Evening star., 1911-06-04


aloft like rain. which kept the decks vet
and made things generally uncomfortable
No news was received from the north
and our waiting and watching seemed
endless our only excitement was the
lookout at the main-topgalant crosstree
who was above the fog bank shout
ing Smoke hoo. II great relief
10 shout through the deck trumpet
Where away" but the answer was al
ways the same-''Up the river, sir" DAYS
and weeks went hy. and the smoke came
no nearer once only. February a. it
,ame out of the river. and We had an
citing chase OF blockade runner, follow
ing her for miles, with an officer aloft
coming the ship BY the smoke seen above
the fog We captured the chase, which
proved to be the steamer Magnolia with
l2'0 bales Of cotton.
At last the spell was broken. for on the
9Th Of March the Hartford and Pensacola
arrived with Capt. -. q. Farragut, then
flag officer commanding the west guIf
hlockading squadron, and we learned that
we were going 10 open the Mississippi
river.
| had never met Farragut, but ! saw
a great deal OF him at the head OF the
passes and after we passed the forts tSt.
Philip and Jackson, on the east ana
west banks, respectively. Of the Missis-
sippi, below New Orleans and protectlnS
il from the seal Often, when | came on
hoard the Hartford with a message from
the captain Of the Brooklyn, Farragut
sent me somewhere to carry an order or
10 do certain duty was much i'm
pressed with his energy and activity ana
his promptness Of decision and action.
He had winning smile and most
charming manner and was jovial and
talkative. He prided himself on his
agility. and | remember his telling me
once that he always turned a handspring
on his birthday. and should not consider
that he was getting old until ne was
unable to do it, The officers who had
the good fortune 10 he Immediately AS
sociated with him seemed TO worship him.
lie had determination and dash In exc
cution. but in planning and organizing
he appeared To want method He show
ed me one day an old envelope con
tanning memoranda, and said that that
was all the record or books that he kept.
on the 18th OF March We began to con-
gregate At the head Of the passes. and
az this time the energy and activity of
the fag-offcer made themselves felt. We
lay here several weeks preparing our
ships for the coming action. drilling the
crews. firing al targets and getting in
provisions and coal. FaTragut was about
the fleet from early dawn until dark.
anu IL any oI4tfIS ana illeii hdu NOT SpoH-
taneous enthusiasm he certainly infused
IL into them. | have been on the morn
ing watch. from To S. when lie would
row alongside the ship a O'Clock. either
hailiEg ~ ask how were getting
along, or perhaps. climbing over the side
u see for himself
Ore OF the preparations that We made
at the head of the passes was to hang
the chain cables along each side, abreast
Of the engine and boilers, a jack-stay
or iron rod, was fastened by means of
eye-bolts 10 the ships side about eight
feet above the water, and one of the
chain cables in hights was suspended 10
II and fastened with spun yarn. The
links of the cable We're OF iron an inch
and half in diameter. and each strand
or hight, Was Tapped over the next, the
links fitting between each other so that
IL made almost continuous coat of
mail. II extended about two feet below
the water line.