| Show I THE HE MIRACLE OF MOBILE BAY BA Y BY nYRSA RICH u s CASPER NAVY i S I This story l III not It Is an of nn In con 1 i with thIS thu lIun 1 battlo In Mo Mol to l 1 ilo bay Ill August Augu T ro whon tho monitor INI mink unk In III action Ill In till Klor UH IL told lold by Hoar Admiral lAd It III a I ate real with the facts sit tt forth are In Iho tho record It the tho grout groat Civil war JI tory wan told lold to mo 1110 by b my Till tr friend and Gardnor nor i loUrell who ho tiled many years III lc II eurl manhood a II till of energy animated by tho UIO t lonal I Ideals Id I Such Huch lire hard to place e but the tho 0 1110 r of their pal gal gallantry lantry And their patriotism r remains to stimulate wHo tallow follow thorn thom At the Ihl time of which ho Cottrell was 1011 an nn noting mallte In tho navy na on In board tho th new monitor Te ie tho most malt In III the tho which look into Mobile lobIl bay that bright IOU III III ell ellIng m i Ing In 1864 to dual of or hi nl Ing bows I low for tor the thu r re M t 1 tn Union I Ibe be v oral years Nua th w war r had end I I cd Ir and I will ltd nit i t our Mn t f hud gathered cm Ill till the liuni I cane deck of the th hll In Gibraltar harbor har or to 10 our after dinner pl and to nJ i th Ih nm 1 breeze that oti i ottly through i tho historic M rw from of or toe tilt I old walled town w we r to ai al i i pear In tho west the r sy hues hU of ot In sun u a It 11 or f over tilt Spanish hili bak of OIt A over thu tranquil water of or the lilt Krent bay aver oer tin Ape AI s mm illiG tin ti tile hll Hie hll carne came buck back to 10 UH U from the th of I of or peaceful II I ven Into Inlo and out of the tho MII bv by its 1111 for tor Suez Suz j was wall yet an l i loth mUtt ami 1111 they bi out In relief the th towering and silhouette of or orthe the rock rork Ort Orent s only foothold i 1 the continent of or I Th rl tho Uw alike One word WOrt led 11 1 to th II 1 IDl f v ere ol 1 and what he h won do doIng Ing t gilded his hi As A will i a I can 1111 recall It II litter after tho of or four delo Is l what ho hn hoen en sui Id IdI I wonder l I of jou 01 ran Ian forget hi t cn on all tho Iho fit battle To Tn Today day tins be n like ilkI that preceding ing he Mo ll tight something In the th ar hall It nil buck Imek to me and I J lime ben been living VI thu Iho x o or that event nature nf f one of nr It hup hlll K r I have novel nI understood l for tor forIt torII It II rin nn tho th it was 1111 of course a It pure and sim simple Im pit and yet rt It remains fro froh h In my thoughts Ih to tn this moment Inscrutable as all i ver vr What Whal BH ILK It Well Wel Ill tell tU ou If It jou OU rare caro tn listen JU ADY TO OO GO ON ONAn o An All you all moved MX hiM fIel tram from tho Mississippi river to 10 th eastward In of or und unil ImO hot stationed Hum ort off bar Kor Joor weeks Ihl swung to their anchors a II strict blockade of Ih how rolling roiling slowly loly nn steadily from side to side 11 In tho low lowground ground swoll of the gulf now 1101 steaming ahead to keep kel from drugging whon a n norther blew heavily ort off shore or n 1 short hort lived threatened to ret Id them adrift to 1 up un on the th lioi ho tile bench I nth It wn Ia a II dl I existence enlivened only by hy tho occasional ol nd 1111 vent of n 11 mall m ln boat from New York or Hampton or the Ihl welcome visit It of or n a steamer bringing fresh t h provisions to the Ih of salt soup IOUP bulls antI and hard harl hardtack tack lack There little Intercourse between the II h 1111 for tor It was II war time and an every ono had to be I t r n l the tho cull ull which might come at nl uny un moment I III I m Hut e i tout mo 1111 l lilt X KII a I Oil nil II tUo 10 tin II i i v iy hii I