Recollections of a Sailor Boy

This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com ||||||||||||||| 00850592 1 3 3433 T H E NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY PURCHASED FROM THE JAMES OWEN PROUDFIT FUND ----_ --------- ----- №ſae№ --------- -- ：） ---- RECOLLECTIONS OF PA SAILOR BOY —OR THE— Cruise of the Gunboat Louisiana. dy STEPHEN F. BLANDING, ACTING CARPENTER’s MATE OF THE U. S. S. LOUISIANA IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. PROVIDENCE: E. A. Johnson & Co., PRINTERs and Publishers. 1886. T H E N Ew YG E & PUBLIC LIBRARY 500.451 A&TOR, LENox Awa TfLDE * Fovº. 3A rºsa. * 999 º - EREFAGE. M. OBECT in writing this book was simply to bring more forcibly to the minds of the rising generation in America a tithe of the perils and the sufferings their fathers endured while battling for the Union. Also to depict to them some of the more pleasurable and exciting incidents connected with life on board of a “Man-of-War,” and “Liberty days” on shore. If I have succeeded in accomplishing this in the fol lowing pages I shall think that I have not written in vain. w a w * - . GG)NTENTS. —e— H CHAPTER I. THE ENLISTMENT—AT THE RECRUITING STATION.—THE DRUNKEN SAILOR-SIGNING THE BOOKS-HOME VISITED–BREAKING THE NEWS-THE DEPARTURE–THE EXAMINATION.—PROCUR ING AN OUTFIT-GOING ON BOARD. - Pages 7-27 CHAPTER II. ON BOARD THE “GUARDo”—MEETING witH PHIL–DINNER ON BOARD-THE SHIP Boys—“REDDY”—A FIGHT IN PROSPECT —GOOD ADVICE—EXAMINED AGAIN–PHIL DRAFTED––GETTING ACQUAINTED — FIRST NIGHT IN HAMMOCKS — FROM ONE “GUARDO” TO ANOTHER—INCIDENTS ON THE WAY-BRook LYN NAVY YARD–oN BOARD THE “NORTH CAROLINA.” § Pages 28–48 - CHAPTER III. jº- Tii E RECEIVING SHIPS-THE CAPTAIN MAKES A SPEECH-TAKEN IN CHARGE BY THE DRILL MASTER-INSTRUCTED IN THE ART OF - gº swABBING THE DECKs—‘‘GREENEY” AND HIS HAMMOCK– “PADDY D’YLE”—CONFINED IN THE BRIG–TRICKS PLAYED > UPON THE ‘‘GREENIEs”—v ERMIN ABOARD SHIP-THE TRAINED COCKROACH-HOLYSTONING THE DECKS-LIFE ON BOARD THE - “GUARDO’’—GROG TIME OF DAY-PUNISHMENT ON BOARD VISITING DAY-DETAILED IN THE SCOW–WORMS IN OUR HARD-TACK–“ DUFF-DAY."—DRAFTED FOR THE GUN-BoAT “LOUISIANA.” - - - - - - Pages 49-68 CHAPTER IV. good-BYE to THE “GUARDo”—ON BOARD THE ‘‘THAMEs”—AT SEA —UP CHESAPEAKE BAY-ON BOARD THE FRIGATE “BRANDY w1NE”—SPANISH AND FRENCH FRIGATEs—A DAY ON SHORE— TRANSFERRED TO THE GUN-BoAT “DELAw ARE *—of F CAPE HENRY-A ROUGH NIGHT AT SEA-THE LOOKOUT SPINS A YARN–PADDY D’YLE AGAIN–FORT HATTERAS — HATTERAS INLET — PAMLIco sound — ARRIVAL AT NEW BERNE – on BOARD THE FLAG-ship “HETZEL"—LIBERTY DAY ON SHORE —THE GUN-BoAT “EAGLE”—THE “CURLEw”—-UP TAR RIVER —ON BOARD THE “Louis IANA.” - - Pages 69-96 IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. History of THE “Louis IANA"—GoING INTo commission—PICKET DUTY AT NEWPORT NEWS-HER FIRST ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REBEL STEAMER ‘‘Yorktown "–THE REBEL schoon ER —A STERN CHASE-THE REBELS IN AMBUSH-The ENGAGE MENT-HOOKER SHOT THROUGH THE LUNGS—CHINCATEAGUE SOUND–MOTHER ADAMS AND HER BARRELS OF RUM-The BURNSIDE EXPEDITION.