The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-30
8 "TACONY" READ-SOUTHkRN HERO. &
Eventu Career of the Famous Confederate Naval Officer

! ing that my gun was all right. but
! that l was not trying to hit the Rich
mond; that / was afraid it would make
the Yankees mad if 1 spoiled her
paint" etc. etc.
I He boldly expressed the opinion. to
our captain that if the ''McRae was
placed at one-half the distance we
! then We're from the Richmond, our six
32-pounders would do much better exc
cution. Captain Huger smiled and re-
marked that the p nine-incb guns of
the Richmond would also be some
what more effective.
1t was evident TO every one except
Read. that the Richmond alone, and
aground, could have whipped off the
gulf of Mexico full of such craft as
composed the confederate fleet, TO say
nothing of the six men-of-war waiting
outside for us But Read fretted and
chafed and vowed that we ought to
have captured everything in sight.
After the fight il was decided that
the McRae should not attempt to run
the blockade. She was made flagship
of the gunboat fiotilla and was to be
sent up the river to assist in the defense
of island No. 10 and New Madrid. Mr.
Read now became her executive officer
Ine malaria had at last commenced
to shake tEs constitutions out OF the
new officers. Discipline was very much
relaxed. and this naturally resulted in
very nearly developing a mutiny.
One night, when ali of the officers eX-
cept Read and myself were ashore
shaking off their cnills, I was walking
the midwatch while Read was asleep in
his bunk. Suddenly l heard loud talk
ing on the berth deck, which at that
unseemly hour was contrary to the
rules governing the discipline of the
ship. 1 went to the hatchway and gave
the order: Silence fore and afr 20.
go to the circusr' some one shouted
back. / could not believe my ears.
Again 1 commanded Silence and
again an insolenI remark came floating
up the hatolnway. Whisky was evil
IDENTITY at work I went aft and called
Read.
He rushed forward, half-elothed as
he was. carrying his sword in his hand.
On arriving at the forward hatch he
leaned over ii, and in his gentlest
tones said: Men, keep silence AT
this there was an outburSt of laughter
from over 100 threats. With the roar
which sounded as If it had emanated
from some furious wild beast. Read
made a dive down the hatchway; the
next instant his sword could be heard
unsteady ringing as 1t came in contact
with the heads of the mutineers, ac-
companied by yells, curses and appeals
for mercy. Suddenly a stream of men
poured up the after ha-tchway, followed
by the Infatuated Read, who was now
fairly enraged.
"Aloft, Every mothers son of you,"
heard him cry, and wondered if the
muttering. mutinous throng would
obey.
They went aloft we'll enough, but did
not seem disposed to go above the tops.
Higher Higher" commanded Read.
I'll shoot the feet off of every one of
you who does. not step higher."
For the rest of the night Read and l
watched our sauce gamecocks while
they roasted in the rigging. That was
mutiny which ever took place on the
McRae while C. W. Read was first
huff"
From this time until the McRae went
down the river to meet her down under
the broadsides of Admiral Farragut's
fleet. our time was spent in fighting
masked batteries of all kinds. A harm
less looking row of saplings would sud
denly fall into the river. revealing
row of heavy guns. or an innocent look
ing pile of cordwood would tumble
down and the field pieces behind it
would knock our breakfasts out of the
galley.
Read always had schemes ready to
suggest. by which he was sure he could
abate these nuisances.
IF / was only allowed to stick her
nose well up into the mud alongside of
that battery. we could drive the Yanks
out with canister" he would say
Some one would suggest that 1.-The en-
envy also had canister Yes, know"
Read would reply, but, you see, this
canister game is one which always
makes somebody tired, and then they
want to quit. The soldiers in the bat
terry could leave whenever they wanted
to. but with as little power as this ship
has. we would have TO wait for tow
boat to pull us away-savez?
On another occasion he wanted to at |
tempt to carry a. battery by boarding it, !
but his superiors would not listen to
him. In less than a year from this
time. if C w. Read has proposed 10 the
authorities to board fortress Monroe !
from a paper canoe, the whole re-
sources of the confederacy would have
been placed at his disposal to produce /
the canoe.
1t was during the passage of Admiral
Farragut's fleet by the forts below