YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

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RANDOM THOUGHTS.

BY

JOHN MULLIN BATTEN, B. E., M.D.,
II)
lATE ACTING ASSISTANT SURGEON IN UNITED STATES NAVY
PITTSBURG, PA.

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR.
1896.

(uc)

2)e&icat(on.

TO THOSE
WHO ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLE
THAT MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, STATE, OR THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
IS A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
AND FOR THE PEOPLE,
AND NOT OF, BY, NOR FOR POLITICAL BOSSES,
AND TO '
MY FRIENDS,
M. O. JONES, M. D.,
AND
W. H. McKELVEY, M. D.,
OF PITTSBURGH, PA.,
THIS VOLUME
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.

PRKKACB.

The first edition of "Two Years in the United
States Navy," having become exhausted, and
having had from time to time numerous appli
cations for copies of the work, I have concluded
to publish a revised edition, with additional mat
ter which may be of interest to the public. I
have entitled the volume "Random Thoughts." J. M. B.
Fifth avenue and Ross street, Pittsburg, Pa.
October ^, i8gj.
(v)

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Some Thoughts oe Childhood  9
The Thresherman  15
Places to Go  19
Hunting Cows — Breaking Colts  20-21
Superior Men — Country Tavern — Battalions  22
Fresh Meat Never Thought of  22
Going to Market — Educational Advantages  23
The Water Bucket  36
Going to Church — Desire to Own a Watch  37
Night in the Woods in a Thunder-storm  38
Yoking Oxen  40
Buying a Lottery Ticket  42
Ideal Old-fashioned Farm-house and Surroundings . . 43
Keeping Township Roads in Order  48
Fox-hunting  50
The Press — The Old Conestoga Wagons  51
Country Church and Graveyard  53
Early Morning in the Nut Season  58
Railroading  59
The Mail Coach  61
Whipped in Father's Buckskin Breeches  62
The Old Forge  63
Picking Stones — Felling Trees — Churning  66
The Old Grist Mill  67
Tallow Dips— The Old Bible  69
Old-Fashioned Country Tavern  70
A Novice School Teacher in the Fifties  73
Examinations  89
A MEDICAL Cadet  91
Decoration Day  93
(vii)

vm CONTENTS. PAGE
Two Years in the United States Navy  96
Appointment in the Navy  96
On the Princeton — Choice Prescriptions  97
Detached from the Princeton — Adieu to Mother . . 99
A Night on the U. S. Steamer Minnesota  102
Dismal Swamp Canal  103
Reporting Aboard the Valley City — Washington, N. C. 104
Sinking of the Southfield — Death of Flusser  105
Attack on Washington, N. C, and its Evacuation . . 107
July 4, 1864 — Capturing John Taylor  113
Roanoke Island — Ram Albemarle, Edenton .... 117-118
Taking H. T. Wood to Naval Hospital, Norfolk, Va. . 120
Description of Dismal Swamp  122
Winton  126
A Brush with the Enemy on Scuppemong River . 128-132
Cushing Blowing up the Ram Albemarle  137
The Hero of the Albemarle in Washington, D. C. . . 163
Rainbow Bluff — Up the Roanoke and down again . . 166
That Old Family Bible  195
The Valley City and Her Officers  197
Farewell to the Officers and Crew of the Valley City . 227
Homeward Bound — At Home  228-230
Meeting Men of Note  230
Ordered to Cairo, 111  237
Don Carlos Hasseltino  241
Honorable Discharge from U. S. Navy  248
Commander Cushing's Aged Mother  249
My Old School-house after Thirty Years  251
Flood at Johnstown, May 31, 1889  258
Span of Life  260
Death of Gen. Grant, July 23, 1885  263
Assassination of President Lincoln  267
Address before Ali,EGheny Co. Medical Society . . 269
Address Prepared for an Educational Body .... 272
Our Posterity  279
Matrimonial -Ili.iances. By Dr. Picksniff  293

RANDOM THOUGHTS.

SOME THOUGHTS OF CHILDHOOD.
SOME EXPERIENCES, HARDSHIPS, OBSERVATIONS AND
THOUGHTS OF A COUNTRY BOY.
A DEAR spot on earth, and one of the dearest
spots to every individual, is his natal place.
How he cherishes it, thinks of it • in his waking
hours, and dreams of it in his sleep! Through
dangers seen and unseen, it is his guiding star.
Upon the field of battle and at the quiet fire
side, he loves to foster it and to think of it.
Through the different periods of life it is an in
delible picture standing out boldly, and when
he arrives at the period of middle life how he
loves to visit the place of his birth! Washing
ton Irving said: "He who has sought renown
about the world, and has reaped a full harvest
of worldly favor, will find, after all, that there is
no love, no admiration, no applause, so sweet
(9)

