The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-07-31


dings.
] mention them all, for they arc all worthy of
honor A braver lot of men never lived.
Tho rebel boats were the Ellis, Raleigh,
| Fanny, Beaufort, AcComac, Forrest. and Sea
| Bird. All were sunk captured or burned ex-
cept the Raleigh and Beaufort, which escaped,
but only, it is felt, for the time being, as they
! cannot get far away, and we shall overhaul
them sooner or later The feet was commanded
| by Commodore Lynch. who, with all his Cap
tains, deserted from our navy at tho outbreak
of the war and took up arms against the Gov
| ernmcnt which had educated and supported
him and them.
do not envy them tho feelings they must
! have.
While the wounded prisoners wero being
| transferred to our vessel | caught n brief
glance Of two faces that it seemed to me had
seen before. The thought was but momcntary,
and speedily vanished in the whirl of more
exciting ones. The pursuit of tho fleeing gun
| boats, the rescuing of men who were clinging
| to timbcrs in the water, the shelling OF the
| garrison fleeing from the fort, the burning Of
| the town, and. finally, the raising OF our flag
| upon the abandoned fort. which had SO savagely
| battered us, claimed our attention. Then we
| turned in TO help the sailors clear up the wreck
and litter which the fight had left on our ship.
| This was startling sight to contemplate with
cooling blood. The once trim, neat little ship,
on which, an hour before, everything
! clean and orderly rs in your paror, looked as
! if ii had been the roveling.ground for wild
whirlwind. The white deck was stained with
| blood bulwaTks were smashed in one of the
masts was half cut in two by large shot from
| the bow gun of one of the rebel ships; garments
! thrown off in the heat of the fight, or torn away
| TO lay bare q wound were scattered here and
! there; cutlasscs, revolvers. boarding. pixies and
/ muskcts. broken and unbrokeu, mingled in
wild confusion on the deck with glass from the
shattered windows. fragments of iron, and
| "splinters" varying in size from that of
! toothpick TO a section Of fence rail. Severed
ropes and tattcrcd sails swung and fapt over
! our heads.
Ian and were sent below to bring up some
| thing that was needed on deck. We passed
near the room in which the Surgeons were
caring for the wounded. A voice that / had
heard somewhere said to the Surgeon
Doctor, | wish you would come here at
once sir. and examine my wound"
=" will see you in your turn, sir" replied
the Surgeon. These men hero were sent
down first, they are hurt the worst, and must
attend to them first"
But | am an officer. SIR" said the first
speaker, land you should attend TO the officers
first"
There arc no shoulder straps on mems
MANNED bodies" replied the Surgeon, severely
land manned bodies are the only things n
surgeon has tho right to consider. You must
wait, sir, until those who are worse wounded
are cared for"
Where did hear that voice before p said
to Ian.
"Whore?" answered he; "why. out at the
Lomax house. It's JEFF Lomax"
] looked into the room, and saw that he was
right. Though their faces were bloody, and
distorted with pain, ] had little difficulty in
recognizing JEFF Lomax and his friend Guin.
nep. IL was their countcnances which had
aroused my recollection.
GuiuHep had dirty cloth tied around his
head, and his hair was matted with blood.
Lomax had slipt his left arm out Of his coat,
and with his right hand was holding a hand
kerchicf to bleeding wound in his shoulder
Il b'leve I'll go in aud offer to help Lo--
them," said Ian.
It was not difficult to understand what was
passing ia his mind. He was always ready 10
help where he could. but / doubt If II would
have occurred TO him to 20 to Lomax's assist
ancc if that misguided Southern brother bad not
had handsome cousin named Samantha L0-
max, who did not nj first recognizr him. received
his proiIer condescendingly and as q matter of
course taking him for one OF the hospital assist
ants of the Surgeon
Yes. my man" said he, "you can help me-
You're late in getting around. but it's better late
than never. First, help me of with my coat aud
shirt. Now, get basin of warm water aud
soft towel and clean of this blood. BE rs easy
as you can, for got an ugly prod with bayo-
net 1t hurts good deal, bat itll soon heal,
and then I'll get back in the field and pay you
fellows for IL with interest"
Don't be too sauguine," said Ian, N he
came back with the basin and towel g the next
time you may not get of so easily. II my foot
hadn't slipt--"
Here none Of your lecturng me- Mr..
Apothecary." broke in Lomax, haughtly.
" That's not your business. Your business Is 10
a Il
yourself TO that"
Heavens, Tracy" said Ian. as he came out
by me TO empty the basin, IS / came within
bair's-breadth of letting out that ii was / who
struck him with the bay0net aud that IL my
foot hadn't slipt on a beIaying-pin the bayonet
would have gone through him mighty close TO
his heart. How could / have been 50 careless
with my tOngue?"
trained hospital attendant could not have
dres cd the wound any more deftly than Ian
did. LomaK staggered. denounced the Yam
KEGS, aud pratroBiZed Ian, during the whole
operation, without getting a reply from him
until IL was concluded, when Ian said:
There, now, Dir. Lomax. you'll feel easier,
trust"
Lieutenant Lomax, ii you please" said tho
Virginian. haughiily. "But how the devil did
you know my name IL LOmax? Where did you
ever sec me beloTe7 Let me SEQ il seems to
me that I've seen you. Where could IL have
been? o, yes, / remember; it was at Aunt
Rebecca's house, where you were stealing
chickens"
Lan's face got very red and hot
Beg your pardon; buying thom," said he
sharply.
Excuse me-" replied the yirginian. with
a sneer. " believe you did make "A pretense
Of giving something for them. You seemed 10
belong 10 the fighting force then. / suppose
you soon found the work of subjugating us
borB Southernors too difficult and danger.
Gus for your tastes, and you got transferred to
the hospital squad"
never saw the gentle Ian have so much
work 10 control his temper. / think he stopt
and counted 100 before answering, and then
said, In bis usual calm, sweet voice:
=" 1T - certainly not easy work 10 overcome
you people. but | think we are making fair
success at II. The operations of ths last few
days point that way very clearly. Wo'yo
beaten you, standing on your own ground"
That was because You were 10 10 one and
had your gunboats 10 help You'll not have 10
that way always. When you get down 10
where you don't have more than three or four
to one wen beat you every time. You never
can conquer US. Your men are no match for
ours You recognize that yourself, by getting
into a saie place, and leaving the hard lighting
10 be done by Irish aud Dutch that you hire,
ike the British did the Hessans"
I" / don't recognize it," said Lam. blazing up.
" myself saw you whipt, in q fair fight by a
man whom we have now on board this vessel,
and 1t was ] that gave you that punch with
the bay0net, which brought you 10 terms If
my foot hadn't slipt it would have been much
f.Ta 10