The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
CAPT. sIGsBEE IN BATTLE.
A Story of the Names Commander at
Mobile Bay.
New York SIN.

New York Sun.
Few persons know that Captain Charles
d. Sigsbee. lately of the Maine. was one OF
the favored graduates from the Naval Acad-
emp who took a diploma and mounted a
next day for the gulf, and a month later
had the glory Of serving with Farragut at
Mobile bay. This story of him is told by a
fellow-oficer:
There were two of those youngsters OF
the class of 1864. who came to the gulf
squadron and were temporarily assigned to
the Hartford, Farragut's flag ship" he said.
They were w. S. Dana, since dead, and
Charles d. Sigsbee. / was an ensign on
mental in bringing the two young officers to
the flag ship. In preparing for the great
battle in Mobile bay Captain Drayton, chief
board. To Ensign Sigsbee was given COM
mand of the forward powder division, while
my humble self received charge of the after
powder division. For the benefit of lands
men it might be we'll to say that the old
fashioned powder division consisted of lines
cooks, walters, etc. Their duty was to pass
powder and shell from the magazines to
the shell whips in the forward and after
matches, to do it as rapidly as possible. and
TO make as much noise In the yelling Of
Hurry up, Pass that along!' Don't go to
Sleep as it was possible for human voices
in varied conditions of adolescence. con-
valescence and decay to accomplish in
rapid-fire breaths. / never have heard Sigs-
bee speak of the vocal success of his COM
mand that day, the awful roar and the crash
of shot and shell, and perhaps a shrek and
groan or two may have suppressed some of
1t. but | can say of my division that If the
nautical traditions of Nelson and the glories
of Trafalgar and Aboukir were dependent
upon powder division noise for their preser-
walton l would like TO submit some notes
on real American vocal effectiveness to
Captain Mahan for Incorporation in his next
book.
THE Hartford had damned the torpe-
does had gone ahead-'four bells. Drayton'
had seen the Tecumseh go down with
more than one hundred souls, and had
turned grape, canister and shrapnel loose
upon Fort Morgan's ramparts and escarp-
ments. No human nerve could stand SO
pressed for the time. Sigsbee's men for
ward, hushed by death in many forms. had
caught the lull in the battle, but my di-
vision being yet bloodless, though by ,
the conflict.
II never did hear whether the music from
the after-powder division had caught Far
raguts ear in his lashment up in the main
rigging and whether it disturbed his ocular
understanding of the enemy's movements,
but l do know that just then Sigsbee came
from forward and said, Drayton wants you
to stop that internal noise Then he asked
If there were any casualties. and being told
that there were none he said, Poor Hegen-
botham is killed Hegenbotham was also
an ensign on the admiral,s staff. While
talking Sigsbee stood up against a stanchion
in the wardroom-'country, it is called. My
division by this time. like many other CHOIR
uses, had yielded to public pressure and
"The next moment there was a crash
ASoliloI llit GllC VI llC sup NilHiI z III lCtI
of where we stood. 1t seemed as if every
thing gave way. / saw the inner planking
break and saw that planking drive out the
junior officers mess room bulkhead. | saw
men and boys knocked down. The air was
flu. of dust and s~plinters and flying frag-
ments. / saw the stanchion against which
Sigsbee was leaning come down broken in
the middle and one jagged end of it go fly
ing. / saw Sigsbee reel and swirl and stag
ger, and / rushed to him, for l was UNI
hurt.
My God. Sigsbee, are you hurt?' / cried.
THE gallant commander of the Maine
drew himself up proudly and said, No. sir,
but would like to know where in thunder
that went to-
What went to-. The shot went through
the ship, of course
~ don't mean that said Sigsbee.
Where's the skirt of my coat?'
And he felt around his hip. One skirt OF
his brand new uniform coat was gone. The
Jagged end of the broken stanchion had
caught the coat and ripped 1t out of sight.
The Tennessee was playing it into us
pretty fast lust then, and Sigsbee, ~coatless,
went to his forward station. The battle
was open again, and from this on there
were no elements of humor. 1t was a fight
to the death aud to the end. The Hartford's
forty dead told the sad story of her greatest
battle"