The National tribune., 1902-04-24

read "t0 Fort Pillow" but the accommo
| dating Captain of the steamer Belle OF
Memphis" let him off at Island 81, at a
woodchopper's camp on the west side OF
the river. This got the Captain OF the
steamer into trouble when we got tc
| Cairo. Thompson and the other two men
were put in irons with a sentry over them
/ He told me his version while L was stand
| ing guard over them. He said he wanted
to sell the caps to hunters in West Ten
nessee and gave the two men 50 to ferry
him across the river. The latter part OF
his story we believed; but the hunters
were Gen. Forests man-hunters, we had
no doubt.
Thompson was very much crestfallen at
his capture. He admitted having seen our
boat before we rounded the bend, but
never suspected, he said, that transport
would stop him. He was perhaps 50 years
| of age and had an ugly scar on one cheek.
Things went smoothly from there to
| Cairo.
| Fort Pillow. Island No 10, Columbus.
New Madrid, all of which were full of his
torical interest, were passed in rapid sue
ccSsion.
We arrived at Cairo in the afternoon,
and found it, if possible. buster than when
we left there six months before Cairo
was a great distributing point during the
war, being the southern terminus of the
Illinois Central Railroad and the junction
of two mighty riycrs-the Ohio and the
| Father of Waters"
Trains were coming and going night and
day with supplies and troops A dozen
transports were loading and unloading sup
plies alongside the lcyce at the city front
Half dozen gunboats, crowded with me-
chanics, were being repaired under the di-
rection of Capt. Pennock. Steamers were
continually coming and going, many of
them laden with troops. Naval officers,
IN their four and eight cared gigs and cut
tiers, moved gracefully on the muddy river,
their well-trained crews pulling in perfect
time, without making II ripple in the
water
! One or two gunboats were generally an
chOred in midstream, waiting for their
complement of officers and men.
! The monitor Tecumseh (which after
ward went to the bottom with nearly oil
on board, in Farragut's great fight in Mo-
bile Bay was anchored just ahead of us,
waiting also, we were told, for her crew.
The Clara Dolson was at her old stand,
just where we had left her six months
previous to this. She was receiving and
distributing recruits for the navy. Every
thing indicated mighty preparations.
The neXt-morning we noticed several
marines with arms on the steamer Belle of
| Memphis We soon heard that the Cap
tain had been placed under arrest, and
the steamer tied up until her owners could
furnish bond of 100000. SO much for
not complying with martial law.
In the afternoon our commander in
structed me that when the tug came along
was to take the prisoners on the wharf
/ boat before Admiral Porter then salute
and retire. A wharfboat looks something
ike boat on the outside, but on the in
| side ITS appearance is more that of n
warehouse or freight office. We found the
Admiral behind a long desk in the center
OF half dozen young naval officers who
were acting as clerks and who seemed
very Industrious, at that time.
! Porter stood in the center, facing us as
we entered. l had seen the Admiral three
or four times down the river during the
past Summer. He had inspected our drill
at quarters, once at least, on the Osage.
The office was perhaps 80 or 40 feet long,
and while | was walking UP to where the
Admiral stood, his stern glance, with one
eye partially closed never left Thomu-
sons face. His expression was severe in
the extreme. and looked bad for the pris-
oner. We had not thought that the wood
choppers would be punished. However.
| they were i'll irons like the other. Whom
within a'fcw feet of the desk. halted tbe
prisoners, sainted, then retired as ordered
| Inc CAIRO Democrat had full account
OF the ahalr tie next morning | meyer
knew what was done with Thompson. We
supposed he would be sent 10 Fort Leayen-
worth.
Myself and comrades were ordered to 90
on board one of the supply boats of the
| heef, which would take us to our resnec-
tive vessels. The supply boat was speedy
and only stopped al the gunbOats which
We're anchored ut the different stations on
| the way down the river
! l reported on the Usage about the mid
die Of the week and fell into my old