The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-18

men rushing to arms, and we soon found
that we could not get the schooner out
so the fire-brands we had brought were
lighted and flung into the hold.
Waiting few moments to see that
these were doing their work, we re-
treated to our boats and pulled away
into the darkness, stopping to send a
few rounds of grape and canister among
the men we saw forming ranks beyond
the blazing schooner. The work we had
set out to do was accomplished. The
Judah was cut adrift from the navy
yard, and went drifting with the tide
up the bay, a mass of leaping and curl
ing flames, while we slowly retraced our
way back to the ship.
DANDY Jack" become hero with us
after this, and when orders for him to
report North for command were re-
ceived, we were sorry to lose him But
it was not a long separation, for some
of us, as new men, were sent down to
take the place of those whose terms of
service had expired, and among those
were several of the group who had
greeted the new lieutenant with the
the name of Dandy Jack"
We did not care to remain long on
shore, even though discharged, and
seeking out the gun-boat that DANDY
Jack" had been ordered to command, we
shipped for three years, feeling sure
that we should not be idle. Those were
the busy days of the blockade, for though
men were plenty, they were not drilled
hands, and the few old men-of-war's men
who were attached to each vessel be-
came the pivots that gave this now ele-
ment strength.
| OF course there were many disparag-
| ing remarks passed about Dandy Jack, "
the now hands voting him milk-sop,
and declaring that we would never smell
powder while he was in command. We,
who had been with him in the boarding
of the Judah, knew better, and told our
comrades to wait, for Notwithstanding
the fact that Dandy Jack" insisted on
wearing kid gloves and patent leather
boots, and on having the decks scrubbed
and the bright work cleaned, they would
| find that he would not order them to go
on when danger stood in the way, but
would call for them to follow.
Many incredulous smilesgreeted these
assertions. but we did not take them to
heart, patiently biding our time, and
| feeling confident that Dandy Jack
would not be found wanting. We cruised
| along the Atlantic seaboard for some
| time, blockading inlets and small ports
on the Carolina and Georgia coasts, and
at last reported to the officer who had
command of the little squadron that
guarded the ports of the lower stretch
of the Atlantic shore.
BY this time wo had become thor
oughly drilled and wcll-t"ganized crew,
and landing party had been formed
that was formidable because of its strong
| discipline. This landing party was
DANDY Jack s. hobby, and l felt that
he would let no occasion to employ it
pass unimproved. Several times, when
we were patroling the coast, the ship
was run close in. and we were exercised
at storming imaginary earthworks, and
the spirit and dash shown by our com
mander at these times proved to my
mind at least that he had some object in
view.
| We had run north toward Savannah,
hoping to pick up littlo prize money,
and were steaming leisurcly southwark
again, when we made out sail making
| for us. The decks were cleared for ac-
ton. but we found this was superfiuous
work, vs. in reply to our signal the near
| ing craft set the number of the fleet, and
soon came alongside. Her captain, who
was the junior of our skipper. came on
| board, and though we had no positive
knowledge, a rumor soon spread through
the ship saying that some expedition
had been determined on.
We were certainly headed SOUTH and
the ships kept in company, arriving the
next morning at an inlet just north of
the Florida line, where We found several
more of the little squadron gathered. A
council quickly convened on board of
the flagship, and the result was an
afternoon of preparation, every thing
pointing to landing. OF course DANDY
Jack" was in his element, and it was
soon seen that he was the leading spirit
of the affair, as the other commanders
made frequent visits to our vessel.
just below shutdown we all hove up
anchors and steamed northward, keep
ing the coast well in view, and little
after night-fall we came to where anoth-
er vessel of the fleet was anchored. We
made no signals, for such were the Or
ders, and her captain was evidently OK
pecting us, but came to anchor. and
were ordered to turn in, as we would be
called early
| 1t was but three in the morning when
we were reused from our hammocks, and
| found that hot breakfast was already
waiting us. This was promptly attended
| TO- and the boats were then lowered,
armed and manned, and on pulling to-
ward the flagship, we found our COM
rades gathering there, and just as the
bell struck eight for four o'clock, we
bent to our oars at the command of
''Give way and made for the dim loom
that told where the shore lay.
Dandy Jack" was in our boat, and
our boat was in the van. Soon we saw
that we had entered the mouth of an
inlet, and we as quickly noticed that wo
were headed for the southern bank.
The morning was misty, and backward,
but the pallor of the coming day was
growing in the east, and we knew that
| we would soon be discovered IL a rood