by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXXI
A WOUNDED COMMANDER
The fort had become harmless so far as the use of its guns wasconcerned; but the channel of the Grand Pass was hardly a quarter of amile in width, and even twenty soldiers with muskets could pick off themen on the deck of the Bronx. Christy's orders required him to capturethe steamer that was fitting out in the bay, and he intended to do it.The order to weigh the anchor and cast off the spring was given, and thecommander sent for the chief engineer.
"We are within a mile of the fort, Mr. Sampson, and I mean to run by it.We shall be exposed to the fire of musketry for about half a mile, andthe quicker we make this distance, the less the danger to the men," saidthe commander, when the engineer presented himself. "We will not getunder way till you have all the steam you need to give the steamer herbest speed."
"I understand the situation perfectly, Captain Passford, and I willreport when we are ready to go ahead in the manner you desire," repliedMr. Sampson, as he saluted the captain and hastened below.
"The officer in command of that fort is not idle," said Mr. Flint, whohad been using his glass very industriously since the firing ceased."The soldiers are busy setting up the guns again, or some of them."
"We will soon stop that," added Christy. "Give them another shot fromthe midship gun, Mr. Flint."
The gunner was again fortunate in his aim, and it was seen that thesolid shot cleaned off the carriage upon which the soldiers were atwork. With the aid of the glass it was found that two of the men hadbeen killed or wounded. The work on that gun was suspended, but theofficer could be seen in the act of directing his force to another ofthe barbette pieces.
"That lieutenant is a brave man," said Mr. Pennant, "and I know he is agentleman."
"I am only sorry that he is fighting on the wrong side," added Christy,as he observed the earnestness of the officer in the discharge of hisduty. "Is he an old man?"
"No, sir; I don't believe he is over twenty, if he is that," replied thethird lieutenant.
Another solid shot sped on its way, and Mr. Ambleton, the gunner, fullyjustified the reputation he had earned, though the missile only ploughedup the earth in front of the party on the fort. But then LieutenantFourchon proved that he was a wise and a prudent man, as well as a braveone, for he retreated from the exposed position with his men. It wasalmost sure death for them to remain there, for they could not helpseeing the cloud of smoke that rose from the funnel of the Bronx,indicating her intention to go up the Pass.
"Mr. Sampson directs me to report that he is ready to proceed," said amessenger from the chief engineer.
Quartermaster Vincent was placed in charge of the wheel, with Boxie ashelmsman. All that could be done to protect the pilot-house had beendone, though it was not yet supposed to be proof against the musket ballthat would be fired in that direction. All the men not absolutely neededfor duty were sent below, but they were armed with revolvers andcutlasses, ready for service at any instant. The officers retired fromthe bridge, for it was folly for any one to be unnecessarily exposed tothe musketry fire from the loopholes of the fort.
"Strike one bell, Vincent!" said Mr. Flint, when the captain had givenhim the order to go ahead.
The steamer went ahead slowly; but the steam was hissing, and she seemedto be as impatient as a fiery horse at the slow starting.
"Four bells, Mr. Flint!" added the commander when the Bronx was fairlyunder way.
The order went to the quartermaster, and the vessel began to dart aheadas though she fully realized what was expected of her. There was nothingto impede her progress, for the fort was as silent as though it hadceased to exist. A trusty hand was heaving the lead in the fore-chains,for the Bronx was not yet within musket-shot range of the island.
"Mark under water three!" shouted the leadsman, with an earnestnessinspired by the occasion.
Christy planked the deck with Mr. Flint just abaft the foremast. Both ofthem were as cool and self-possessed as though they had been sitting atthe cabin-table; but neither of them felt that the battle had been won,for the officer in command of the fort was evidently a man of ability,who had not yet exhausted his resources. The first lieutenant hadwatched the works very closely with his glass, and he had informed thecaptain that something was in progress there, though he could not tellwhat it was.
Christy certainly felt very anxious, and he could not help askinghimself whether or not he was engaged in a foolhardy enterprise inattacking the fort. His orders related only to the steamer that wasloading in the bay, and he had been warned in his instructions to takethe fort into consideration in his operations. He felt that he had givenproper attention to the fort, inasmuch as he had disabled all its guns.He might have simply blockaded the entrance to the Pass; but he mighthave stayed in the offing a month before she ventured to come out. Hewas still willing to believe that he had not overstepped his orders.
