Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-02-16
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
cuLN WAS NO COWARD.
+. black Mans Heroism at the Charleston
blockade.

Everybody knew Culn on board thu
sbin. Perhaps this was because no che
pad ever seen an uglier darkey or one
who was more obiging- / have seer
calm tumble out of his berth at foul
o'clock ia the morning to sew butsoI
an for a sailor who was mean enough
~ nour water in his face at that early
bonr By the way. that was the only
manner by which Culn's terrifying
snoring could be stopped He was al
roys afraid of not doing enough, ano
had the poorest opinion Of himself.
was talking with him once and he said
I'VE know, Mahs'r Dale, de parson
saws de good Lord amt made muffin foi
Muffin. and guess Culn't got somefn
20 do in the realm of nature, but I'll
bress de lamb If / kin find it out"
II was the time of blocksde-running
at Charleston. Oar ship, the Wasp, had
four guns, and strict orders TO use them
on any boat trying TO break the block
ade We had been cruising several
DAVIS on the coast near Charleston with.
ami any excitement The morning oil
August u, 1868, dawned bright and
clear. and as the sun rose over the
horizon the black lines of a ship were
distinctly marked on the golden disk.
Our glass soon told us that it was fast
clipper, flying no colors, trying to run
the blockade By breakfast time the
clipper was only few miles TO wind
ward, but we were ready with every
man at his post and every gun loaded
10 the muzzle. We could see the beauti-
fully shaped black hull, it's smooth APP
pearanee only broken by few murder
ous.looking cannon. If she had once
gone by US her speed was safe pass
port from pursuit.
show her what we're here for,
boysr sho4ted our captain. One of
our cannon obeyed the order, the ball
purposely striking the water several
hundred feet ahead OF the sharp bow as
fair warning.
A fash came from one of the ports of
the stranger, and piece of our second
mast toppled to the deck as kindling
wood. Our cannon answered the insult
with but title perceptible harm to the
stranger.
Lieut.. Crisp was handling our best
six-inch gun He was splendid marks
man, but little liked by his men on ac-
count of his severity. Culn had been
ordered to position near Lieut. Crisp's
gun. The poor fellow was trembling.
Nearer and nearer the stranger enemy
came, and it was evident that unless we
disabled her in some way, Charleston
that evening would again be cracking
jokes at the inefficiency of the yankee
boats" to keep the blockade.
Culn had crept as much as he could
behind life boat when Lieut. Crisp
caught sight of him. Angered by his
lack of courage he cried: Come here,
you coward, and stand by me-"
We were not two hundred yards away
from the blockade runner when three
flashes and three wreaths of smoke shot
from its hull with single report A
second later twenty of our men lay
wounded on our decks Our enemy's
SdhhOh had pcSh AOauCu VIVA grape
shot
Lieut. Crisp had at that moment been
ready to fire his gun again, when a
bullet tore away his hand. Every gun
ner near him was wounded and dis
sbled-an but Culn. But was that the
same Culn who but moment before had
stood trembling?
His eyes were fixed on the passing
ship and every muscle stiffened by in
tense sudden courage. Snatching the
cord that had fallen from the hand of
Lieut. Crisp he gave it a pull that
broke it in two, not, however, until it
had fulfilled its duty and sent the
spark Of fire into the powder of the
cannon
The graceful ship twisted and tunred
like wounded stag. Culn's shot had
broken the rudder and left the ship at
our mercy. And Culn? He was bend
ing over Lieut. Crisp, tying up his
wounds, regardless of the bullets hiss
ing about
A few minutes later white flag had
S'4nOeu up the mast OF the Dlockaue
runner; she had surrendered.
With two pieces of cruel lead in his
body culn lay on q folded sail, while
NE surgeon told him that it was he,
Ouln, who by his shot had brought the
enemy TO terms The chaplain stood
beside the surgeon The surgeon had
sent for him.
"Parson, you's right-de good Lud
never made nufhn-fo muffin" A proud
smile lit up Culn's homely features as
NE head fell to one side. With an
EFFORT he raised it Tell Mash'r Crisp
when he wakes-dat culn died no cow
ard
As we stood with bowed heads while |
ne chaplain read the funeral service
mat evening, the stars and stripes aut-
efed at half-mast-for Culn. IN. Y.
kapo-da-