ID RANDOM THOUGHTS.
to the soul as that which springs up in his native
place. It is there he seeks to be gathered in
peace and honor among his kindred and early
friends. And when the weary heart and failing
head begin to warn him that- the evening of life
is drawing on, he turns as fondly as does the
infant to its mother's arms to sink to sleep in
the bosom of the scenes of his childhood."
When a person in middle life, or when years
begin to multiply, visits his natal place after a
long absence, what changes he finds have taken
place. The old homestead perhaps has gone
into other hands, and when he visits it, how he
loves to linger along the brook, where in child
hood, on some particular grassy mound or
stone, he often sat watching the fish as they
sparkled in the sunlight, or, perhaps, with line
and baited hook caught them and dragged them
to shore. That old chestnut tree at which, in
the early morn, he loved to visit to gather the
nuts which had fallen the previous perhaps
stormy night, still with its branches throws a
shade over the green and grassy spot. How
he loves to trace the path along which his father
led him, and to gaze on some familiar place at
which with his mother lie often frequented.

CHILDHOOD. 1 I
The old play-grounds still remain with little
change, but the playmates with whom he asso
ciated are absent. He sees them with his
mind's eye as they appeared to him in youth^
but where are they now? Some are dead;
others in search of fortune, honor and renown,
have gone to other parts of the world. That old
meeting house, at which he attended every
Sabbath, has been torn down and replaced by a
new one. How sacred the ground. The old
log school house, where he chanted his a b cs,
has long ere this been razed to the ground, and
a more modern one has been erected to take its
place. His old teacher lies yonder in the grave
yard where he thoughtlessly played. His father
and mother also lie here, and many of his rela
tives and schoolmates. Those once familiar
faces are absent, and strangers have taken their
places. I was born on a farm on a historic stream, the
Brandywine, in Pennsylvania. The place where
I was born is near by where Thomas Buchanan
Read first saw the light, and where he received
his first inspirations in versification and painting.
He afterward, as it is well known, immortalized
Sheridan's ride "to Winchester, twenty miles
away" by reducing it to verse and to painting.

12 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
My father, James Batten, was of English
extraction, and was possibly a descendant of
Sir William Batten, an admiral in the British
navy, a contemporary with Admiral Blake. My
father was an officer of a militia regiment in the
War of 1812. He was a very ingenious man.
He was an agriculturist by necessity ; by taste
he was a mechanic. He was a cabinet-maker,
coffin-maker and wheelwright, a blacksmith, a
carriage-maker and trimmer, a turner; a carpen
ter, a millwright, a paper hanger, a stone mason,
a painter, a plasterer, a clock and watch maker,
a dentist, a moulder, a shoemaker, a bridge
builder, a stair maker, and a surveyor of land.
He was offered the position of engineer on one
of the first engines that ran over the Pennsyl
vania railroad. He constructed with his own
hands a threshing machine, a fan for separating
the chaff from the grain, a corn sheller, a turn
ing lathe. He was the architect and builder of
two large, arched, covered wooden bridges over
a large stream of water. He constructed a
cider press, a large wooden construction for
grinding apples and expressing therefrom the
cider. In ' fact when any of his neighbors got
into any sort of trouble he was the first applied

CHILDHOOD, 1 3
to for advice. A neighbor who lived beside
him for fifty years stated that he would rather
trust my father's advice on a legal question
than any of the attorneys in the county in which
they resided. A number of elderly women usu
ally gathered at my father's house on a Sunday
morning to be bled, and also at various times
members of both sexes would come to have
their aching teeth extracted.
My mother, Sarah M. Batten, sprung from the
Scotch-Irish stock, and she was a very sturdy,
kind, straight-forward Christian woman. The
precepts she taught me when a boy still stand
out like beacon lights to guide me through
the rugged and uncertain paths of life. Her
brothers were school teachers in their day, and
lived and taught school to a good old age. I
remember of having attended a school one of
these uncles taught in his eightieth year. One
day my uncle had business which called him
away from school, and he left the school in my
charge. I had had charge of the school only a
a short time when the pupils became unmanage
able, and I was compelled to dismiss the school
and close the school house. I will never forget
how mortified I was, and the uncertainty I felt