j n ji 00 n l II imi lun i t r ll 1 n ul to do why wi it II I It d Kf It l j n nIH IH H If K Ih m 1111 n i 11 1 u n mil v under It in III iu mi 1111 l n WI lIt t tto to tn until m ly I lid terr d fc II or H by toun coun W ol o know IWA Iho Ih 1111 t mind III hili how h I U lh t III hea Ind or II V tt fn or daf w lir t lit be bl nil 1111 on 1111 hit hi 1 1111 oW left IlIla t t Lh nc h HI taree an 1 rare fore tall mall Th hn n too h mv hi tili lh it eri w WILli M to 10 Join ItU II fl h f rt l to po Ute ft atta l n ft n be MM Md upen tM f 1 molt mott powerful t r ft nf tt t In th the th st of or ur lIr i r Vi Y i L ioven LOVEIn oven after our In III dl i i nit d dus us In III not at al mu e he Intended to tn g go on wi 1 In our forced for to phare Iho of nr even en mor l frum bier than those tho whom we hod found on m tho what th the y deemed needle delay lind com with our why WRit nn longer Such the burden of our nUl nf we walked the T cum ehlI dod dock now and then Ihn to J the entrance to Mobile Bay DIlY by hy Mor lIn nut and all by other works w rk thrown up UI by tho rebels to 10 keep UH out for the conviction lIon wn borne In on ur 1111 Far would hla hili man nt ot Now No get behind the and from the of the harbor within brinK tho enemy to 10 terms t rill II It won Willi not nol Ion before thin th I conviction tion W IH I nn nil wo heard ru rumor mom mor of an u too pOH po and definite v we to bo without foundation and they save Oae to our nilI and exer r rl In preparation for tor the th ch chIn h hInK InK In t At la t tho glad tiding ro lally out Iut rn nn August I 1 1 J i iI I v X VC v I noon sum MI it i J U WS 0 l It O tiri faI 1 It AU 1 WH Y AVI AH SOO nir PI IMD 1111 l on the the th fleet would enter the th harbor our Joy knew knel no ASe 1 would inch Inh past the th tort fort InrI make short hort work of the Con Confederate federate Admiral and tho CH U which he meant to Mt ol In opi o onit nit lilt Ion 1011 to our program we would Mink Ink burn and an an n the time war to run a they hauled haule down their flair In unconditional Such W Wal H the burden of or our a 1111 mj m and I nat t at al alth th wardroom table that and an dl for the hundredth time lime what ni would do to the con can i the 1 III our g j um r than 11 the i a reer or e n H I we dl n nil lull out of or the Lieutenant I II our executive that nn right wan wa over until either r loot r In in Rud that there wae wa y a apo po of the event pro vine widely ot from the anticipation It IH nt well for u he wild hl to tn blind nur nul ne eyell to the Ih fat fact that thai our In II brave and Md determined 1 that he ile will not flinch of 01 Rive ICIe up until forced to 10 do 10 no 80 81 wo limit do 10 our verv boat quick and true exactly n nil If the odd were all 11 t u uTin Tin 11 rrt of dill did not nOI this plain pili In tat nt of duty duly even though It n ne w wholly holly In our nul ease and the talk Hired around to the order of battle nn how much pomfort our B of ot UH In III the line would derl Ilene from be being 1 ing In near KO 0 a for tor the Te vi nn tn to lend the moul moulIn tors In under the gun un of 01 Fort Mor Morgan gan ARn ron ran Han It II vr il to of ou ouA A inked Ilk I Dr lank Blank th t there may ma b bl planted In tho channel and that the eh fh li I no If It Mho ho c f i ia a c 1 c Is III not Indeed than a n wooden ven l In th Of f running upon one of ot them Now N w our our excellent Willi n 1 pronounced alwayn alway looking on the dark aide Ide of ot and Imag ImagIning Ining nil 1111 orte of ot which fortu fortunately nate hail never nover jet t 11 1 we at him hla baleful sug l sUon and told him that to our heavy lila hl Job timing the tho tight bo be a n i mun would be 00 o mum much us I 1 ho O FO 0 he replied hut