CHAPTER XV.
ON PAROLE.
During the greater portion of that terrible time which has been sovividly described by one who afterward became familiar with all thehorrible details, I had but little idea of what was going on, save amongus on the gun-deck.
We had nothing to do with the poor efforts at handling the sorelywounded ship, and could only load and fire so long as a gun's crewremained alive.
When one fell dead or wounded at his task another was called to fill hisplace, and speedily the deck was so littered with the lifeless or thedying that some of us would be summoned to aid the surgeon's force indragging them out of the way.
As during the first portion of the engagement, I was burning with thefever of battle, and had so little knowledge of what was being done thatI could not have said whether one hour or ten had elapsed since theaction was begun. It seemed to me as if we had been half an ordinarylifetime at this business, and I had stood so long beneath the shadowof the death angel's wings that I took it for granted I should benumbered with the slain when the conflict ceased, but gave no heed tosuch possibility.
Phil and I knew vaguely, because of the dreadful slaughter whichfollowed, when the frigate's bow payed off while Captain Porter wastrying to beach her, and we came to realize dimly--as though it wassomething which did not concern us personally--that we were being sobadly cut to pieces as to make it certain our people must finally yieldto the enemy; but above all was the one thought, a single desire, to doas much damage as possible to the Britishers before our ship went down.
Then, when we were in position where we could fire a broadside, we beganto cheer once more, believing that after all our disadvantages we mightcompel the foe to retire; but our hearts did not sink, perhaps becausewe were too much excited to realize it, when the hawser of the sheetanchor parted, leaving us once again where we could be raked.
When the ship was on fire we ran to the spar-deck, yet fighting theflames, and neither Phil nor I knew until afterward that permission hadbeen given the men to leap overboard and save themselves.
We would not have deserted the ship, however, because both of us werefollowing Master Hackett very closely; it seemed much as though he hadbecome a part of us, and we could do nothing save by his side or underhis direction.
Why we three, when all those brave hearts were sent into eternity onthat 28th day of March, should have escaped a wound I am unable to say;it must have been, as my mother said, that God was not yet ready toreceive us into that portion of his kingdom that had been allotted us.
The old man took us lads by the hand when finally Captain Porter gaveorders that the colors be hauled down in token of surrender, and therewe stood as if unable to move or speak, when the Britishers came onboard.
The living were allowed to bury the dead; the wounded were taken onshore, and then we were, with many others, sent on board the _Cherub_,where we were by no means badly treated. More than one Britisher onboard that ship was ashamed, as I myself heard them say, at our havingbeen attacked while disabled, and nearly all did whatsoever they mightto ease the burden of grief and disappointment.
There is no good reason why I should set down here what we did or saidduring such time as we remained in the harbor of Valparaiso, for itwould be sad reading. It can well be supposed that we mourned for ourbrave fellows who had been killed, and our hearts went out in sympathyto those wounded ashore; but as for ourselves, we could do nothing saveexist.
Then came the day when it was made known that Captain Hillyar haddecided it would be quite out of the question to hamper himself with somany prisoners, and the _Essex Junior_ was to be converted into acartel[5] to take us home after we had given our paroles.
It seemed most wonderful that after passing through so many dangers wewere really to see our native country once more. I wept tears of joywhen the news came to me, and was not ashamed of so doing. During thefight, and for many a long day afterward, I thought of myself as sonearly in the clutches of death that I was already done with the thingsof this world.
When the arrangements had finally been made, however, we learned that mycousin, Lieutenant McKnight, Mr. Adams, the chaplain, Mr. Lyman, amaster's mate, and eleven of our sailors had already been exchanged forsome prisoners taken from the _Sir Andrew Hammond_, and were then onboard the _Essex Junior_.
Later, after we had sailed for the United States, my cousin and Mr.Lyman went to Rio de Janeiro in the _Phoebe_ in order to give sometestimony in behalf of the captors. From that port they sailed in aSwedish brig bound to England, and since that moment it has beenimpossible to learn aught concerning their fate. The captain of the brigdeclares that his passengers were sent on board the British sloop-of-war_Wasp_, at their own request. The _Wasp_ was never heard from after sheparted company with the brig; but it is my opinion, and shared by many,that Lieutenant McKnight and his companion were foully murdered by theSwede.
We left the port of Valparaiso with our papers in good order, and all onboard rejoicing at the prospect of seeing their loved ones once more. Atthat time I believed nothing could tempt me to leave my mother again;but "once a sailor always a sailor" is the proverb, and I am inclined tothink it has in it much truth.