14 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
as to how I should be received by my uncle
when we met, but he never mentioned or said
anything about the school. All went on in the
future as if nothing had happened, so far as my
ill success at teaching was concerned, but I will
state the future time spent by me in that school-
house was not as happy as might have been
desired. The surface of the country in that locality
where I was born, was hilly and undulated.
The hills were covered with oak and chestnut
timber. The people, principally, for a liveli
hood, followed agricultural pursuits. The farms
were not large, say from fifty to one hundred
and fifty acres each, a part of which was over
grown with timber. Farmers were not anxious
to lay up money beyond what fed and clothed
them, but nearly every farmer owned a farm ;
those who did not own a farm rented them, and
these were among the fewest. Wheat^ corn,
rye, oats, potatoes, flax, buckwheat and fruit
were raised. The sickle was about going out
of use, and the grain cradle and scythe were
taking its place. The wheat, rye or oats were
cradled into swaths, and afterwards raked and
bound and shocked, then stacked or hauled into

CHILDHOOD. 1 5
barns. Wheat, rye or oats was sowed by the
hand from a bag thrown over the farmer's
shoulder after it had been pardy filled with the
particular sort of grain he wished to sow. The
ground, of course, had been previously prepared
by ploughing and harrowing. The harrow was
dragged over the ground by horses or oxen
perhaps twice — the second time in an oblique
direction to that of the first. Wheat, rye or
oats was thrashed by a flail or tramped out on
the barn floor by horses. Many still remember
that old song.

THE THRESHERMAN.
As I walked out one morning.
One morning in May ;
I met a jolly thresherman,
So brisk and so gay ;
With his flail upon his shoulder,
With a bottle of good beer.
As cheery as my lord
With ten thousand a year.
Said I, " Jolly thresherman.
How do you maintain your large family at home?
Your necessities are so great.
And your wages are so small.
That I don't See how you maintain them at all."

I 6 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
" Sometimes I do reap.
Sometimes I do mow,
And at other times a hedging
Or a ditching I do go.
There is nothing comes amiss to me,
A harrow or a plough ;
I earn all my bread
By the sweat of my brow.
Myself and my wife,
Joined in one life,
We live quite as happy
Although we are poor;
But still we try to keep the sheriff
Far from the door.
When I go home at night
Just as tired as a bee,
I take the youngest on my lap
The other on my knee.
The oldest running around me,
With all its flattering toys ;
And I, crying.
This is all a poor man enjoys."
Afterward the thrashing machine took the
place of the flail and the horses' feet. Corn
was planted in the springtime. The field set
apart for corn was either ploughed in the fall
or' the spring, marked out in rows and cross-
rows either way made by the plough. The
rows either way were parallel, and about three

CHILDHOOD. 1 7
and a half feet apart. Four or five grains of
corn were dropped at each intersection of these
rows and covered with earth, each of which was
then denominated a hill of corn. After a suffi
cient time had elapsed after planting the corn, if
three or four green stalks of corn had not made
their appearance above the surface of the hill,
it was replanted and afterwards cultivated. In
the fall of the year the corn was cut, put into
shocks and husked. Corn huskings and stone
haulings were in vogue then. The farmers with
their wives, also the young men and women ot
the neighborhood, were invited to the huskings
or stone haulings. The men would husk the
host's corn or haul stones from his farm, whilst
the women would assist their hostess at quilting,
apple-butter stewing, or in preparing supper for
the guests. After supper the apple-butter stew
ing or quilting would be continued till comple
tion. The young and old of both sexes com
mingled and enjoyed the occasion to the fullest
extent. At a respectable hour of the evening
the young men would accompany the young
women to their respective homes. Many happy
marriages were brought about in this way.
The corn was shelled from the cob by hand

l8 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
or by a spade. The sharp part of a spade rested
on a wash-tub and the handle on a rung of a
chair. The sheller sat astride the spade and
dragged the ear of corn over the sharp edge of
the spade ; the shelled corn dropped into the
tub. The corn was usually in this way shelled
in the evening, but corn was also tramped from
the cob on a barn floor by horses. The corn-
sheller afterwards came in vogue.
Winter's wood was often chopped at what
was called wood choppings, which also would be
accompanied by apple-butter stewings or quilt-
ings. Sheep were kept particularly for their
wool to make clothing for the winter, but were
often slaughtered for food. The spinning-wheel
and loom had not yet gone out of use. Mothers
carded the wool, spun the yarn and knit the
stockings. There was a sort of homespun cloth
manufactured at a fulling mill in the neighbor
hood. Pants, vests and coats for winter wear
were made from this cloth. Ropes were made
from flax grown on the farm. Carpets for
floors were used only on what was called the
best room. The carpets were woven by the
carpet weaver in the neighborhood from pieces
of old clothes cut into strips and sewed together.

