Recollections of a naval officer, 1841-1865

Front matter

. --* s e$,

Edwin H. Brigham, M. D.

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE

Chapter I. Page

Entrance into the Navy. — Join the North Carolina, ,74, at New York. — First Impressions. — Hammocks versus Cotton Bales. — Midshipmen's Pranks. — The V. S. brig Soiners. — The brig Boxer. — Melancholy Suicide. — The " By-No-Meal " Theorem. — Am Ordered to the line-of-battle ship Columbus. — A poetical Sailmaker 1

Chapter II

My First Cruise.— The Columbus, 74. — Ghosts. — Cross the Atlantic. —

Gibraltar. — Guarda Costa and Smugglers. — Port Mahon.

Assassination of Mr. Patterson. — Lieutenant Charles G. Hunter. — Squadron Winters in Genoa. — Passed Midshipmen Beale and Murray. — The brig Somers. — A Duel. — Return to Mahon. — The Delaware, 74. — Toulon. — Cape de Gata. — Gibraltar Again. — Madeira. — Sail for the Coast of Brazil. — Saturday Night Yarns.— Target Practice.— Improvement in Gunnery. — Captain Marryatt and American Thunder 10

Chapter III

Arrival at Rio de Janeiro. — The East India Squadron. — Anecdotes of the War of 1812.— The Brazil Station.— Slavers.— The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro. — Marriage of the Emperor Dom Pedro.— Salutes. — Promotions in the Squadron. — Monte Video. — The Bishop of Honolulu. — Visit to Buenos Ayres. — Rosas, the Dictator. — La Seiiorita Manuelita.— A Day at Rosas' Quinta. — Return to Rio.— Arrival of the frigate Raritan. — Sandy Thompson's Win —Return to the United States 22

Chapter IV

The frigate Totomac. —The Millerite Excitement.— Sail for Norfolk,— Leave Norfolk for the West Indies.— The Landfall of Colum-

vii viii CONTENTS.

PAGE.

bus. — Gonaives. — Port-au-Prince. — A San Domingo Game- Cock.— The Yellow Fever.— Port Royal.— Havana.— Tomb of Columbus. — Pensacola. — Vera Cruz. — Rumors of War with Mexico. — Return to Pensacola. — Sharks. — A Leak in the Bow. — A Coffer Dam.— The U. S. S. Princeton. — Return Home. 35

Chapter V

Return to the frigate Potomac. —List of Her Officers. — First Impressions. — Sail for Vera Cruz. — Arrival. — Sacrificios Island. — San Juan de Ulloa. — Sail for Brazos Santiago. — Land a Force at Point Isabel. — Battle of Palo Alto. — Battle of Resaca de la Palma. — General Taylor and Commodore Conner. — An Alarm. — Major Ringgold. — Captain May. — Lieut. Ridgely. — Boat Expedition up the Rio Grande 47

Chapter VI

War Declared. — Blockade of the Coast. — Rivers and Towns on the Gulf of Mexico. — Blockade of Vera Cruz. — Green Island. — The Pirates of the Falmouth. — Passed Midshipman Hynson. — Burning a Vessel under the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa. — Midshipman Rogers. — Loss of the brig Somen. — Unlucky Vessels. — Affair at the Rio Antigua. — The gunboat Reefer. — First Attempt on Alvarado. — The British frigate Endymion, . 57

Chapter VII

Capture of Tampico. — Slipping off Tampico in " a Norther." — The U. S. S. Hornet.— Vessels of the U. S. Navy lost between 1841-61.— Pensacola. — Yellow Fever. — Second Attempt on

Alvarado. — Admiral Joshua Sands. — Attack on Tobasco.

Death of Lieutenant Charles Morris. — Captain French Forrest.— Incidents of the Blockade of Vera Cruz.— Anton Lizardo.— Narrow Escape of the Cumberland.— Loss of the U. S. brig Truxtun.— A Man Hanged at the Yard-arm of the V. S. S. St. Mary's.— Visit Pensacola and return to Vera Cruz, ... 68

Chapter VIII

The Fortifications of Vera Cruz.— What Admiral Farragut thought of them.— Campaign of General Taylor.— Lobos Island.— Arrival at Vera Cruz of General Scott's Army.— A Reconnoissance.— Landing of the Army of General Scott at Vera Cruz,

CONTENTS.

