Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-01-27

ing over and upon our deck, bursting
into awful showers of bolt and chain
and spike and hammerheads. We saw
shortly that our brig was badly out Of
gear. She began to drift to leeward,
and being unable to aim at the enemy,
we could make no use Of the bow
gun. Every brace and bowline cut
away, her canvas torn to rags, her
hull shot through, and half the men
dead or wounded, she was, indeed, a
sorry sight. The Niagara went by on
the safe side Of us, needless of our
plight. Perry stood near, cursing as
he looked of at her. Two Of my gun
ners had been hurt by bursting can
lister. D'ri and I picked them up, and
made for the cockpit. D'ri's man kept
bowling and kicking. AS we hurried
along over the bloody deck, there came
a mighty crash beside us and burst
of old iron that tumbled me to my
knees.
A cloud of smoke covered US. I felt
the man l bore struggle and then go
limp in my arms I felt my knees get
ting warm and wet. The smoke rose;
the tall, herculean back Of D'ri was
just ahead of me. His sleeve had been
ripped away from shoulder to elbow,
and q spray Of blood from his upper
arm was flying back upon me. His hat
crown had been torn OF, and there was
q big rent In his trousers, but he kept
going. I saw my man had been killed
in my arms by piece Of chain, buried
to it's last link in his breast. was so
confused by the shock Of 1t all
that l had not the sense to lay
him down, but followed D'r to the
cockpit. He stumbled on the stairs,
falling heavily with his burden. Then
I dropped my poor gunner and helped
them carry D'ri to table, where they
bade me lie down beside him.
1T is no time for jesting," said l,
with some dignity.
my dear fellow" the surgeon an
swered, your wound is no jest. You
are not fit for duty"
looked down at the big hole in my
trousers and the cut in my thigh, OF
which had known nothing until then.
I had no sooner seen 1t and the blood
than saw that also was in some need
Of repair, and lay down with a quick
sense of faintness. My wound was no
pretty thing to see, but was Of little
consequence, a missile having torn the
surface only. I was able to help Sur
geon Usher as he caught the severed
veins and bathed the bloody strands
of muscle in 'Dri's arm, while another
dressed my thigh. That room was
full of the wounded, some lying on
the floor, some standing, some stretched
upon cots and tables. Every moment
they were crowding down the compan-
ionway with others. The cannonading
was now so close and heavy that 1t
gave me an ache in the ears, but above
its quaking thunder I could hear the
shrill cries Of men sinking to hasty
death in the grip Of pain. The brig
was in sore distress, her timbers creak-
ing, swapping, quivering, like one being
beaten to death, his bones cracking,
his muscles pulping under heavy blows.
We were above water-line there in the
cockpit, We could feel her finch and
stagger. On her side there came sud-
denly a crushing blow, as If some great
hammer, swung far in the sky, had
come down upon her. | could hear
the split and break of heavy timbers;
could see splinters flying over me In
q rush of smoke. and the legs OF a man
go humping on the beams above. Then
came another crash Of timbers on the
port side. I leaped of the table and
ran, limping, to the deck, l do not know
why; l was driven by some quick and
irresistible impulse. was near out OF
my head, anyway, with the rage OF
battle in me and no chance to fight.
Well, suddenly, found myself STUN
bling, with drawn saber, over heaps OF
the hurt and dead there on our
reeking deck. 1t was horrible place:
everything tipped over, man and gun
and mast and bulwark. The air was
full of smoke, but near me | could see
a topsail of the enemy. Balls were
now plunging in the water alongside,
the spray drenching our deck. Some
poor man lying low among the dead
caught me by the bootleg with an ap-
pealing gesture. l took hold OF his
collar, dragging him to the cockpit.
The surgeon had just finished with
D'ri. His arm was now in sling and
bandages. He was lying on his back,
the good arm over his face. There was
a lull in the cannonading. went
quickly 10 his side.
How are you feeling?" asked, CIV
ing his hand good grip.
"Nuthin' t brag Nv" he answered.
Never see nobody git hell rose WIFI
'em s. quick es we did-never."
Just then We heard the voice OF
Perry. He stood on the stairs calling
into the cockpit.
Can any wounded man below there
pull rope?" he shouted.
D'ri was on his feet in jiffy, and
VIC were both clambering to the deck
as another scud of junk went over US.
Perry was trying with block and tackle
to mount a carronade. A handful or
men were helping him. D'ri rushed to
the ropes, following, and we both
pulled with a will. A sailor who had
been hit in the legs hobbled up, ask
ing for room on the rope. told him
he could be Of no use, but he spat an
oath, and pointing at my leg, which
MN, nou hlood{np awOre he was