USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > The Melrose memorial : the annals of Melrose, county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, in the great rebellion of 1861-'65 > Part 14
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A man of deep religious faith, that dared to trust in God. A
215
REV. HENRY BAKER'S ADDRESS.
man that recognized the providence of God. Leaving Springfield for the great duties which the nation had imposed upon him, how fully he seemed to realize his great responsibilities, as bidding them an affectionate farewell, he says, "pray for me !" And in our sad, dark struggles, with his terse, affectionate proc- lamations, he summons the afflicted millions to fastings, and then in triumph to thanksgivings and to praise.
Amid all his public trials and anxieties, affliction hovered around his own home, and his darling child is borne to the grave. His soul listened to the voice divine that thus seemed to speak from eternity. On the fields of Gettysburg, weeping over the slaughtered thousands of our fallen heroes, and the deep depravity of human hearts, he there resolved personally to give himself to Christ. From that hour he was a practical Christian.
The first hours of every day, while others slept, he read God's word and bowed in prayer. This was his custom. Who of us so noble and so pure. Who can offset so many virtues, to their faults so few ?
" Who of us have borne our faculties so meek, as he who has been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off?" Oh how foul that malignant spirit that struck at our nation's heart ! Do we not now see it, "the sum of all villanies "? Ay, how base this monster evil! How like the hydrophobia it infects with its own vile spirit its own victims. How it butchered at Lawrence, and starved at Andersonville and Libby. Look upon the already idiotic starvelings of " Anderson Stockade," those brave patriots, and hear the coward tyrants declare to them, " If we can't whip you, we can starve you to death !" One million subscription is opened in Alabama to procure assassination ! and soon the world is startled at this culminating dastarly act! " Then you, and I, all of us fell down while bloody treason flourished over us."
But there is a Providence still in all this. Truth and error are ever antagonistic, and there will always be friction along the
216
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
line of their contact. Diplomacy had ceased ; the clash of arms resounded. Slavery defeated, again appeals to Diplomacy ; and here, dear friends, is our present danger.
A sickly, morbid philanthropy is abroad - that dare not recognize treason and rebellion a crime ; a growing leniency that may yet prove the country's doom ; the soothing style in which we meet the defeated, but still defiant rebel.
But the voices of a half million patriots are to-day crying from the ground for vengeance ! "Carleton " writes, the very day of the assassination, " We now witness an impatient longing for 'peace at any price,' which impresses many statesmen with the con- viction that Lee's capitulation is but the commencement, rather than the end of our national troubles." Let us not forget the "frozen serpent, the peasant in pity put into his bosom."
God hates slavery ! And its death-warrant has been read, and it must fall, if the nation goes down with it. Its appointed hour has come ! Could any act of this monster have so roused the nation to its danger ! God permits Booth for a season to escape, only that the nation may for a season rouse from her slumber, and heed her danger. Oh how this nation is aroused to-day ! How the malignant hiss of the copperhead has died away ! Shall it ever be heard again ? Not if the nation feels as she does to-day ! We can't hear a word disloyal to-day. The stars and stripes must be flung to the breeze from every doubt- ful door ! Our mothers dare to vindicate the death of patriot sons, for there is freedom in the very air to-day !
A new era dawns upon us. We are ceasing to be a pro- slavery nation. God sees a new administration necessary, and does not palsy the loose arm that strikes down the nation's head.
How strangely was our beloved Lincoln nominated ; how providentially elected. How like an angel spirit he led the cause of freedom onward, until the land was free. He has done his work, and so well. That blow that struck off the executive head of a pro-slavery government, finished that dynasty and inaugurated a world-wide freedom.
×
217
FUNERAL OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
God now would use a severer scourge to secure the future of free governments.
How significant the assassin's cry, " Sic semper tyrannis " ! It was meet that it should thus destroy itself. Now let us live for freedom and for God.
