andersonville-第102部分

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it；　while　the　thousand　boys　in　the　house　set　up　a　yell　of　sarcastic
laughter。

We　staid　in　Wilmington　a　few　days；　days　of　almost　purely　animal
enjoymentthe　joy　of　having　just　as　much　to　eat　as　we　could　possibly
swallow；　and　no　one　to　molest　or　make　us　afraid　in　any　way。　　How　we　did
eat　and　fill　up。　　The　wrinkles　in　our　skin　smoothed　out　under　the
stretching；　and　we　began　to　feel　as　if　we　were　returning　to　our　old
plumpness；　though　so　far　the　plumpness　was　wholly　abdominal。

One　morning　we　were　told　that　the　transports　would　begin　going　back　with
us　that　afternoon；　the　first　that　left　taking　the　sick。　　Andrews　and　I；
true　to　our　old　prison　practices；　resolved　to　be　among　those　on　the　first
boat。　　We　slipped　through　the　guards　and　going　up　town；　went　straight　to
Major　General　Schofield's　headquarters　and　solicited　a　pass　to　go　on　the
first　boatthe　steamer　〃Thorn。〃　　General　Schofield　treated　us　very
kindly；　but　declined　to　let　anybody　but　the　helplessly　sick　go　on　the
〃Thorn。〃　　Defeated　here　we　went　down　to　where　the　vessel　was　lying　at　the
dock；　and　tried　to　smuggle　ourselves　aboard；　but　the　guard　was　too　strong
and　too　vigilant；　and　we　were　driven　away。　　Going　along　the　dock；　angry
and　discouraged　by　our　failure；　we　saw　a　Surgeon；　at　a　little　distance；
who　was　examining　and　sending　the　sick　who　could　walk　aboard　another
vesselthe　〃General　Lyon。〃　　We　took　our　cue；　and　a　little　shamming
secured　from　him　tickets　which　permitted　us　to　take　our　passage　in　her。
The　larger　portion　of　those　on　board　were　in　the　hold；　and　a　few　were　on
deck。　　Andrews　and　I　found　a　snug　place　under　the　forecastle；　by　the
anchor　chains。

Both　vessels　speedily　received　their　complement；　and　leaving　their　docks；
started　down　the　river。　　The　〃Thorn〃　steamed　ahead　of　us；　and
disappeared。　　Shortly　after　we　got　under　way；　the　Colonel　who　was　put　in
command　of　the　boathimself　a　released　prisonercame　around　on　a　tour
of　inspection。　　He　found　about　one　thousand　of　us　aboard；　and　singling　me
out　made　me　the　non…commissioned　officer　in　command。　　I　was　put　in
charge；　of　issuing　the　rations　and　of　a　barrel　of　milk　punch　which　the
Sanitary　Commission　had　sent　down　to　be　dealt　out　on　the　voyage　to　such
as　needed　it。　　I　went　to　work　and　arranged　the　boys　in　the　best　way　I
could；　and　returned　to　the　deck　to　view　the　scenery。

Wilmington　is　thirty…four　miles　from　the　sea；　and　the　river　for　that
distance　is　a　calm；　broad　estuary。　　At　this　time　the　resources　of　Rebel
engineering　were　exhausted　in　defense　against　its　passage　by　a　hostile
fleet；　and　undoubtedly　the　best　work　of　the　kind　in　the　Southern
Confederacy　was　done　upon　it。　　At　its　mouth　were　Forts　Fisher　and
Caswell；　the　strongest　sea　coast　forts　in　the　Confederacy。　　Fort　Caswell
was　an　old　United　States　fort；　much　enlarged　and　strengthened。　　Fort
Fisher　was　a　new　work；　begun　immediately　after　the　beginning　of　the　war；
and　labored　at　incessantly　until　captured。　　Behind　these　every　one　of　the
thirty…four　miles　to　Wilmington　was　covered　with　the　fire　of　the　best
guns　the　English　arsenals　could　produce；　mounted　on　forts　built　at　every
advantageous　spot。　　Lines　of　piles　running　out　into　the　water；　forced
incoming　vessels　to　wind　back　and　forth　across　the　stream　under　the
point…blank　range　of　massive　Armstrong　rifles。　　As　if　this　were　not
sufficient；　the　channel　was　thickly　studded　with　torpedoes　that　would
explode　at　the　touch　of　the　keel　of　a　passing　vessel。　　These　abundant
precautions；　and　the　telegram　from　General　Lee；　found　in　Fort　Fisher；
stating　that　unless　that　stronghold　and　Fort　Caswell　were　held　he　could
not　hold　Richmond；　give　some　idea　of　the　importance　of　the　place　to　the
Rebels。