CHILDHOOD. 1 9
There was only one stove in the house, and
that was an old tin-plate stove, which however
was seldom used. The old-fashioned chimney,
with its swinging crane, back log, andirons and
wood fire, was usually used for cooking and
warming purposes. Horses were kept for
purely agricultural purposes, hogs for food, cows
for milk and butter, also chickens, ducks,
guineas, geese and pea-fowls, together with
their eggs, were used for food, and their
feathers for beds. Occasionally when visitors
were present the hostess would decapitate one
of the fowls and cook it.
The excess of butter and eggs over the wants
of the family were traded in at the general store
for groceries. Butter in summer was also
salted away for winter's use, and often in the
winter sold at market. The geese were plucked
in the spring and their feathers used for beds.
Cider was made from apples at a cider press.
Places to Go. — In the neighborhood there
were a grocery and dry goods store, blacksmith
shop, wheelwright shop, tavern, shoemaker
shop, mill for grinding into flour all kinds of
grain, paper mill, tailor shop, saw mill, forge,
carpet weaver, meeting house — so-called then

20 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
instead of church now — and also a public school-
house. The farmers in the evening would meet at
the general store to discuss the news of the
neighborhood, tell stories, smoke cigars, and
supply themselves with needed groceries and
dry goods.
Singing school was largely attended by the
young people of the neighborhood, especially in
sleighing time. Every farmer could manage to
supply his son with a horse and sleigh, or sled ;
with a string of bells and with a coverlet to throw
over the back of the sleigh, then away the young
man Avould drive for the girl he loved best,
and from thence to singing-school. Carriages
those days were not much used. The people
either walked or rode on horses' backs. Pro
tracted meetings in the winter evenings were
held at the meeting-house, and were attended
by every lady in the neighborhood.
Hunting Cows in the Vegetative Season. —
The cows in the morning would occasionally be
allowed to graze in the woods wherever their
inclination would lead them. One of the cows
had a bell fastened to her neck. The bell had
a peculiar sound, well known by all the mem-

CHILDHOOD. 2 1
bers of the family. It was usually the duty of
the boy to hunt the cows in the latter part of
the afternoon. Feet sore with bruises, scratches
and pricks from chestnut burrs, he would wan
der through the woods for hours till he had
found them — sometimes through rain and storm.
How his heart leaped for joy within his bosom
when he learned he was nearing the object of
his search by hearing the old familiar jingle
of the bell, and when he had found them how
he strapped them over the heels with a whip to
hasten their speed toward home! Riding
standing erect on *a horse's back was often
practiced by the boys, sometimes at the ex
pense of a severe tumble from the horses'
backs. But some of the boys became quite
expert at this dangerous mode of equestrianism,
and most especially was this so among the
boys who had been so induced by visiting at
a recent circus in the neighborhood.
Breaking Colts. — The boys delighted to ride
bareback a colt, in order to break it for the sad
dle. Many were the pranks and capers the colt
would make. It would run, rear on its hind legs,
fall over, roll and kick. But notwithstanding all
these dangerous actions of the colt, it would
always find a rider among some of the boys.

2 2 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Superior Men. — A man who was superior
either at cradling grain, at mowing, at wood-
chopping, at husking corn, or at fisitcuffs, was
looked upon by the boys with a sort of reveren
tial awe, and' worthy, therefore, of imitation.
Country Tavern. — In the neighborhood there
was usually an inn, at which all sorts of liquors
were sold. Whiskey with tansy bitters, however,
was the most popular drink for an appetizer.
All the old cranks of. the neighborhood would
gather at this inn to have a regular good time,
and more especially was this so the latter part
of the week. Sometimes the bullies of two
different neighborhoods would meet, and have
a regular set-to at fisticuffs. This would make
the tavern lively for a time.
Battalions. — A meeting of the State militia
for drill and inspection usually brought a great
number of people together from far and near.
At these " battalions" there was a great deal of
drinking of intoxicating liquors, and here again
the bullies of the two neighborhoods would
meet, and fight till either one or the other would
conquer. Fresh Meat was Never Thought Of. — Every
farmer cured in autumn as much pork and beef

CHILDHOOD, 23
as would supply his family the ensuing year. If
the farmer had pork, beef or fowls in excess
over the wants of his family, they would be sold
at market.
- Going to Market. — The farmers, two or three
of them, in the fall of the year, after all the grain
of the season had been housed and butchering
done, would load into a covered Conestoga
wagon what farm produce they could spare and
haul it to market and sell it for cash. Farmers
wishing to put up for the night at a tavern would
simply tie their horses to the tongue of the
wagon, with a feed-box fastened temporarily on
the tongue, the feed-box being carried whilst
traveling on the rear of the wagon. Beds and
bedding were also carried with them, also feed
for the horses, and at night they would simply
spread their beds on the floor of the bar room of
a tavern, or on that of an adjacent room, and
rest for the night. They only took their meals
at the tavern, and also their whiskey with tansy,
if they felt so inclined.
Educational Advantages. — The public school
houses were small, and usually built of logs.
About sixty pupils could be crowded into a
school-room. The furniture consisted of the

