The National tribune., 1890-07-24

EXPLANATION:
A. PlRce of landing.
i. Transports with troops.
G. Union war vessels.
ID. Rebel gunboats-

ELFIAEATIOs:
A Place OF landing.
i. Transports with troops.
G.. Union war vessels
D. Rebel gunoOats-
come LIQUID IN ponchOs or blankets, which
we afterward Wrung out
We became terribly impatient for the for
ward movement, but day after day something
tnterfered 70 prevent it. Sometimes IL was the
necessity Of getting the rest Of the vesselsoYer
the "SEash," and at others il was terrible
gales which put stop 70 all operations, ez-
cept those u taking care Of ourselves and pre-
venting our ships from dashing themselves 70
pieces against each other in our close quarters
By the last Of the month the whole feet WAS
inside and IN readiness 70 move forward upon
receipt Of orders
Seven men who know something Of boats
and stean-engineE, are wanted 10 man steam
lsnch for picket and scouting duty" called out
the Adjutant on the evening Of Feb. i.
Here we be. AdjBtaat," spoke up Job, as
soon ss the words were out Of the officers
mouth. "Heres just seven Of us. ready for
anything in the world but staying any longer
aboard this old stOck-pcn."
Are you sure you can manage one Of those
steem -lanchssr" inquired the AdjBtant, look
ing ns over critically.
% yes; dead suse," said job confidently
q lie would undertake TO run the Great East
err" mutiered Ian IN my ear.
an boss bostman. tell you," continued
Job. Learned it when j was fishing and
hunting. ] can rUn ar engine, too, with tie
best Of EN-. This boys good engineer too
(pOiuting 20 WEBB used 10 run an excursion
boat on the canal"
al right" assented the Adjutant " ] guess
you'll do. Draw 20 rounds Of cartridges and
three days' rati0ns and report on board that
vessel there. You will be under the command
OF tie Captain, who will instruct you Is 10 your
duties"
We did 50, and were assigned TO 8 stout, open
boat, witt short brass gun in the bow and a
small engine in the stern.
The Oibcer explained 10 Us that We were 10
take up Onr position IN advance Of the feet as
q pieket~POsf, keeping q sharp lookout on all
movements Of the enemy. aud especially for
night movements Of rebel boats intending TO
surprise our vessels board Lbem, sink them
with tOFpedOes, set them afire, etc. Further
instructions would be communicated from time
20 time.
Well, this is q change, anyway, as the feller
eaid who'd been fed hog and hominy three
times day, when he was told that he'd now get
cornbread and pork" remarked job, rs we
slowed ourselves aud our belongings away IN
the narrow quarters assigned as.
~Our new residence isn't euoite 50 imposing
as the ould one" philosophical Qun. 4" IL ism 4
but hali-sto-y hoigh, where the ither wa
four, but naytber Is il 50 hoigh down below
Oi name 90 dape up from the bottom. We d0n'i
dhrRW 50 much WAtber by hundred fate, mort
or liss. and 90 well have some chance aV get
tin over the mud banks Wid the rest ay thin
an going fwhere there's onething 10 be sane
sud some foightin', plaze God"
While QuiB's language WAS little involved
81 eTprest what we Ill felt. We had envied tn
freedom of movement Of the smaller boats
which dashed hither aud thithsr as the
wished, without reference 10 the sandb barE AIT
shoals that had held our deep-dFafted ship
prisoner for three weary weeks
The salt water had played havoc with on
Tnuskets but we polished them up and got then
80 prime order for use. That night our boa
went out on picket, mile or 50 in advance Il
where the first line of ships lay, aud near th
left-hand shore Of Croatan Sound, for which W
were heading. We got stirred mp several time
by what seemed 10 be boats approaching us wit
nufied oars but u turned out 70 be nothin
but driitwOOd floating out on the tide.
The next day was fall Of busy preparation
The 05 transports carrying troops were arrayc
in columns Of bFigadcs with the armed shiE
Of the navy massed iB front. About 50 vessel
those which carried stores, or were too deer
drafted 10 venture into the ehailower waters
the CrOatan Sound-were left behind. We cor
graduated ourselves when we saw that the shi
IN which We had come from Annapolis wi
among those left in the rear. Our regimen
stayed aboard Of her,
The next day and night we spent on pickle
with the feet still lying quietly in place; bu
on the afternoon Of Feb q swift little di
patch-boat dRrtSd around from ship to shil
and everywhere her arrival was the signal Il
ringing cheers. She was delivering orders Il
forward movement the next morning, Hit
directions 20 the infantry for discmbarking al
getting ready for battle.
We slept little that night. The mornin
csWned IN unsurpassable lovelineSs. The q
kaI~ n. u
be sun rose in splendoF. Every vessel was