The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-20
DAWSON WHEN A BOY.
Row THE MURDERED EDITOR EN-
TERED THE CONFEDERACY

1
His Fxperience as an Amateur Sea-
man lin Picturesque Costume and
with Bowie Knife Fifteen Inches
Long-The Editor as He Appeared
at21.
From the Washington Post
The death of Capt. Francis w. Dawson,
which occurred in Charleston last week,
was the tragic end of an interesting and
adventurous career. Many years of it were
spent in the confederate service, and the
story, as he has told it, of his experiences
both on land and sea is interesting.
1t was in the autumn of 1861 that young
Dawson, then an English lad and filed with
a desire to link his fortunes with those of
the confederacy, took train to Southamp-
ton in order to sell to the United States on
the confederate steamer Nashville, then in
that port. He was 81 years old, looking,
however, more like boy of II,
and with no more knowledge of the
sea than the veriest street gamin in all
London. Naturally enough, Capt. Pegram,
the commander of the Nashville, declined
to find place for the strange boy who thus
suddenly and without friends appeared be-
fore him. "There is only one thing that
can be DONE" said Capt. Pegram, finally.
"If you like to go as sailor before the
mast will take you, but of course you will
not dream of doing that" 81 will do it"
said the boy.
Returning to London, young Dawson
began at once to make arrangements for his
departure. A friend from Arkansas had
told him that the one indispensable thing
was a bowie-knife, EXPLAIN q at the same
fba 4 n Vvh bn
could be put He had told the credulous
young Englishman that there would be no
difficulty in Selling the gun of a union
soldier by the muzzle and with one dexter
Gus blow sever the barrel in twain.
Another way of using it, said this
Arkansas romancer, was to attach a
cord to the handle of knife
and, with a skillful throw, drive the blade
into the heart of the advancing foeman.
and when he should have fallen it could
be hauled back by the string and the opera
ton repeated on another of the enemy
Doubling somewhat his ability to use the
knife in this fashion, young Dawson never
theless had one constructed after pattern
given him by his Arkansas friend A san
guinary-looking weapon it was The blade
was Is inches long and about 8 inches
wide at the broadcast part, and Il of an
inch thick at the back. The would
be- sailor provided himself with sea-
chest, which, Accord g to Marryatt's
novels, was indispensable to a seafaring
man; caused his name to be painted on it in
big white letters, and held himself in readi-
ness to start. No summons came, and
Malomet went to the mountain. At South
amptOn Mr.. Dawson purchased a pict-
uresque costume. 1t consisted of blue
wooden shirt, open at the neck; black silk
handkerchief, with ample flowing ends,
tied loosely around the neck, blue trousers,
d. IL - l.
two inches in circumference at the bottom,
and fiat cloth cap, ornamented with long
black ribbons
Unfortunately for the new sailor, bis
nautical appearance was vastly out of pro-
portion to his nautical Knowledge The
very seamen themselves were strange char
acters TO him. There were eight of them
an lrishman and Belgian, North Caro-
llnian and a Swede, fit cockney and a
Frenchman, a Scotchman and Spaniard.
They were all dirty and
all obscene. When dinner time
came there WAS a scramble for dirty
knives, forks and spoons; then greasy boy
brought down q large dish containing roast
beef and potatoes and dumped it on the
deck. The men clustered around the dish.
One of them seized the meat with his left
hand, hacked off large piece with his
dull knife in his right, clutched a handful
of potatoes out of the dish, and then re-
tired to quiet corner with his prey Each
Of the others did the same. But the new
sailor would have none Of this, and until
the ship left the harbor he ate his MEALS in
town.
Polishing brass work, cleaning spittoons,
and doing all kinds of dirty work kept the
future editor busy, with occasional happy
moments Of quietude in the pilot-house with
novel, Finally. the ship, commonly
spoken of as the pirate turned its PROV
toward the shores of the United States. All
the unpleasant sights and experiences which
young Dawson had thus far gone through
had not dulled the keen edge of his enthu-
siasm. He had an aptitude for versifc l.
ton, and as tho ship gently rose aud fell on
the broad waves of the Atlantic the crew
sang song which he had written, and all
together they shouted out the chorus:
Hurrah! three cheers! so gaily let us sing,
or all the lands that crown the earth,
Old Dlxie's is the king.
But it was not all poetry and song for the
young sailor. One day all hands were or
dered aloft to reef the foretopsail. Dawson
knew nothing of gymnastics. The only
nights he had ever climbed were by flights
oil stairs with strong baluster for accom-
paniment. He was not eager to ascend to
the dizzy topmast, but he had to obey or
ders he made desperate effort, missing
every second or third ratline and
scraping the skin from his shins.
frightened nearly TO death, he
hugged the friendly mast with one arm and
Tried to manipulate the Tapping sail with
me other. The men who were up with
MN were his evil spirits. They forced him
out TO the extreme end Of the yard Plant
ing his feet squarely against the foot rope
ana resting his chest upon the yard, and
holding on like grim death with his hands,
ne got out TO the yard arm. Just then one
Of the men gave the rope jerk. MY heels
went up" said Capt. Dawson, in relating
Ine incident, land my head went down, but
saved myself from falling by a violent
guort and trusted to the foot-rope no more.
sing both hands In lifting the sail, l bal
auced my body IS ell as / could upon the
yard and at this moment l confess l would
noV nave given sixpence for my chance of
seeing the next mornings sun. But can
u1"h safe and more scared than hurt. The
men said that | left the marks of my fingers
" the stays, and that the wood was In
uented where grasped the yard"
save for a gale and the capture of
SST,Aooner, the trip over was without event.
Iue oIockaded harbor of Beaufort, N c.,
was successfully run by the help Of little
sLaUagem and good engine A morning
VI Two later 1.-THE man before the mast,
WINE about to flip up penny
decide which regiment he
slould JON. was told by Capt Pegram
.uaJ his conduct had been carefully
ImAIGhed' and that mis- case having been
INTO