The voyage was a prosperous one; we doubled Cape Horn withoutdifficulty or incident, and had we but been in the good ship _Essex_,returning home after a successful cruise, the days would not have beenlong enough for all our happiness. As it was, however, we lived over andover again the past, discussing the battle which had cost us so dearlyand left the poor old frigate a wreck in the harbor of Valparaiso, andspeaking tenderly with many a choking sob of the shipmates who stoodgallantly to their posts of duty until death struck them down.
Now we were returning on parole, the survivors of a ship's company whichhad struck their colors to the enemy, and it weighed us down, eventhough we knew full well that the cruise of the _Essex_ had been ofgreatest value to our country.
We talked of the old ship as if she had once been a living thing, andregretted most deeply that we had not succeeded in beaching her, or thatwe had extinguished the flames when her hold was apparently a mass offire.
In fact, we went over all the details of our voyage which was ending sosadly, never tiring during all the long weeks, and many times did weconjure up pictures of our shipmates who had been left behind onNukuheva, wondering what they would do after months had passed and wefailed to return, or speculating upon the possibility that they wouldattempt the homeward cruise in one of the prizes.
Poor fellows! While we spoke of them as living happily and amid plenty,they were battling for life, as I may one day set down in detail, if itso be that this feeble apology for a landsman's yarn finds favor withthose who may read it.
The voyage on the cartel was a prosperous one, as I have already said,and in due time we were off the port of New York, believing that withina few hours, at the longest, we would be at liberty to go wheresoever itpleased us. The _Essex Junior_ was no more than thirty miles from landwhen we sighted a Britisher who speedily gave us to understand that wemust heave to and show our papers.
The stranger proved to be the _Saturn_, a razee (meaning a ship-of-warcut down to a smaller size by reducing the number of decks), commandedby Captain Nash.
We had not supposed there might be any question of our detention, for wehad a passport in due form from Captain Hillyar; but this Britisher tookit into his head that there must be something wrong with our craft; heeven questioned the right of Captain Hillyar to parole us, and ended bygiving the order that we lay by him during the night.
Immediately visions of a British prison danced before our eyes. We hadbeen forced into a fight when our ship was little better than a wreck,by one Englishman, and now here was another who proposed to take incharge a lot of paroled men who were free to sail to their port ofdestination according to the usages of war among all nations.
After a time of jawing and tongue wagging among our sailors, we came tobelieve that Captain Porter was the one whom the Britisher par
ticularlydesired to hold; for surely he could have no wish to hamper himself witha lot of seamen whom he must, beyond a peradventure, set at liberty whenhis government learned the facts in the case.
What they would do with our captain no one seemed to so much as guess;we had decided among ourselves that some indignity would be put uponhim, and when the word was passed from one to another that CaptainPorter was inclined to make his escape in one of the small boats, everyman jack volunteered to pull him ashore.
To row a ship's boat thirty miles, with the chances of being lost in thefog which was even then creeping over the waters, seemed like adesperate undertaking; but when Master Hackett, who had been selected bythe crew as their spokesman, went aft and made known to Captain Porterwhat they desired to do, he accepted the offer without hesitation.
One of our boats was launched to leeward, where she might not be seen bythose on the razee, and our commander, with little Midshipman Farragutby his side, lowered himself into the stern-sheets after the crew wereat their stations.
Six hardy seamen gave way at the oars, and Phil and I waved our hats inparting at Master Hackett, whom we did not see again until many a longday had passed.
The Britisher caught a glimpse of the small boat as she pulled out pastour ship, and he pitched a shot after her as a signal to heave to; butthe old shellbacks who sat at the oars were not the kind to befrightened by the burning of British powder. They had sniffed the odormany times before, and if they would voluntarily remain on a burningship while the enemy was plugging ball after ball into her as if she hadbeen no more than a target, they could be depended upon to hold theircourse regardless of Captain Nash and the razee _Saturn_.
Before the Britishers could fire at them again they were lost to viewin the fog, and, as we learned two days afterward, landed in safety onLong Island.
Next morning Captain Nash, after examining our papers once more, gave uspermission to continue the voyage, and before nightfall we were lying inthe harbor of New York, rejoicing at having escaped death or a Britishprison.
Yes, we were made much of, once it was known in the city who we were,but of that there is no reason why I should speak at any length.
I should add, however, that after sailing and rowing sixty miles ormore, the boat in which was our commander arrived at Babylon, on thesouth side of Long Island, and even then her occupants were not freefrom trouble. Captain Porter was suspected by the citizens of being aBritish officer, and but for the fact that he had his commission fromCongress in his pocket, he might have been detained.
He made his way to New York, where he was received with demonstrationsof most profound respect; and when the exploits of the _Essex_ had beentold, every city, village, and hamlet in the country sung the praises ofthe frigate and those who manned her.
