The National tribune., 1902-05-22


quantity of splinters over the younger off
GERS standing near.
The Admiral, who was intently observ-
ing the range of the guns as they opened
upon the flagship, hastily turned his head
as the shot struck, and noticing the slight
muscular movement. the mere dropping of
the shoulder, which is the result Of a close
call from a solid shot, exclaimed with a
smile: What! Are you youngsters dodg-
ing?"
The words were scarcely spoken when
a round shot struck the boom square over
his head. Dropping his left shoulder a
mere trife, and without moving an inch
from his position, he turned his head to-
ward the young officers and said: Gentle
men, bravery is a mere question of pride,
but it is some comfort to dodge even as
much as that" illustrating his remark by
raising his left hand, and with the first
finger Of the right, measuring perhaps the
width Of his finger nail. While delivering
this dissertation upon bravery, he seemed
perfectly unconscious of his surroundings.
Having satisfied himself as to the enc
my's guns, he ordered the engines stopped;
| the Hartford, drifting slowly down
stream, came to an anchor ahead CT the
balance of the ships. He now made sig
nal for the commanding officers to repair
on board. and in a few moments every gig
III the Ueet was dlODSSlue Iue IldEIlOEu.
The group of his Captains as they assem-
bled on the quarterback Of the flagship
was a notable one. Every one Of them
had followed his. flagship through the
gantIet OF fire at the forts below New Or
| leans, and in that little group stood some
of the most gallant and accomplished Cap
| tains in the American Navy.
The Admiral was man of few words,
and his orders were direct and to the
] int l. 9
minutes after he had met his Captains
| that they left the Hartford's side with n
| perfect understanding Of what was ex-
pected Of them. His order of battle was
as usual by divisions, and the ships were
TO be fought by twOs; that is, each of the
| large ships had dashed to her port side
one Of the smaller ones. The Essex, with
| the mortar FlOtilla, was to remain behind
and, in case the Admiral was successful
in forcing the passage, to hold the river
| below.
The orders of the Admiral placed his
| feet in this position: Ahead of the bal
ance of the feet and close in to the left
| bank OF the river upon which the enemy's
works were situated, was the Essex; astern
of the Essex, but closer to the bank, was
the mortar Flotilla; out in the stream n
| cOnsdera bic distance astern of the Essex
came the Hartford and AlbatrQss; then
came the Mississippi, then the Richmond,
and the Genesee, the MOnOngahela and
the kineO, with the Sachem in the rear.
RUNNING THE GANTLET.
AT exactly six bells on the night Of
! March IA, 1863, the Hartford displayed a
white light over the trait rail, which was
the signal to get under weigh, and with
| scarcely a word spoken or a noise made
| the ships commenced to steam up the
stream. The Hartford was, of course, in
the lead. The General who commands an
army usually sends his battalion into the
fight, and remains in position where he
| can overlook the condition Of affairs An
Admiral always takes his ship into the
fight, and is subjected to exactly the same
danger as the boy who supplies the pow
der 10 the guns.
been idle, and had constructed upon the
river bank opposite their largest batteries
| immense piles OF pine knots, which. upon
being lighted, became bonfires, the light of
which being thrown directly across the
river and on the ships as they passed,
made them an easy target for the gunners
on the opposite bluff.
The orders Of the Admiral to the Essex
| were to steam slowly ahead but not TO
open fire until the Hartford was abreast
OF her. The batteries of the enemy were
silent, and the ships as they came upward
made so little noise that the silence was
deathlike. 1t was indeed 4 calm before Il
! storm.
As the Hartford neared the Essex the
| signal corps of the enemy lighted their sig
mails and fired rocket. The Essex then
opened the fight with her forward battery,
and III few moments the entire fleet was
| engaged.
/ The Hartford being in the lead, soon