The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-06
.H.Berry & Co.
Main and Tenth Streets.

/ Georgetown were believed to be plentiful
| " provided with Confederate torpedces
| which made the commanders OF or YES
| sells engaged thereabout exceedingly eau
! tiOus Of Venturing 10 the attack ~ The
enemys dcfences. the possession Of which
| by the Union forces was extre mcly de-
sirable. The Mingo was CHARGED viii
watching the bar of Georgetown, anc
Lieutenant Creighton was Eager 10 Fu,
her 10 q little more active service. which
was not deemed wise by her more pruden
! Captain. The only visible obstacle IN the
way OF passing up the Geor-et ,W1 'itc
and attacking Georgetown Itself was e
Confederate battery a mile or 50 leloN
| Georgetown, but no one loIbie1 that
there were hidden obstacles 20 such a
plan more deadly than the battery. FOR
midable as il was.
Lieutenant Congdon." SAYS a veteran
ex-United States marine. who was ono
q a detachment aboard the MingO. was
familiar with the river and AL that
country. as ne had lived there. and had
relatives then al Georgetown. 1t hap
pened that Captain Creighton was taken
seriously III one day and was unable TO
leave his room. Lieutenant Congdon Oh
tained permission from him to move about
q little in the river. Before daylight next
morning we found ourselves passing
over the bar and presently the MingO
was steaming at terrible rate up George
town river, as il there was no such thing
as a sunken torpedo in existence and bal
teries of frowning guns were unknown.
We carried no lights, and every gun was
ready for action. We ran shy Of every
torpedo, somehow or other. and before
the Confederates manning tho battery
were aware Of II. the Mingo was at point
blank range of their works. and hao
poured a broadside Of grape and connis-
ter into them.
The Commandment was so terrific and
unexpected that no EFFORT was made by
the enemy 10 man a gun. The Mingo was
going so fast that she ran a long dis
tance past the battery before she coulo
he brought about Day was Just theI
breaking. Lieutenant Congdon headed
back down stream and cleared for anoth-
or volley, but discovered the Confed-
crates abandoning the works in grea.
haste. The marines and men with smal
arms were ordered 10 land and capture
the battery. The seamen abandoned ali
discipline and rushed helter-skeltsr for
the works, leaving their offices TO pun
along behind. When we arrived on the
scene the sailors were in desperate pur-
suit of all that was left of the garrison,
which was a big flock OF geese They
were all captured. the battery's two
score Of heavy guns were spiked, and all
hands returned to the Mlngo.
Captain Creighton was stll in his
room. ! never knew what he thought
was going on. but no word came from
him. and Lieutenant Congdon didn't tarry
10 report 10 him, but steamed on up the
river and never stopped until the Mingo
Law directly of Georgetown. There
wasn't the least sign Of life about the
place.
"I guess we had better wake 'em up, "
said the Lieutenant.
so ne ordered a shot from one Of the
1O0-pOund Parrot guns 10 be sent over
the town. just before the order TO fire
was gwen Lieutenant COngdon took
squirt over the gun himself.
81 guess you had better elevate her a
little more he said 10 the gunner. shak-
ing his head. You've got her pointed
beautifully, but she's pointed square into
the store of a worthy old uncle Of mine
You'd better raise her little
1.-THE sailors grinne1. They had the
gun pointed straight for the store, sure
enough. They wanted to see some splint-
ers fly. they said but they didn't know
the store belonged to the Lieutenant's
uncle. so they elevated the sun and enc
shot went singing over the housetops OF
Georgetown. II quickly reused every one
there was in the place. Few Of them
were men, and they were evidently old
men. All the ablebodied men were In the
army / suppose. A force was sent ashore
and raised the Stars and Strips over the
market place, In the centre If the town
No attempt was made TO haul It down.
Aftcr the flag was raised over George
town Lieutenant Congdon reported 10
the Captain what sort of fun we had been
having by the help of the Mngo that
morning and he was more than pleased
and insisted on being carried on deck TO
see the flag floating.
1.-THE news OF Lieutenant Congdon's
bold dash soon got around and what
should appear on the scene but trans
port from the flagship at Charleston
with Admiral Dahlgren aboard. He
came aboard the gunboat, and they all
came TO the conclusion that there
couldn't be any torpodoes in the river,
after all The Admiral steamed back to-
ward Charleston. We fingered about
Georgetown a while and then followed.
Before we got half way back we came in
sight Of something sticking above the
water. and the Lieutenant discovered II
10 be the pilot house OF the Admirars
transport That was all there was 10 be
seen OF her. She had run plumb upon
sunken torpedo which blew hole in her
so big that she had COMO TO the bottom
In short order--so quick, in fact, that ;he
Admiral and the others on board had
barely time TO escape IN the boats. New
York Sun.