Phil and I went home as soon as it was possible to escape from those whowere eager to show their admiration of what had been done by the_Essex_, and I carried in my pocket a song which was made especially forthe frigate. It was printed and sold on the streets; there was in theverses no little praise for all hands; but the lines I set down herepleased me more than all the rest, since they referred to that gallantsailor who by his skill and courage had made it possible for any of usto see home again.
"From the laurel's fairest bough Let the muse her garland twine, To adorn our Porter's brow, Who, beyond the burning line, Led his caravan of tars o'er the tide. To the pilgrims fill the bowl, Who, around the southern pole, Saw new constellations roll, For their guide."
FOOTNOTE:
[5] A ship employed in the exchange of prisoners, or in communicatingwith the enemy.
ADVERTISEMENTS
WITH PERRY ON LAKE ERIE
A TALE OF 1812
_By James Otis_
_307 pp. Cloth, $1.50_
Characters and incidents largely historical. A lively rendering of amemorable event.--_The Outlook._
Graphically does Mr. Otis tell the story of the naval battle won byCommodore Perry. The well-known tale, rehearsed in a new manner, thoughwith strict adherence to history, is given in the first person by a boy,who, with the Commodore's young brother, was concerned in all theimportant events of that battle, as well as in previously warding offthe capture of Presque Isle. It is one of the best of Revolutionarytales, in manner, facts, and interest, published within the last year ortwo, and the covers are attractive.--_The Literary World._
An account of the brave but often fruitless struggles and attempts ofyoung Commodore Perry to get into fighting trim the famous Lake Eriefleet, handicapped as he was by lack of men and material. The author hasin no wise departed from the strict truth, as given by the besthistorians, and it is this fact which renders his entertaining storyparticularly valuable as a book for the young.--_Dial._
_With Preble at Tripoli_
A STORY OF "OLD IRONSIDES" AND THE TRIPOLITAN WAR
BY JAMES OTIS
349 pages. Cloth. 12mo. $1.50
Second Volume in "_The Great Admiral Series_"
It is a typical, dashing, instructive, and thrilling story. It isintended for boys, but there is hardly a person, young or old, who wouldnot be intensely interested in it. Such a book as this should bewelcomed by every parent.--_Boston Journal._
This volume gives us a most vivid description of the exploits of the old"Constitution" and the brave men under Commander Preble's command. It isof the best juvenile literature.--_The Indianapolis Journal._
It is a thrilling account of the loss of the "Philadelphia," and of themost famous "cutting out" party in our naval history. It adds a secondvolume to one of our most interesting series of books for youngpeople.--_The Dial._
The ever-stimulating account of "Old Ironsides" and her famous campaignagainst the Tripolitan pirates forms the basis of one of Mr. Otis's beststories; correct in its historical facts, interesting from beginning toend, it will be welcomed not only by the younger reader, but by theolder one as well.--_The Presbyterian._
_BOOKS BY WILLIAM DRYSDALE_
THE YOUNG REPORTER
A STORY OF PRINTING HOUSE SQUARE
_300 pp. Cloth. $1.50_
If ever a writer knew how to tell a rattling story that almost lifts youoff your feet on the first page, it is William Drysdale. His style isvivacious and racy, and the events hurry along like the current of astream above a cascade. The story in itself is intensely interesting,but, aside from its interest, it gives an insight into the life of agreat daily paper of the city that it would be hard to find elsewhere.Thus the book is instructive as well as captivating.--_LutheranEvangelist._
"The Young Reporter" is a rattling book for boys. It is written by Mr.William Drysdale, a retired journalist, who has held responsible desksupon the Sun, the Recorder and other papers, and who knows just what heis talking about.--_New York Recorder_.
A genuine boys' book for genuine boys. It is full of life, clean, clearcut, and inspiring. We can commend this book to any lover of boys'stories. It is illustrated with spirit, the pictures adding greatly tothe attractiveness of the book.--_Journal of Education._
This is a story of real power, full of life and action, and will enlistthe interest of every stirring and wide-awake boy.--_Herald &Presbyter._
_Fighting Under the Southern Cross._
A Story of the Chile-Peruvian War.
BY
_CLAUDE H. WETMORE._
335 pages. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50.
_CONTAINING PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY AND MAP OF CALLAO BAY_
This is one of the best stories for boys that has been issued, and withgreat pleasure we heartily recommend it.--_Observer._
This story is full of thrilling interest and dramatic power. The manypicturesque descriptions give a real portrayal of the country and itspeople.--_Book News._
This volume is so real that one imagines he is in the centre of action.This doubtless is due to the author's thorough acquaintance with thecustoms and conditions of these countries.--_St. Louis
Star._
Just now when there are so many reminders of the differences existingbetween the South American States, and while the influence of thePan-American Congress in Mexico is being so strongly felt, this book isvery timely. It is a very vivid picture of the war between Chile andPeru in 1879, and a portrayal of the customs and manners of these statesthat is extremely interesting, and that throws much light on presentproblems.--_Christian Endeavor World._
The bitter war of conquest waged by Chile against Peru has never beengiven any popular presentation until now. The author is a traveler whohas covered all of South America and was a resident of Peru when the warbroke out. His picture of that period is absorbingly interesting, andthe promised sequel of this volume will be awaited with greateagerness.--_The Interior._
W. A. WILDE COMPANY, Boston and Chicago.
_Incaland_
A Story of Adventure in the interior of Peru and the closing chapters ofthe War with Chile.
