Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-09
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
EIoHIlNe JIM,s FIGHT.
Daring Capture OF = wo Confederate ship
on Galveston,

majority OF "navvies" serve. But TO |
this day the men who have long since
discarded the wide tapped trousers de-
light in recalling the days when they |
answered eight bells New York Is full !
OF them.
Every one OF them can tell stories OF
Fighting jim" OF course, II you are
not an old war NAVY you m ght not
know who Fighting Jim is. He is Rear
Admiral James Z. Jouett He is on the
retired list now. Years have put him
there That's the way Uncle Sam does
with his old soldiers and sailors
Ask any old tar and he will tell You
that there never was Drawer officer
than Fighting Jim. Unfortunately for
the service whose uniform he graced
for nearly forty years, Admiral Jouett
happened TO celebrate his sixty-second
birthday couple of years ago. In &C.
coruance with the regulations OF the
United States navy, Fighting Jim was
retired.
IL was thirty years on the day before
election that Jouett earned for himself
the name of Fighting jim. He was at
the head OF a volunteer party that
had left the United States friga,e San
tee to destroy the two Confederate YES
sells, Gen. Rusk and Royal Yacht Jou-
EFT was lieutenant then
The Santee lay off the harbor Of Gal
weston. The two confederate vessels
lay In the harbor. Jouett requested to
be placed in charge Of a volunteer par
ty TO so and destroy the two confeder-
ates His request was granted. Two
of the ships cutters, with about forty
men aboard, were placed under his
command. A underground howitzer
and some flreballs were put In the
boats Jouett took command Of the
first cutter. Gunner Carter was at the
gun. Lieut. Mitchell commanded the
second cutter The two boats started
for the ships, about seven miles distant
up the har0or. Approaching the Gen.
Rusk in the darkness the first cutter
ran ashore, and the second, close behind,
ran into her. Several oars were broken
and noise enough was made to warn
the look-outs aboard that vessel The
cutters then headed for the Royal
| Yacht The sailor in the cutter pulled
| like good fellows Jouctt gave the or
der 10 fire. There was n snap. The
| first primer had failed. The sailors
aboard the Royal Yacht now hailed the
cutter. The men clinchcd their teeth
and rowcd as II for dear life. Carter
quickly adjusted another primer and
fired, placing a shell in the schooner
below the water-liue.
Trail onrsl Stand by to board"
shouted Jouett The rccoil OF the gun
had destroyed the boats Roadway and
made it impossible for the men 10 board.
| The cutter was so near the schooner
that Carter, revolver in hand, made the
leap and found himself alone aboard
the enemy's craft lie dropped behind
the schooner's bits and opened fire.
! Whom Jouett saw that the boat was
drifting back he ordered the oars 10 be
got out again. Bell, the pilot, was shot
rs the cutter ran alongside the Royal
Yacht lie fell right into Fighting
JiIn's arms The coxswain was wound
ed at the same time,
~ can hear his cry now" said Fight
ing Jim in relating the incident to an
old shipmate one night "Hc said; oh,
Mr. Jouett, they are killing rs from the
other boat lie was right, though he
had been struck by ball from the
schooner. The other cutter had taken
us for confederates and they were firing
on us We shouted to them, but the
noise of the engagement drowned our
voices, and ordered all but the -four
oarsmen who were pulling to lie down
In the boat"
As the boat neared the schooner again
Jouctt sprang aboard with the boats
| l..
your timcl Come aboard" he shouted
and turned 10 rush forward. In turn.
ing he ran against pike held by a man
J who was braccd In the cabiu hatchway
and the blade passed through his right
arm into his side. lie was dazcd and sal
down on the rail, though, as he after
wards said he was unconscious OF his
wound The man holding the pike
made powerful thrust to push hin
overheard, and Jouett then first real
izing the situation, threw himself back
/ Then, grasping the pike, still sticking
in his body, he grapplcd with his as
I sailant In the scufiie the pike wa
10 broken and Jouett drew the blade from
his side aud striking his enemy on tn,
e head with II, throw IL overheard
/. All this happened quickly and in thu
g darkness Jouett then rushed forward
% TO aid Mr. Carter and the schooner
= crew ran below. The vessel was II
r. n sinking condition, but he was deter
mined to capture the crew The woun,
!, in his arm bled so profuscly that h
;. once more became dazed and to recove
his senses struck his head violentl.
\ against the schooner's pivot gun. Thi
- reused him.
y Meanwhile the forts of the harbo
% had opened fire and several gunboat
;. could be seen coming down the river
Carter had sprung to the hatchway, re
volvcr in baud, and Jouett shouted I
II the crew below to come up and surreu
!. der, but not man came.
d, "Men go down and drive them outl
/. he shouted 10 his own crew, now all o
o. board, but not one of them went. Mao
I, dened at this he sprang below himse
= and found there ten armed men. Tw
\ of them started to 90 up, but suddenl
;. some one shouted To the boats crew
il retreat and all, excepting Carter, ra
Is TO the side, jumped into the boat an
.. showed oil. Jouett, hearing the stan
), pede, pulled down the two men VIII
IN were clambering up and went up hin
} self Leaving Carter TO guard the hatcl
I. way he rushed after his men, jumpe
into the boat himself and ordered IL
crew to pull back again, They obeyel
and Jouett again leaping on boar,
rushed into the hold second time. II
had just given the order again for Il
confederates 10 go on deck, when sou