The Republican journal., 1906-03-01
THE VOLUNTEER NAVY.
The Monotony of the Blockade. Out OF
Meat. Unsuccessful and Successful
Forays for Texas Steers. A Former Waldo
County Man Texas Cattle King.
" II

The duties of the blockade on an out |
of the way station soon became very |
monotonous and at times very lrksome. |
We left the station but twice, and once |
it was for water, but after that time
Government steamer with large fresh |
water condenser came to us every Two
months, and laying alongside fortwelve
hours would condense water enough 20
last us for sixty days. The second
time we left the station was in April,
when we were ordered to the mouth of
the Mississippi by Admiral Farragut to
take part in the capture of New
Orleans.
Our mails and supplies of fresh pro
visions were brought to us once d
month by the L. 5 Steamer Rhode
Island. Captain Trenchard. This vessel
visited Belfast near the close OF the
war, and perhaps both she and her
gentlemanly officers are well remember
ed by some of the older people. Captain
Trenchard was held III the highest
esteem by all the officers in the Navy.
Her executive officer when she was
at Belfast, acting master Tanner, was
shipmate of mine. We We're both Act
ing Ensigns on board the old Frgate
North Carolina in 1862. receiving IN
structions in gunnery. Acting Master
\. Pratt, who subsequently married
a Belfast lady. relieved me as masters
mate on board the Midnight at the time
of NV promotion to Acting Ensign IN
September. 1862 The Rhode Island
and the Connecticut, slsteE SHIPS, were
the mail and supply ships Tor the. Two
Gulf SQuadronS and each consumed tNo
months time in making the round trip
from New York and return. They made
alternate trips In this manner we re
ceived our mail and supplies of fresh
meats and vegetables once month.
Dnrs was this last vessel but one to
supplv-the Slocp of War Portsmouth
being the laSt-so that when our fresh
meat reached us it had been on
board ship month and was anything
but fresh Five of the ships had Ice
rooms, but Notwithstanding every pre-
caution taken our meat when delivered
to us was green and SHINY and Two
thirds of it not fit to eat, On board ship,
where the regular rations are necessarl-
" salt. fresh meat is essential for the
preservation of health, and in few
months it was found that we had some
eases of scurvey. 1t must be remember
ed that canned goods had not then come
into general use. True, we had what
was called roast beef in SIX pound cans,
and it was served to US once week,
but it bore little resemblance to roast
beef. Methinks at this writing can
hear the shrill pipe of the old boat
SWANS mate and hear mis- resonant voice
echoing through the ship: Cooks OF
messes, lay aft to the main hatch ana
get YOUR rationS of dead cat. We also
had conglomerate mass OF sliced
potatoes, turnips and cabbage-drled III
the sun should think-packed in small
bales like pressed hay and covered with
a tin foil. This was almost as good as
Door hay. Il was called dessicattd vege-
tables. but inasmuch as desecrate
means to pervert from a sacred purpose
think the proper name should have
been desecrated vegetables. This com
pound When made INTO decoctlon call
ed soup was most vllilahous mixture
am free to confess that until under
took to eat it | never knew how to have
pity for my fathers hogs.
Desperate measures require desperate
means, We must have more fresh
meat or the whole ships company
would be down with the scurvey, and the
onv way to obtain IL was to forage IN
the enemies country, and this we knew
to he a somewhat hazardous undertake
ing. Only off the several passes could
we get the ship within three miles OF
the shore on account OF the Sh0al water,
and every big pass had a Rebel fort at
there was ghost of chance for us to
approach in boats was defended by
batteries and squads OF men. Although
we knew these Texan Rangers We're
bad fellows to approach, we made the
effort and many times we succeeded
and at other times failed. But our
successes were frequent enough to keep
us constantly supplied with that finest
OF meat, known as the Texas steer AS
we sailed along the coast man at the
masthead with the and OF glass could
locate herds of cattle, but where to
make q landing in order to make raid
Oh them we did not know. We knew
how near we could approach the shore
III boats, and what obstacles we were
likely to meet in landing, and finally
concluded to make our first effort by
landing on Matagorda Island, which is
about forty miles long and extends
from the entrance to Matagorda Bay.
south to Arkansas Pass. On this island
we had seen many cattle from the
masthead as we had crulSed to and fro
along It's shores. We anchored about
three miles off shore i'll five fathoms OF
water and began to get ready for the
expedition. First, we spliced the main
brace; that is, served all extra tot OF
grog. This gave all the men desire
to 90. Acting Master Smith had charge
of the expedition, and he and Masters
Mate Lidden with ID well armed men
went in the 1st cutter, While and act
ing Masters Mate Bowles, with ) men,
went in the I'd cutter. We left the
ship at p. N. and pulled in for the
shore the list cutter leading off Per-
haps it would be well to digress at this
point and present to your notice
Acting Master Smith. He had been in
command of some good ships before
entering the Navy; had been captain
OF Black Ball Liner, and his last COM
mand was a steamship running from
New York to Panama. He had COM
manded bigger and better ships than
any other officer in the ship, although
Acting Master Coffin had been for
IA years master Of whaler. Mr.;
Smith had a very exalted opinion Ut
himself and owing TO the fact that
the other two Masters rank
ed him by reason of seniority,
they having been appointed before HIM,
he had to take the fourth position on
board a sailing bark. which was very
Illuminating to his pride. He was sour
when he came on board and continued
sour until he left the ship by reason OF