—THE FIGHT AT ELIZABETH CITY COMMODOBE LYNCH AND HIS COCKED HAT-EDENTON.—WASh INGTON.—RECEPTION FROM THE CONTRABANDS. Pages 97–113 CHAPTER VI. OUR FIRST DAY ON THE “Louis IANA ’’—“UP ALL HAMMOCKs”— AssignED STATIONS ON BOARD-DRILLING, ETC.—NEws FROM CHESAPEAKE BAY-ARRIVAL OF THE MAIL-BOAT—“AWAY, THE DINGY, Aw AY”—THE MAIL-BOAT ON FIRE—hot whiskEY— SCUTTLING THE STEAMER—SAD NEWS FROM HOME. Pages 114–126 CHAPTER VII. OUR FIRST LIBEBTY DAY IN LITTLE WASHINGTON.—WE VISIT THE “BUFFALOEs”—How the North CAROLINA TROOPS PAID VISITS TO THEIR FAMILIES OUTSIDE THE LINES-AN EN countER witH “secESH " GIRLs—ToM vs. old MAID—At THE FORT-THE THIRD NEW YORK CAVALRY-THE YOUNG CAvALRY MAN–4 “GUERRILLA JOHN ?”—For AGING FOR CHICK ENS-AUNT PHEBE AND THE POT STEWS-TOM AND THE POKE BONNET. - - - - - Pages 127–143 CHAPTER VIII. REBEL RAID ON LITTLE WASHINGTON.—DESPERATE FIGHTING-THE “BUFFALOEs,” North CAROLINA TRoops—A BRAVE NORTH CAROLINA BOY—sTAMPEDE OF THE REBELs—AFTER THE EN GAGEMENT—SEARCHING THE HOUSES FOR FIRE ARMS-AUNT PHEBE—“Ise GOT No shootin' I'N's l’” Pages 144–154 CHAPTER IX. ExPEDITION UP Blou NT's creek—PROMOTED ACTING CARPENTER's MATE–BUILDING THE BLOCKADE-FIRED ON BY THE REBELS —PREPARING For THE EXPEDITION.—BLOUNT's CREEK–“oli, sIRs, You will Not HARM MY CHILDREN "–Edward's MILL —THE RIND OF WOMEN WE MET ON OUR MARCH-HELPING ourselves to chick ENs—“You ARE A YANKEE, I KNow " V CONTENTS. - PRIs —testiNG THE WATER IN THE REBEL well—REBEL SCHOONER—RETURN TO THE “Louis on ERs—THE BURNING - Pages 155–171 - - - IANA.” - - - CHAPTER X. LAUNCH of THE SCHOONER ‘‘RENsh Aw "-Letter FRoM Phil— HOxIE’s FIGHT WITH SMUGGLERS–BILL LANG—stEALING OLD WATCH-THE PLAN–CAUGHT IN THE ATTEMPT-AT THE SHIP YARD-MR. MILLS AND His whiskEY—MR. Donzleberg, THE KEY DUTCHMAN–MR. MILLS TREATS THE HANDS TO WHIS THE FORGED ORDER—IN TROUBLE—THE LAUNCH. Pages 172–195 CHAPTER XI. RIVER EXPEDITION TO GREEN VILLE-THE STERN WHEELER—UP TAR —POSTING PICKETS IN THE WOODS—THE WOODMAN's Axe— REBELS-THE TO GREEN VILLE BY LAND–ATTACKED BY THE THE REBELS IN AMBUSH-A COUNTER AMBUSH-SHELLING REBELs—“READY, AIM, FIRE”—th E ski RMish witH THE RETREAT REBELS-ADAM BLUCHER SERIOUSLY WOUNDED–The CONVEYED TO —THE RETURN DOWN THE RIVER—BLUCHER Pages 196–210 - - THE HOSPITAL. - - - CHAPTER XII. HEADSTONES TO THE At WORK IN THE BURIAL LOT-FITTING UP FROM sold IERs' GRAv Es—s Hot ON PICKET-sAD NEws HOME–BACKING OUT WOOD FROM THE SWAMP-REUBEN How HE sold THE BOYs—“I was scARED soME, want FROM A YOU”—“MAN over BOARD "–REUBEN REscued RACE. WATERY GRAVE–FOURTH OF JULY-THE BOAT Pages 211—230 CHAPTER XIII. A LARGE FORCE SIEGE OF LITTLE WASHINGTON-SURROUNDED BY ‘‘COMMODORE OF JOHNNIEs – SEVENTEEN DAYS FIGHTING—THE HULL” ENGAGEs Rod MAN Point BATTERY-shB RUNS AGROUND —AT THE MERCY of THE REBELs—su PPLYING THE “HULL" witH AMMUNITION.