IX

PAGE.

March 9th, 1847. — Remarks On. — Investment of the City. — Services of the Navy. — Opening of the Bombardment. — A Heavy Norther. — Incidents Connected with. — Sailors on Shore. — Affair at Medellin 79

Chapter IX

Opening of the Bombardment of Vera Cruz. — Captain Tatnall and the Spitfire. — Commodore M. C. Perry assumes command of the Squadron. — Commodore Conner's Mistake. — The Navy lands six heavy guns.— The Mosquito Fleet. — The Navy Battery. — It opens fire on Vera Cruz. — Incidents. —Passed Midshipman Fauntleroy. — Surrender of Vera Cruz and the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa. — Our Army takes Possession. — Battle of Gerro Gordo. — A visit to the Castle and City. — Our Marines, . 91

Chapter X

Expedition to Alvarado — "Alvarado J ' Hunter and the steamer Scourge. — A Coincidence. — An Allegory. — Capture of Tuspan. — Jack Beard's Disappointment. — Grand Expedition to Tobasco. — Attack on the Gunboats by the Enemy in Ambush. — Landing at the Devil's Bend. — The March. — Incidents. — The Steamers Raise the Chevaux de Frise and take the Fort. — Capture of the Town of Tobasco. — Captain Bigelow appointed Governor. — An Unfortunate Affair. — Sail for Home in the frigate Saritan. — Yellow Fever. — Arrival at Norfolk, . . . 103

Chapter XI

Ordered to Annapolis. — The Naval School of 1847 .^Captain George P. Upshur. — Duels. — The Battle-ground of Bladensburg.— Professor William Chauvenet.— Swapping Yarns. — Pat Murphy and the Coon Skins. — Captain X.'s Dilemma. — Commodore Chauncey — A Precise Message.— A Sailor's Testimony.— Van Ness Phillip's Visit to Troy,— Thompsonian. Treatment — Mad Jack Percival. — Pass my Examination. — A Bad Quarter of an Hour on Board the Bay State.— A Friend in Need.— Hard Work at the Boston Navy Yard, 117

Chapter XII

Ordered to the sloop-of-war Yorktown— Sail from Boston.— Arrival at Porto Praya— First Cruise on the Coast of Africa.— The

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

Gambia River. — Monrovia. — Battle between the Liberians and Natives. — President Roberts.— -A Cruise to Wind ward. — Cadiz, Funehal, Teneriffe, Palmas — Porto Praya Again. — An Old City. — Riding out a Gale on a Lee Shore. — Rescue of the American brig Copperlhwait, 129

Chapter XIII

Kroumen. — The brig Porpoite. — A Boatswain's-mate's Poetry. — A narrow escape from Drowning. — Accra. — Elmina. — Cape Coast Castle.— Grave of L. E. L.— Slavers.— A Yankee Trick.— The Slave Trade. — The Bridgton. — Whydah. — Dahomey. — Prince's Island. — African Fever.— Second Cruise to Windward. - Madeira. — Canary Islands. —Wreck of the Yorktown on the Island of Mayo. — Return Home. — How to find the Moon's Age, 140

Chapter XIV

A Morning Call. — Ordered to the Surveying brig Washington. — Survey of Nantucket Shoals. — Block Island and No-Man's Land. —Pilot Daggett.— The Pilot of the Bibb.— Anecdote.— Ordered to the Princeton. — A Night with the " Spirit Rappers." — Am detached from the Princeton and ordered to the Cyane, . . . 154

Chapter XV

Join the Cyane. — Bad Navigation. — Havana. — The Lopez Expedition. — Key West. — The Dry Tortugas. — Pensacola. — Commodore J. T. Newton. — Greytown. — The Nicaragua Route. — A Trip up the San Juan del Norte. — Castillo. — Join a Flying Squadron at Portsmouth, N. H. — Eastport. — St. Johns, N. B. — The Bay of Fundy . — Captain George N. Hollins. — A Sunken Rock. —An Old-time Dutch Commander.— The Gulf of St. Lawrence. — Detached from the Cyane. — The Cyane Bombards Greytown. — The Isthmus of Darien. — Strain's Expedition. — Captain Prevost's Experience. — The Darien and Mosquito Indians, . . 160

Chapter XVI

Report for duty at the Naval Academy —Ordered to the Merrimac. — Auxiliary Steam Power.— Sail from Boston.— Arrival at Rio. — The Ganges, 74.— Double Cape Horn and Arrive at Talcahuana. — Brilliant Performance at Valparaiso. — Chincha Islands. — The Chinese Coolie and the Peruvian Cholo.— First

CONTENTS. xi

PAGE.

