The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-14

q '+IiiJ - I4iNi IJhg' y iIsIh'As AfhslaN yJALs
-.
| self. and that tic enemy were rlgll
behind him. Captain iruc,cr -nw tina
the poor fellow ,was badly dcmorntztd
| and told him lie would protect Him
Just below HE roatl that lcd to Tic
| wharf was q path Leading down tie
bluff to tho water. and white talking
To tho demornlized man duwf, came his
command In single file aud at ful
spced. Immediately wo @cnt TO quar-
tiers loaded with grape and had siS
guns bearing upon the hilltop. We
had not To walt long. when tho enemy
unlimbcred two pieces of artillery, but
before they could fire the six guns OF
tho Patrick Henry opened and both
pieces Of artillery were dismonntcd
ana several of the gunners put lors
de combat and Mr.. yank was as mucl,
surprised n, seeing our ship as was
our demornliacd friend. We saw moth
ing more of the enemy. and that night
our pilot showed the cavalry a ford
across Jamestown Creek. and they re-
joined tllcir command. The next night.
we not knowing that the enemy had
Norfolk and that the Virginia had
been destroyed started to run the
blockade of Newport News. and had 1t
not been for some lights being care
captured. for we ran right into the
Yankee fleet at the mouth of tho river.
ENtricatng ourselves In quiet man
ner we returned To Mulberry Point and
awaited daylight. II came on time. and
with 1t the Monitor. CIaena. Naugatuck.
Aroostook and Port Royal. They
tackled Days Point Battery and sill
enced 1T, and then commenced on the
Hardlng's Bluff Battery. when Tucker
rr,r rl, LODI To, nj
full speed we sped our way to Drewry's
Bluff, seven miless below Richmond
On our way up we met Lieutenant
Sharp, commanding the tug Beaufort
with one gun. He halted and asked
for Information, stating that the Sec
rotary OF the Navy had heard that the
enemy had entered James River and
had ordered him to drive them out.
This ELECTED a broad grin from every
one on board the Pat" from captain to
powder hoy. Captain Tucker replied:
Well. hope you can do it: am
getting out of their way" Sharp fell
in behind us. and we reached Drewry's
Bluff about midnight. No time was
to be lost: W. did not know whether
the Yanks were following US or not,
and Richmond was unprotected by
this route. y battery of three guns.
under command of Captain Drewry. Of
TIE army, nHl deem tTeClpu and I'll at
tempt made to barricade the river. The
river steamers Curtis Peck and Allison.
with several schooners, had been sunk
across the channel. but an opening
had been left for our ships to come
through. Tucker ordered this closed
by sinking the jamestown. and we COM
menced the work Of transferring her
guns and one from the Patrick Henry
up a bluff eighty feet high. with an in
cline to the river OF nearly forty-fve
degrees. 1t was hard work. and we
worked from May sth to May l4th be-
fore we were in condition to fight.
Mud and rain. night and day. four
hours OH ships watch. and never did
men and officers ,rk harder. Rich
moud. our capital. was In danger. Had
the enemy passed the batteries on the
lower James which they could have
done in all probability. the shot and
shell OF the Yankee fleet would have
been blowing through her streets; but
they lost the golden opportunity, and
we gained It.
The destruction of the Virginia cast
gloom over our land. many were thei
unkind words hurled at the navy. Thel
Richmond Examiner. edited by the
Pollard brothers. was particularly
vindictlve, and an editorial caused Mid
shipman Joe Gardner to challenge itsI
author. The duel was fought Just out
side OF Richmond, and at the first fire.
Pollard was disabled by a shot in the
shoulder Apologies passed. and the
Examiner was a little more cautious
afterwards. Tattnall demanded a
court-martial. and was l.onorably ac-
quilted.
On the evening of May Il, 1852.
scouts reported the Federal fleet some
ten miles away at sundown. and we
went to rest that night with the de-
termination to prevent them passing
or perish In the attempt. TWO brigades
of infantry had been sent down toI
protect jhe battery from landing par
ties, and they We're encamped in the
woods behind us. The Patrick Henry
crew had two guns. the Jamestown and
Nirginia's crews one gun each. and
CAPTAIN Drewry's iron battery three
guns. The naval guns We're mounted
In pits. with an embrasure out into the
side OF the cliff. All the wooden yes
sells were ordered up the river out
of range. Captain Farrand, Penn
sTlvanian, who had married South
ern woman. was in command CAPTAIN
Lee had orders to take command, dated
May 18th. but on that day the battle
was fought and won. and he arrived the
day after and took command
Continued Next Sunday.)