The National tribune., 1898-04-07
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
Fl SHHM MONITOR.
How scow Was Fixed Up to Deceive the
,Johnnies.

10" ~ SCOW wa fiScu to deceive the
Johnnies.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Comradc
McEiroy, in his Andersonyille, " speaks of
the sham monitor, and of Forts Anderson
and Fisher. ! was in the war down in that
section; was at Wilmington when Comrade
McElroy arrived after exchange. / belonged
to the gunboat Yantic.
The sham monitor was an old mud scow.
1t was made fast to the stern of our ship.
We made n smokestack, and a turret and
pilot-house of sticks, covered them with can
vas, and painted the vessel black.
When the thing was completed we only had
to wait for dark night when wind and tide
were favorable. If my recollection is not
at fault, this came on Saturday night. The
day had been fine, and the monitors had
engaged Fort Anderson. / was boat keeper
that day, and the discharges from The guns
seemed to lift the boat out Of the water.
That night everything seemed to be favor
able for our monitor to do its work which it
did beyond our expectations, for | think it
was only an experiment. The plan was to
float it along; the rebels would see it, and
thinking 1T one of our monitors trying to
pass, would try to destroy it with their
torpedoes. This would rid the channel Of
those dreadful machines.
The sham was towed as near rs it was safe
and sent on its journey The rebs blazed
away / never heard that the scow was hit,
but next morning it was seen tangled among
some bushes overhanging the river bank
above and everything around Anderson indi-
Gated the rebs had gone.
We lost no time in manning our boats We
formed line across the channel, threw out
ouI hooks and dragged the river If we
caught on any torpedoes never heard of it.
One of our double-end gunboats followed
u.s. We had been moving in this manner for
several hours, when we approached bend in
the river Here some men were discovered
on our starboard side, who fired upon us.
One of our boats pulled hard for that point,
but the Johnnies did not wait. AS we neared
the point a she'll from battery flew over our
heads and exploded in the woods beyond.
We sent up yell of defiance, when another
she'll plunged in among u.s. This disconnected
us fOr moment some were seen pulling for
that battery as if they were bound to have it,
while others were pulling as hard to- get
away.
But a few more shots soon decided the
matter, and we went back. What our losses
were, if any, never knew, but the river was
soon in such condition that we steamed up
and anchored below the city.
j remember the burned shipyard and the
wrecks Of the burned ships. 1 was granted a
few hours liberty on shore while here. did
n0t go into the city, but amused myself
among the wrecks.
AS | returned TO the boat at the expiration
of my time a man laid his hand Oh HE and
asked: ''Have You heard the news?" I
said | had not as had not been in town.
We'll report has just come in that Abra-
ham Lincoln has been killed" When / got
on board the ship | sat down against the mast
and buried my face in my hands. How bad
| felt. One of my mates came to me to in
quire what was the matter j blurted out:
. They have shot Abe Lincoln"
The report, like a flash, spread fore and aft,
and while no one could bring himself to be-
lieve it, yet we were gloomy lot. But
few days after we fired a gun at stated in
tervals rs tribute to a great and good man.
THOMAS Cox, Z. S. s. Yantic, Willoughby,