Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-12-29


lSusouehanna had been made the ha
ship of this squadron, and in passil
it her captain hailed us and orders
us to take the lead and feel the WI
for the fleet. On passing the MONT
her captain wanted the honor
leading the fleet. After we pass
Sewell Point battery, all the vesse
in the fleet stopped, except the Mo
itor and the Naugatuck for fear
torpedoes and mines, but the GREY
of the Monitor and Naugatuck we
not considered.
From Sewell Point to Norfo
there was one continuous line of ba
teries, wherever a gun could
mounted, and each battery and Il
fort of Craney Island all had the
flags still flying. AS we were passiI
up the Elizabeth river Captain Co
stable and | were promenading IL
deck and looking at the different ba
teries. AS we neared Norfolk v
stopped very abruptly. | said | thiY
we are in a decoy, and should nof
surprised at any moment shd
they fire on us. 1t would be cert
destruction to the ship should wei
tempt to return. We were not awN
that the explosion we saw backA
Craney Island was the MerrirF
blown up, for we momentarily expo
ed her to make an attack on us, =
gether with the line of batteries a
along the shore at Craney Island. 4
Sewell Point Captain Constab
withdraw from the battery. Capt3
Constable then said should WEI
compelled to leave the ship, | shoN
very much dislike for the rebels
get her; neither should | like to tai
the risk of laying a train of powdt
to her magazine, and then put out fl
the Monitor.
! said to him, Captain Constabl
If we are obliged to abandon the shi.
the rebels will never get her, for
can blow her out of water in five mil
utes after we are obliged to lea,
her." He then said: 81 shall Deepen
upon you to destroy the ship il "
are Obliged to abandon her. l don
want them to get her as a prize"
| had arranged the combination
of levers and my safety valves, as We
suggested by Captain Shippem fl
just such an emergency or in case {
a surprise.
Just below Norfolk we ran aloni
side of the hull of the u. S. frigal
United States, and it was fortuna!
that we did, for the Elizabeth riy4
had been piled from shore to shq
and at the time of our going up Il
river the heads of the piling were 4
under water. On the side of the fri
ate of which we passed, the cham
was clear of the piling and with
friget sunk in it's opening. it woul
cut off water communication with tn
navy at Portsmouth.
We met with an agreeable surpris
at Norfolk; the rebels had evacuated
leaving all their flags in position. w
found at the hospital the stars -
stripes flying over It,. The Naugak
was the second vessel to reach Nc.
folk. Captain Constable's cutter VI
the FIST to make the landing at M
folk. Here the sailing masteIm-
Merri1uac was handed over toA
a prisoner of war, and it was
til then that we knew that the,% !,
rimac had eeen blown up. Why tn
sacrificed hen was because she drel
too much wateiRto go up James rive.
While we lay at Norfolk | purchaI
ed two twenty-five cents, Confedei
ate currency. When Captain Col
stable returned to she ship, we weII
ordered to Fortress Monroe and pre-
pare to go up James river and act i
concert with the Galena, Aroostoo'
and Port Royal, and proceed to Rich
mond. On our return to Fortres
Monroe | had to clean boilers and wa
obliged to work the engineer depart
ment all night, to prepare, the shi,
for the next morning. At G9ybrea'
we got under way and went up
James river. At 7.45 A. M. we'pf
ed the rebel battery at Days Pq
Just before we reached it we
breakfast. We found eleven gunA
this battery. They had no flag an
we were at a loss to know what
meant. Just before we reached thi
point, we passed two rebel steam
boats loaded with patroHed feders
prisoners, going to Fortress Monro
for exchange. Shortly after tn
steamer passed us we came in rang
of the guns of this fort. All hand
were on deck cheering the prisone
as the steamer passed. Just then
batteries opened ON us, We then
ticed on our starboard bow a Will
flag on which the guns of this battd
had been trained, and as the Maud
tuck covered the flag, they c~oncentE
ted their fire on us; eight of II
shells came very close to us, and/
we not been partly submerged
would have dismantled OUR
gun, as one shot passed directo
it, striking the water someht
feet from the ship. Another 81
- - H. -k-oc A. AKIN