but thoren thore a I chance that maj ilia go wrong Ce que 1 qui ar arrive rive you Oh J n lIh we shouted Ve We dont lont und nd jour OUI Dutch It Dutch an ilK jou ou know per pOl perfectly well 1 m not nol going to your Intelligence by hy what youve heard and Rn taken In for your lel Dont get fet m J doctor wo ans answered but for tor goo nak r up 1111 ThU In h no time lime for tor Its Ils what fo 0 h en looking forward to and for tor ever vel we were Ire or ordered dered to this grand hiI I Im in not gloomy omy In tho Iho but I t Ican tant can ant t target forget my III oarl that ho who to do battle hottle with hla hili enemy should Hrat count tho cool I confess the menace of torpedoes hail scarcely entered by hy nn aR serl OUK and even when on nuch nn on O I gave it II weight Ai liapi on en to the She 0 Impregnable and 1 Invulnerable At mo moment moment ment tin HIM captain came rame Into nto the and erod orne In the th eel ear of or the IIII who Immediately c 1 In mem I to attention and l lor which to remain o t tho would I 1 II nIl earn cam for nn papers poJ tr or 01 valuable theli thIr desired to send to her hel for afe Il fl keeping afterward coffee w i yi and then the tho other l Ift it the table to form torm little groups Kroup i h deeply occupied In a aIn tn In Ih he exact hour of starting the weight f r tl Ihl e tire Ire tho likelihood of our hi little float 1101 unharmed II II 1111 the pleasure we Wf hove have In pitting the against Ida hlA armored flagship the Ih Tenne t the amount of prize money mony we w would divide among non tin the tho unreliability of or our cannon i In roper proper length of fuse tue to put r In our nur shells hI etc Ic etc fitI You know thy they 01 1 n ll HI If jou ou had been there thore the name m talk 1 whenever similar arise It no happened that t hll t I was wa left Ift alone alonet lit t the table nipping my In coffee cort ll while mv m reverted tn the conversation during dinner Of or nil I nothing could trails 1811 hurt the th nhe he wan wa too lout and strong Still there th would be ben b bno n no harm In sending on board bord the th torI hiI a 1 row few paper pp T 1 valued and nome trinket I J not to lose 10 Why Iy not I could never regret doing so an m II matter what the event fInt U t be he and nil It wan 11 h and rt nn 1 again 1 kd Wh h not nol from fm my In M at t I 1 ent Into my In i tatern m the I 1 had hll In mind nd put them In a tin t ti i use Rat which bore my III name on all the th out outI I Thov Th lv l Its It I hot torn tom no IOn In ant my m llon and they hy t loft Ift In It a II large empty pa RI e Brining It out Into the w rd r 1 I t told mv that I J fn to toI I had decided I to tn leave nonie thing tn In n place plArl of rrt until we w either Ir ran e nut again or the store uhl Joined ur you are ar n fI fine fellow to servo Irro servon Irron n board Id the wan n their ft ting Have Ita yu 11 no nn pride In your IP You ought to t b n amr of III etc ct You Your re all 1111 I replied I Irn rn IT proud Mud of nr i my y ahll and I Im m not Dimmed of I have hll here ome omer r peril I J should n nt t to lo 10 e that Ill lit all 1 Im m as a sure auro nn nil nn cf nr nU that nothing will occur tomorrow to make mako I me III regret having sent them out of tho thoI I but bul all ull tho ame a me Im going to send box to store storo ship If It ItI I any an of o jou OU would like to put Into nto It letters or of your own on theroa therell lots of oC room loom loft left und youre oure welcome to lu todo lutlo do no TUB TIlE THREE MEN IEN My lly remarks received with Jeers from 11 but two officer remarked after a n few fw minutes minute Ua of ot course and entirely but I 1 think Ill 11 accept offer oNer With Ith this they put ut somo ond other articles In my