24

RANDOM THOUGHTS.

master's desk placed opposite the door, boys'
desk extending nearly half way round the
school-room in the shape of a half parallelo
gram, the girls' desk the same shape on the
opposite side of the school room. These desks
were flat. The benches on which the pupils
sat were made of heavy oak slabs, with four
or six lesfs driven into holes bored into the slabs
with an auger, and the benches were without
backs. The small pupils sat on benches near
a tin-plate stove, in which wood was burned.
The directors of the township schools, four or
eight in number, were elected by the people of
the township, who examined and appointed the
teachers. The teachers were either some of the
farmers or their sons. Sometimes a stranger
in the neighborhood would be elected. Quali
fications for teaching the branches taught were
not considered of so great importance as the
physical one of keeping order. Three or four
months in the winter was the term of the school
year. The teacher maintained order by cor
poral punishment.
Corporal punishment consisted in thrashing
the culprit over the back with a hickory rod, or
over his shins with the cat-o'-nine-tails; paddling

CHILDHOOD. 25
the bare hands, or ends of the fingers, with a
paddle was resorted to. The teacher often took
the male culprit over his knee and played
"Hail Columbia" on the back part of his
breeches. Other modes of punishment were
also resorted to. The male culprit was some
times put into the master's desk, or a bonnet put
on his head and he seated among the females.
If the culprit was a female a hat was put on her
head and she seated with the boys. Keeping in
during recess and noon was a favorite mode of
punishment with some teachers. If two pupils
were caught talking together, a favorite plan
with some masters was to throw his rod at the
heads of the offenders, who would walk to the
master's desk, one of them bearing the stick,
when they would receive their punishment.
Sometimes the large pupils in being chastised
would turn on the master and chastise him
severely. Going out was often regulated by having a
board hung up near the door, on one side of
which was the word IN printed, on the other or
opposite side was the word OUT printed.
When the side with the word IN was visible, it
was taken for granted no one was out, therefore

2 6 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
the first one who turned the board so the word
OUT appeared had the privilege to go out.
When he returned, he reversed it so the word
IN appeared. When the master was very busy
with some abstruse problem, the boys took ad
vantage of the opportunity and several would
go out, letting the word IN show on the "board
all the time.
The branches taught were reading, writing,
orthography and arithmetic. The reading class
stood up along the wall of the school-room.
There was a head and tail to the class. The
best readers stood at the head of the class. A
paragraph was read by the head pupil of the
class, then one by the second, and so on until
each had read a paragraph. There were never
any questions asked by the teacher about the
lesson, and none of the members of the class
scarcely knew anything about the subject mat
ter of the lesson. Arithmetic was studied by
the pupil at his seat, endeavoring in some way
or another, by some rule, to work out the an
swer to the example. When the answer was
gotten the pupil simply cried out in a stentorian
voice, " Master, this brings the answer," mean
ing he had procured the answer to the problem.

CHILDHOOD. 27
When the answer to a problem could not be
worked out by the pupil, he would get the assist
ance of the teacher, who would work the prob
lem out on the pupil's slate in the presence of
the pupil, and then pass the slate and arithme
tic book to the pupil. Whilst the teacher was
absorbed with the problem in question, the
pupils would employ themselves by throwing
paper wads at each other, or by some other
mischievous conduct to amuse themselves for
the moment. When the pupil had returned to
his seat with the slate on which the example
had been worked out by the teacher, he would
try the succeeding example. Thus by the
aid of the teacher, the pupil or pupils in
arithmetic would perform all the examples in
the arithmetic, and when the end of the arith
metic was reached there was not one of the
pnpils that could explain by a process of reason
ing how he had procured the answer to the
simplest problem in the arithmetic.
Orthography was taught in this wise : The
master gave out the word to the head one in
the class ; if not spelled correctly by him the
next pupil to the head of the class would at
tempt to spell it correctly ; if the word was

28 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
still not spelled correctly it would go to the
third, and so on till the word was spelled cor
rectly, when the member who had succeeded
in so doing went to the head of the class, or
above all who had misspelled the word. The
best speller in the class was supposed to stand
at the head of the class. Previous to the class
being called to spell, about twenty minutes were
given to prepare the lesson. Occasionally the
whole school would be chosen on two sides by
two of the best spellers. This was called spell
ing on sides. The object was for either side
to spell the other down. The more advanced
classes in orthography also studied the defini
tions of words as well as the spelling of them.
The a b c's, as called then, were taught by the
master as follows : The master pointed with his
pen-knife, pen or pencil on a primer or card on
which the alphabet was printed to the letter a,
saying a, repeated by the little one a, and like
wise with b, and so on with the whole alphabet.
It took a long time then to learn the letters of
the alphabet.
Writing was taught then much as it is now.
The master wrote the top line of the copy-book
or sheet of paper. The pupil would endeavor

