The National tribune., 1910-04-21

made by passing steamboats, causing
" muddy 1banks), my foot slipped, and
. got mud on my pants. He cursed me
for my carelessness, and ordered me to
|. return to the Rather in his gig, change
. my pants and return. as he wished me
Z TO attend him ashore.
= While doing so the 1st Ark. Cav.
made a raid on the church, captured
s those inside and escaped with them to
Z the hills, behind the village. Hearing
1.-THE coninotion, we shelied church,
town and vicinity, our guns having a
Z range OF some seven miles, on 1e-
second fuse A landing party, of which
/ was one, was ordered ashore to see If
any of our party had got away We
5 found a few, one, the Gunner's Mate,
> who hid under a blacksmith's bellows.
As it was my first experience in the
enemy's country, and was ordered TO
a bend in the road some distance away,
was rather nervous, fearing they
:. might make q raid again, but they let
us alone at that time. A week later l
was laid up with typhoid fever, and
& when i recovered was sent to the Com
mercial Hotel-the naval hospital-at
:. Memphis, Tenn I remember my ward
windows overlooked the Irving Block,
formerly used as a slave mart, but at
that time as a rebel prison. Gonzales
cents would occasionally gather in,
groups, and Jack and Johnny would
good-naturedly chaff one another across
the alley Capt Fentress was sent to
Libbey and the others to Anderson
viile On the death roll of that prison
I note one name familiar to me, Mat
son Grave, gunboat Rather" Under
the circumstances ] think my apparent
misfortune was most providential cir
cumstance, saving me from the horrors
of Andersonyille. We endeavored to
send overcoats and other clothing to
the men captured, but they were re-
turned for want of transportation.
/ recovered and left the hospital in
time to take part in the battle of Van
dalia, La, opposite NatcheZ, Feb. Z,
1864 The battle began Sunday even
ing about o'clock. and lasted thru
the night and until about 10 o'clock
Monday morning We were in conjunc-
? tion with the Judge Torrins. Benton
and some other boats coaling up at the
time. As / was acting yeoman, assist
ing Executive officer Ferguson in serv-
ing rations, keeping ships books. etc.
/ was relieved from watch and other
duties. so at the time of coaling was
enjoying liberty ashore at NatcheZ, and
thus enabled from the high bluff to
oversee the early part of the fight.
: Having been corralled by the provost
: guard and held to await the recall boat
? from the Rather, which had been or
& dered some distance up the river TO
! shell the woods in the rear OF Vidalia,
was not sent for until after dark.
The Fight at Eidaiia.
{ l remember the guns of the Rather
{. used erapeshot at that time and the
Z. guns were unbearably hot. which ne
cessitated constant swabbing with wei
Z swabs turnout the night. Some of the
( crew bled at the nose from the con-
I cussion; several are permanently deal
as result Capt Lansing, late OF
JVnndlaun parb 1yhan1 7 visited some
& years ago, was entirely deaf when
: saw him. He could TALK, but my side
of the conversation was restricted tc
/ paper. His rank was that of Lieuten
4 ant-Commander. The ship carpentei
{ and others were also deaf. Nothing oi
was concerned from then until August
when we were ordered up the Red
River
At the time I was in Memphis the
Banks expedition was being loaded OF
( the transports there We went dowr
as far as the mouth. / remember tn
8 Essex lay at the bank and some of tn,
monitors in midstream. 1t seems SOM
other 'tinclads" of the mosketo fleet
as the boats similar to the Rather wer'
called. had met with disaster. TIL
Cricket had her steam pipes shot away
scalding the poor wretches aboard
- Their flesh hung In strips as the.
Jumped overheard in their agony. w
did not ascend the river, but were or
dered back to Hurricane Island, Il
miles below Vicksburg, to relieve th
Carondeiet then guarding the ironcla'
Indianola, which had been captured
run ashore and dismaatled by the reb
els in that vicinity.
Soon after, on Sept 4, 1854, a negr,
hailed the Rather from the shore, no
tifying US that some rebel officers wer,
visiting the James plantation. Volun
teers were called for about 10 o'clocl
that night to surprise and captur
them. Two cutter crews. armed witt
Spencer rifles, sword bayenets and six