We　passed　groups　of　hundreds　of　sailors　fishing　for　torpedos；　and　saw
many　of　these　dangerous　monsters；　which　they　had　hauled　up　out　of　the
water。　　We　caught　up　with　the　〃Thorn；〃　when　about　half　way　to　the　sea；
passed　her；　to　our　great　delight；　and　soon　left　a　gap　between　us　of
nearly　half…a…mile。　　We　ran　through　an　opening　in　the　piling；　holding　up
close　to　the　left　side；　and　she　apparently　followed　our　course　exactly。
Suddenly　there　was　a　dull　roar；　a　column　of　water；　bearing　with　it
fragments　of　timbers；　planking　and　human　bodies；　rose　up　through　one　side
of　the　vessel；　and；　as　it　fell；　she　lurched　forward　and　sank。　　She　had
struck　a　torpedo。　　I　never　learned　the　number　lost；　but　it　must　have　been
very　great。

Some　little　time　after　this　happened　we　approached　Fort　Anderson；　the
most　powerful　of　the　works　between　Wilmington　and　the　forts　at　the　mouth
of　the　sea。　　It　was　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　little　Town　of　Brunswick；
destroyed　by　Cornwallis　during　the　Revolutionary　War。　　We　saw　a　monitor
lying　near　it；　and　sought　good　positions　to　view　this　specimen　of　the
redoubtable　ironclads　of　which　we　had　heard　and　read　so　much。　　It　looked
precisely　as　it　did　in　pictures；　as　black；　as　grim；　and　as　uncompromising
as　the　impregnable　floating　fortress　which　had　brought　the　〃Merrimac〃　to
terms。

But　as　we　approached　closely　we　noticed　a　limpness　about　the　smoke　stack
that　seemed　very　inconsistent　with　the　customary　rigidity　of　cylindrical
iron。　　Then　the　escape　pipe　seemed　scarcely　able　to　maintain　itself
upright。　　A　few　minutes　later　we　discovered　that　our　terrible　Cyclops　of
the　sea　was　a　flimsy　humbug；　a　theatrical　imitation；　made　by　stretching
blackened　canvas　over　a　wooden　frame。

One　of　the　officers　on　board　told　us　its　story。　　After　the　fall　of　Fort
Fisher　the　Rebels　retired　to　Fort　Anderson；　and　offered　a　desperate
resistance　to　our　army　and　fleet。　　Owing　to　the　shallowness　of　the　water
the　latter　could　not　come　into　close　enough　range　to　do　effective　work。
Then　the　happy　idea　of　this　sham　monitor　suggested　itself　to　some　one。
It　was　prepared；　and　one　morning　before　daybreak　it　was　sent　floating　in
on　the　tide。　　The　other　monitors　opened　up　a　heavy　fire　from　their
position。　　The　Rebels　manned　their　guns　and　replied　vigorously；　by
concentrating　a　terrible　cannonade　on　the　sham　monitor；　which　sailed
grandly　on；　undisturbed　by　the　heavy　rifled　bolts　tearing　through　her
canvas　turret。　　Almost　frantic　with　apprehension　of　the　result　if　she
could　not　be　checked；　every　gun　that　would　bear　was　turned　upon　her；　and
torpedos　were　exploded　in　her　pathway　by　electricity。　　All　these　she
treated　with　the　silent　contempt　they　merited　from　so　invulnerable　a
monster。　　At　length；　as　she　reached　a　good　easy　range　of　the　fort；　her
bow　struck　something；　and　she　swung　around　as　if　to　open　fire。　　That　was
enough　for　the　Rebels。　　With　Schofield's　army　reaching　out　to　cut　off
their　retreat；　and　this　dreadful　thing　about　to　tear　the　insides　out　of
their　fort　with　four…hundred…pound　shot　at　quarter…mile　range；　there　was
nothing　for　them　to　do　but　consult　their　own　safety；　which　they　did　with
such　haste　that　they　did　not　spike　a　gun；　or　destroy　a　pound　of　stores。