CHILDHOOD. 29
to Imitate the line so written. Quill pens were
used then instead of the steel pens of the pres
ent time. The master shaped the pens and
mended them for his pupils, which occupied a
great deal of his time. Neither geography nor
grammar was usually taught then.
The doctor in the neighborhood, who had a
territory of about ten miles In every direction,
endeavored to relieve the suffering of the sick
in the community. He felt invalids' pulses and
looked at their tongues just as doctors do now.
Bleeding and calomel were the principal reme
dies resorted to in sickness then. Compara
tively there was not much sickness In a country
district then, as plenty of healthful out-door ex
ercise was sufficient to keep a healthy organiza
tion in good trim; but the scope of country over
which a doctor had to ride In order to see only
a few patients a day would keep him in the sad
dle nearly all day. In times when there was a
great number o'f sick to visit the doctor would
be kept in the saddle both day and night, and I
have known the doctor on these occasions to
sometimes hitch his horse in a shady nook to
procure for himself the much-needed rest. Most
of the doctors rode on horse-back to visit their
patients.

30 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The preachers were the most troublesome
visitors the farmer had to visit him. The
preacher's boots would have to be shined, his
horse to be fed, groomed and saddled ; a
chicken would always have to be decapitated,
plucked and cooked, in order to supply his
physical wants; and for all this extra attention
to him that portion of his host's family who were
not members of church would have preached to
them on Sabbath morning at church by this same
preacher, that if they did not repent and believe
and join church, that when they died they would
go to hell, a place of eternal torment of fire
and brimstone, and where the smoke of their
torment would ascend up forever and forever,
and there there would be weeping and wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
One of the preachers of those days, of Ger
man extraction, and a very fine, honest and
plain, but very eccentric gentleman, gained con
siderable of a notoriety for his bluntness and
positlveness in his remarks. It was he who
originated the saying :
" Tobacco is an evil weed,
And from the devil it doth proceed ;
It spoils the breath, it burns the clothes.
And makes a chimney of the nose."

CHILDHOOD. 3 1
A dollar in those days was about as large as a
cart-wheel, hence they were exceedingly hard to
get possession of It was a time of cheapness
in everything. Pianos were very rude construc
tions, and could be bought, especially second
hand ones, about as cheap as the head-covering
of a lady. Mrs. Preacher wanted a new bonnet,
and took the following novel plan to extract
money from her parsimonious husband to buy
the desired wearing apparel. She told her hus
band that in order to complete the furnishing of
their parlor it would be necessary to have a
piano, which would make the parlor appear
more unique. The husband opened his purse-
strings and gave his wife the desired amount of
money to purchase the musical instrument for
the parlor. Instead, however, of Mrs. Preacher
buying the piano, she bought herself a bonnet.
The following Sunday, the day being beautiful,
the church at which her eccentric husband, the
preacher, held forth was being filled with people ;
the aisles leading to the seats were crowded.
The preacher was in the pulpit. Among those
in the aisles who were endeavoring to gain ac
cess to seats he spied his wife, with a new bon
net on her head. The preacher very uncere-

32 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
monlously, in a stentorian voice, blurted out:
"Ladles and shendemen of the congregation,
please make room for Mrs. Preacher; she's got
a piano on her head."
It was the custom in the Methodist Episcopal
church for the presiding elder to furnish the
different churches under his charge with preach
ers. After one of the churches in a certain
district, over which a presiding elder had juris
diction, had been supplied with a preacher, the
members of that church were very anxious to
find out from the presiding elder what sort of a
man and preacher had been selected. So one
of the good members interlocuted the presiding
elder in reference to the matter. The latter
stated that the preacher was a very fine man
and a good preacher, but — the but was signifi
cant, and the good member would press for an
explanation of but. After asking several times
for an explanation of but — the presiding elder
answered the good member: "The preacher I
have sent you is a very fine gentleman and a
good preacher, but he parts his hair in the mid
dle." The good member supposed that the
preacher the presiding elder had selected was a
dude, and noised such an interpretation abroad

