Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-08

sodth,oushoutth. world PorIBE q. 4 G CORR. Sole
Props, Boston OF" How 10 Cure Every humor' res'
beginning to be heard from the officers
and crew.
THE old Admiral has not had his fight
out yet He is heading for that big fleet
He will get his fill of it up there" they
said.
Slowly and gradually this fact became
apparent 70 us. and l, being on his stan
and in close association with him, 'en-
tured TO ask him:
"Are you going into that feet. Ad-
miral?"
II am. SIR" was his reply. Without In
tending to be heard by me, said to an
officer standing near me:
well, we'll never come out OF there
whole"
Buchanan had heard my remark. and,
turning around. said sharply:
That's my lookout, sir"
And now began the second part or the
fight. 1 may as well explain why he dlo
| this much-criticised and desperate deco
| OF daring. He told me his reasons long
| afterward, as follows: He had only SIX
hours coal on board, and he INTENDED
70 expend that in fighting. He did not
| mean to be trapped like a rat In a hole
and made TO surrender without a strug-
gle. Then he meant TO 90 TO the lee oil
| the fort and assist General Page In the
defence Of the place.
This calculation was unlucdly pre-
vented by the shooting away OF the rud-
der chains Of the Tennessee in this second
enga cement. AS We approached the enc
my's fleet, one after another or farIa-
CUTS ten wooden frigates swept out In a
wide circle, and by the time we reached
the point where the monitors were
huge leading frigate was coming at US
at the rate of ten miles an hour. A
column Of white foam, formed or the
dead water" piled in front of its bows
many feet high. Heavy cannonading
from the monitors was going on at this
time. when this leading wooden vessel
came rapidly bearing down on us, bent
on the destruction OF the formidable
ram. which we on board the Tennessee
fully realized as the supreme moment OF
the test of our strength. We had es-
caped from the torpedo bed" safe, and
were now to take our chances or being
run under by the heavy wooden frigates
that were fast nearing us.
Captain Johnson, in the pilot-house,
now gave the word to officers and men:
STEADY yourselves when she strikes;
stand by and be ready"
Not word was heard on the deck UNI
der its shelving roof where the officers
and men, standing by their guns, APP
peared, silent and rigid, awaiting their
fate. Captain Johnson shouted out:
1--WE are all right They can never run
US under now"
As he spoke the leading vessel had
struck against our overhang with tre-
mendous impact, had shivered its iron
PROV in the clash, but only succeeded in
whirling the Tennessee around as if she
we're swung on a pivot. / was sitting on
the combing Of the hatch. having nothing
10 do as yet a close observer as each
vessel in turn struck US and our BLACK
wales came in contact. AT distance or
| 10 feet they poured their broadsides of
| twenty 1l-inch guns into US. This con-
| unued for more than an hour. and as
| each vessel ''rammed" the Tennessee and
| slid alongside they discharged their
| broadsides fast and furious. so that the
noise was one continuous deafening roar.
You could only hear voices when close TO
| the speaker, and the reverberation was
| so great that bleeding at the nose was
! not infreQuent
Soon the wounded began to pour down
| 10 me. Stripped 70 their waist. the white
| skins Of the men exhibited curious dark
| blue spots. | found that unburnt cubes
| of cannon powder that had poured into
| the port had perforated the flesh and
| made these great blue ridges under the
skin. Their sufferings were very severe,
| for II was as If they had been shot with
| hot bullets. but no serious effects follow
! ed. All the wooden vessels, disabled and
| their prows broken off, anchored in sue
| cession over a mile away. Then Animal
| Farragut signalled TO the monitors:
DESTROY HER.
| Destroy the ram"
Soon these three grim monsters, al
| thirty yards distance, took their position
on each quarter Of the Tennessee as she
| lay nearly motionless. her rudder having
been shot away with grape in the fight
| We knew that We were hope
| lessly disabled. and that victory
| was impossible, as all we could
| DO was TO move around very slowly
| In a circle, and the only chance left IL
| IS was TO crawl under the shelter OF
| Fort Morgan. For an hour and hall
| the monitors pounded US with solid shot
| fred with a charge Of sixty pounds from
| their l1-inch guns, determined 10 crush
| In the shield of the Tennessee. Thirty
] pounds of powder was the regulation
| amount" In the midst OF this continu-
! Gus pounding the port shutter Of one OF
our guns was jammed by shot, making
| il impossible 10 work the piece The Ad-
| miral then sent for some Of the fremer
| below 10 drive the bolt out. Four men
| came up, and, two Of them holding the
| bolt back, the others struck IL with
| sledge-hammers. While they were work
| ing suddenly there was a dull-soundine
| impact. and al the same instant the mer
| whose backs were against the shield
| were blown TO pieces.
| Engineer J. c. O'Connell, one OF the
| others, had pistol ball through his
| shoulder.
How in the world did you manage &c
| get this?" / asked him.
| "Why, | was of watch. and had no
| thing to do, so while the Hartford was
| living alongside or us a Yankee cursed
| me through the portfolio, and l Jabbec
| him with my bayonet In the body. and
| his comrade shot me with his revolver,
[ he said.
| Cutting the ball out. l proposed to Civ
| him morphine, as he was suffering, bu
| ne said:
] None of that for me. Doctor. When WI
| 20 down I want to be up and take M
| chances OF getting out OF some portfolio.
Another man was wounded In the ca
| when lighting in the same manner as tn
engineer, but he always declared he go
even by the use of his bayonet- / men
ton these facts to show how close tn