Inhabitants of North America. — Callao. — Lima. — The Spanish American Republics and Population. — Payta. — The Buccaneers. — Alexander Selkirk. — Juan Fernandez. — Dampier. — Circumnavigators. — Magellan. — Drake. — The Early Spanish Voyagers 174

Chapter XVII

Cook's Voyages and Discoveries. — Anson's Voyage around the World. — The Mutiny of the Bounty. — Panama. — Indian Names and their Signification. — Tumbez. — Callao Again. — Lieutenant Denny, R. N. — The Sandwich Islands. — Realejo. — Nicaragua. — Chinandegua. — A Voyage in a Bungo, — Panama Again. — Commodore J. B. Montgomery. — Valparaiso. — The Levant. — The Lancaster. — Sail for Home. — Rio Janeiro. — John Brown's Raid. — The frigate Congress.— Arrival at Norfolk 187

Chapter XVIII

Ordered to the Naval Academy.;— Secession of the Cotton States. — Occupation of Annapolis by Troops under General Butler. — Secession of Virginia. — Resign my Commission in the U. S. Navy and enter the Confederate Navy. — Governor Hicks and the State of Maryland. — Secession of the Border States. — The Northern. Democrats. — Harper's Ferry. — General Harney. — The Appearance of Richmond at the beginning of the War. — The Pawnee War. — Arrival of Troops.— A Naval Howitzer Battery. — Evacuation of Norfolk. — Captain A. B. Fairfax. — — The Patrick Henry. — Lieutenant Powell. — Our First Ironclad. — The Battle of Manassas.— Affair at Acquia Creek, . . 200

Chapter XIX

The North Carolina State Navy. — I join the reinforcements for Hatteras. — Capture of Cape Hatteras. — Commodore Samuel Barron. — Lieutenant Wm, H. Murdaugh. — Roanoke Island. — Oregon Inlet. — I assume command of the Beaufort. — Fort Macon. — Colonel Bridges and his Command. — A Pleasant Day. — Reading under Difficulties. — Public School Education. — The Beaufort's Crew — My Cabin Boy. — The Neuse River. — Teach, the Pirate. — A Pilot's Yarn. — Visit to Jacksonville. — A False Alarm. — Washington, N. C. — A cruise on a Canal. — Arrival at Norfolk '. 211 xii CONTENTS.

Chapter XX. Page

A Visit to Newbern.— Change of Officers.— Join the Squadron at Roanoke Island.— Wise's Brigade.— The Defences of Roanoke Island. — Commodore Lynch's Squadron. — The Burnside Expedition. — Flag Officer Goldsborough's fleet. — An evening with Commodore Lynch. — Battle of Roanoke Island.— Incidents. — Retreat of the Squadron to Elizabeth City 224

Chapter XXI

The Defenses of Elizabeth City.— Henningsen's Artillery.— Reeonnoissance by Commodore Lynch. — He is chased back to the Pasquotank. — I am placed in command of Fort Cobb. — -The Battle of Elizabeth City. — Incidents.— The Destruction of the Confederate Squadron. — Commodore Lynch. — Retreat from Elizabeth City. Cross the Dismal Swamp. — Incidents along the Route. — Henningsen's Men. — March to Suffolk. — Arrival at Norfolk. — Find the Beaufort there. — Join General Wise at Great Bridge. — Return to Norfolk and report to Commodore Buchanan. — HisSquadron 234

Chapter XXII

The Evacuation of Norfolk by the Federals. — Ordnance left at the Navy Yard. — Vessels Burned. — The Merrimac. — Is converted into an Iron-Clad.— Her Designer. — Her construction and appearance. — Her Armament. — Her Engines, and Speed. — Her Draft 246