As it was in Melrose, so was it in every city, town, and .village throughout the loyal portion of our land. Eulogies, sermons and addresses were delivered before the assembled multitudes. Resolutions of grief, respect and admiration were offered by various corporated associations, and at the meetings of educational, literary, and historical societies, not only in our own, but in foreign lands.1
" As there was never such a funeral as this, so there was never such a procession. That which moved from the White House, on the nineteenth, was but the begin- ning of a pageant that displayed its marvellous numbers and its every-varying forms, through country, and village, and city, winding across the territories of vast States, along a track of more than fifteen hundred miles. The President was to be borne back to his own people, and to be buried among the scenes of his early life. He had told the people of Springfield, Illinois, when he parted with
1 The Appendix to the " Diplomatic Correspondence of 1865," issued by the United States Government, contained the resolutions, proceedings, arti- cles, and correspondence of 1,139 different bodies and individuals, mostly in foreign countries ; and Mr. Charles H. Hart, of Philadelphia, has made a very complete collection of the printed sermons, addresses, and eulo- gies called forth by this sad event. It numbers 431. He is soon to issue a work descriptive of the same, with the following title : " Bibliographia Lincolniana. A Catalogue of the Publications occasioned by the Death of Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States of America. With an Introduction and Notes. By Charles H. Hart, Historiographer of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, etc., etc."
28
218
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
them, more than four years before, that he owed to them all he was. It was but right that they should have his dust."
As we commenced this notice of the downfall of the Rebellion by a quotation from Dr. Holland's "Life of Abraham Lincoln," so will we end it with the closing words of the same :
Humble child of the back-woods, -boatman, axe-man, hired laborer, clerk, surveyor, captain, legislator, lawyer, debater, orator, politician, statesman, President, savior of the republic, emancipator of a race, true Christian, true man, - we receive thy life and its immeasurably great results, as the choicest gifts a mortal has ever bestowed upon us; grateful to thee for thy truth to thyself, to us, and to God ; and grateful to that ministry of Providence and grace which endowed thee so richly, and bestowed thee upon the nation and mankind.
XVI.
MISCELLANEOUS.
COST OF THE WAR, FOR BOUNTIES AND OTHER NECESSARY EXPENSES.
The amount of indebtedness of the town of Melrose, on the Ist of March, 1861, was twenty-nine thousand two hundred and sixty dollars ($29,260.00). The amount of indebtedness April 1, 1865, was seventy-five thousand, five hundred and thirty-two dollars ($75,532.00) ; 1 showing an increase for the four years of forty-six thousand, two hundred and seventy-two dollars ($46,272.00). Of this amount thirty-eight thousand, five hundred ninety-two dollars and seventy cents ($38.592.70) was incurred on account of the Rebellion.2
A large amount of money was raised and expended during these four years, by the citizens, which of course does not appear in the reports of the financial affairs of the town. In 1862, when our quota was thirty-seven men, and a certain number of citizens agreed to go into the service themselves, or furnish a man in their place, sums ranging from twenty to fifty dollars each, were paid to the substitutes then obtained. The amount thus paid must have been at least eight hundred dollars ($800.00). The
1 The amount of Town Debt, March 1, 1868, was $60,578.11 ; a decrease in three years of $12,675.20.
2 In addition to this, $700.00 Bounty money was paid during the years 1866-67, as per votes of the town.
220
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
same year a subscription fund was raised by Mr William F. Poole, for the benefit of the families of those then in the service, which amounted to three hundred and forty dollars ($340.00).
In 1863, four of the drafted citizens paid commutation money, three hundred dollars ($300.00) each, amounting to twelve hundred dollars ($1,200.00) ; and three furnished substitutes, costing nine hundred dollars ($900.00), besides some additional expenses in putting the men into the service.
In 1864, three of our citizens furnished " Representative Recruits" costing three hundred and seventy-five dol- lars ($375.00) ; and four furnished " Substitutes for En- rolled Men," costing about twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500 00) ; and a fund of five thousand six hundred and fifty dollars ($5,650.00) was raised by the citizens, by sub- scription, in aid of the recruiting service.
During the war, at least six hundred dollars ($600.00) in money - besides many boxes of hospital and other stores, - were contributed to the " Christian " and " Sani- tary Commissions," by the different churches : making a total amount of money, paid by the citizens, of over twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00). Beside this amount many sums were given to individual soldiers, by their friends, at different times, of which it is impossible to make explicit mention.
LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS.
The town of Melrose was set off from the northern part of the town of Malden and incorporated by Legislative Act, May 3, 1850. It was enlarged by the annexation of a small portion of the eastern part of the town of Stone- ham, March 15th, 1853. It contains two thousand nine
221
LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS.
hundred and twenty-one (2,921) square acres of territory, and is bounded as follows: - on the north by Wakefield, -formerly South Reading, - on the east by Saugus, on the south by Malden, and on the west by Medford and Stoneham. When incorporated it had a population of twelve hundred and sixty (1,260), which had increased to twenty-eight hundred and sixty-five (2,865) at the time of the last census, 1865.
