The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-03
on THE CUMBERLAtD.
Interesting Contribution to tho History OF
,nparement with the Merrimac.

When eight huhurtu anu w" 4"f"i Hieh
are collected in one place the chances are
that there are some among them whose
experiences are worth relating There is
NOW about that number on board the re-
ceivlng ship Vermont at the Brooklyn
navy yard and among them IS one whose
service In the navy antedates that OF
many of those now wearing the blue toss
of Uncle Sans web foot.
This man is Daniel Milliken, boat
swain mate by rate and a sallormah 10y
choice. Like kipling' beloved MulVaney,
he has the regulation desire for strong
waters, and, ike that same MulFaney'
Miliken is a man of Renaissance.
He can tell you of how the old sloop OF
war, MOhican captured the SLAYER Erie ln
1883 at the mouth Of the Congo, and he can
give you all the details If YOU are curious,
for he was there. Captain DugOng, ne
says was in command Of the MOhican,
and the executive officer was Pattison.
MIliken remembers how the @l blacks
which the SLAYER had on board were trans
ported 10 MOnr0via and there colonze1.
And ne also has vivid recollection OF
how the captain and mate of the SLAYER
were brought TO this city and sentenced
TO be hanged i'm LudlOw-Street jail. one
evaded the punishment, he says, 10y
smoking a cigar charged with opium.
Millken was young i'm those days, and ne
was not very much Oluer when, as
blue Jacket he drifted into the STIRRING
scenes Of the civil war He joined the
Cumberland i'm 1860. and was serving ON
board that vessel when she was sunk IN
HAMPTON Roads by the Confederate ram
Merrimac. lie has considerable 10 say
about that memorable encounter Wnlch
history has not yet proclaimed, propd"i5
because history has not thought II worth
while to tell of what the rank ana ME
thought of that action.
Mllliken gives a most graphic account
of f. He says he was -Aen mere boN'
and was attached 10 the First Gun 'lgls-
ion, of which Lieutenant 4. .. SelIrldse
was then the commander. Parentheil'al-
ly. he observes that the first Dahlgre1
rihed cannon ever built was manned by
the guns crew 10 which he belonged
81 ran on deck" says this raconteur.
when the Merrimac rammed u.s. ou
know that the Merrimac pushed her nose
SO far into the sides of the Cumberland
that she couldn't back clear again. We'll,
/ got up on deck and there was the cap-
tain of the ten-inch COlumbiad a-Mipihs
the powder smoke out OF ms eyes ald
trying 10 train the gun on the forward
port shutter of the Merrlmac. Dldiu
seem no use 10 train anywhere else Tor
all over that slipping deck of the ron
clad was thick layer Of 'slush, on lard.
or something, and the shots slid OF irom
ner like drops of rain from duck
back.
Just as got on deck the gun captain /
Arthur Woods was his name-said. Jump
up there. one Of you, ami see ii TINS gun
is trained on the port shutter | hoped /
up on the carriage and saw the muzlle |
was pointing little 90 stafDOard or the
shutter
II gave the order 10 haul away on the
starbOard tackle. and just as she was !
pointing fair and square at the port the
shutter began 10 open. ! knew what that !
meant; il meant that they We're opening
10 20 fire their big bow gun, and ! jumped /
on the carriage and made grab for the /
lockstring. Woods he got hold OF the /
lockstring az the same time. and between /
us We broke il.
Il afterwards learned that the 'rebs'
run that gun out there TO fire ~ the /
place where the ram was caught in the
Cumberlands side i'm hopes of lOOseniug /
the timbers so they could back clear
We'll, they got out after that shot and /
laid alongside blazing away at MS all the /
time and We a-shOOting back. Did any |
body ever tell you Of how near We came
10 dropping a shell into her smokestack'
You see she was so close that we thought
We could get shell into her funnel and
We hOisted one on the mainyard arm. 1T
missed the smOkeplpe by couple of feet,
aud then We tried another That bounced
)u from her into the sea. and then them
as was on board OF her found ont what
We We're doing and steered her away.
Then the Cumberland began to settle.
an there wasn't no time for dropping
shells any more just before she pitched
Inder went overheard and struck ont
'Or the shore. ] got there by hanging on
20 the gun'l Of the gig.
Then We saw that the Congress was I'm
I bad way, both afire and sinking Her
men We're dropping over the sides. an
ne an another man got into boat and
lut out 10 the rescue. We picked up six
)r seven OF the men and got 'em In the
lOat just about the time the Congress set
led her kneel i'm the mud.
las she only sunk 10 her gundeck |
)Orts, we pulled alongside and climbed |
aboard. And sorry job we made OF II,
or just about then the Merrimac opened |
ire again.
II was standing on the gundeck near
he main hatch. and half OF man came
umbling down the ladder 1 saw that IL /
vas an officer. an that he had been cut /
n two by a cannon ball. ] got big gash |
n the forehead. and another officer comes /
long an SAYS for me 10 lend a hand put
ing the wounded I'm the hammock netting. !
l nice looking object ! was 10 be helping
an / says as much to him.
" Who are you. anyway says he, try
ng 10 make me out. I'm one of the Cum /
men, says /. For Gods sake
avs the officer 10 me. didn't you get
nough Of IN on the Cumberland
Then the Merrimac let up on her firing /
nd we quit the Congress in her boats.
n the boat ! was I'm was the paymaster.
tall man with white hair falling all I
yer his shoulders. lie was Paymaster
Buchanan. brother Of the man who was
aptain OF the Merrmac. He seemed
nightly cut up, and ] heard him say: I
ever thought my own brother would
se me So
Mllliken next joined the sloop OF war
iOusatonic and when that vessel was
INK shortly afterward by "A Confederate
OrpedO boat he began TO think that Boz
vas something OF Jonah With his |
sual good luck. he escaped from that dis
ster, and is next heard from on board the
tew Ironsides at the bombdrdment Of /
Fort Fisher
The Colorado was lying astern OF the
rOn-clad. and the captain OF the latter
Oticed that some battery. not visible
rom the deck Of his own vessel. was
making the timbers fly from the hull Of
he Colorado. on his order Milliken
prang aloft amid a rain OF projectlles and
)cated the battery. The New ironsides
ias Immediately got under way ana IN
exposed between the Colorado and the
artery. And. 10 use Mllikens words. 10
ust required about three minutes 10
iipe that battery of the face OF the
arth. For his conduct on that occasion
Ongress voted medal To Milliken.