The National tribune., 1897-07-29
LIFE ON A MISSISSIPPI GUNBOAT.
Paymaster's Varied Experience With the
Benton.

United States, little Is recorded beyond
mention of their service in action. Not
much has been told of the daily life on
board In the conflicts the men who were
wounded or slain did not count one per cent.
of the misery and mortality consequent on
life on the river gunbOats.
was on duty in 1862 on the ironclad gun
boat BentOn-One of the first armOred ships
of-war in naval history. Afterwards my
service gave me special opportunity tor wide
observation and acquaintance with what
may be styled the inside history of this vast
fleet
Preached the Benton, at anchor off Helena,
Ark, on Aug. 81, 1862. The Officer OF the
Deck welcomed me heartily. / went below
and reported to Capt. S. l.. Phelps, who in
troduced me to Commander
Gwin, who that day relieved Phelps of
command of the Benton.
NV office | found was little den under
| the slopiDg side of the gunboat, a small desk
at one end and a bunk to sleep on at the
other. There was little light or ventilation.
| l was tired when l found my quarters, and
| lay down on the bunk to rest, but the place
was so warm and otherwise mfortable
| that could not sleep, and so went on deck
| and interviewed the Officer of the Guard.
From him learned some of the history OF
| the Benton. Equipped and commissioned
in 1861, she had fought her way down river
| to Vicksburg, whence she had returned a
few days previous. The attack on Vicks-
| burg had failed the ships crew was parayzed
by sick ness, and of $50 men on board over
100 were disabled. The crew and officers
had never been paid any money, and the
food was bad. The ship could not have re-
| e. " .iyoI,,, Int for Inc
aid of the negroes taken from the planta-
tions to pitch coal into the furnaces.
| As we then lay anchored off Helena the
| ship was out of COAL the men were out OF
provisions and clothing, and as for accounts
OF receipts and expenditures, there were
none The men were Dissatisfied; they
wanted their pay, and they claimed that
their enlistment had expired, and they de-
manded TO be discharged from service.
There was danger of mutiny, which after
| ward occurred.
By order OF the Secretary of the Navy
was instructed to close the accounts of the
Benton to Sept. 80, 1862, and transfer the
hole business, hitherto under the War De-
partment, To that OF the Navy. Evidently
the first thing needed was correct pay and
AMI muster roll Fiat each man might
know what was due TO him. and when he
had right to discharge. Tie next thing
was to re; fresh provisions, and check if
possible the tendency to sickness, due to
long use of salt food and to the bad ventila-
ton of the ship.
When Joined the Benton the most of our
men were hel pless. Lucky for our squad
ron that this was not known by our foes at
Vicksburg. They had boats they might
have sent to sink or capture all our iron
clads at Helena, as we could have made no
defense.
After talk with the Officer Of the Deck
| went to bed in my Office, but could not
stay there, on account of the odor l later
uncovered the mattress. The mattress was
soaked with blood. Our Surgeon hen re-
membered that when at Vicksburg 80
pound shot had entered and cut off the
back of mans head. His corpse was laid
on the bed In the pay office, and its blood
drained into the mattress. We pitched all
this spoiled bedding overheard, and at last
| had my den sweetened so might sleep In 1T.
| / began to overhaul the Pay masters office,
which had long been a depository for all
not wanted elsewhere. | found a package
Of Confederate money, $4,000. 1t had been
captured on the Confederate steamer Far
play. | took some of these notes to keep as
mementoes, aad asked the sailor who was
helping clear out the Office if he wanted
| any.
What is it? jeff Davis money ?'
Yes, there is his picture"
He did not want it, and | told him to take
| it to the ships galley and burn it. l found
afterwards could have swapped these notes
al Memphis for greenbacss, at 90 cents on
the dollar. Southern States money was OF
value to buy cotton OF planters who would
not take United States currency.
After cremaling this small fortune, the
next thing | picked up was a letter-book
with copies of letters from Commodore A.
H. Foote TO Gen. u S. Grant; the most OF
them were official, but some were of pri-
waite nature, counseling Grant as to practice
OF sobrety and religion. Reading these,
judged that they would not be needed in
histnry, SO Commodore Foote'S letter book
| followed the seccsh currency into the Cooks
galley.
l failed to find what was most wanted, a
muster-rOl OF The crew; only defective
payroll and muster-roll. Most of the men
on the Benton were sailors who had enlisted
in 1861 in the army, at the first call foI
volunteers. and hal been detached from
their regiments to serve on the water.
| he sunday we ndu TIC uTSU general
muster that had been held on the Benton ioI
some time. 1t was decided by the Captain
to muster the men by the payroll, noting
their own statement of dates and term OF
enlistment. This pacitied their discomfort
IN some degree for time and they were at
last paid off and discharged by the record |
then made, but not till the authorities were
ready to spare them.
1t was II long job to muster the crew that
day. When we got through with the
whites We took the blacks, then styled
contrabands." Some of these l had to
christen with surname.
1t was a great event for the negroes.
heard one of them say: For dead sure we
belongs now to de, United States, for de
Paymassa put us in de book !" They felt
clothed with new dignity, and all tried to
merit this. In helping TO bring the gun
boats up river after the repulse at Vicks-
burg, they had been of infinite service, and
soon learned TO be useful on board ship as
| firemen and coal-heavers. Finally, when
drilled and disciplined, they became efficient
helpers in gunboat service.
In our general muster by the payroll
found all hands present or accounted for
except one man. He must have dropped
overheard or run away. We soon shipped
another man in his place-a Southern ref
ugee-Ahi Mitchell, whom we picked up one
| day on the east bank of the river, where we
saw him reckoning to us. He had tramped
all the way from South Carolina to Zine
! the Union," hiding by day and travelling by