The following is a list of its Selectmen, Town Clerks, Treasurers, Collectors, Assessors, School Committee, and Representatives to the General Court, from the date of its incorporation until the present time :
222
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
TOWN OFFICERS.
YEAR. SELECTMEN. TOWN CLERK. TREASURER. COLLECTOR.
Jeremiah Martin.
IS50. . Isaac Emerson, Jr. Elbridge Green.
Isaac Emerson. Isaac Emerson.
Artemas Barrett. Jeremiah Martin.
1851. Shubael L. Taylor. Jonathan Cochran. Isaac Emerson. Shubael L. Taylor. Jonathan Cochran. Jeremiah Martin.
Jonathan Cochran. Isaac Emerson. Freeman Upham.
1852. Franklin Taylor. Rufus H. Flint. Franklin Taylor.
Francis Bugbee. Isaac Emerson. Asa Slocum. I853. Ephraim Avery. Henry Sprague. George Emerson.
1854. John Blake. Francis Bugbee, John Blake. Wm. N. Wilkinson.
James M. Thresher. John Blake. 1855. 3 James M. Thresher. Francis Bugbee. Caleb Howard. Caleb Howard.
James . M Beckett. George M. Fletcher. 1856. Wm. E. Fuller. Francis Bugbee. Caleb Howard. Caleb Howard. ( James M. Beckett. George M. Fletcher. 1857. 3 Wm. E. Fuller. Francis Bugbee. Caleb Howard. Caleb Howard. Benj. F.Abbott, M.D. Elbridge Gardner.
1858. Ephraim Avery. Chas. H. Shepard. Caleb Howard. Caleb Howard.
Nelson Cochran. Elbridge Gardner. 1859. - Wm. J. Farnsworth. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. Stephen J. Phinney. George M. Fletcher. George Emerson. 1860. 3 Nelson Cochran. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. George Newhall. Wm. J. Farnsworth.
1 The new Representative system went into operation this year. The towns, Stoneham, South Reading, - now Wakefield, -and Melrose, forming the Twentieth Middlesex Representative
223
LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS.
TOWN OFFICERS.
ASSESSORS. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
REPRESENTATIVES TO GENERAL COURT.
Aaron Green. Henry A. Norris.
Shubael L. Taylor. Caleb Howard.
Wm. J. Farnsworth. Elbridge Green.
Shubael L. Taylor. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D.
Aaron Green.
Rev. Wilson R. Parsons. John T. Paine.
Rufus H. Flint.
Rev. Josiah W. Talbot.
Aaron Green.
Rev. Wilson R. Parsons.
German S. Phippen. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D. Daniel W. Gooch.
Henry Sprague.
George E. White.
Rev. John C. Ingalls. Daniel W. Gooch.
German S. Phippen. George P. Burnham.
Samuel O. Dearborn.
Joshua Upham.
John Shelton.
Jonathan Cochran. Elbridge Green.
German S. Phippen. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D. Voted not to send.
Asa Upham. Charles H. Simonds.
Geo. M. Fletcher.
Erastus O. Phinney, M.D.
Jonathan Cochran. Rev. Alex'r. J. Sessions. John Vial.
Edward P. Nevens. Rev. J. A. Coolidge.
Jonathan Cochran. Rev. Alex'r. J. Sessions. Benjamin Linikin. Walter Littlefield. Voted not to send.
Geo. M. Fletcher. Caleb Howard.
Jonathan Cochran. Rev. Alex'r. J. Sessions.
Geo. M. Fletcher. Rev. Wm. H. Munroe.
Guy Lamkin.
Joseph Holbrook. Rev. J. S. Dennis.
Jonathan Cochran. Moses Parker, M.D. 1 Walter Littlefield, Jr.
Joseph Holbrook. Rev. Wm. H. Munroe. J. Sullivan Eaton, South Reading.
Henry Robinson. George N. Noyes.
Jonathan Cochran. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D. J. Parker Gould, Stoneham.
Henry Robinson. Rev. Wm. H. Munroe. Loren L. Fuller.
Wm. E. Fuller. Rev. James Cooper.
