The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-02-27
A MYSTERY OF
FORT FISHER
tOriginal.1

ed with considerable loss. Hervey's
body was found in q depression in the
sand in the extreme advanced position
reached by his men of the Juniata. A
handkerchief mot Hervey's) had been
used for tourniquet to stop the flow
of blood from the commanders left
ankle. which had been shattered and
tue artery cut by a rifle ball. The
wounded man must have been killed
subsequently, by fragment of a sheu
which had struck him in the head.
Who had saved the captain in the first
instance? 1t must have been some one
who had been killed in the action, for
no one claimed the credit.
Some time before the Juniata, which
Hervey commanded, Joined the fleet
she was refitted at the Portsmouth
navy yard. Commander Ilervey's fam
ily were there in one of the officers
residences, including his daughter,
Irene, Il girl of seventeen. There was
a petty oliicer-nOt commissioned, but
an enlisted maintained Edgar Foil
stall. who was cockswain of the cap
tain's dingey He used TO carry Irene
in the dingey to and from the Juniata.
ON such occasions she sat in the stern
of the boat beside tie cockswain.
Though very young, she knew well the
difference in station between enlisted
men and officers and that it was not
becoming to have anything to say to
the cockswain. When any of her fam
lily. associates or officers were in the
dingey, she never made ii remark to
young Foristall, but when none of
these was present she waXed quite
friendly. Later Foristall was in the
action at Fort Fisher, was severely
wounded and was promoted for brav-
cry.
Ten years passed. One day Irene
uervey was present at the launching
Of United States cruiser, a SUI
perntendent of one of the depart
mcnts of the works that had built
the vessel stepped up to her and
asked her if she remembered him. She
did not, and he informed her that he
was the cockswain who used to carry
her in her fathers dingey to and from
the Juniata. Irene's face lighted up
at once. She was especially pleased at
meeting Foristall as a citizen and not
as an enlisted sailor.
II have never seen you" she said.
"since the Juniata left us for the at
tack on Fort Fisher. | saw the notice
Of your promotion for bravery, how
ever"
"Oh. everybody was brave on that
OCCASION" said the young shipbuilder.
"But it is pleasant to be singled out
from the throng."
AT that moment the ship was
launched and the remarks were inter
rupted Nevertheless they were the be-
ginning of a renewed acquaintance on
different basis from that of blue
Jacket and captains daughter. Irene
had treasured a remembrance of the
black eyed boy who used to sing out
the orders to his oarsmen so Justify,
though he had changed so much in
appearance that she had not recoS-
nized him. The new man proved so
attractive to her that her heart slipped
into his possession. Then she was
pleased that he offered her his own in
exchange. But what was her delight
when he opened the case Of his watch
and showed her little lock of her
hair. that he had surreptitiously cut
from her ,pigtair' one morning when
she was on his dingey.
They were engaged. and in time the
10 y,-oc cot for. tho xynlIiDr hnt nm
fortunately, one evening when Irene
was in bad humor she let fall re-
mark indicating that she still had some
of the feeling that captains daughter
might have for bluejacket. Foristall
at once broke the engagement Irene
when she had cooled fpnged to recall
him. but it is not an easy thing for
woman thus to humble herself. SO she
pinned and moped till het mother found
something for her to doain getting up
material for a biography ,of her father
to be published with those of other
naval officers who had fallen in the
civil war,
She was thus engaged when she came
upon packet marked "I'apers found
On Commander Herveys body" Open
ing it. she took out several letters.
shudderins that they had been drench-
ed in her fathers blood. and examined
them in turn. Suddenly she came upon
few scarcely legible words on the
back of one, Of the letters scrawled with
some blunt instrument, possibly fin
ger tip; -
"Cockswain saved me. They will hit
me yet"
Like a fash from heaven tho secret
attending her fathers death burst up
on her. For years she had wondered
who was the man Sho had Carried her
father to 8 less exposed position and