Chapter XXIII

The Federal Ships in Hampton Roads. — The Merrimac and her Consorts leave Norfolk — The Battle of Hampton Roads. — The Sinking of the Cumberland. — Arrival of the James River Squadron.— The Batteries at Newpor(?s News.— The Frigates Minnesota, Roamoke and St. Lawrence come up from Old Point. — They get. aground.— Surrender of the Congress.— Fire from Troops on Shore.— Incidents of the Battle.— The Federal Loss.— The Confederate Loss.— The Ram and Iron-Clad.— Confederate Gunboats.— Services of the wooden vessels in this Battle 251

Chapter XXIV

The Night of the 8th of March.— The Battle Between the Merrimac and Monitor. - Remarks upon this Battle.— Injuries of the Mer-

CONTENTS. xiii

PAGE.

rimac. — What was Expected of her North and South. — What she could not have done. — The Case of Captain Smith and Lieutenant Pendergrast. — What a White Flag Signifies. — Lieutenant Joseph P. Smith. — Commodore Tattnall relieves Admiral Buchanan of the Command. — His Character. — Preparations for Another Battle 264

Chapter XXV

Our Plan for Boarding and Smothering the Monitor. — The Merrimac challenges the Monitor to Battle. — We capture three Vessels. — Operations in Hampton Boads on the 11th of April, 1862. — Remarks on. — The Merrimac drives the vessels employed in Bombarding Seawell's Point under the Guns of Fort Monroe. — The Monitor declines to fight the Merrimac. — Am ordered to command the Dixie. — Evacuation of Norfolk by the Confederates. — Commodore John Bodgers. — His Attack on Drury's Bluff. — Blowing up of the Merrimac. — Commodore Tattnall's Report. — Reflections on the Destruction of this Ship. — Pilots. 273

Chapter XXVI

Am ordered to command the Gunboat Drury. — The James River Squadron. — The Seven Days' Fighting around Richmond. — A Board for the Examination of Midshipmen. — Am ordered to the Iron-Clad Palmetto State at Charleston.— Description of her. — An Incident.— A Fire at Sea. — Flag Officer Duncan L. Ingraham. — Battle off Charleston, January 31, 1863, between the Confederate Iron-Clads and the Federal Fleet.- Surrender of the Mercedita and Keystone State.— The other vessels driven off. — Proclamation of General Beauregard and Commodore Ingraham. — Remarks upon this Engagement and its Results . . 286

Chapter XXVII

Capture of the U. S. S. Isaac Smith.— Torpedoes.— Charleston at this time. — Its Defences. — Blockade Runners. — Arrival of the TJ. S. Iron-Clad Fleet off the Harbor.— Attack on Fort Sumter by Admiral Dupont's Fleet, April 7, 1863.— Result of the Attack. — The Keokuk Sunk. — Admiral Dupont's Captains.— An Intended Torpedo Expedition.— The Monitors leave Morris Island and go to the North Edisto river 306 xi v CONTENTS.

Chapter XXVIII. Page

• Reconnoissance of the Monitors in the North Edisto river.— I Organize

a Torpedo Expedition to attack them. — Arrival atRockville. —

A Deserter.— Skilful and Original Flank Movement.— Return

to Charleston.— Commander W. T. Glassell's attack on the

New Ironsides.— Admiral Daniel Ammen.— I am ordered to

Richmond 316

Chapter XXIX

Organization of the Confederate Naval Academy. — The School Ship Patrick Henry.— Capture of the U. S. S. Underwriter.— The Iron-Clads Virginia, Richmond and Fredericksburg. — The Defence of James River by Torpedoes.— Captain Hunter Davidson. — His attack on the U. S. S. Minnesota.— Opening of the Campaign of 1864. — General Butler's Lost Opportunity. — Battle of Drury's Bluff. — I am ordered to command the jRicAmond — Trent's Reach 323

Chapter XXX

Curious Target Practice. — Attack on the Monitors in Trent's Reach, June 21, 1864. — The Confederate Iron-Clad Albemarle and her Engagements. — Captain Jas. B. Cook. — Lieutenant W. B. Cashing. — The Alabama and the Kearsarge. — The Florida and the Wachusett.— Attempt to get our Iron-Clads to City Point. — Its Failure. — Blowing up of the Gunboat Drury. — General Joseph E. Johnston and President Davis. — Vice President Stephens. — The Confederate Government. — State of Affairs in Richmond and on the James River in March, 1865 336