Jonathan Cochran. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D. John Wiley, 2d, South Reading. Wm. B. Burgess. Aaron Green. Lyman Dyke, Stoneham.
" Geo. M. Fletcher. Elbridge Gardner.
District, sending two Representatives to the General Court each year. Changed to the Twenty- Third District in 1866.
224
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
YEAR, SELECTMEN. TOWN CLERK. TREASURER. COLLECTOR.
Wm. B. Burgess.
IS61. George M. Fletcher. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. George Newhall. Col. John H. Clark. Col. John H. Clark. 1862. 3 Wm. B. Burgess. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. George Newhall. George M. Fletcher. Col. John H. Clark. 1 863. 3 Wm. B. Burgess. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. George Newhall. George M. Fletcher. Col. John H. Clark. 1864. Wm. B. Burgess. Edward R. Knights. Caleb Howard. John Smith. Wm. E. Fuller.
Wingate P. Sargent. 1865. George M. Fletcher. Stinson Sewall. David Fairbanks. David Fairbanks. Isaac Emerson, Jr.
Wingate P. Sargent.
1866.3 George M. Fletcher. Stinson Scwall. David Fairbanks. David Fairbanks. Isaac Emerson, Jr.
Wingate P. Sargent. 1867. Isaac Emerson, Jr. Stinson Sewall. David Fairbanks. Aaron Green. George M. Fletcher. Wingate P. Sargent. 1868. - James C. Currier. Stinson Sewall. David Fairbanks.Geo. F. Boardman. George Newhall.
225
LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS
ASSESSORS. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
REPRESENTATIVES TO GENERAL COURT.
Edward P. Nevens. Erastus O. Phinney, M.D. Artemas Barrett.
Joseph R. Simonds. Luther Robinson.
William H. Pierce, South Reading.
Edward P. Nevens. Luther Robinson. Captain John H. Dyke, Stoneham.
Geo. M. Fletcher. Charles H. Isburgh. William HI. Atwell, So. Reading.
Stephen Shelton. Henry E. Trowbridge.
Edward P. Nevens. Charles H. Isburgh. Geo. M. Fletcher. George A. Mansfield. Stephen Shelton.
Leander F. Lynde, Stoneham.
Edward P. Nevens. Joseph B. Sanford.
Daniel Allen, South Reading.
Stephen Shelton. Rev. John B. Richmond. Isaac Emerson, Jr.
Geo. M. Fletcher. Thomas W. Chadbourne.
George Emerson.
Hon. Samuel E. Sewall.
Joel Snow.
Thomas W. Chadbourne.
Rev. John B. Richmond. Leander F. Lynde, Stoneham.
George N. Noyes. Daniel Allen, South Reading.
George A. Mansfield.
George Emerson, 2d. Charles H. Isburgh.
George Emerson. Joel Snow. Thomas W. Chadbourne. Rufus Smith.
Geo. M. Fletcher.
George N. Noyes.
John Kingman, Stoneham.
George Emerson, 2d.
George A Mansfield.
Joel Snow.
Charles H. Isburgh.
Geo. M. Fletcher. Thomas W. Chadbourne. John Botume, Jr., Stoneham.
George Emerson. Moses Parker, M.D. James F. Mansfield, So. Reading.
Rev. Nathan P. Selee.
Levi S. Gould.
Erastus O. Phinney, Rev. Wm. S. Barnes. M.D.
Aaron Green.
Nelson Cochran.
James F. Mansfield, So. Reading.
Elbridge Green. Gilbert Nash.
29
Theo. B. Merrick. Charles H. Isburgh.
Isaac Emerson, Jr.
Geo. M. Fletcher.
226
TIIE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
VALUATION OF MELROSE.
Year.
Real Estate.
Personal Estate.
Total.
1861.
$1,288,066
$134,754
$1,422,820
1862.
1,320,280
125,867
1,446,147
1863.
1,334,643
161,186
1,495,829
1864.
1,329,685
126,057
1,455,742
1865.
1,366,485
311,369
1,677,854
The increase of valuation in the real estate of our town, during the Rebellion, was seventy-eight thousand four hundred and nineteen ($78,419.00) dollars ; in the personal estate the increase was one hundred and seventy-six thou- sand, six hundred and fifteen ($176,615.00) dollars ; an aggregate of two hundred fifty-five thousand and thirty- four ($255,034.00) dollars ; an average of fifty-one thousand and seven ($51,007.00) dollars a year.
