Year: 1861

fore-and a merrier meeting than between
him and his old comrades | never saw.
Brilliant Harry Gringo' was one of
them, and his mock admiration of the
one shirt-collar pinned against the wood
en- bulk head, and his comments upon the
convenient stowage of hair-brush, boots
and suspenders, in the solitary berth, drew
forth rejoinders of funny "reminiscences
as to adventures on former cruises The
winterings at Mahon were remembered,
with Wards characterically direct way
of going to dance with the Spanish girls
with a dictionary in his pocket, to help
make the agreeable and gaining in this
way name among them as ",Senor Dit
Sioaario." His vain efforts to learn to
waltz were laughed over, and his intrepid
efforts to speak Spanish-every joke and
allusion showing that he was the soul of
naivete and originality among his ship
mates, and the most inexhaustible favor
ite of 'the mess"


70 81 e 81 II -


Captain Dalghren, in note which I
have received from him since our visit to
the " Freeborn," speaks most touchingly
of the death of the old comrade who then
received us, briefly designating Ward as
" the bravest of men )" and cannot re-
sist adding to this couplet of most effect
i've eulogies-to this testimony Of his
friends and brother c6icers-the further
and most touching confirmation of it
which is to be seen in the conduct of his
men il! Remembering that little crew
like this is necessarily so inspired by its
familiar and everyday commander as to
be faithful reflex of his spirit and char
acter, let us read, once more, the follow
ing passage from the account of the en-
gagcment -


Captain Ward behaved with great
coolness standing by the guns and direct
ing the fire When his gunner received a
wound in the thigh, which disabled him,
Captain Ward Immediately took his place,
and was sighting the gun when he receiv-
ed Mimic musket ball full in the breast,
which killed him Instantly. The men
left on the shore by the boats in their re-
treat. swan out to the /" Frecborn n"-onc
of the men carrying on his back wound
ed comrade, named Bess, which had four
musket balls shot into him, and is
thought to be mortally wounded. Jack
Williams, cockswain of the third cutter,
received a flesh wound in the leg while
waving the stars and stripes, which he
carried in his hand the whole time, be-
having most CALAMITY under the hottest
kind of fire. The American ensign,
which he never ceased to wave, was pierre
ed by nineteen musket balls. Only three
men of the boat were wounded, and the
only life lost was that of che gallant Ward,
who, the moment the enemy was dlscov-
cred, blew the signal for the crews to come
aboard, and instantly opened on the foe
with his heavy guns"


These were the men who formed the
picture of content and light-heartedness
of which made mention in describing
our visit to the Freeborn rn''-half doz-
en- handsome Jack-tars playing 50 merrily
with their Newfoundland dog, upon the
forward deck, close to the terrible shot
hole which showed the dangers they had
lust braved-and it was a chance picture
which l now feel privileged to have seen.


The hosting of the flag of the now ia,
nous propeller, (the Freeborn,' } in the
grounds of the White House, was the
event of yesterday-no less from the
pomp and circumstance of the ceremony
than from the work it has given to the
superstitous by the double Interpretation
of its omens. Before giving my own
reading of the argury, let me describe
the scene as | saw it.


The decending green sward of the ex.
qnisite grounds in the rear Of the Presi
Dental mansion cleared of the crowd and
guarded by the well-drilled lines of the