The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-17
ENSIGN BAGLEY'S LETTERS.
Some Extracts Showing the Hidden Beauty Of
This HERDS Life.


Il aury 10 take advantage II a permission
hardly obtained Of printing hi morning
some extracts from recent personal let
rsr- If Ensign BasIey.
If these letters are sacred with the in
TER perfume of the heart. il has been
urged by many that those who Lore the
memory .of the young hero have some
right 10 share in the fragrance with
which these letters envelop thar memory.
The extracts have been taken freely.
with reference . going . the sources
FROM which lowered thar performance NJ
Carienas.
II i much for the youth. specially Of
thi~ STATE. t. know. and Il know wei.
that the highest heroi>m j. born
from out II that tenderness
which. while hidden 10 the out
er world. perhaps i a part Of the
heart-throb that makes home Il thing If
life and love. If this much may be i'm
pressed upon those 81 the youth who
read. there should be no twinee AT break
in the seal Of what otherwise would
have been forever hidden in the hallowed
ca~EeJ Of a mother, heart.
OFF Matanzas. Cuba. May :. 1893.
From his last letter written To his
mother which was received after the tel
cgram announcing his death:
w are 10Y lying off Malanzas III the
middle Of the entrance to the harbor
three miles further IN. y mile and a half
away on one side are the Panic Gardia
and Sabanilla batteries. and al the same
distance Oh the other are the Maya and
other batteries. Matanzas i 4 town Of
about 5000 inhabitants with an ante
beliHm commerce Of some value. 1t lies.
~ | said before, three miles inside the
entrance 1T which we are lying. around
Il horse shoe or bend, which makes it not
visible from our position. The batteries.
however, are here II the entrance and
made themselves very much in evidence
yesterday by firing III the Dupont. which
was lying too close under their fire. She
got AWAY quickly and III return for hay
Iu@ 10 run. went up the coast two miles
and Icyelcd Il Spanish block house. The
NlnSIOW has not been fired at. All the
large ships here left the blockade. the
2unbo;lt> and torpedo boats rcmaining
10 hold il. No ship has - much as hove
III sight Of this entrance for days. 50 !
~ may jlit.-' III yourself NDT4IItf 1IeI
blockade is effective. I
The work. ] must say. is extremely j
tough and unpleasant. We are in great {
luck when We receive pap from
the news correspondents three days after Y
they are published, and read news
g~recdily. Il
Being without news and nothing han q
within our own little sphere. the q
is absolutely painful. There I
ire two other warships here. the torpedo II
loat Dupont, and The armed yacht Hor- Il
let. These two boats lie over at the cas-
cFh entrance, while W. guard the ives /;
.cfh. III course 1t IS necessary to keep =
I very careful lookout 1T night on ac- II
.onnt 81 tie Spanish gunboats in these Il
waters. The caliber Of their guns is
than that Of our three little J. q
but we wish they would come n
III just the same, for we would use our II
orped"cS and sink them. . . = = You :
nay be sure, | III well. The weather 2,
; not hall bad, as we use the awnings II
and get all the breeze without the
1t IS nearly always perfectly clear d,
nj i light passing shower this morning b.
; Inc nfst ram | have seen since the r.
Of the war.
40 one knows where the ornorod shine NJ
I cur squadron nave gone. but it is sun N
No. ''H' 'h'N Il ItII | . intercept me -
fleet off San Juan. should 1ha;
ort prove to be its destination. in
he nation as 4 whole. from the tenor IN
! the papers, has realized that the navy Us
: our defense, our real fighting body al
dl
The Dupont is coming this way. 50 =
lnst have my letter ready for her and
now. | feel that ! will hear from >,
on when the next mail comes, Bless -
on. dear, fror Your goodness. 7
Love 10 each one. and don't forget 10
lat | am III perfect ~Safery. =.
"Dcvotcdly. i
"WORTH." no
vi
From another letter written 10 his ac
Iothcr. We quote. i