document case on nn tho Inside of or the lid of ot which I 1 pasted n II paper bearing l our names Acting Charles F Langley 1 U US S N j Acting Gardner Cottrell ottrell U S N Acting Ensign John P Hot Zet tick U S N wo 0 the box to the storo ilia ship by tho guard boat bani that name ame evening You all know kno what happened how holY wo o steamed bravely Into the harbor Alden leading I the wooden ships In tho Brooklyn a n smaller craft being lashed alongside of nf a larger In so that If It ono wern 1111 In the channel the other could lId take both out from under tho heavy guns of Tort Fort Morgan how holY tho took her hr nt tho Min of the tho monitors the Manhattan the and the th how when the Brooklyn rooklyn stopped and report reported ed d Torpedoes In thu th channel Farm arm gut from his hi post aloft In tho Iho Hart Hartford Hartford ford shouted down to Drayton Draylon her captain Damn DR mn tho torpedoes go 0 How tho Hartford replaced her At lit the head of the th column bow ho It II via the T that tired th first firt gun at t U minutes to 7 1110 how both I oth fought Ilka madmen tho gunners to the waist and ond 1 In tm a treat of that florce struggle gle under a blazing AUgut sun and how low our great admiral justified tho ex expectations of at his hi by win winning ning victory Its n a great tory story but I 1 wont re ro pr pMt at It an 01 most of jou ou were there too although jou ou know also that tho battle unx not won without serious lIenous loss Iou that blown up ur by b a torpedo 30 odd 1 minutes after opening the engagement our no nobl bio bl sank an Iron coffin en entombing n nearly n 1 hundred hun Nd find men that records no more gal 1111 gallant lant ort or more perfect courtesy than displaced by our brave e captain Tunis A M 1 Craven who nn 0 the uis going down own hold held back nt at the foot of nr the th ladder leading to safety Maying After Jou ou pilot lIot thus Ulus giving his hili life for another since of the two only one could hope hopr to ccapo tho torrent of or wa watt a tt r now tho doomed vessel I r was fortunate enough to bo on 01 the th deck Ju JUt t under the turret at lit mj m In the ponder division when tho hock came and the tho sea n be began beRn gan Rn to pour In I shouted to tn the few wen men near nt ar me mr tn to climb up through the tho turret and them all 1111 of us u hur hurried ried to 10 kop keep ahead of tho water Wo We crR wi through tho Iho gun port and among the ht Jant I J reached the tho deck nn 1111 the th ship a It lurch and settled IWed Dunning to tn the th Hide I 1 Jumped and struck out ns al hard as n I Iou ou Id fearing to be down with the tho which I t realized wn Willi lo t Although a 1 good I wim Willi not to pot get far farenough enough and noon oon I felt pulled under tho nut face RH 1111 I had I would bo be H Jl nn eter eternity nit before I came to In the top tOIl again t wn nearly but I struggled to 10 regain my breath bruth had succeeded when a n wave WIO from I dont know knol and mo entirely nUrol I I Iwas was all born to bo hanged for more moto motoI I saw w tho light of daj filled my In lungs with fresh all air and managed to keep klep by trending water It n long jot et probably bly It wan very short hort before 1 Willi picked up tip by hy ono of our own bouts was In her mid later Inter I heard that had ben been C t 1 L A A Much of nil this jou ou know nhe dy but you ou do not know that of tho Te cum 20 lh only survived to In tell th he title fr ons tit who nome names were of my lilY document nine written in 11 the II A lorig lori Ih t of U ch n nono th ono by Only ono tho members of or lit uway Iway to marvel in privat tho OP ways nf of nuking himself this r tl A wI r i no ever er received n Hut It firtH after all III n a more Inore 1 |