"And a quarter three!" cried the leadsman.
"Make the course north-west, Mr. Flint," said Christy, following thesailing directions with a proper allowance for the tide. "No moresounding; send the man below. We shall have from three to seven fathomsof water till we have passed the fort."
The Bronx continued to dart ahead at her best speed, and no sound camefrom the fort. It was only a question of minutes now before the steamerreached a point inside of the island where she could accomplish hermission by the capture of the Sphinx. The officers remained on deck, butthey were protected by the bulwarks, the masts, and especially under theshelter of the top-gallant forecastle. Christy had earnestly warned thesecond and third lieutenants not to expose themselves needlessly to themusketry of the fort, and Mr. Flint was discreet enough to need no suchwarning.
"Soldiers on the fort, sir!" shouted Vincent, when the Bronx was withinless than a quarter of a mile of the works.
Christy and the first lieutenant sprang from the shelter where they hadbeen waiting the passage of the fort, and rushed up the steps to thebridge. The commander of the force on shore, with half a dozen men, wasat work on one of the guns on the barbette; but it was impossible tomake out what they were doing. Then there was a flash, a cloud ofsmoke went up, and a shot crashed into the deck directly under thepilot-house, tearing up the planks, and disappearing in the space below.
"Wheel disabled, sir!" shouted the quartermaster.
"Beat to quarters, Mr. Flint!" said Christy, trying to make out whatmischief had been done by the shot; but he could only see that it hadcut the wheel ropes.
"Strike two bells, Vincent!" he called to the quartermaster.
By this time the executive officer had beat the crew to quarters, andevery man was at his station.
"Strike three bells, Vincent," continued the commander. "Mr. Flint, openfire upon the fort with the midship gun. Have the carpenter report atonce on the damage done by that shot. Strike two bells, Vincent."
It was plain enough to all the officers and men that the commanderknew what to do in the emergency, and every one was energetic in thedischarge of his duty. Mr. Ambleton was fully alive to the peril of themoment, and he was careful to make his aim sure with the great gun. Ithad been loaded before with a solid shot, and presently the steamer wasshaken to her keel by the concussion of its discharge.
Christy was still on the bridge, and he watched with intense interestthe effect of the shot. In a moment he saw the carriage of the only gunthat seemed to be mounted on the barbette flying in pieces in everydirection. He directed the gunner to use a shell next time; but thesoldiers had hastened away from the place, bearing with them two oftheir companions, doubtless wounded by the splinters.
"Let go the anchor, Mr. Flint!" shouted Christy.
This was done under the direction of Mr. Camden. A fresh breeze hadsprung up from the north-west, and the Bronx came up to the cable stillheaded in the direction of her former course. The carpenter reportedthat the shot had passed out at the side between decks, and that he hadplugged the hole. The third lieutenant was busy rigging new wheel ropes,which he said would
be ready in half an hour. Mr. Flint, at the orderof the captain, had manned the broadside guns, and loaded them withshrapnel, for the most perilous part of the enterprise was yet to come.
The fort was silent. It was evident now that the commander of the littlegarrison had not left the barbette before till he had prepared at leastone of his guns for further service; but it had again been disabled, andit was not known on board of the steamer whether or not he had any othergun fit for use. It was presumed that he had not, for the Bronx waswithin easy cannon shot of his works. Christy used the glass, but couldnot discover any gun that appeared to be mounted.
"All ready, Mr. Flint," reported the third lieutenant, when he hadcompleted the repairs on the steering gear.
The first lieutenant inspected the work, and reported to the captain,who immediately ordered him to weigh the anchor. The chief engineer hadbeen directed to be ready to proceed, and the steam was hissing with amerry music. The midship gun was of no service now, and Mr. Flint hadbeen directed to keep up a steady fire with the broadside guns at theembrasures of the fort as soon as the Bronx was in range.
Again the steamer darted ahead at a speed which would soon carry herbeyond the reach of the musket ball of the soldiers. Christy stillremained upon the bridge, observing the fort and all that was done onthe deck of the Bronx. He directed his glass frequently at the barbetteof the fort; but the prudent commander of the garrison had evidentlyconcluded to confine his efforts to the casemates. At least one-fourthof his men had been disabled.
"Open with the broadside guns, Mr. Flint!" called Christy, as the Bronxcame abreast of the works.
