: BURY me just where
1 lie; nobody cares for me, and haven't
cent in my pocket" Halluyt laughed at
this, and said: 'It's great comfort, isn't its
when a fellow is In danger to think that he
isn't married" 81 have heard" replied,
that mature husbands are often Indifferent
10 danger, even to death" Is 1t because
they have nothing to live for2 or because
they have nothing more to fear" Another
roar of the batteries prevented a response;
and as the gunboats had passed, the firing
gradually ceased, and in an hour or two We
were asleep on one of the transports
That nights experience had awakened in
both Of Us desire to run the batteries. He
thought it might be exciting, sort of sensa-
tion since all that could be done would be;
as the phrase is, to stand and take it, which
is commonly thought to be trial of courage.
/ told him that his valor had been tried SO
often that it was superfluous to try itfurther.
But he insisted, as before, that exposure to a
new kind of peril might frlghten a man who
had reason tc believe himself brave, and
added: II have never run batteries, you
know, and the thing appeals TO my imagina-
ton. l hope we shall do it together, some
time"
Within a week he was ordered to Wash
ington as bearer of important dispatches,
expecting to return speedily. The plan of
the campaign against Ficksburg demanded
that some OF the transports should pass the
town, and preparations were made TO that
end A year before, when Gen ". 7. Sherman
had suggested the idea, he was pronounced
crazy. 1t had always been accepted as an
incontroyertible military fact that a wooden
vessel could not go by stationary battery of
heavy grade The attempt had never been
made by any nation But America was going
to try it; indeed Farragut's war ships had
already tried it successfully. We had already
taught Europe various military lessons, and
we were destined to teach her more. l had
arranged to run the batteries on the first
transport that WIGS to steam past the strongly
defended town. | had teeGraphed to Word
less, who had replied: "Am very anxious to
accompany you. Wait for me"
l waited, and lost my opportunity. The
first transport went, and the second, and
the third, and they all got through.
Meantime the river was steadily falling, and
the conditions for running the batteries
grew more and more unfavorable Ny
friend did not come. l telegraphed again
and again; no answer. What could be the
causea He was so faithful TO his word that
became alarmed. Finally the last expedition
was fitting out; it was composed of two
barges loaded with provisions and bales Of
hay, to be dashed to a tug. The soldiers be-
low needed rations, and the horses fodder.
No time was to be lost must go then, or
not at all, and had set my heart on having
the experience.
The night fixed for our departure was
Sunday, May s, 1853. The moon was full,
and, at the hour when we should be opposite
the batteries, would be in the zenith. Sew
eral old Mississippi pilots, hearing Of my In
tent, came to me and urged me not to make
the venture They said the water was very
low; the barges were unmauageable; the
enemy had felled most of the trees on the
peninsula, so as to have no obstruction be-
tween their guns and the Yankee boats,
which had to follow a sharp bend in the
stream, bringing them in direct range of the
batteries when several miles above
the city. The artillerymen, they insisted, had
got the range By practice, and, assisted by the
brilliant moonlight, would make every shot
tell The probabilities were that We should
get aground in turning the bend, and be at
the mercy of the heavy guns We should,
in all likelihood, be completely destroyed;
not a MAJ would escape.
My reply to all this was that, as was
simply seeking q sensation, the greater the
danger the greater the sensation They fnti-
mated that was blank fool, and too young
70 know how big q fool might be
We got OF just before midnight The
night was like day, the moon being 50 bright
that we read papers and letters after start
ing. Two other war correspondents of New
York journals. who were my friends, were
on the expedition, which was abominsbly
lifted out--a regular death trap, SIS one OF
the pilots had pronounced It Fifteen en-
listed men who had volunteered for the occa-
sion-It was the custom In the army TO call
for volunteers for any service considered par
ticularly perilO0s-tvvo officers, and the crew
Of the tug brought the number up 70 thirty
four. The night WIS beautiful, very warm,
and singularly still We foaeei with the
current, not willing 70 arorss the attention
Of the enemy, II We could help Il, by puL-s Of
steSTa- But our precautions were furiia Ee
had seen Us We had barely &C: opposite the
batteries, on the fur aer side OF TIE bend.
VIXEN we saw a fash, followed bv a re-
port, and thud near the water line OF
the nearer barge assured US that the g.inrers
7 BAD indeed got the rare The next Instant
every battery TIA. could Re trained upc1 Us
WAS beloGlns forth fame and Irua We were
continuously under fire Tor four miles. first
rounding the bend and lacn slowly moving