The National tribune., 1896-06-18
MEN IN A BOAT.
Exciting Moments While Trying to Blow Up
Sumter,


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / have
read your paper more or less for NUMBER
of years, but never have seen anything about
the attempt to blow up Fort Sumter. We
were on Morris Island during the capture of
the forts and the bombardment OF Sumter,
doing boat picket dhty in Charleston Harbor
Gen. Gillmore,s guns knocked two sides Of
the fort into briekdust but the north side
and part of the east side were toward the
enemy, and he could do no more than knock
off the top of those sides.
Some engineer conceived the idea of blow
ing up the north side. At that time 16 men
from Co. X, 127th n. Y, were doing scout
| duty in the harbor in what was called the
Ripply boat, captured by other troops from
| the enemy. The names of the crew | have
| forgotten. Two afterward were killed in
| battle and number wounded. The boat
was commanded by Lieut.. Abercrombie and
Serg't Eaton. We made the torpedo of two
| inch oak plank in an ordinary pontOon boat
| 1t contained > SEQ pounds of powder.
Now, on the north side of Fort Sumter
was a dock about 100 feet long for steamers
to come and land supplies. After the tor
pedo was complete, the next thing was to
get q night when the conditions were favor
able. We wanted it quite dark and q small
sN. Those acquainted with Charleston
Harbor know how sea- a strong wind and
the tide may make it impossible to handle
torpedo of that description. This torpedo
had fuse to burn estimated at q certain
time of tide while boat was drifting 40
yards, connected with q submarine fuse in
pistol held by Lieut. Abercrombie. Every
one of that crew knew the Lieutenant would
not fire the fuse till we were as near the fort
as 40 yards We had to pull by the fort in
plain sight of the Johnnies to get above,
when we could drift down.
We members Of the crew were dressed to
swim, having on shirt only. We expected
the boat to be sunk, or we might have to
fight big odds. We were armed with Sharp's
rifles, navy revolvers, and cutlasses.
The first attempt out the sea was too high,
and we gave it up; but on the night of Aug.
%, 1864, the weather being favorable, we
proceeded.
All the troops on Morris Island expected
great results. The forts were ready TO pour
in their shell the moment we were out of
range. 1t seemed like being in q strange
country above the fort, on waters the john
MES could make boil with grape and CAMS
ter. The north side of the fort looked like
large hotel, with the ports open and light
ed up.
We began drifting down, feeling every
minute we might be discovered. We could
see the men in the fort and the sentry on
the dock. 1t seemed impossible to sit still
in that boat, knowing when the fuse was
fired the ball would open, and we would
have to pull down by the fort to get home
Forty yards that night was a mighty short
distance, and it seemed as if Abercrombe
were going to Drift into the very fort itself
Aaron Handy steered the torpedo and
soon the Lieutenant said, take Handy
aboard" which we did quick. Bang went
the pistol. The fuse in the torpedo was
ignited For just one instant the Johnnies
seemed paralyzed, then every man in the
garrison was on the arapet shooting at Us.
We could not pull the other way, but had TO
pull down by thefort about the same dis
lance 40 yards off, Tor we were in the swash
channel. No boat could 90 through the
main channel after the alarm was given.
Not man in the boat was hit. The
blades to the outer oars when out of the
water were continually being hit with bull
let's. There must have been $50 men shoot
ing at one boats crew, firing at least
two shots each before we could get out of
range. We were sd near them they Il fired
over our heads. While they were shooting,
the toTpeuO kepbiuflltluS.- lHe JOHDHltS
had to run to cover. On the north side was
dock 100 feet long for the landing of sup
plies. Had it not been for corner pile to
the dock, where the torpedo hesitated and
was turned slightly aside by the current, it
would have gone to the exact position.
There was no way of stopping the fuse from
burning. 1t exploded about 80 feet from
where it was designed to go, blowing the
dock as high AZ Won could see The coucus-
sion killed few Johnnies, but did no great
damage to the fort.
As they swarmed to the parapet again,
Battery Gregg, on Morris I>land, let a
straight ranger 90 and drove them 10 cover
till we could get out of range. l think if
we could have had another torpedo and
repeated the expedition the next night, with
the dock out of the way it would have been
successfully. +. HAINEs, Co. X, 127th n.
Y, Brdgehampton, n. Y.