The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-04
Saved by a BuIIet---A Story OF the
Civil War

of the city who were allowed to enlist;
others came indifferently from dozen
regiments. which were, for the time De-
ing. happily rid of them. spotted
few bold. misunderstanding customers
whom I mentally pronounced mt Tor any
outrage: and on them I resolved 10
keep a careful eye. l think the Union
cause would have been substantially
benefited by keeping the crew at GOV
ernor's Island till the close of the war
hut as nv own business was simply 10
obey orders. took charge of them ana
the Matanzas went out of the harpor'
We had a large number of passengers
aboard-a distinguished major-genera4'
late of the Potomac Army, going TO
Louisiana with his staff, to report TO
Banks: several schoolma'ams bound Tor
New Orleans and a wide sphere OF outy
among the Freedmen; three cotton
SPECTATORS; several suffers, and some
dozens of officers returning from SICK
leaves.
The weather held pleasant, and the
DAYS passed away delightfully."- in such
little occupations as people pegulie
themselves with at sea. No serious
thought of trouble with the deserters
had entered my brain: knowing their
character, 1 watched them closely, ana
up to the last day of the voyage ols-
covered nothing amiss. Their coInIofI
was as we'll attended TO as posslole'
their rations were regularly dealt OUT
and l had given orders that they should
have the liberty of the forehold dur
ing the day. 1 had heard nothing from
them. thus far, but an occasional oath'
or sullen muttering, which seemed To
mean nothing more than an escape
valve for their general maHgn1ty a
sergeant of the guard, in whom l put
some confidence, pointed out to me TWO
of them who he said were in the haplt
of spending hours out by the 1oot Oh
the bowsprit, talking earnestly TO-
gether, and that more than once ne
had seen one of them pointing at me,
and making motions, as he talked, To-
ward different parts of the steamers
but it hardly seemed to me that the
fellow could intend any mischief Ger
tainIy I did not look for it to come IN
the way it did.
Our VOYAGE drew near it's close. we
had passed the bar outside southwest
Pass. where we learned from the pllol
that Port Hudson had succumbed ten
DAYS before; and when the cabin pas
sengers came on deck after dinner, we
were steaming up between the reeoy
marshes which line the lower Mlssls-
sippi. The prisoners were gathered IN
knots about the wheel-house and tan
rail forward; the guard lounglng neg
ligently among them. / walked Tor
ward to take a nearer inspection; ana
the thought occurred to me that IL
could not be safe to allow the prison.
ers any further liberty of the deck.
There were very likely expert SWIM
mers among them who could easily
gain the shore after nightfall, without
observation; and, as we neared the
city, we should have small boats
swar1ning about us. So / gave the
order to the sergeant to fall in, both
guard and prisoners, and that the lat
ter go below at the roll-cal
The order was obeyed slowly, reluc-
family, and with scowls. More than
one muttered curse reached me, coupl-
ed with my name, and more than one
glance of devilish passion was snot
from that line to where l was stand
ing. by the forward ladder. But there
was no open disobedience. The SER
geant called the roll, and as each man
answered he went down into the hold.
I watched the proceedings in silence,
resolved not to interfere except in case
of absolute necessity.
When about three-fourths Of the
! names had been answered, that OF
Henry Rolan was called. The man
who came forward was the same
whom the sergeant had suspected. He
came up promptly, gave me an impu-
dent stare, and placed his foot on the
| first round of the ladder
Damn him!'' were his words, as he
! turned his head toward the men,
Damn him, I say; he's no more feeI-
! ing for us than a brute. Damn the
upstart strapper.'
| The words were spoken, as they were
/ intended to be, in the hearing OF al
the prisoners, and the chuckle that
came up from below told me that the
| arrow had hit the mark. / had one
impulse, which / could no more resist
than [ could have suspended my
| breath for the next hour-the impulse
to detain and punish him. NOBODY
knew better than myself the conse-
quences of overlooking such Hagran'
and deliberate breach OF discipline
the next hour might have witnessed
an open and successful mutiny. There
fore, reached out my hand, and gras
ping him by the collar, jerked hin
back of where 1 stood.
i .'Stand there" I said, until can at
tend to you. You shall have accommo
dations on deck. Guard, take care o
him"
The man glared at me with rage, ant
for an instant I feared he meditated al
attack. He stood motionless for mo
ment. and I ordered the sergeant Z
proceed with the roll-call.
INV name firstl'' the man shouted
and with a savage oath he pushed m
aside and sprang down the LADDER
while a hatcher greeted his reap
pearance.
bit my lips hard, for l was peconl
ing reused to the danger that threat
ened. AS speedily as possible con
Guided the roll-caI, got all the prison
ers below. and leaving strict orders Z
the guard to shoot the first man Wh
insisted in coming up, fastened dow
into the after-cabin. Through this un
axpected scene I had worn my sWor
and belt. but had no pistol: and m
first thought was to secure reYolVe