It should be stated that the great increase in personal property for the year 1865, over previous years, was owing to the fact that income from business was taxed that year, and not the years preceding.
227
DEBT AND BOUNTIES.
TABLE OF DEBT.
I United States Debt.
2 Massachusetts Debt.
3 Melrose Town Debt.
July 1, 1860.
$64,769,703 08
Dec. 31, 1860.
$7,175,977 94
March 16, 1861. $29,260 00
1, 1861.
90,867,828 68
31, 1861.
10,988,919 65
24, 1862.
35,560 00
" 1, 1862.
514,211,371 92
31, 1862.
11, 129,578 71
2, 1863.
57,560 00
1, 1863.
1,098,793, 181 37
31, 1863.
12,794,862 42
I, 1864.
53,900 00
1, 1864.
1,740,690,489 49
31, 1864.
22,529,015 34
1, 1865.
73,253 31
" 1, 1865.
2,682,593,026 53
31, 1865.
23,233,631 75
1, 1866.
69,819 67
" 1, 1866.
2,783.425,879 21
31, 1866.
25,555,747 51
4 Tabular statement showing the bounties paid by the United States during the war.
Amount. By what authority paid.
To whom paid.
Between what dates paid.
$100 400
Act of July 22, 1861. G. O. 191, of June 25, 1863, A. G. O.
All volunteers.
From com. of war to July 18, 1864.
Veterans.
From June 25, '63, to April 1, 1864.
300
Circular, Oct. 24, 1863, New recruits enlisting From Oct. 24, '63, to April 1, 1864. P. M. G. O.
300
Telegram, Dec.24, 1863, from A. G. O.
New recruits enlisting in any three year
organization author- From Dec. 24, '63, to April 1. 1864. ized by the War De- partment.
100 200
Act approved July 4, '64, and circular No. 27, of 1864, from P. M. G. O.
Volunteers enlisting for one, two, and three years.
From July 19, '64, to July 1, 1865.
300
G. O. 287, A. G. O., Nov. 28, 1864.
Army Corps.
10
Letters of War Depart- Colored recruits. ment, Nov. 29, 1863, and Dec. 22, 1863, to Gens. Butler and Gil- more.
1 Obtained through the kindness of Mr. William B. Willson, of Southboro', Mass.
2 The real debt for these years was some $6,000,000 less than these figures, that amount being loaned to different Railroads in the State and secured by mortgages. The State Debt for Jan. 1, 1868, was $26,573,560.12, and it was classified in the report of the Finance Com- mittee as follows :
Railroad Debt . $6,751,196 00
Ante-War Debt .
1,340,000 00
War Debt .
16,573,244 00
Temporary Debt
1,909, 120 12
$26,573,560 12
The war cost Massachusetts nearly $28,000,000.
8 For net amount of expenses incurred on account of the war, see page 219.
4 This table, and the one following is from the final report of the Provost-Marshal General of the United States, James B. Fry.
Men enlisting in ist From Nov. 28, '64, to July 1, 1865.
300
in old organizations.
228
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
Estimate of. the number of men to whom United States Bounty has been paid, the amount paid each man, and the total amount paid, from May 3, 1861, to the end of the war.
Periods Number |Amt.
Periods embraced.
Class of men.
of service.
of men.
per man.
Total amount paid.
Aggregate for each period.
From May 3, 1861, to Oct. 17, 1863.
Volunteers.
3 years.
905,869
$100
$90,586,900
$90,586,900
From Oct. 17, 1863, to July 18, 1864.
Veteran volun- teers.
=
158,507
400
63,402, 800
1 Recruits. 2 .6
257,028 11,025 48,038|
300
77,108,400
146,417,500
From July 18, 1864, to the end of the war.
Volunteers.
1 year.
100
=
2 years.
191,936 10,606 139,681
200
19,193,600 2, 121, 200
63,219, 100
3 years.
300
41,904,300
Total
1,722,690
. .
$300, 223,500
$300,223,500
DESTRUCTION OF A REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER.
The following is an account of the burning of the schooner " Isabel " while under the guns of Fort Morgan, in May, 1863, by Lieutenant N. Mayo Dyer, - then Act- ing Master's Mate, - written by him the next day after the transaction. It was a daring and brilliant achievement ; and Captain Jouett, in recommending him very strongly . for promotion as Ensign, spoke of it as "one of the bold- est of the war, and was conducted with matchless coolness from beginning to end."
