Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-07
HAGGEND0RPH.

frigate Congress, lying off the Brooklyn navy
yard, bound to the Mediterranean as Com
modore Goldsborough's flagship. On one Of
my first nights aboard was in the mid
watch. Lieut.. Escott was officer Of the
deck. My station was on the port side with
in easy call of him. and Passed Midshipman
Guard was on the forecastle.
The night was still and rather dark, with
no moon. A little after midnight the sentry
at the port gangway hailed a boat, from
which came the return hail, "Nol mol" sig
nifying that it was ships boat bringing
officers below the rank Of lieutenant They
were two passed midshipmen, coming home
from trip to the city.
The night continued very still There was
no sound to be heard except occasionally the
sentry's step at the gangway. Lieut.. Escott
stood stiff against the poop bulkhead, appar-
emily asleep. had never kept a midwatch
before, and was oppressed by the stiffness.
had been there along time walking alone,
when the port gangway sentry called out,
"Man overboardl" l sprang to his side, and
could see faint streak in the water, evident
ly the wake of man swimming.
'It's a deserterl' I cried. "Shoot him,
sentry, quickl"
The marine leve1ed his musket, aimed and
fired. 1t was not possible in the darkness to
say whether the swimmer was hit. Mr.. Es-
colt sent Mr.. Guard with a boats crew to
search for the deserter. No trace Of him
could be found.
Peter Haggendorph's hammock on the
berth deck was found empty, and the morn
ing's muster proved that he was the runaway.
He was in my gun division, and I had re-
marked his very bushy hair and beard, and
hod ole avod 1nOly
that at long intervals seemed to CLEAN
athwart his face 1t would appear for a Sec
ond and then vanish.
The next day the commodore sent me to
the naval rendezvous in Cherry street to say
that he was only waiting for a few more men
to sail. Lieut.. Newman was acting as exam
iner, and I stayed while to chat with him.
While there tall fellow, with very close
cut hair and mutton chop whiskers, applied
to be shipped as an able seaman. Newman
asked him the ordinary questions, all of
which he answered intelligently. He was
sent into the doctors room for physical ex-
animation, and as he went by me caught a
cross eyed CLEAN from his eyes which was
either Haggendorph's or precisely like it.
TITS the deserter shipping again to get three
months advance wages,"I said to myself,
and as soon as he was out of the room 1 told
my suspicious to Newman. The man gave
his name as James Davis, nativity English,
and told an apparently straight story. New
man shipped him, and he went to sea with
us, and was again in my gun division.
No one recognized him as Haggendorph.
He proved to be an overreaching, unpopular
man among his messnates, and was once
placed in the custody of the master at arms
for gambling at cards. Learned also that he
had deposited some money with the purser.
We were bound first for Cadiz, and at the
end of four weeks were becalmed off that
port. The water was warm, and the ships
company INDUCED freely in bathing. watch
ed Davis in the water, and could see that he
was good swimmer. 1 once swan near him,
and found that, although was the swiftest
swimmer of my date at Annapolis, he was
fully my equal.
On reaching Cadiz, we moored to buoy
near the Naval hospital, between the south
end of tho town and the open country on the
other side of the harbor. Commodore Colds
borough paid several visits of ceremony,
taking the midshipmen in turn as his aids;
but accepted no invitations for the evenings,
feeling sure that Davis was Haggendorph,
and would attempt to desert again. was
determined to arrest him if he did.
Some of the men were given liberty ashore,
but he, along with all who had been punished
on the voyage, was excepted. Davis got
draft on England from the purser for the
money he had deposited, and when learned
from trusty quarter gunner of his mess,
whom l had taken into my confidence, that
he had sent bundle of clothing into the city,
felt sure that he meant to cut us again.
Every night I watched him from bunk
not far from his. The attempt soon came.
saw him get quietly down from his hammock
and walk forward, as he had a perfect right
to do. l ran up on deck in my stocking feet,
with small pistol in my hand, sprang over
the side and down the outside ladder. He
was already in the water. hailed him:
"Davis, come back or you're dead mani"
to the sentry above:
"Tell the officer of the deck to send a boat
for mel There's deserter in the water!"
With my pistol in one hand SWAN with
the other in the direction Davis had taken
toward the nearest shore. In a moment
heard the boatswain's whistle, and the boat
called away.
swan with all my might, and when nv
feet touched bottom, stood up and saw Davis
about fifty feet ahead of mo wading to shore.
SdilCo w dlil1 w oCOp ea1Ao piooo1
at him, but he got away.
Search by the boats crew did no good
went back to the ship rather down in til.
mouth, but consoled by the thought that
had been correct in my suspicious.
The commodore sent for me next morning,
and complimented me on my swim
1--WE don't want the rascal here among
honest men," said he, ''but he ought to be
caught and punished, and drummed out of
the service"
Commodore" said 1, eff you will leave
me ashore, will find him and arrest him.
81 have no objections" he replied, and he
told his secretary to write a letter to the
United States consul vouching for me.
1--WE shall sail tomorrow" he added, "and
you may join us at Gibraltar or Spezia, as
you find convenient. Get money for your
travelling expenses from the purser."
l at once dotted my uniform, put on citi-
zen's clothes, and, with some extra linen in a
satchel, went ashore. The first call made
was at theatrical costunler's, where l had
uly hair cured and some whiskers fastened
tony cheeks. ] was sure my disguise was eff
fectiYe, Haggendorph meyer having seen me
except in UNIFORM. | called at the consult
and at the office of the project of police, where
engaged detective
He and visited Immediately the bureaus
of the various diligences leaving the city
the railroad was not then finished-and
placed him in charge of those points, taking
upon myself to watch the shipping. l was
sure my man would try to leave the town
by sea.
Nearly three weeks passed without any
signs of the fugitive, when, one morning, |
heard, while at breakfast, the reports of naval
guns firing salute. l hurried down to the
harhor, and saw an English seventy -four at
the Congress old ln n!
Later in the day went aboard ard paid
my compliments to the midshipmen in the
Storage. They were very pleasant fellows.
One Of them. Dundonald. soon became good