The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-01-02

tins: "All ready for sea; sent two Of
lcers ashore in boat to keep the
men from talking about the powder
ship This powder ship was an
idea of Gen. Buffers and was both in
conception and in effect ridiculous
1t was II source of much discussion
at the time and the expectation was
that it would do much damage. AS
u matter of fact, when it was finally
touched off by means of electricity il
did as little harm as an ordinary
cannon and made about as much of
al audible report. 1t was, never
theless, q subject of discussion and
wonder, as the pages Of my journal
disclose.
| find this record of the 18th:
"Three frigates, four sloops of war,
three side-wheel steamers and the
new Ironsidc3 sailed from Hampton
Roads at p. m. for Beaufort" On
the next day we passed the fleet off
Hattcras and the Monadnock, Canon
icus and the new honsidc7.
The 18th finds this entry: car
rived at Beaufort early in the morn
ing; found quite a fleet in port; YES
sells arriving every hour
Just one week bcfo"c Christmas
eve the cltire body of vessels sailed
for Wilmington, and two days later
the first intimatiol of the ''grcat
gale" is reco dcd briefly in the words
"blowing hhd.'
This great blow created no end of
II sen rsatior in the North, and in
many of the churches prayc", for
'those at sea- We're sent up by :
vent souls who saw their dear ones
tn "catcned, not only with the chances
of war, but with tho,e of tie ele-
mcnts. And Christmas was at this
time only six days off? On the
Tuesday preceding Christmas the
little diary, which is my guide, reads:
"Blowing gale of wind 30 that we
cannot do anything; still at ancho.',
within twelve miles of the sbo c.
Wind N. e. On the next day the
wind had shifted to S. w., was blow
ing Il gale, which means a good deal
in nautical language, when it is set
down as II fact, "and the monitors
were all awash," while many of the
ships were "dragging their anchors. "
The next day there was no sub
sidence of the fury of the wind, but
the ships moved nearer to their OBJ
jective point and on the 23d the
story Of my diary is Il little bit more
cheerful, and more in keeping with
the season. 1t reads: 'Wind went
down at sunrise; now things look
like work !; Il large mail arrived" A
Christmas mail with tidings and
hopes from eager homes hearts
whose love and future happiness
were bound up in the habitants OF
the ships that lay exposed to the
winds and waves and the murderous
attacks of the enemy's guns. "W,
went in," says my journal, land hat
II look at Fort Fisher; the powde
boat was blown up at night; it wa
Il fizzle."
This was the result that was cx
pccted of the famous "powder boat.
Admiral Porter always ridiculed it
and it had about as much effect on
} Fort Fisher us if it had never bcel
sent. 1t was, during the time it wa
guardc0 by us, q source of grea
anxiety. The day before Christmas
differed from the home rule as tol(
in the rhyme, and every 'Ecreatur,
was stirring" and this fact is thu!
recorded in my little book: cat
a. IN. we got under way with tn,
fleet for Fort Fisher, and commenced
action at l p. H.; fought all the
afternoon and closed firing at sun
down. We have no forts YETI
This comment is ironical.
The next day was Christmas day
But when the morning broke thcr,
was no thought of the toothsom,
meal of the season, or of the day al
Il festival in Christendom. The IA
tlons served us occasion offered were
"caught on the fly" as it were, ant
the only thought in the minds ol
the navy men there present was tn,
renewal of the attack of the day be
fore. There was, of course, rcmi
nlsccnt flavor Of dinners at hom,
with homcfolks, but this gave wa,
ut tn" soand Of the first gun whicl
was fired at "ll Il. H." and the hgh
continued "unlil sundown." But
ler bad arrived, the boats had lant,ct
"some troops" and the fleet began
to think 'the fort tough place.
| find my own comment on thi
eycntful day to be, "Butlcr is t,
blame. lie is too slow" A fac
which is backed up by Admiral Por
ter in his book on the war and als(
by the more important evidence tha
is furnished by history, which shows
the capture of Fort Fisher on Jan
uary II. These were thc scnnrs !,