As he spoke, Boxie dropped in his place at the wheel, and Vincentgrasped the spokes. The blood was streaming down the face of the oldman, and he did not move after he fell. Two sailors bore him below; butthe surgeon promptly declared that he was dead.
The rattle of musketry became quite sharp, and the bullets werepenetrating the bulwarks. Two had been wounded at one of the guns, andcarried below. Christy stepped over to the end of the bridge to call ahand to take the place of Boxie, and at that moment he felt a sharpsting, as it were, in his right arm, above the elbow. Involuntarily heraised his hand to the place, and felt the warm blood oozing from thewound. It produced a momentary faintness; but he braced himself up, andwound his handkerchief around his arm, calling upon the wheelman to tieit, as he hastened to the aid of Vincent. He said not a word about theaccident.
The Bronx dashed upon her course, and in a moment more she was out ofthe reach of the balls from the muskets. Half a mile farther up thePass, the captain ordered Vincent to strike two bells. The Sphinx wasin sight, not half a mile distant, with a small steamer on each side ofher. Doubtless her captain had full confidence in the ability of thefort to protect his vessel, and he continued his operations as though hewas in no possible danger.
"Mr. Flint, send Mr. Camden in the first cutter and Mr. Pennant in thesecond to take possession of that steamer," said Christy, holding on atthe rail in front of him. "Put fifteen men well armed into each boat,and send the second engineer with them. Hurry them off, or they may burnthe vessel."
The two boats were soon in the water, though the first lieutenantwondered that he had not been sent on this important service. The twoofficers hurried their crews, and the boats flew on their mission. Thecommander felt that it was necessary to keep an eye on the fort, for itsenergetic officer was not at all inclined to be idle at the presentexciting time. The Bronx had hardly stopped her screw before thesoldiers were to be seen on the barbette; but the shell with whichthe midship gun had been charged sent them all to the casemates in aninstant.
"What is the matter, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant,as he halted on the deck. "You are as pale as a ghost."
"A ball went through my arm; but it is all right," replied Christy witha ghastly smile.
He refused to go below, or to permit Dr. Connelly to come to him untilhe had attended to the poor fellows who had been wounded on deck.
At the end of a couple of hours, the flames arose from the two baysteamers which had been alongside the Sphinx, for the second lieutenanthad been ordered to burn them. The smoke was pouring out of the twosmoke-stacks of the steamer. Several boats filled with men pulled to theshore, landing the crews of the three vessels. In less than another hourthe Sphinx was under way, and soon came alongside the Bronx.
As only one of the broadsides of the gunboat was available in the actionwith the fort, the starboard battery was transferred to the capturedvessel. Men enough to handle them were put on board, and Mr. Camden wasput in command of her. It was late in the afternoon when all this workhad been done, and then the Bronx led the way through the Pass, hermission fully accomplished.
As soon as the steamer was abreast of the fort, the broadside gunspoured the shrapnel into the embrasures and loopholes, though nothingcould be known of the effect of the firing. The muskets were as activeas before. Christy was on the bridge still, for the doctor had dressedhis wound, and he had taken some refreshment.
This time it was discovered that the vigorous commander of the garrisonhad dug out some rifle-pits on the top of his works, and his men weredoing effective work with their muskets. Three men had been wounded onthe deck of the Bronx, the third lieutenant being one of them. Christyshouted to Mr. Flint, ordering him to send the men below, and ceasethe use of the broadside guns, for the garrison were on the barbette,sheltered by their earth-works, where the guns could not reach them,so high was their position.
With the aid of his speaking trumpet he gave the same order to Mr.Camden on board of the Sphinx; but he had hardly uttered the commandbefore his left leg gave way under him, and he sunk to the floor of thebridge. A ball had struck him in the thigh, and he could feel the bloodflowing down his limb. He grasped the rail of the bridge, and drewhimself up. There he stood like a statue, supporting himself with hiswell arm, till the Bronx had passed out of musket-shot range.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed the first lieutenant, as he came out from hisshelter. "You are wounded again!"
"I must give up now, I fear," replied Christy feebly; and then hefainted.
Christy Receives a Second Wound.--Page 358.]
He was carried to his stateroom by his officers, and the doctor examinedhis last wound. He was restored to consciousness, but he looked likedeath itself beneath the ruddy brown of his weather-beaten face.
