Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-12-29
ON BOARD A CUNBOAT
IN JAMES RIVER.
Continued from page 1871

was struck forty-six times. Twenty
eight shots went nearly through.
Some of the shell burst on her gun
deck, killing seventeen of the crew,
and w%ounding nineteen, more or less.
One shot burst and killed an entire
crew. The Monitor was struck sew
eral times. Her armor was so heavy
that no harm came from 1t. The
Aroostook and Port Royal were both
struck on the water line, and were
obliged to drop out of the range of
the fort to repair damages. Four of
the five commanding officers were
wounded, Captain Constable danger
ously. Commodore Rodgers was
struck on the cheek with a piece of
shell; Captain Jefferies in the thigh;
Captain Morris was shot in the leg.
In withdrawing, the Port Royal went
aground. We assisted her to float.
Shortly after the Gelena got
aground, we had another pulling
match to get her off. The commo-
dore instructed us to return to City
Point, where the Port Royal and
Aroostook had gone while we were
pulling the Gelena off the bar. We
reached City Point the same evening,
finding that the above named vessels
had anchored. We came to anchor
and lay by them all night. In the
morning the Gelena and Monitor
hove in sight, and came to anchor be-
low us. During the day we trans
ferred from the Gelena to the Port
Royal seventeen of her dead crew,
and six of the wounded.
Az 6 p. m. we left City Point In
company with the Port Royal and
Aroostook for jamestown, arriving
at jamestown at 10 p. M, and at
jamestown the captain of the Port
Royal engaged a negro to take some
dispatches over to General McClel-
lan's headquarters, eight miles from
the James river, and the captain and
an escort came over to communicate
with the fleet, and returned with de-
spatches. We went to James Island
and dug a trench and buried them all
in enc grave. Flags on all vessels
were at half-mast during the cere-
mony. These graves were dug with
in 4 half-mile of the walls of the
jamestown church. This ediice was
destroyed by the British during the
war of 1912.
After the ceremonies were over,
we made a survey of the rebel battle,
located on the island of the three
batteries. One still had three guns.
They had formerly been fortifica-
lions. The property in the vicinity
belonged to one Major Allen of the
rebel army. l have a musket given
me by one of my firemen who picked
it up on the island. In Major Aliens
house | found a printed sermon
which had been delivered in New
York. At l p. M, after receiving
dispatches from the flagship, the
nine wounded men, and the remains
of tine gunner of the Gelena, with
the Aroostook as an escort, passed
Fort Powatan to see that we were
not molested. We then started for
Fortress Monroe with dispatches for
General Wool and Commodore Colds
borough.
While we were burying the men oil
the island we heard heavy firing
down the river. Captain Constable,
Captain Morris, and the captain of
the guard who came over from Cen
eral McClellan's army, in counsel,
concluded to land the soldiers above
the fort, and then engage the fort on
the water side. The soldiers were to
carry it by storm. AS our instruc-
tons had been in running up the
river, to run this fort, we concluded
70 run me sauhlee asain' m n,uh -
our surprlse az we oanie IA Sisn. VI
the Flagstaff of the fort, and four of
Commodore Goldsborough's squad
rons lying off the fort, having taken
the fort by storm, and run up the
flag.
Ihls was the Iourtn time ina
nave seen ola glory take the pace OIL
the stars ana pars. FirsC at oewelI
point battery tnen at Craney isianu