The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1907-03-07

MN." -.
feet Hts smoke stack was gone and
his boat was half full OF water. Ho
aud his crew were suffering from the
chill Of the atmosphere. received
them and gave them my quarters and
set my men 10 pump "a the water
aud get the boat ready for any require.
ment. We o O had u Ia good order
and Cushing. hia crew recruited. set
out the next morning for the feet on
Edcntun.
"A few days after that. having &c
| complished what ! had been detailed
to do as 30 the soundings. VIC got un.
der way and started for the fleet On
arriving there We found that Gushing
had arrived chead Of US. and as ! be-
longed 20 the Otsego. I reported
aboard that boat found great enthu.
slasm among my old shipmates be-
cause OF an order that had been is
sued calling for volunteers to join
Gushing In his picket boat for the pur.
pose OF destroying the rebel ram Abe,
marie. ! did not grow enthusiastic
over joining that expedition. I had
been engaged In many Of a similar
Kind and il seemed 10 me and was re.
marked by others that l was always
one Of the FIRST 10 be- detailed on such
adventures. However. ! volunteered
TO Join.
About three days ~afterward. Lieut.
Cushing's picket boat came alongside
the Otsego to receive his volunteers
AS we stepped down the ssngway
some Of our friends aud shlpmates
made a remark that was not encour
aging Il was There goes them boys
in their coffin. Capt. Arnold made a
few remarks, cheering us on way
to death, or glory and promotion. bu,
he rather lnsinuated that he r. ex
poeted to see any Of as again.
II was Oct - when the Otsegc
took the picket boat with her volun
teers 20 tow 20 the mouth o. The
Roanoke river. We had also the
launch 81 the United States steamer
Shamrock In tow. The Otsego cast as
sdrift az the mouth Of the river and
returned 70 the heet OF Edenton
There we were on onr journey Up The
river 20 achieve either death or glory
and promotion Whcn we got about
seven miles up the river. az the bend
below Plymouth. we were Cred into
by piokets stationed IN the pilot house
Of the sunken southneld. which had
been ont 10 the bottom by the con
federate ram that we were hunting
Appreclatink the situation and finding
that our object had been frustrated.
We returned to the fleet whore We re-
manned three days getting ready for
another attempt On the evening 90
the 27th We again headed our course
for the mouth Of the Roanoke. We
entered about ten O'Clock az night
dark and dreary. wet and stormy Il
was. We moved along c~autlously on
the dark side ot the river under the
shadow OF the bamboo swamps and
soon found hat We had passed tho
%southneld unobsorycd.
IAN eyes were nov searching Tor
the monster 81 the sound. the conied
crate ram Albemarle. We found our.
solves on the opposite side % the river
from Plymouth and observed a black
lump on the opposite shore. and con.
oluded Il 10 be the object OF our
search, II was. however. only a large
pile Of coal that the c~onfedeutes had
stored there 70 supply their Yessels.
including the ironclad, Disappointed.
we backed on, still scanning the
Plymouth shore. Steaming up stream
another half mile we sighted another
black object. and. on approaching e.
We found that we had made no mis-.
take this time. There. indeed. lay the
continuance that had wrought death
and destruction among our vessels.
when we got within hailug dis.
lance the lookout on the ram hailed
as as follows; Boat ahoyl Boat
ahoy' Boat ahoy' What boat comes
theref' Cushings reply a. he stood
by the halyards OF the torpedo boom
was; We'll soon LET you know what
boat comes here AZ the same time
he gave orders 10 the engineer to pat
on iull speed Just then a volioy Of
musketry whietled all around as
"Our boat was nov lcaplng through
the water. ire belchihg out Of her
smokestaok, when we struck a boom
Of logs with which the ram had been
entirely surrounded. The c~onfcderatea
on the ram then threw open their gun
ports and fred their heavy h~roadsidns
nc ua, but while they were doing this
our boat went head down and stern
up. the boom raising on our launch
and catching GA our propeller. SO did
the torpedo boom 30 down under the
ram Cushing gave the torpedo ham
mel a quick pail. when there came an
awful explosion. Il filled our boat
with water, and Gushing cried out
Boys. saw yourselves; our work Is
dOnei'
1--WE swan ashore. and for three
days wandered in the sWamps. picking
our way down the river. | was picked
up hy the United States picket boat
] fnHHHa.H.nH amI 49, aF.-.nl