The National tribune., 1901-11-28
"REMINISCENCES OF
THE OLD NAVY.
Cruising With Dewey in the Med
Story of the De-
struction Of the /" Mississippi. !"
By ". ". STONE, U. S. S. q Colorado. "

der at the unwonted splendor Of ths
OF our starboard bow lay the English
frigate, floating like great black swan
Will folded wing on the surface of the
CLASSY waters. The clank Of windlsss
the bostswain's pipe, the hoarse roar OF
the Mate, the ships bells, The sentries
monotonous cries, bugls-calls, and the
barking Of dogs on shore, all came over
the intervening space with a peculiar
nournfuiness and good cheer so fascinat-
ing 10 the listening ear on the water, in
the still air Of midnight.
Abeam, lay the great, grim Rock, y
Ike a modern Belisarius, bathing its feet
In the rushing tide, while seated with
Of the long ago.
BeIisarius indeed! Yon somber sill
heuette is not blindi 1t has thousand
eyes that never sleep, and in each eye Is
thunder masked, waiting for the word
that shall unloose Death in its most aw-
ful form.
Overhead, the tall spars of the Colo
rado" are lost in a eloudless sky There,
countless hosts of cleaning stars--God' S
Grand Army-march soiemnly and silent
ly on, with route step and torches burn
ing, through eternal space, lured by some
Invisible, Omnipotent Power.
One Of our ships boats had, during
the day, been over to a troop-ship laden
with the Inflated Maximiliians returning
warriors and had returned with news Of
the tragic death of the unhappy Emperor.
This made the old salts reminiscent, and,
consequently, the Dog Watch that even
Ing was resonant with tales of Ere and
food.
Mr.. Dewey was on his nightly rounds
personally looking to il that everything
was properly housed. He stopped q mo-
ment TO speak TO the Captain Of the Fore
castle, and passed aft, pleasantly return
ing the salute of group of seamen gath
cred about the great Pinch gun at the
foot OF the fosemast.
What grand night for ghosts" muir
INJURED big KieFnan, the Captain of the
Hold. 81 can almost fancy | see one
Row, out yonder, through that portfolio.
Ibid I ever tell you about Bob Tur-
ner seeing the ghost of Brick Simpson ON
the steamer Mississippi? queried Seotty
Burns TO nobody in particular.
Bob was sitting on the deck, propped
against the gun-carriage, his hands clasp
ing his knees, his eyes turned upward
with 9 fixed look of dreamy inquiry, as
IL he were trying to outstare the mock
ing starr.
ghost9' broke in Sammy Newcombe, ex-
eitedly. "Oh, tell US about 1t Sco1ty,"
pleaded the youngster, with little shiver
Of pleasursble apprehension.
GO, get you to your hammock, slug
gard" said Scotty, dramatically, giving
the boy q light cuff: didn't you fail ont
Randolph got off that ghost scene with
6cGaHf'
i'No; 1t wasn't me at ALL returned
Sammy, ungramaticslly but earnestly, lit
was Tim Sullivan; he had the nightmare,
and dreamed that a spook was a-chasin'
Of him and be had either to get catched
OF jump down big, yawnin' kazmp'
SO he played q Jack and got cold
deck, put in Frazier, the Hospital Stew
ard, who aimed to be the wit Of the fore
castle.
'Belay that, Pills." said Campbell, "or
we shall all get the mollygrubs tonight
"0h, go on with your ghost story"
cried Sammy peevishly.
''Yes, let us hear about Brick Simp-
aon. l remember him; he was a dandy
In his way" said Kiernan.
The lounglng tars here gathered more
closely around Seotty, as he extracted a
smell plug Of navy tobacco from his cap.
We'll, said Scotty, taking a bite from
bis plug, you must know that | was on
the Mississippi, with the rate Of First
class Seaman. Capt. Melanchton Smith
was our commander; Dewey was First
Luff.
Dewey was kind Of straight-laeed and
apt 10 be a little too particular for the
lads, and we didn't take to him at first,
but we got TO ike him better after We
got better acquainted. He hated soldier
ing and Wouldn stand any nonsense, SO
we who wanted to do our duty found
that We didn't have to do all the pulling
and hauling simply because We were will
ing.
&c run past the batteries at Port Hudson.
was in the Captains gig, and We
took the old man over to the Hartford
to get instructions.
tarrsgut was confident OF his ability
20 make the run with his flagship, but
was not so sure of our boat, she being
such an unwieidy tub.
Do you think you can get her upF
heard him ask Of our commander.
Well | can try, Admiral says the
cid man. We knew what that meant. The
Mississippi was lying of Baton Rouge
on the morning Of the 18th. That after
noon We hove up anchor and moved up
to Profits Island. We lay there ali OF
the next day, making preparations for
''A little after dark red light was
hung out in the 'Hartford's' foretop. This
was the signal to get into position.
dewey himself went 'round rousing up
the men, looking TO the running-gear and
getting ready for the start. 1t was past
midnight before we got 10 line. The Hart
ford, Of course, led the way, with the
'AIbstros' iashed to her port quarter;
then came The Richmond with the Gen
'Kineo; We brought up the rear alone,
the Mississippi being a side-wheeler.
'Pon Hudson Is on d bluff 80 feet
above the river II was a very bad place
for navigation. The river makes big
bend there, and the current takes broad
sweep. The channel runs along the east
efn side, right under the nose of the shore
batteries, while opposite, on the western
side of the stream, there is q swift cur
rent running over a nasty shOal
THE Johunies didn't get onto our game
for long time, but finally they got our
bearings, and then there was ructons
Bonfires blazed on the opposite shore,
rockets went up from surrounding hiai
and the batteries opened on us. We get
up TO the bend all right, and the pilot
came All 20 the quarterback looking quite
nappy and talking as II the job were
done.
"a little faster now, II you please
said he TO the Engineer, who was stand
ing by the wheel-house
Wen make it sure he said, turning
20 Dewey.
"'We're not out of the woods yet, by
q long shot said Dewey.
AT this time you couldn't see across
the deck for the smoke. The gunneFs
had to, Ere by the flashes Of the shore
batteries and report Of shore guns.
"Degey went over to the main chains,
where the landsman was standing Il
was Jack Forbes landsman, in the af-
terguard, taking turn-about with the
QuaTteTmaster.
a ~ -