BY
_CLAUDE H. WETMORE._
309 pp. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50
_CONTAINING PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY._
"The author is thoroughly acquainted with the history and records of thefar-famed land of the Incas, and the story is full of interesthistorically as well as a work of excellent romance andfiction."--_Chronicle-Telegraph._
"Mr. Wetmore has shown in 'Incaland' how that the Chile-Peruvian War wasto the latter people a blessing in disguise, and how that, casting asideher antiquated systems, Peru introduced many improvements, until she hasto-day attained a most enviable position among the South Americanrepublics. All this information the author has clothed in the attractiveguise of a story, full of interesting and stirring accounts in whichboys will find great delight."--_New York Examiner._
"'Incaland' deals with the history and wonderful progress of Perusubsequent to the War, and it overflows with historical interest, and,as it is in a most picturesque setting, it will surely find a heartywelcome."--_Christian Endeavor World._
"This volume is not only steeped in the Indian lore of the past, but itembraces as well some of the stirring instances of the Chile-PeruvianWar, and any boy who has read this stirring narrative has unconsciouslyacquired not only familiarity with a certain period in history, but withthe manners and aspect of this historic country. It is a ringing boys'story, full of interest and enthusiasm."--_Free Press, Milwaukee._
W. A. WILDE COMPANY, Boston and Chicago.
CADET STANDISH OF THE ST. LOUIS
A STORY OF OUR NAVAL CAMPAIGN IN CUBAN WATERS.
_352 pages. Cloth. $1.50._
In "Cadet Standish of the St. Louis" Mr. William Drysdale tells thestory of an American boy to whom the Spanish war brought some novel andexciting experiences. The lad took part in the cable cutting offGuantanamo, the first exploit in which the great "merchant cruiser"distinguished herself. Not only is Mr. Drysdale an accomplished writer,but he has an intimate knowledge of the West Indian regions where mostof the scenes are laid. The result is a most graphic and entertainingvolume.--_Boston Journal._
This is a story of the recent naval combat in Cuban waters. The book ispicturesque and interesting from cover to cover. The local color ispresented in a series of vivid touches and is skillfully interwoven withthe narrative interest. The story is that of a young cadet on board the_St. Louis_, who is detailed for dangerous shore duty. His adventuresmake up the story that at once attracts and informs the reader.--_TheBaptist Union._
It is pleasant to be able to say that this tale of Cadet Standish isinteresting, wholesome, natural, even among exciting scenes. The hero isa fine fellow in every way: in his relations to his widowed mother, as ayoung business man, and with his associates in the navy.--_The LiteraryWorld._
_IN COLONIAL TIMES_
IN THE CAMP OF CORNWALLIS:
A STORY OF REUBEN DENTON AND HIS EXPERIENCES DURING THE NEW JERSEYCAMPAIGN OF 1777.
_By Everett T. Tomlinson, Ph. D._
_12mo. 353 pp. Cloth, $1.50. Ill._
This story is patriotic, exciting, and pleasing, and instructs in theearly history of our country without appearing to do so.--_Tribune._
Dr. Tomlinson's Revolutionary stories have so whetted the appetites ofhis many boy readers that they will begin this one with avidity, and layit down with gratitude for the pleasure and information it hasgiven.--_Christian Endeavor World._
No books are more welcome than those from the pen of this writer.Besides being thoroughly interesting and of literary merit, they strikea most patriotic chord, for it is the author's intention to convey aknowledge of our country's history in an entertainingmanner.--_Inter-Ocean._
This volume is patriotic in tone and treatment, and has all the fire andspirit that have made the author's "War of the Revolution Series" suchprime favorites with young people.
This author's books are not only entertaining for the moment, but theyare written with the deeper purpose of creating a desire on the part ofthe youthful reader for personal investigation into our nationalhistory.--_Bookseller, Newsdealer & Stationer._
Dr. Tomlinson has done remarkably helpful work along the line ofsupplying young people with history in a most attractive form. In thisvolume he combines historical facts with exciting and interestingadventure, which meets the most vigorous demands of a practicalimagination.--_Cumulative Index._
With Porter in the Essex Page 16