News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-09-16
THIRTEEN DAYS AT SEA,
Marnh 90 1890 {

|
was buried in the SOUTH
THIRTEEN DAYS AT SEA,
March 20, 1862.
Mr.. EDITOR: I presume that ADLER
pens than mine have given you an ac
count of our journey from Rutland to the
place of our destination. But to break
the monotony of the voyage, take a
very comfol table position, and will pen
few words, which, if you think worthy
| OF notice, are at your disposal.
We left Rutland on Monday, May 10,
about noon, and without accident arrived
at N. Y. the day following, at noon,
where we We're provided with an excel.
lent dinner, served up at the barrack,
furnished, as / understood, by the Vel-
monters in the city. After dinner the
different companies formed on the Park,
and were kept standing there till Z. M,
when the regiment was divided. The
right wing, under command OF Col. Geo.
! T. Roberts, went on vessel lying at N.
Y, and the left wing. under the com
| mand of Lieut.. Col. V. S. Fullam, crossed
over at the Fulton Ferry. to Brooklyn,
and went on board the vessel that was to
take us to Ship Island, or somewhere
else, lce, the soldiers, knew not where.
The vessel "a merchantmen, called the
| Tdmerlune,) had just been fitted up ex-
pressly tor our convenience and-com-
fort(?) there being about 250 hunks or
| berths built up between decks, situated
few feet below the surface of the water,
ventilated by two hatchways situated
about seventy five feet apart, and lighted
by three or four lanterns, which only
served to make darkness visible" This
room, % by 175 feet, was the sleeping
room for some i've hundred men, no one
being permitted to leave the vessel, when
when we were towed out some two or
three miles, and there anchored till Sun
day noon, March 16, when the anchor
was raised, and a steam tug" towed us
out eight or ten miles, through the "Nar-
rows" and then the broad ocean was be-
fore us.
The wind at this time being favorable,
Monday morning no land was to be seen;
neither up TO the present time has the
sight of land greeted our eyes.
Sunday night and Monday morning,
the first and second days, could be seen
many elongated uiSdgeS and hearing 6oS- !
Onls, arising, however, not so mucn from
thoughts of leaving friends and home, as
from the motion of the vessel aud many |
were so much affected that they could |
not remain on deck, but beiook them
selves to their hunks; and upon going |
down, one could discover from certain !
gurgling sounds, that the fountains of the |
great deep were beiog broken up. This |
state OF things continued for two or three |
days rendering our sleeping apartments |
anything but a pleasant place of re- TT;
and being destitute of certain articles III
to a sick room it mad the
place intole:able. Luckily for ne, |
passed the grand ordeal, and came out
unscathed.
On the fourth day of our voyage the
wind from the west blew what aye should
call perfect gale; but the sailors called
it "jolly good breeze" Yet the scene
that presented itself, as the vessel, one
was riding the summit of the
highest wave, and the next, plunging in
the gulf beyond, "As wave followed
wave, in swelling thousands rolled" was
to me one of royal majesty, yet beauti-
fully sublime.
On Thursday morning. the fifteenth
day from N. Y, was performed the
mournful rites of burial at sea. Mr..
George n. Wiley CHE one who formerly
worked in your office) a member of the
Mortified Company, having died sud.
denly the night before. His body, with
heavy weights at the feet, was sewed up
in his blanket, and placed upon board,
one end of which was placed on the side
of the vessel, projecting over the other
end being supported by two of the sail
Ors, while Rev. Mr.. Townshend, of Co. E.
offered an appropriate prayer. The end
Of the board was then gently raised, and
the body slid off, and Immediately sank
beneath the swelling waves, there to re-
main till the day when "rhe sea
shall give up the dead that are therein"
Our fare since we came on board, has
been rather tough, such as it is, and it is
rather poor what there is of it But
through the eXertions of Capt. LaDdon,
who is ever mindful of the wants of (
his men, and who is beloved by all, we {
have the assurance of better fare for the
future. The weather to-day is hot and {
sultry, with scarcely breath of air. i
consequently we are making no head 8
way. At O'clock P. NJ, the thermom-
eter standing at 81 in the shade, several
Oh the men went III to battle, but the cry a
"A shark! shark ~ from the captain of a
The vessel, made them hasten back on q
board. the last one being drawn in c
Just in time; for the large back-fin of
inc monster was to be seen by the side
ot the vessel. A large hook was immedi-
itely baited and thrown over, which he
seized and was fastened. Several shots
rom the officers soon silenced his shark
'hlp, and he was drawn on board. 1t
proved to be VOunp ono only seven |