South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-23


tered red old speaking trumpet. OF
the type affected By seafaring men
OF 80 years ago. today occupies a
place OF honor on the desk OF Asst
sec.y OF war J. Mayhem Wainwright.
Most OF the paint is worn away from
The old trumpet. and there is
great dent In It's bell. but Il is treas
ured By Mr. Wainwright and Will.
have a valued place among the heir
looms Of his family.
IN size. shape and general ap-
pearance the old megaphone is not
unlike the horn one sees nowaday
on the cheaper makes OF phono-
graph and II II could be endowed
with Photographic qualities from
out the record OF its experiences II
could tell moving tale OF war and
herolsm and sudden death and the
Inutterable tragedy Of that tremen-
dous internecine struggle IN which
lather and son we're sometimes pit
ted against each other.
A confederate sailor. member %
the boarding party which captured
the federal frigate Harriet Lane at
the battle OF Galveston. in 1853. to)f
tie trumpet from the hand OF Capt.
J. N. Wainwright, uncle Of the az
slstant secretary of war. as he lay
dead upon the deck IN falling
MORALLY wounded. Capt. Wainwright
struck against a stanchion, crushing
the horn beneath his body and
causing the dent which may be re-
marked 10 this day.
Dies I'm Fathers Arms.
Capt. Wainwrights second in com
mand was Lieut.. Lea. He. 700. was
MORALLY wounded His father Mai.
\. II Lea. a member Of the confed-
crate forces which captured the Har-
riett Lane. came aboard soon after
the frigate struck her flag. The lieu
tenant died in his fathers arm. and
on the following day he and Capt.
Wainwright were buried in the same
grave. Mai. Lea reclting the burial
service.
For nearly GO years Capt. Vain
wright's speaking trumpet has been
kept by the family OF Robert c. Duff,
Of Houston. Tex. nephew Of an Of
flcer who was a member Of the VIC
torious confederate boarding party.
It was Mr.. Duff who forwarded the
trumpet to Sec'y Wainwright, to-
gether with a letter. which. in part.
follows:
Mr.. Duh's Letter.
MY brother, Judge F. ]. Duff. Of
Beaumont. Texas. has sent me your
letter TO him OF April %. have To-
Gated Capt. wainwright's speaking
trumpet, which I have retained for
many years as a relic OF our great
Civil war and. at the request OF my
brother am sending same to you by
parcel post.
This speaking trumpet was taken
out OF the hand OF Capt. Wainwright
by members Of the boarding party
which mounted to the captains deck
Of the Harriet Lane. where Capt
Wainwright was found dying upon
the deck. Our uncle by marriage,
G. F. Raddatz was a member Of the
boarding party. I last saw him in
Baltimore in 1888 and in the course
OF one OF our conversations at that
time. he mentioned his participation
in the battle and. til remember cor
rectIy. told me that it was he him
self who took the trumpet out Of the
dead hand OF Capt. Wainwright.
The battle of Galveston was
fought on Jan. 1, 1863. federal
flotilla. after having blockaded the
port for some time, entered the har-
Dor and took possession OF the fort,
city and island in December. 1852.
The Department Of Texas had just
come under the command Of Cen.
J. d. Magruder. who promptly or
ganized a force TO recapture CAL
weston The federal forces at Gal
weston consisted OF the Westfield,
Commodore Renshaw. the Harriet
Lane, Capt. Wainwright; the Clifton,
the Sachen. two armed transports;
two large barEes and an armed
schooner. while three companies of
the 42nd Massachusetts, regiment &C
cupied the wharf.
Cotton Bales Protect.
Gen. Magruder fitted up two
steamboats, and protected the lighting
forces with bales Of cotton arranged
around the gunwales. and sent some
down Buffalo Bayou and through
Galveston bay. He also sent a large
forces overland by way of Virginia
Point, and on the night OF Dec. 81,
1852. his land force crossed the bay
on the railroad bridge and surround
ed the federal forces. The engage
ment began about daybreak. The
confederate squadron was late in ar
reving. and until its arrival the battle
was difficult one for the confeder-
ates. whose land forces were under
the batteries Of the federal gunboats.
on the arrival OF the Bayou City and
the Neptune. however, the tide OF
battle turned. Each OF these vessels
took position on opposite sides of
the Harriet Lane in immediate
contact. The latter got under way
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