Year: 1871

cease firing. You are throwing away
your shot" Then came the order to
"Wear ship" and we prepared to attack
tho enemy with the starboard guns.
Soon after this, heard firing from
some other quarter, which | at first sup.
posed to be discharge from our quar-.
terdeck guns, but it proved to be the
roar Of the enemy's cannon. A strange
noise such as had never heard before,
next arrested my attention; it sounded
like the tearing Of sails just over our
heads. This | soon asccrtained TO be
the wind Of the enemys shot. The
firing, after n few moments cessation
recommended. The roaring Of cannon
could now be heard from all parts OF
our trembling ship, and mingling, as it
did, with that of our foes, it made II
most hideous noise. BY and by | heard
the shot strike the sides Of our ship; the
whole scene grew indescribably confused
aud horrible 1t was like some awfulIy
tremendous thunder storm, whose deaf,
eniug roar is attended by incessant
flashes of lightning, carrying death in
every fash, aud strewing the ground
with the victims of its wrath; only iu
our case the scene was rendered more
horrible than that by the presence of
torrents OF blood which dyed the decks.
Though the recital may be painful, yet
as it it will reveal ut what fearful
price victory is lost or won, Twill pre-.
scut the reader with things us they met
my eye during the progress of this
dreadful fight.


was busily supplying my gun with
powder, when saw blood suddenly fly
from the arm of man stationed ut our
gun. saw nothing strike him; the ef.
feet alone was visible; aud in an instant
the third lieutenant tied his handker.
chief round the wounded arm, aud sent
the poor fellow below to the surgeon.
The cries ofthe wounded now ran through
all parts of the ship. These were car.
ried to the cock pit as fast as they lell,
while those more fortunate men who
were killed outright were Immediately
thrown overheard.


AS was stationed but a short dis.
tance from the main hatchway, l could
catch glance at all who were carried
below. A glance was all l could in.
dulge in, for in the early part of the
action the boys belonging to the next
guns to mine were wounded, aud | had
to spring with all my might to keep
three or four guns supplied with cart
ridges. saw two OF these boys fall
nearly together. One of them was
struck ou the leg by large shot; he had
TO suffer amputation above the wound
The other had grape or canister shot
sent through his ankle. A stout York.
hire man lifted him in his arms aud
hurried with him to the cock pit. He
had his foot cut off aud was thus made
lame for life wo of the boys stationed
on the quarter deck were killed They
were both Portuguese. A man who saw
one of them killed, afterwards told me
his powder caught FIRE and burnt the
flesh almost off his face. In this pitia-
BILE situation the agonized boy lifted up
both his hands as il imploring relief,
when passing shot instantly cut him
in two. was an eye wtuc to sceue
equally revolving. A man named Al
drich had one of his hands cut off by a
shot, aud almost ut the same moment he
received another shot which tore opeu
his bowels in u terrible manner. As he
fell two or three men caught him 10
their arms, and as he could not live
threw him overheard. Que of the Off
GERS in my division fell in my sight.
He was u noble hearted fellow, named
Nan Hivel. A grape or canister shot
struck him near the heart. NHe fell,
and was carried below, where he shortly
after died. Mr.. Scott, our first lieufen
ant, was slightly wounded by a grum.
met, or stout iron ring, probably torn
from a hammock clew by a shot. He
went below, shouting to the men to fight
on. Having had his wounds dressed, he
came up again, shouting to us at the
top of his voice, aud bidding US fight
with all our might. The bAtle went
on. Our men kept cheering with all
their might; cheered with them, though
| confess scarcely knew for what
Certainly there was nothing very in
spiriting in the aspect Of things where
l was stationed. So terrible had been
the work Of destruction around us, that
it was termed the slaughter house. Not
only had we had several boys and men
killed and wounded, but several of the
guns were disabled. The one l belong.
ed to had piece Of the muzzie Knocked
out; and when the ship rolled it struck
beam Of the uper deck with such force
as to become jammed and fixed in that
position. A twenty four pound shot had
gone through the screen of the maya
zine, Immediately over the orifice through
which We passed our powder. The
schoolmaster received a death wound
Ihe brave boatswain, who came from
the sick cot to the din of battle, was
fastening q stopper on back stay which
had been shot away, when his head was
smashed to pieces by cannon ball; and
another man going to completes the uu-
finished task, was also struck down,
One ofour midshipmen likewise received
a severe wound, aud the ward room
steward was killed. A fellow named
John, who for some petty offense was
seut on board us as punishment, was
carried past me wounded. 1 distinctly
heard the large blood drors fall pat, pat,
pat, on the deck; his wounds were NOR.
tai. Even poor goat kept by the Off
GERS for her milk did not escape the
general carnage, for her hind legs were
shot of, and poor Nan was thrown over
board.