"You will take the command now, Mr. Flint," said he when he saw theexecutive officer watching him with the most intense interest. "What doyou think of it, Dr. Connelly?" he asked, turning to the surgeon.
"Severe, but not dangerous," answered the doctor. "The ball did nottouch the bone, but it ploughed deep through the flesh. You werefortunate in having plenty of meat on your bones."
Dave was the most assiduous of nurses, and had no little skill inattending to the wants of the sick. The young commander was madecomfortable in a few hours, and Mr. Flint came below to see him atthe end of an hour when he had performed his most pressing duties. Hereported that Mr. Pennant's wound was slight, and did not disable him.Eight seamen in all had been wounded, and one of them was likely to dieof his injury.
"But we have done our work well, Captain Passford, and I don't believethat one-half the garrison of that fort are fit for duty at thismoment," added the first lieutenant.
"But that was a splendid fellow who commanded there," continued Christywith admiration. "If his guns had not been taken away from him, and hisforce reduced to a handful of men, we should have had to wait for theSphinx to come out of the bay; and it might have been three weeks or amonth before she concluded to do so."
"We have damaged the enemy enough to make it pay, and the steamer andher cargo will put at least seventy-five thousand dollars into thepockets of our side in the conflict."
"And by taking the bull by the horns, instead of waiting till thecaptain of the Sphinx concluded to take his chances of being capturedin getting to sea, we have made the Bronx available for duty at once inanother quarte
r, where she can do better work than in chewing her cableoff the bar of Barataria," said the wounded commander, thus satisfyinghis conscience that he had done his duty.
The venerable colored man, who had given so much assistance andinformation to the third lieutenant on shore, had no desire to leave hishome, and he was landed in the darkness of the evening at a considerabledistance from the fort. Christy had rewarded him handsomely for theservice he had rendered. The men in the first and second cutters hadtaken all the cotton in the small steamers, and put it on board of theSphinx before they set them on fire. The four guns in the hold had beenhoisted out to make room for the bales, and the vessel had been put incondition for her voyage.
Early in the evening, the two steamers were standing out into the Gulfheaded to the south-east. In the middle of the afternoon of the nextday, Mr. Flint reported to the flag-officer off Pensacola Bay. Thewounded captain was as comfortable as a young man could be with twobullet-holes in his limbs. It was the first time he had been wounded soas to disable him; but he felt that he had faithfully done his duty tohis country, and he was as cheerful as a man in his condition could be.Dr. Connelly reported that he would not be fit for service again for sixor eight weeks.
Mr. Pennant, the third lieutenant, on account of his wound, which wasnot severe enough to render him unfit for ordinary duty, was appointedprize-master of the Sphinx, with orders to report at New York forcondemnation. A furlough was given to Christy, with a stateroom on boardof the captured steamer. She was fitted out so that she could defendherself, or even capture any vessel of the enemy within her reach, andnot too strong for her. She was not as fast as the Bronx, but she hadlogged over twelve knots on the passage from Barataria Bay, and wastherefore likely to be added to the force of the navy.
Ensign Flint was appointed to the command of the Bronx by theflag-officer, who had called upon Captain Passford in his stateroom.Christy had not failed to commend his executive officer in the highestterms. The commodore suggested that Christy could not be very kindlydisposed towards Captain Battleton of the Vernon, on account of hisdecision against him in the matter of his identity.
"On the contrary, I do not see how he could have done otherwise,commodore, and I have expressed to him my friendly feeling," repliedChristy. "I think he is a devoted and faithful officer, sir."
Dave Receives his Appointment as Steward.--Page 364.]
"He desires employment on more active duty than the command of astore-ship, and I am instructed to give him such a position if I haveone at my disposal," added the flag-officer.
"I certainly hope you will do so, sir, if possible."
"I propose to appoint him executive officer of the Bronx."
"I am sure Mr. Flint could not have a better man."
In due time this appointment was made, and Captain Flint, on therecommendation of Christy, was entirely satisfied to receive him ashis first lieutenant.
"One thing more, Captain Passford," continued the flag-officer; "theship's steward of the Mercidita has been very sick for three weeks, andhas applied for a sick-leave. I shall be obliged to transfer Mr. Nawoodof the Bronx to his place."
"I can mention just the right person to take Mr. Nawood's place," saidChristy eagerly.