CHAPTER　LXXX

VISIT　TO　FORT　FISHER；　AND　INSPECTION　OF　THAT　STRONGHOLDTHE　WAY　IT　WAS
CAPTUREDOUT　ON　THE　OCEAN　SAILINGTERRIBLY　SEASICKRAPID　RECOVERY
ARRIVAL　AT　ANNAPOLISWASHED；　CLOTHED　AND　FEDUNBOUNDED　LUXURY；　AND　DAYS
OF　UNADULTERATED　HAPPINESS。

When　we　reached　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River　the　wind　was　blowing　so　hard
that　our　Captain　did　not　think　it　best　to　venture　out；　so　he　cast　anchor。
The　cabin　of　the　vessel　was　filled　with　officers　who　had　been　released
from　prison　about　the　same　time　we　were。　　I　was　also　given　a　berth　in　the
cabin；　in　consideration　of　my　being　the　non…commissioned　officer　in
charge　of　the　men；　and　I　found　the　associations　quite　pleasant。　　A　party
was　made　up；　which　included　me；　to　visit　Fort　Fisher；　and　we　spent　the
larger　part　of　a　day　very　agreeably　in　wandering　over　that　great
stronghold。　　We　found　it　wonderful　in　its　strength；　and　were　prepared　to
accept　the　statement　of　those　who　had　seen　foreign　defensive　works；　that
it　was　much　more　powerful　than　the　famous　Malakoff；　which　so　long　defied
the　besiegers　of　Sebastopol。

The　situation　of　the　fort　was　on　a　narrow　and　low　spit　of　ground　between
Cape　Fear　River　and　the　ocean。　　On　this　the　Rebels　had　erected；　with
prodigious　labor；　an　embankment　over　a　mile　in　length；　twenty…five　feet
thick　and　twenty　feet　high。　　About　two…thirds　of　this　bank　faced　the　sea；
the　other　third　ran　across　the　spit　of　land　to　protect　the　fort　against
an　attack　from　the　land　side。　　Still　stronger　than　the　bank　forming　the
front　of　the　fort　were　the　traverses；　which　prevented　an　enfilading　fire
These　were　regular　hills；　twenty…five　to　forty　feet　high；　and　broad　and
long　in　proportion。　　There　were　fifteen　or　twenty　of　them　along　the　face
of　the　fort。　　Inside　of　them　were　capacious　bomb　proofs；　sufficiently
large　to　shelter　the　whole　garrison。　　It　seemed　as　if　a　whole　Township
had　been　dug　up；　carted　down　there　and　set　on　edge。　　In　front　of　the
works　was　a　strong　palisade。　　Between　each　pair　of　traverses　were　one　or
two　enormous　guns；　none　less　than　one…hundred…and…fifty　pounders。　　Among
these　we　saw　a　great　Armstrong　gun；　which　had　been　presented　to　the
Southern　Confederacy　by　its　manufacturer；　Sir　William　Armstrong；　who；
like　the　majority　of　the　English　nobility；　was　a　warm　admirer　of　the
Jeff。　Davis　crowd。　　It　was　the　finest　piece　of　ordnance　ever　seen　in　this
country。　　The　carriage　was　rosewood；　and　the　mountings　gilt　brass。　　The
breech　of　the　gun　had　five　reinforcements。

To　attack　this　place　our　Government　assembled　the　most　powerful　fleet
ever　sent　on　such　an　expedition。　　Over　seventy…five　men…of…war；　including
six　monitors；　and　carrying　six　hundred　guns；　assailed　it　with　a　storm　of
shot　and　shell　that　averaged　four　projectiles　per　second　for　several
hours；　the　parapet　was　battered；　and　the　large　guns　crushed　as　one
smashes　a　bottle　with　a　stone。　　The　garrison　fled　into　the　bomb…proofs
for　protection。　　The　troops；　who　had　landed　above　the　fort；　moved　up　to
assail　the　land　face；　while　a　brigade　of　sailors　and　marines　attacked　the
sea　face。

As　the　fleet　had　to　cease　firing　to　allow　the　charge；　the　Rebels　ran　out
of　their　casemates　and；　manning　the　parapet；　opened　such　a　fire　of
musketry　that　the　brigade　from　the　fleet　was　driven　back；　but　the
soldiers　made　a　lodgment　on　the　land　face。　　Then　began