CHILDHOOD. 33
among the members of the congregation. The
following Sunday the church was crowded to
hear, as they expected, the dude preacher, when
the congregation, no doubt, was very agreeably
disappointed to learn that this new preacher was
an elderly gentleman with a bald head, slightly
fringed with hair on its outskirts.
The games the boys had for out- door pastime
during noon and intermission, were town ball,
cat and dog, corner ball, take high over, hat
ball, playing marbles, leap-frog, I spy, tagger,
coasting and playing fox. Wet or stormy days
the boys and girls played book-binder or blind
man's buff in the school room. Playing fox was
often Indulged in on moonlight evenings. The
boy who was chosen fox started on the top rail
of the fence ;the other boys one by one were to
follow after on the fence. If the fox fell off the
fence, then the next one to him on the fence
was to act as fox, and the fallen fox would go to
the rear ; if any one o'f the boys fell from the
fence, he had to go to the rear. If the fox was
caught by the second boy on the fence, he
would act as fox, and the boy who had been
acting as fox would go to the rear.
Some more feats the boys and young men In

34

RANDOM THOUGHTS.

the country often engaged in were throwing a
heavy blacksmith's sledge hammer or a fifty-six
pound weight, that is, a boy or a young
man in a stooped posture would throw either
of them with both hands backward between
his legs. Tossing a heavy cannon ball by
the right or left hand, the ball would be
placed on the palm of the hand over the
shoulder, then by forcible extension of the
forearm and arm and advancing one step for
ward the ball was tossed. Pitching quoits was
another interesting pastime the boys often in
dulged in. The boys usually used horseshoes.
A distance was measured off", either long or
short, and a pin driven in the ground at each
end of this distance to pitch to. Two or four
boys could engage in this game, pitching to
the pins designated. It is likely that some
of these pastimes originated with the Scotch
people. Hop, step and jump was another pas
time. Jumping one jump, either standing or
running, from a certain point or line, was a
healthy exercise. Jumping high — two sticks
were driven upright in the ground at such a
distance apart as to support a third stick hor
izontal to the ground, and at a required height

CHILDHOOD. 35
from the ground. The jumpers, either running
or standing, were to jump over the horizontal
stick. Another amusing pastime for the boys was to
foil the unwary. A shovel handle was placed hor
izontally to the ground on the shoulders of two
boys, and then we bet the unitiated boy that he
could not put one foot in a loop of a sufficiently
long rope placed over the shovel handle, and
seize the other end with his hands, and by this
means swing himself in the air and kick the
shovel handle with the free foot. This is easily
done by the initiated, but the novice on the first
trial finds himself on the broad of his back on
the ground. This the other boys greatly enjoy,
at the expense of the humiliated boy.
When boys at school thought they needed
more recreation than they got, they some
times resorted to smoking the school- house.
Some one of them would procure some old
clothes, carry them over the roof of the
school-house to the chimney and stuff or stopper
the chimney so as to drive the inmates of the
school-room to the outside on account of the
smoke. This was very funny for the boys. The
teacher could not account for the smoky school-

36 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
room. The perpetrator of smoking the school
room was scarcely ever discovered.
The Water Bucket. — The water bucket was
a very extensively used article of school furni
ture. Both sexes were supplied with water
from the same water bucket. Pupils needed to
have their thirst quenched. The water was
carried from a neighboring pump or spring
either by two boys or two girls, whichever got
permission from the teacher. The time occu
pied in going for the bucket of water would de
pend much on how long the fortunate water-
carriers could extend it. The number of times
in a day the water bucket would have to be re
filled would depend on the amount of water
wasted and drank by the pupils. Some one of
the pupils, either male or female, after the
water-carriers had returned with the bucket of
water, would pass the water around to the
pupils in a tin cup, and would have a short con
versation with each as he passed the cup to the
thirsty one.
The style or quality of the dress was not very
important, if it was comfortable. Females wore
flannel dresses in winter time. Men wore a
sort of woolen cloth woven in the neighbor-

CHILDHOOD. 37
hood. Overcoats were not much worn by the
men In the winter time ; in summer they would
attend meeting without coats.
Going to Chitrch. — Neither sex were particu
larly gaudy In their Sunday clothes, yet they
were neat and clean, and comfortable in their
attire. Walking or riding on horseback several
miles to church was no unusual occurrence for
either sex. Ladies, when they walked to church,
would carry their Sunday shoes with them and
don them In some convenient place near the
church, and conceal their walking shoes till after
meeting was dismissed.
A Desire to Own a Watch. — My boyish
ish desire to own a watch was similar to that of
most other boys ; at all events, I was very anxious
to own a watch. When I had bought a very
cheap watch I thought I was Indeed manly.
After purchasing a watch I walked several miles
home, and at the number of times I examined
the time of my watch I thought I was making un
commonly good time; but when I arrived home,
in comparing my time piece with that of the old
eight day clock that stood In the corner of the
room, I found that my watch was only making
thirty minutes in an hour. The next day at