Chapter XXXI

The Evacuation of Richmond.— Ordered to take charge of the Confederate Treasure.— The Corps of Midshipmen.— The Night of April 2d.— Scenes at the Depot.— Departure of the President and Cabinet.— Arrival at Danville.— Go on to Charlotte, N. C. — General Stoneraan at Salisbury.— Resolve to carry the Treasure farther South.— Mrs. President Davis and Family.— Leave Charlotte.— Pass through Chester, Newberry, Abbeville and Washington.— Arrival at Augusta, Georgia.— The Armistice between Generals Johnston and Sherman.— Determine to Retrace my Steps.— Leave Augusta for Washington, Georgia . . 349

CONTENTS. xv

Chapter XXXII. Page

Return to Abbeville. — An Alarm. — Arrival of President Davis and Cabinet. — I transfer the treasure to General Basil Duke and Disband my Command. — Interview with President Davis. — His Departure from Abbeville. — General Joseph E. Johnston's Surrender.— Am Paroled. — Leave Abbeville on my Return Home. — Bad Travelling. — A Day at Burksville. — Arrival at Norfolk, Va 363

RECOLLECTIONS

OF A

NAVAL OFFICER

Chapter I

ENTRANCE INTO THE NAVY — JOIN THE "NORTH CAROLINA T4," AT NEW YORK — FIRST IMPRESSIONS — HAMMOCKS VERSUS COTTON-BALES — MID- SHIPMEN'S PRANKS — THE TJ. S. BRIG"SOMERS" — THE BRIG " BOXER" — MELANCHOLY SUICIDE — THE " BY-NO-MEAL " THEOREM — AM OR- DERED TO THE LINE-OF-BATTLE-SHIP " COLUMBUS " — A POETICAL SAIL- MAKEE.

We are told that when Mr. Toots attempted to write an acrostic to Florence Dombey he carefully prepared the first letters of the lines, and then never got farther than " For when I gaze " ; and I must confess that in commencing these recollections I feel somewhat in the same predicament ; so I think it best to plunge at once in medias res and say that I entered the U. S. navy as a midshipman on the 19th day of October, 1841, being then fourteen years of age. I was almost immediately ordered to the U. S. ship North Carolina, and on the 27th day of the same month reported for duty to Commodore M. C. Perry, then commanding the station at New York.

I well recollect my extreme surprise at being addressed as

Mr. by the commodore, and being recalled to my senses by the

sharp William of my father, who accompanied me to the Navy

Yard.

Upon our arrival at New York we had put up at the City Hotel, the favorite resort of naval officers. The night of our arrival we took a Whitehall boat at Castle Garden and pulled off to a transport lying in the North River, to visit my eldest brother who was on board with other officers on their way to join their regiments in Florida. My brother had just graduated at West Point, and was attached to the Fourth Infantry. I never saw him again as he died within a year.

I rcpoited on board the receiving ship North Carolina, Captain Francis M. Gregory, on the morning of the 28th of October. She was at anchor in the North River, off the Battery ; had a full complement of officers and men, and was kept in fine order. She was one of the largest of our line-of-battle ships, or 74's as they were generally called. One of the midshipmen informed me the next day that she was called a 74 because she carried 80 guns! When I got upon her quarter-deck the marines were drawn up for drill, the band was playing, a large party of ladies were promenading the poop-deck, and these sights taken in connection with unaccustomed smells (for this ship had always a curious odor of rum, tar, bean-soup and tobacco combined), tended to confuse me terribly. The one defined recollection I have is of a midshipman (whom I had met the day before in Commodore Perry's office) passing us, and recognizing my father with a touch of the cap, so jaunty and debonair, that I thought that if I could ever attain to that perfection I would be a naval officer indeed.

My father soon left me and I was taken below to be introduced to my messmates, of whom I found about thirty, messing in the gun-room and sleeping on the orlop deck. During the first day I was in a constant state of excitement; the frequent calling of all hands, and the running about caused me to think the ship was on fire, and I repaired to the quarter-deck many times to see what the matter was.

