Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-05-30
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A MAN OF WAR.
According to Hls story He Ran tho Whole
COnfedernoy.

company with an upright, truthful man.
II he has ever had any adventures he
won't eXaggerate them, and you know
thet he won't try to pick your pocket,
cheat you at cards, or challenge you to
fight duel II you seerued bored with
his company. Therefore, when took
a steamer at Memphis for the run down
TO New Orleans, and the captain offer
ed to introduce me to Maj Davis, the
biggest liar in the late southern confed-
eracy, was heartily rejoiced.
! found the major to be small, thin
man, with a very deep bass voice, and
we had scarcely shaken hands when he
pointed to the Arkansas shore and said:
Fright over thar is where I swan
ashore after the gun-boat battle above"
"Then you were in the battle?"
"Do you doubt my word, sab? If so,
shall be happy to refer you to Capt
Hicks, chief clerk of the boat, who
will consult with any one you may
namer
"Oh, no, no, no, major! don't ques-
ton your word in the least. 1t was hot
fightP"
sit was, sab. had command of the
fifteen confederate gun-boats.
Fifteen? Why, Admiral Porter's
naval history says there were only
eight"
Porter, sahp Nevah heard of Porter
Here is my card, sah."
"oh, no, no, major! If you say there
were fifteen, that settles it, of course.
Porter probably left out seven just to
belittle the affair. Go on, major"
81 was on the Beauregard. We sunk
three of your craft, and then struck
snag and went down ourselves"
but Porter says the union ram Mon
arch rammed the Beauregard and sent
her to the bottom protested
"Sah, you will please call on Col.
Hicks!' said the major, as he stiffly
arose and handed me his card and
moved away.
simply changed chairs, so as to keep
in the shade, and dropped the majors
card overheard He was absent about
twenty minutes, and then returned wip-
ing off his chin. AS near as / could
figure he had taken whisky.
''See that bluff over thar?" pleasantly
queried the major as he sat down.
~ do"
"Well, l had battery of ten guns
thar for several months, and it was my
own eye which sighted the gun that
blew up the Yankee gunboat Mound
City. Sad affair that, but war is war,
you know. The shell which entered
her furnace and exploded resulted in
the death of seven hundred men"
Lets see, major? If l remember
Alright, the Mound City disaster occurred
at St Charles, on the White river"
"Sah!"
"And the shell exploded in her steam
chest"
"Sahr'
"And the killed and injur ed numbered
only one hundred and eighty-hve."
"Sah! You seem to doubt my word,
and thezefore--"
"Oh, but don't, major! Let me beg
of you to believe that l don'tl l was
simply wondering how Porter could
make so many blunders in his history" ="
Porter, sab? Never heard of Mistah
Porter in my life. In the commissary
department, presume"
managed to change the subject after
alittle, and by and by the major went to
sleep in his chair, and got away from
him until evening. Then, as sat
smoking, he dropped into the chair be-
side me and said:
Ever meet Mistah Farragut, of your
side?"
admiral Farragut?'
"May have called himself such"
mo, never did
"Sorry. He'd have probably told you
about the battle on the river above New
Orleans"
Were you there?"
"Sahr'
THAT is, you were there, Of course.
What command did you have?"
Commanded the Confederate navy,
of co'se."
you did! Why, I thought Commo-
dore John K. Mitchell commanded
there"
Look heah, sah-do you doubt my
word?"
"Oh! no, no. major! How can 1? You
were there, and l wasn't. l have often
read of the ironclad Louisiana of that
fleet"
"She was my flagship, sab. Isteered
her when she rammed and sunk six OF
| Mistah Farraguts vessels.
SIS it possible? Why, Porter says he
did not even fire gun, but drifted down
the river and blew up"
"Sah! Porter, sab! VIII your friend
Mistah Porter act for You in this emer-
gency?" demanded the major, as he
jumped up
"Sit down, major, please sit down
Porter has evidently got it all wrong
or was actuated by sectional malice
Please give me the particulars"
But he went away and II did not sec
him again until next morning. Then he
came TO me just as we were passing al
island and said:
Il had one of the hottest fights of the
war on that island I had two regi
ments of cavalry under me, and We
whipped a Yankee gun-boat fair anC
square and captured her"
"Indeed! Well, you hustled around 1
good deal. You were n commodore, ;