Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-11-29

for revival Of the stories OF sublime
courage exhibited in the civil war.
CT these tases few will more readily
appeal 70 the wolshlper than thai
Of Lieut. Dixon and bis comrades who
embarked In crazy little boat on an
expedition against big Yankee man
o'-war in the siege of Charleston.
The incident was daring In its 70 !.
ceptlon, heroic in its execution aud
tragic in its termination
Charleston was choked off from the
sea by the strong hand Of the Federal
blockade. Ten majestic battleships
lay in the outer harbor, and by day
and night they rained storm of shot
and shell on the fortifications and de-
tenders of the ancient city.
For each gunshot from Sumter OF
Wagner ten or more Numbered back
a deadly answer from the feet of Fed
eral gunboats.
OF this latter most aggressive mem.
Der was the Housatonlc, a splendid
new ship anchored in the north chan
mel. She was particularly offensive
from the advantage of her position
The firing of her rified cannon on the
forts was cruelty perfect and persist.
ent. She threw Parrot shells into the
city and her solid shot tore away great
sections Of the defensive ramparts. By
reason of the wholesaiss havoc she ere.
ated and the destruction she dealt, the
motive of the catastrophe which be-
fell her was conceived.
Eeauregard had accepted from No
bile firm for the torpedo service a
strange craft, 40 feet in length and
shaped like cigar. She was propelled
by hand and was intended for sub
marine work.
But in each Of the half dozen at
tempts to submerge her in the Charles
ton narbor she had smothered her crew
in the green waters of the bay, SO she
was tied up to the wharf near the bat
ter, with only her curving back
above the water line, where she vacil-
lated like stranded sea monster, toss
ed by the moving tides.
There the Cigar boat (she was I'M
named) was observed by George Dixon,
an officer of the Twenty-first Alabama
Infantry, then engaged in the defense
Of Charleston
Dixon had been casting about for
some plan by which the harbor might
be relieved of one or more Of the block
aders. A careful inspection of the
abandoned boat convinced him that
she could be used in plan which he
favored. He WAS fully cognizant of
the grim record she had made for her
self and realized the extreme dangers
which lay in the execution of his plan.
but he determined to try it in the face
of all risks
Likewise with the six men to whom
Dixon unfolded his pr ject. They knew
a fearful death for themselves was al
most certain in the event of the sue
cess Of the enterprise, yet they readily
agreed to accompany him as crew of
the boat.
1t was deliberate sacrifice of them
selves for the attainment of a desired
object. The men were Capt. Carlson
and Ridgeway, Becker. Wicks, Collins
and Simpkins.
At Z o'clock on the night of Feb. IL,
in 1864, the party assembled on the
deck CO the once-abandoned but now
important boat. 1t was a picturesque
situation. The darkness of the night
was dispelled by confagration back
in the city and by calcium raft which
burned rediy over against Fort Sum-
ter. Overhead a perfect network OF
screaming and bursting shells made a
pyrotechnic display, gigantic and fear
full, while the crash of the distant guns
was continuous.
The men We're perfectly cool and de-
liberate In their movements. Dixon
gave his orders in calm manner. and
inspected each step of the proceedings
with the keen perception of an expert.
A sailor approached the group on the
docks, with round, black object slung
over his shoulders. 1t was sea tor
pedo. This was taken rather tenderly
by tWo-o1 the men, who fixed 1t to the
end Of spar which another of the
party had drawn out of the water with
rope. The free end of the spar was
then fixed to the nose of the boat. The
spar, being thus adjusted, was Kind
OF. ram, which pointed straight ahea i
Of the boat and lay just under the wa
ter, with the deadly torpedo on the
outer end.
Dixon then ordered all aboard, and
they descended ladder into the boat
through a manhole In the top.
The cover was fastened from the in
side and the queer craft moved slowly
out into the harbor, only partly sub
merged. A shell dropped in the water
and exploded so near that the waves
from the disturbance nearly swamped
the boat, but she righted herself and
kept straight course for the outer
bar
The Housatonic that night lay silent
and dark, as il resting from her MUIR
derous labors of the day.
A red light burned at her masthead,
and an officer-Crosby- paced her
decks slowly and alone. He was watch
ing the red and blue signal rockets that
rose majestically high into the night
from the flagship of the squadron
Presently he looked out ever the bay,
and his attention settled on a long,
low, black thing which came drifting
toward him over the ripping waves.
1t was like loose plank in the water.
He watched it intently for a few sec
onds. then suddenly realizing the peril
of his vessel. he ran at his utmost speed
for the pilot house. shouting at the top
Of his voice:
A torpedo on the starboardl A tor
pedo on the starboardr'
He rang all hands on deck, and as
they tumbled out he gave frantic or
ders to start the engines and back
gway.
They cut away the cables, the en-
gines began to throb and the whole
ship trembIed with the first motions Of
getting under way,
She was too late The few seconds
Crosby had spent in observation Of the
plank" cost him dearly.
Dixon and his strange craft had
closed in on him and struck the Housa-
tonic in the side. little forward of