U. S. S. " R. R. CUYLER," Off Mobile Bar, May 18, 1863.
I had asked and obtained permission of Captain Jouett, to allow me to take an armed boat into Swash Channel, by which most of the blockade runners ran out and in, in order to board them if possible ; if not, to signalize the direction they
1 Enlisted between. Oct, 17, 1863, and April 1, 1864.
2 Enlisted between April 1, 1864, and July 18, 1864
*
100
4,803,800
Drafted men and substitutes.
100
1,102,500
229
LIEUTENANT DYER'S EXPLOIT.
took, so as to be taken by the steamers. Last night being a favorable night for some schooners that we knew were inside to run out, I had everything prepared, and at 6.20 left the ship and pulled in shore. The position I wished to get in was about a quarter of a mile from " Fort Morgan," where the channel is not above a half-mile wide, and I could readily see anything coming out or in. The tide was running very strong and I did not reach the position I desired until 10.30. Coming to an anchor, I watched ; I could plainly see a man on the beach, we were so close. About II I discovered, as it lit up a little, a vessel ahead of me and nigher the Fort. I at once took it to be a steamer from the inside, come out to look after just such fellows as myself ; so taking a position a little nearer him so as to observe any movement he might make, I kept shady. He was apparently at anchor. About a quarter to 12, behold what I supposed was a steamer, hoisted her mainsail, and I made her out to be a schooner looking quite rakish; but still thought, as she lay so quietly at anchor, that it was a picket boat ; however I pulled up to her, going so nigh as to hear noises distinctly. She lay about two hundred yards from the beach of " Fort Morgan," and I could plainly see the guns frown- ng over the parapets of the Fort. I wanted to board her at once, and proposed it to the men. But three of them seemed to take the idea favorably ; and as she lay so nigh the Fort, I did not like the idea of boarding her with a crew of unwilling men. So pulling up again and reconnoitring her closely, on the in-shore side, I saw a boat pull off to her from the shore, and discovered she had a hawser out to the Fort also. I then got on the off-shore side of her and dropped my anchor quietly, near her. I was provoked to find any disposition to back out on the part of the men ; but finally, asking them individually, seven of the thirteen expressed their desire to board her, and the others said they would go into "Fort Morgan " if I said so, but considered it a little imprudent, as I had orders not to board anything until out of the range of the Fort. You see I was hardly justi-
230
THE MELROSE MEMORIAL.
fied in ordering my men to follow me unwillingly. However I now concluded to do it, and pulling right astern of her, giving my directions to the men as I took my place in the bow, to pull steadily, and the moment she touched the schooner, to trail oars and get on her decks as soon as possible, using only the cold steel, as fire-arms would have brought a hornet's nest about our heads. Fully expecting to find her armed, I was sur- prised on getting close to her to see that she had a deck-load of cotton. Whispering my men to give way, in another stroke we were alongside and aboard of her. We took them com- pletely by surprise. The whole crew, seven men, were on deck and awake, and the first intimation they had of what was up, they beheld us coming on to the deck-load, with drawn cutlasses, and there was a sharp pointed instrument at each man's breast before he knew what the matter was; and commanding the utmost silence, I ordered them all into the boat under a guard. They were as docile as lambs. I went at one poor fellow with my cutlass, the first man I saw as I reached the deck, and thinking his days were numbered, he gave a scream, and leaped overboard like a frog ; however I managed to get him aboard again. I soon found that she was hard ashore, having run aground in attempting to run out. Finding it impossible to save her, that is get her off, I at once determined to burn her ; so securing all her papers, some of them valuable, I spread cotton all over the cabin floor and saturated it with turpentine, of which she had seventy or eighty barrels on deck. I also emptied a barrel of the same on deck all over her cotton, and then took a bucketful of it, and seeing every man in the boat, set fire to the cabin and threw my bucketful into the galley on the stove, where there was a fire. Like a flash she was com- pletely covered with flames fore and aft, nearly blinding me with smoke and heat as I jumped into the boat and shoved off, just as a Rebel gun-boat came round Mobile Point, about a thousand yards off, to her assistance. The boat I had seen board the schooner was from this steamer, and had returned for the
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