Several of the midshipmen hung about me, watching a chance to perpetrate their jokes; but a greenhorn, like myself,

FIRST IMPRESSIONS. 3

happening to complain to them that he " could not find Cheeks, the marine, anywhere," caused me to smile ; for I was well up in Marryatt's novels — so they let me alone with the remark that they supposed my father and brother (both of whom were ■ in the navy) had put me up to the usual navy jokes.

About this time all hands were called to stand by the hammocks, and my surprise was great when I saw the hammocks taken out from the nettings ; for I had previously supposed that naval officers, taking the hint from General Jackson's defences at New Orleans, had stuffed the ship's sides with bags of cotton, to resist shot ! Fortunately I did not allow this to escape me, or I should have been called " cotton-bale Parker " to this day.

When I was taken down to the orlop deck and saw the hammocks swung I could not imagine how I was to sleep in, or rather on one ; for, not knowing that it was not unlashed and that it contained inside a mattress and blankets, I naturally thought it was the way of sailors to sit a-straddle of it and repose in this unnatural attitude. It caused me much unhappiness that night in the gun-room, and I thought I had, perhaps, better resign and go home at once ; but at two bells, nine o' clock, when we all went down to turn in, I was much relieved to see the hammocks spread out into a more reasonable shape.

Here another surprise awaited me : up to this time I had suffered much with ear-ache, and my mother had caused me to wear night-caps — there was nothing strange to me in this, as other boys wore them at my boarding-school — but it seems it was not a " way they had in the navy." My caps were of many colors : red, blue, green, etc., for they were made of remnants of my sisters' dresses. Now as I made my final preparations for repose I opened my trunk and put on a close-fitting nightcap. It was the signal for an indescribable scene of confusion. If I had put on a suit of mail it could not have caused greater astonishment among these lighthearted reefers. They rushed to my trunk, seized the caps, put them on, and joined in a wild dance on the orlop deck, in which were mingled red caps, blue caps, white caps — all colors of cap — in pleasing variety. I had to take mine off before turning in as it really did seem to be too much for their feelings ; but I managed to smuggle it under my pillow, and when all was quiet I put it on again ; but when the midshipman came down at midnight to call the relief he spied it, and we had another scene. This was the last I ever saw of my caps. I have never had one on since, and consequently have never had the ear-ache !

I do not propose to give a detailed account of my life on board this ship, but only to present a few scenes as they come to my recollection.

My first duty was to carry the daily dispatches to Commodore Perry at the Navy Yard, and this kept me in a boat pretty much all day, and involved a good deal of risk in passing the ferries ; but after a few weeks I was, to my great joy, (for I was green then and didn't know any better) assigned to a watch.

About the latter part of November the ship was taken to the Navy Yard, laid alongside the wharf, and made comfortable for the winter, by building houses over the hatches, closing in the half-ports, etc. Our time was occupied in keeping our watches and learning navigation under Professor Ward. I, for one, soon learned to work all the rules in Bowditch's Navigator ; though, if the truth must be told, I did not exactly understand " what it was about:" nor did I learn until I got fairly to sea on my first cruise. Few explanations were given as to " theory,'' as well as I remember.

The navy at that day was, as to the officers and men, very similar to the British navy, as described by Marryatt in his novels : the same jokes were perpetrated and the same characters existed.

We had on board the North Carolina some sailors who had been in the Constitution when she captured the Querricre ■ some who were in the United States when she took the Maxe-

THE V. S. BRIG " SOMEBS". 5

donian, and others who had served under Commodores Perry and McDonough on the Lakes ; and it was the custom to get them in the gun-room at night, to sing the old sailor ditties of " The Constitution and the Guerriere," " The Wasp and the Frolic," " The Enterprise and the Boxer," etc. Of course I looked upon these men as not only heroes, but Methusalehs as well !

Among my messmates was the ill-fated Spencer. He was a classmate of mine, and joined shortly after I did. I remember him as a tall, pale, delicate-looking young man of perhaps nineteen years of age. It will be remembered that Midshipman Spencer was accused of inciting a mutiny on board the United States brig Somers, in November, 1842. He was tried by a summary court-martial at sea, and hanged at the yard-arm on the 1st of December following, in company with the boatswain's mate, Cromwell, and the gunner's mate, Small. This affair caused an immense sensation in the country, and the commander, Alex. Slidell Mackenzie, asked for and obtained a Gourt of Inquiry. His course was sustained by it ; though J. Fenimore Cooper, the no.velist, took up the cudgels, and made a savage attack upon him. Officers of the navy in my time generally declined to discuss this affair.

