The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-13
ADMIRAL F00TE IN WAR;.
"reminiscences Of tho Great Water
General by a Man Who
Knew Him.
Warrior of Intense Religious Ma
ture ana Fanatic on Tenn
peranca Matters.
Prayed for Victory or tho Grace to Benr
Defeat-The battle at Fort
DOnelsaD.

Prayed for Victory or tho Grace to Hear
Defcnt-The Hattie ut Fort
Doneison.
j. b. McCullaGh. now known all over the
country rs the editor of the 81. Louis
Globe Democrat. gives in his paper so.ne
very interesting reminoscences of Admiral
Footc. with whom he was brought In con-
tact during his Brilliant cntoar us war cor
respondent in the lato rebellion. As ! ro-
member Observation-Disclosures admiral
Foote in tho enrly days of the Mississippi
%fotillu. writes Mr.. MeCullaGh, he was a
man of nearly sixty. below the medium
stature, with gray hair and whiskers and a
pair Of piercing but kindly blue eyes. He
was always. on or of duty. arrayod in the
fine naval uniform OF his rank, aud was
quite nn interesting figure on the badly
paved streets OF Cairo. whore first met
him. He was q man Of intensely religious
nature aud character. and quite a fanntic on
the subject of temperance. Ono Sunday night
in Cairo he dropped into a church, and find
ing the pulpit still vacant assembled it in
uniform md was in the midst OF a strona
practical sermon when the pastor arrived
and was only too glad to let him proceed.
I had been sent to Cairo by the Cincinnati
Gazette to act as correspondent from that
quarter. The Runboats had just returned
from the bloodless victory Of Fort Henry
and were fitting out for what aftsrwnrd
proved to be for them the very disastrous
defeat of Fort Donelson. The commodore
happened to be suffering just then from .
rheumatic hand and his inhrnity became
my opportunity. for through . friend l
offered my services. which were promptly
accented, and thus l obtained y berth on
the flagship of the squadron, the st. Louis.
The fleet consisted of four ironelads-the
St. Louis, the Louisville, tbs PittsburR and
the Carondelet-and wooden vessels,
the Tyler and Connestoga. The latter.
though we'll handled. were not of much
service in the engagement. In this action
each of the ironclads worked her two bow
guns to their full capacity. l have forgot
ten their oaliber, but they were tho largest
OF the time. and eight IN concert made q
very slow motion. They wore propelled by
q large paddle wheel located emidship,
which seemed to have all Ii could do IN
times 10 stom the current OF the Missis-
sippi, and afterward Of the Cumberland. in
a bend uron the right bank of which, a. we
&HC6uuSAs u DUAbloOA WE u "a
ironolads were built Of very heavy oak.
plated with iron en- inch and a half TO two
inches thick and said to be proof against
the heaviest ARTILLERY. The condition OF
the ships and their csews after the battle
showed that the latter Rupposition was in
correct. Tho pilot house was on the upper
deck, we'll forward. II was conical in shape
and would hold four men standing up and
two or three more roolininR OF cots In the
angles formed by contact with the deck. It
was entered by a ladder from below, rench-
ing from tho gundeck. It was built of oak
and iron and was intended to have moro
resisting owe than any other part OF the
ship; but those who occupied Is during the
engagement discovered that this was Q mis-
take. l called at the oolnmodore's cabin
late on the night OF tho 18th to ask If nv
services as ~amanuensis we're needed. ''No."
the commodore said, with much cheerful
negs; Everything il roady now. Before |
20 to bed will pray for victory, which l
think we shali win, or for the next best
thing to victory, which is grace to bear de-
feat."
Everything was in readiness on the morn
ing of Feb. IA, and tho commodore siRnaled
the ships to move in the order previously
agreed upon, and to prepare for action.
The st. Louis. beinc tho flagship, led the
procession. She carried the commodore's
pennant. and this. together with tho fact
that she was in front, Of course made her
uIlo DlkI1ClElA tASESb u Al G Vi II
fort. accompanied the commodore from
his cabin to the pilot house, where We both
remained until after the battle was over.
AS We passed. along tho gun deck the COM
modore, vomiting to enc of tho few
among the crew who had seen sea
was with ME in the China ssna; he is a typi-
cal salt and is full of sailor supesstitions.
I know he don't like this thing Of going
into action on Friday" Suto enough. l
saw tho old man in the hospital that night
nursing = wounded leg, ana he insisted that
it was Ill because it was Friday. When We
reached tina pilot house tho commodore said
it was one OF his "aick- headache days." and
immediately threw himself on a cot which
filled ono of the angles Of the small apart
ment. directing mo at tho game time to
stand at one OF the llttlo iron windows and
report to him how WI were progressing.
had q good fold glass. which l brought
TO a focus on the fort. Very soon there
was n puff of white smoke from one of the
batteries and l cried out, "Hese she comes"
She did come. too, IN the shape of u oan-
non ball, which Kissed md whizzed past as
ms the first shot Was swiftly followed by tho
second. tho third aud the fourth. Then
there was n slight r0use as il for better
aim, for with a renewal OF airing tho balls
began to strike the ship and 10 pound
ngninst the pilot house. Tho pilots swots
iouueE tuRn ever. l GnOunnt q tEOu9ADu
damns but uttered none. The commodore
raised hi1uself from his cot in ta!nonstranoe.
'lut, tut, tut. men, dom swear; it does no
good" said lie. Subsequently he re-
buked us all for "duokina' in foolish eff
TO ts to get out of the way OF approaching
cannon balls. you can't escape by duck
ing; you arc moro apt to GET hit while do
ing that" snid H., adding that be had ssen
men cut In two in tho China war by duck
ing who would not have been hurt sanding
ne. He then asked me whether the firing
from our ships wGs damaging tho fort. L
told him 1T vG1 doing very we'll; that tho
men in the fort woro hustling around
lretty lively and that our shots were throw.
ing up the mud around tho for. in big lots,
but l could not tell whether any Of the CON-
federate guns had boon di~smountrd.
All this time tho st. Louis had been
moving towar tho fort ut full speed. I've
are getting awfully close, commodore:
through this glass l can almost put my
hands oil the fellows ut tho gune in the
fort" That's right" snid the commodore
in n voice without the slightest emotion.
PUT on a little moro steam, MIR. Pilot. aud
get AS close as you cnp." Az between the
fort and the fleet it was now a mighty hot
fight. Shots wore striking the vessel and
tho pilot house at the rate of several n min
ute. When they struck nn squsreiy on the
bow. between the two great gun
ports, the weasel reelad and embed from
49,