Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-27


we were Joined by all the detached COM
panies-with the exception of X, which
could not we'll be relieved, we were not
ready to proceed, therefore the two reg
iments remained on the steamer during
that bitterly cold night, the soldiers be-
ing sandwiched very closely together and
experiencing considerable discomfort.
The next morning, however, Gen. Dana
ordered the Clinton relieved by the
transfer of several of the companies of
the Fifteenth-A, 3. and D-to the Gen.
Banks, upon which was the 10Th Iowa,
Lieut.-Col. Murray-though not the sem
Tor officer-was placed in command of the
'Banks,"-a very discreet arrangement,
as the sequel proved
The greater portion of the time-to the
24th-was occupied in preliminaries; but
that date at about p. M. In response
to signal-guns from the flagship, the
steamers, one after another, pulled out
into the stream, and gracefully glided
down the river. dropping anchor at its
mouth to await the arrival of the re-
naming vessels and supplies. Here we
remained until the evening Of the 9th
Five days rations were issued-consid-
cradle activity was in progress in the
cooking galleys-and in various directions
necessary preparatory arrangements
were being perfected. The flag ship, with
Gen. Banks and staff, Gen. Dana and
staff, and other officers, Joined us on the
evening of the eth, and the fleet soon
after proceeded to sea.
The formation of the line and sailing
of the fleet constituted very pretty
spectacle, The vessels moved with the
precision of troops on parade, in desig-
mated positions, deployed at prescribed
distances from vessel to vessel, and ev-
cry movement directed from the flagship
by system of signals manipulated by a
staff officer of the commanding general
The sailing-orders contemplated moving
in two distinct and separate lines one
mile apart, with half-mile intervals be-
tween the vessels of the same line. The
heet, when deployed at open order, COW
cred very wide expanse of ocean. and
at night, when the position of each ship
was clearly defined by colored lights dis
played in the rigging, the picture was
weird and beautiful. The prescribed for
nation was as follows:
The Flagship Mcclellan, with Maj.-uen.
Banks and Staff Maj-Gen. Dana and
Staff, with Headquarters Guards and
Attendants.
Steamer Crescent, with Brig.-Gen VIM.
Vandever, and detachment of the 9lst
Illinois
Steamer St Marys, with Oath Illinois and
the 10th Cavalry.
Steamer Empire City, with 18th Ind, 3sth
Iowa, and detachment 91st Illinois.
Steamer Peabody with the 37th Illinois
and 10th Cavalry.
Steamer Thomas A. Scott, with the 10th
Wis. and 10th Iowa.
Steamer Clinton, with the 18th Maine, six
companies 18th Me-, and detachment
of Cavalry.
Steamer Belyidere, with the S4th Iowa,
and detachment of the 10th cav
lery.
Steamer Gen. Banks, with the 18th Iowa,
three companies 18th Me. and a sec
ton of Artillery
Steamer Northerner. with the LIST ami
10th regiment Corps D'Afrique.
Steamer Bagley, Pocahontas. Hufsar.
etc, with Cavalry and Artillery; and
fleet of gun-boats and other war;
vessals, as naval protecterate
The fleet occupied but little time In
getting into line being we'll under way
before dark of the first evening out The
weather was favorable and no notable
incident occurred But on the second
day the gulf was quite rough and the
vessels of the fleet became considerably
scattered. Sea-sickness, of a severe type.
ar1il
may be more easily imagined than de-
scribed. The Western men, especially,
suffered intensely, being, as a rule, quite
unfamiliar with old oceans playful
freaks. The poor fellows thus afflicted
were pitiable objects. and they absolute
ly-like Rachel of old-"refused to be
comforted."
On the Goth the storm became really
terrific and tempestuous. the surf break
ing over the vessels in a manner quite
disagreeable if not a triffe suggestive
of the perils of they who go to the sea
In ships" Some of the smaller vessels,
especially, were hardly equal to the
emergency, and weathered the gale with
extreme difficulty. The Gen Banks,* upon
which were three companies of the Fiji
teenth, was but barely kept afioat An
ugly breach was sustained amidships,
the cooking galley smashed into smither-
Gems, the steering apparatus, rendered
unserviceable, and the situation critical
in the extreme. Perhaps three-fourths of
all on board were desperately "sea-sick"
The Iowa Colonel and some of his off,
GERS, became frantic, and piteously ap-
pealed to Col. Murray to order the vessel
in under the guns of the rebel forts on
the coast, as, in their view, a Texan
prison must be even more hospita BILE
than a watery grave. The officers of the
ship contributed not a little to the gener-
al panic, urging, very strenuously, that
unless the vessel was at once relieved of
a portion of her cargo she must surely
so to the bottom. After hurried con-
sultation it was determined that discre-
ton and valor were by no means incon-
sistent and, though very reluctantly we
proceeded to dump number of bulky
articles into the sea. Eleven unusually
large and plump mules We're thrown over
board; also battery wagons, artillery
equipments, and other property. The
mules dropped into line in the vessels
wake, desperately endeavoring to keep
up with the procession. giving way