"You seem to have a man ready for every vacant position. Who is he?"asked the commodore with a pleasant smile.
"His name is David Davis; but he is not a relative of the president ofthe Southern Confederacy, for he is a mulatto. He has rendered veryimportant service on several occasions, and there is not a truer orbraver man on board of the Bronx, or any other ship of the squadron,"replied Christy with enthusiasm.
The commodore shook his head, but he looked very good-natured. Christynarrated the part Dave had taken in the capture of Captain Flanger inthe cabin, and in recovering possession of the Bronx when it was shownthat the officers were rebels. Mr. Flint was sent for. He was quite asearnest in his plea for the steward as the commander had been, and thewritten appointment of Mr. David Davis was in Christy's hands when theflag-officer took his leave of the wounded commander.
"Dave," said the wounded lieutenant, the next time the steward came intothe room, "no more 'massa,' no more 'moggywompus,' no more 'done do it.'You know better than to use such expressions, and you are no longer a'nigger;' you are the ship's steward of the Bronx."
"What's that, Captain Passford?" demanded Dave, opening his eyes like apair of saucers.
Christy handed him the appointment just made, and the steward dancedabout like a madman. He had expected nothing for his meritoriousservice, and he found himself in a position of trust and responsibility.He expressed his gratitude in the most earnest language, and withoutusing a single objectionable phrase, for his education was better thanhis habit in the use of speech.
Ensign McLinn, who had served on board of the little steamer, but hadrecently been on sick leave, was appointed second lieutenant of theBronx, while Mr. Camden, outranked by the other officers, remained asthird lieutenant. Christy and Mr. Pennant were transferred to theSphinx, with a prize crew; and that same evening the Bronx sailed underher new commander, with sealed orders, to the eastward.
The Sphinx sailed the next day for New York, and made a tolerably quickpassage. Of course Christy was received with open arms by the family atBonnydale, and with a profusion of blushes by Bertha Pembroke, whohappened to be there on a visit. His father and mother looked withno little anxiety at the pale face of their son, though he was stillcheerful and happy. He had lost a portion of his flesh, and his uniformhung rather loosely upon him.
He was too feeble from the effects of his wounds, for that in the thighhad proved to be more severe than the surgeons had indicated, to tellthe exciting story of the escapade of Corny Passford; but when he didrelate it, three weeks later, it thrilled the listeners for three wholeevenings.
"You took the bull by the horns at an opportune moment, my son," saidCaptain Passford, Senior. "If you had not done so you would have been ina rebel prison at this moment. As it is, poor Corny has got back to FortLafayette, with Galvinne and our man-servant, whom I never should havesuspected of being a Confederate officer."
"I don't think I care to go to the Gulf again as the commander of avessel," added Christy, who had not changed his mind on this subject.
"Why not, my son?"
"I don't like the responsibility, in the first place, and theinactivity, in the second. When I am forty or fifty years old, I shalllike a command better. Others seem to look upon me now as a boy, capableof any sort of quixotism, however prudent I may be, and point at me asone who has been made a commander of a steamer by influence at court.There is a vacancy at the present time on board of the Bellevite, forthe second lieutenant will be compelled to resign on account of hishealth."
This matter was fully discussed during the next two months; and at theend of that time the young lieutenant was again in condition for duty.Both Mr. Camden and Mr. Pennant obtained the appointment of ensign onthe strength of his reports. Christy was as earnest as ever in hisdesire to Stand by the Union; he was ordered to the Bellevite as secondlieutenant, and, after three months' absence, went to the Gulf again,where we shall find him once more, both on sea and shore, Fighting forthe Right.
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Errata Noted by Transcriber:
Invisible punctuation-- chiefly quotation marks-- has been silentlysupplied. The spelling "cockswain" is standard for this text. Thevariation between "knots" and "knots an hour" is as in the original.
[Table of Contents]CHAPTER XXIII. _text reads "XIII."_
certain irregular enterprizes _spelling as in original_
"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and turnin if there is none," added Christy. _so in original: should read "Corny"_
The lamp on gimbols was lighted _spelling as in original_
One who can believe that would swallow Baron Munchausen _spelling as in original_
and our mission may be up Lake Pontchartrain _text reads "Ponchartrain"_
[Advertising]The Young Middy; or, The Perilous Adventures of a Boy Officer. _text reads "Avdentures"_