I saw the Somers launched at the New York Navy Yard in the spring of 1842.

During the winter the brig Boxer was fitted out for foreign service, and I was anxious to apply for her, but our judicious, and kind-hearted first lieutenant, Charles Armstrong, would not allow me to do so.

It was the luck in that day of the small, crowded, illventilated vessels like the Boxer and Dolphin to be sent to the West Indies, coast of Africa, and other sickly stations : on the same principle I suppose, as Dickens says, that in serving out clothing the long men get into the short trousers, and the short men into the long ones. While the Boxer was fitting out out junior lieutenant was ordered to her, much against his will ; he tried very hard to have his orders revoked, but

■without success. He was much loved by the midshipmen, and we often went to see Mm.

One afternoon while rowing about the dock for amusement, in company with another reefer, I saw a boat under the bows of the Boxer smuggling liquor to the men. We went on board and reported it to our friend, whom we found the senior officer — the captain and executive officer being on shore. I well remember his kindness to us, boys as we were, taking us below and treating us to cakes. The next morning shortly after 4 o'clock we were aroused by the news that the Boxer's men had mutinied and killed this lieutenant. Our marines were immediately sent on board, and I went in charge of the boat. It was a mistake about the mutiny. Our friend had gone on deck at 4 a. m. to keep the morning watch, and a few minutes after he blew his brains out. I saw his body lying cold and stiff upon the quarter-deck. No one ever knew the cause of the fatal act. Our fellows felt the death of this officer very much, and it was some days before we were up to our tricks and deviltries again.

The midshipmen were constantly changing during the six months I was on board this ship. As vessels were fitted out drafts of reefers were sent to them, and new ones were constantly arriving. In consequence of this our mess was kept in a disorganized condition, and in point of fact our money would give out before the end of the month and we would go for several days without regular meals. I have occasion to remember this fact. I joined on the 28th day of October, when the mess was in this condition. The caterer did not ask me for my mess bill, and I never thought of offering it ; in fact, I did not know how the mess was supplied and had an idea that the government furnished it. The day after I joined, Friday, I was invited to breakfast with the lieutenants in the ward-room. I had not much appetite, and when I left the table Mr. Armstrong said: "Youngster, this will never do ; you must learn to eat your ration." To my extreme surprise we had no dinner in the gun-room that day, and no

THE " BY-NO-MEAL" THEOREM. 7

supper ! The table was not even set ! It seems that during this dies infaustus kind of a time the midshipmen lived upon the bum-boat and skirmished on the berth-deck for a living ; but I knew nothing about that, and was too proud and bashful to make any inquiries, and, strange to say, no one thought of giving me information. All day Saturday it was the same dies non. I frequently thought of the ration alluded to by Lieutenant Armstrong and wished I could see it ! On Sunday after muster, Mr. Neville, the sailing master, told me my father wanted me to come ashore in the 1 o'clock boat, and said the first lieutenant would give me permission to go if I asked him. I was rather astonished to hear this, for I had supposed that I was to remain on board three years without going on shore, and had been wondering how long I could hold out without eating. I think that reading about Admiral Collingwood's long cruises had given me this idea. I went on shore and hurried up to the City Hotel ; the clerk informed me that my father had gone to Brooklyn to dine, and left word for me to follow him. I found I had left my purse on board and had no money to pay my ferriage : but there was a chance to overtake my father. I caught up with him on Fulton Street, just opposite the old Dutch Reformed church (I. have never passed it since without recalling this incident), and .getting some money from him went to a stand and purchased some pies and cakes, which I immediately commenced devouring. My father seemed surprised, and well he might Jbe! He asked me how I liked it on board ship. I told him that I did not like it at all ; that they had no meals there. He, thinking that the midshipmen lived, perhaps, on the ship's rations — salt beef and hard-tack — and that I did not like it, replied that I would get accustomed to it. I told him no ; that I had never been used to going without meals and that I was too old to learn ; it might do for other midshipmen, but I could not stand it ; and finally, as to returning to that ship and trying to live without eating, I couldn't and I wouldn't.