—THE GUN-BoAT “CEREs " RUNS THE BlockADE—to starv E or surren DER—LANDING TRoops UNDER FIRE of this EN EMIEs’ BATTERIEs—MASTER’s MATE, TO MR. MC KEEveR, RUN's THE BLOCKADE WITH DISPATCHES ESCAPE THE FLEET-BUILDING A MAGAZINE– A NARROW “GoLLY, How DEM REBs Do FRow DAR I'N'-HOW ou R FIFTH CHIEF ENGINEER. M.R. LAY, FOOLED THE REBELS-THE PILOT-THE DE ISLAND TO THE RESCUE—DEATH OF THE Rho Pages 231-254 sIEGE RA1s Ed—A REBEL's LETTER. - VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. - POISONED WATER—THE NOVEL MEDICINE USED TO EFFECT A CURE —BOUND TO NEW BERNE FOR SUPPLIES-INSPECTED BY COMMODORE ROWAN —TRIP TO HATTERAS–BATHING ALONG SIDE—ATTEND A DANCE ON SHORE-SW IMMING ASHORE IN THE NIGHT-TIME–OU R RETURN TO THE “LOUISIANA ’” IN THE MoRNING—THRILLING Adventur E : Is It A shARK?—ON BOARD AGAIN–UP ANCHOR-O U R RETURN TO WASHINGTON —“I’s E GLAD TO SEE YER OUT DAR.” - Pages 255–274 CHAPTER XV. INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE–A BRAVE OFFICER—A DARING ACT-Too CLos E FOR COMFORT-DIGGING UP the ENEMIEs' shot— sh ANDY Mc GUIRE OF THE 44TH MAss.-‘‘old NEveR sweat" THE LITTLE BROWN MOUSE-IN THE FORT UN DER FIRE RUNNING THE PICKET LINE–OUR Pow DER BOY, John NY– THE DEAD CONTRABANID—A FUNNY INCIDENT—THE SCO W. Pages 275–304 CHAPTER XVI. HOMEWARD BOUND-FAREWELl, VISIT TO AUNT PHEBE—WE MAKE HER A PRESENT—THE PRESENTATION SPEECH-AUNT PHEBE's RESPONSE—“BREss YER', BOYS, BREss YER”—OUR LAST MEAL IN AUNT PHEBE's CABIN–ON BOARD THE “CURLEw "— THREE CHEERs For THE “Louis IANA ’’—OFF For NEw BERNE – THE ARRIVAL–THE TRANSPORT-POOR A CCOMMODA TION.—THE CAPTAIN VISITED–“ ARE YOU CAPTAIN OF THIS CRAFT’”—“what Do You wa NT’”—CLEANING ship—sick SOLDIERS BROUGHT ON BOARD-INSIDE h ATTERAS INLET-A TERRIBLE NORTH-EAST STORM PREVAILS-SHORT RATIONS AT - SEA-SICKN ESS AMONG THE SOLDIERS–TOM TAKES A TUMBLE–th E DYING SOLDIER—SHORT OF DRINKING WATER CLEAR WEATHER—ARRIVE AT NEW YORK–HOME AGAIN– FATE of the “Louis IANA.” - - Pages 305–330 REIHEIST STORM GPRADTER I. -o THE ENLISTMENT. HE war of the rebellion opened a large field for writers, and gave them a theme upon which to work, that will not grow cold for a generation to come. The half can never be written of the sufferings entailed upon those who fought, bled and died that their country might live. Thousands of thrilling stories might yet be related and written by thousands of men, still liv ing, who went through the war, and were eye witnesses to many episodes which never have yet found their way into print, but which have been rehearsed time and time again at the regular meetings of the different posts throughout the United States. It pleases the rising generation to read of the part their fathers took in the war, and I consider it to be the duty of every returned soldier, while memory lasts, to write his ex perience, that the “Grand Army of the Republic” 2 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A SAILOR BOY. may leave a record behind them for the future genera tions to peruse, of which none will be ashamed and the world appreciate. I could go on for hours and state reasons why these things should be done, but it is not for that I took my pen in hand.

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