38 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
school I took the watch all apart to examine it^
and find out the cause of the delay in telling the
time of the day. The teacher soon discovered
me at the complicated task, and carried the case
and works of the watch and put them in his
desk. At noon the teacher gave me the contents
of the watch and sent me home with a note to
my father, telling him to keep my watch at
home. At this time I began to realize that I
had bought a worthless watch.
The first pair of new boots I owned and wore
had about the same insomnious effect on me
as the first watch I owned, I was very anxious
to ascertain in how deep water I could wade
without having the water to run over the tops of
my boots and wetting my feet. The boots
soon became very hard from wading in water,
so that in the mornings I could not pull them
on. A little tallow, however, applied on them
before a warm fire soon made the leather in
the boots very soft and pliable, and I was en
abled to draw them on easily.
A Night in the Woods in a Thunder Storm. — A
man and I about the time the sun was approach
ing well down to the western horizon completed
loading a four-horse wagon load of lime at a

CHILDHOOD. 39
lime kiln which was about three and a half
miles from home. A thunder storm was threat
ening, the clouds blackened above our heads.
We left the wagon load of lime in the shed at
the lime kiln and each of us mounted a horse,
and each led one of the other two horses. Our
journey homeward lay through -a woodland.
We started. The sky became more blackened.
The electric currents began at intervals to
lighten up the black clouds. Peals of thunder
could be heard rumbling in the distance. The
lightning became more brilliant and sharper, the
thunder louder and louder. The rain began to
come down In torrents. It got still darker and
darker. We are In the woodland and lose our
way, and Mark Twain like, we wander In a circle
through the undergrowth of the woodland.
During each flash of the electric current we could
see the leaves drooping from the weight of water
that was being poured down upon them. The
horses became nervous and timid. The storm
continues. Each successive circle we made in
the woodland seemed to bring us no nearer
home. We were lost. The rain still condnued
to pour on us, the lightning's flash and the loud
crashinp- thunder were terrific. At last we found

40 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
our way and arrived home about midnight, wet,.
tired and hungry.
Whilst speaking of the lime kiln I wish to
tell a litde experience I have had in helping to
empty a lime kiln of unslaked burnt lime.
Well, it is disagreeable work, and what makes it
so disagreeable is that the dust from the lime has!
a very Irritating effect on the mucous membranes.
of the eyes, nose and mouth. It also dries and
dishevels the hair, and mats it together In such
a manner that it is difficult to comb. It was a
very desirable time to look forward to when the
lime kiln would be emptied of its lime.
Yoking Oxen. — Boys in the country who
have had experience in yoking oxen need not
have the difficult task explained to them ; but
there are many boys who have even never seen
a pair of oxen, and to them I wish to address
myself The body of the yoke is made from a
piece of beech in the shape of the capital letterj
S, with an addidonal curve. A bow is made!
from hickory in the shape of the capital letter U,
put through two holes, one of each at the end
of each concavity that rests on the oxen's necks.
The bows are kept in place, when the oxen are]
yoked, by iron keys, through a segment of eachi

CHILDHOOD. 41
bow, on the upper part of the yoke. There is
a ring and chain with a hook attached to the
middle or lower convex part of the yoke. The
bow is taken out first to put on berry, which is
the off ox. To do this, the boy puts the yoke
on his left shoulder, supported by the left hand,
and then walking up to berry, with the bow in
his right hand, puts it round his neck and
through the appropriate holes, fastening It with
the key before described. The bow for buck Is
then taken out, and buck is invited to walk
under, when the bow Is put around his neck and
through the appropriate holes and fastened with
a key. If the oxen are very tractable, this is
not a difficult job, but when buck will not come
under, and berry paces off carrying one end of
the yoke with him, compelling you to hold up
the other end of the yoke on your shoulder
whilst he runs around the barnyard, this condi
tion of affairs makes the job very difficult indeed.
Intractable oxen are difficult for even a man to
yoke, and hence more so for a boy. When the
oxen are yoked, they then are attached to a
cart by putting berry on one side of the tongue
of the cart and buck on the other. The boy
then goes between them and lifts up the tongue,

42 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
and places its end in the iron ring, backing them,
then attaching the hook end of the chain to a,
ring on the upper side of the tongue. Then it^
is said the oxen are hitched and ready for use.
The boy, if he is ambitious to become a good ox
driver, mounts on the tongue in the rear of the
oxen and In front of the cart-bed, and plies his
hickory first on buck then on berry. If he wants
to drive to the left he says "Whoa, wah," and
strikes berry ; if to the right he says "Gee, buck,"
and strikes buck. Thus the ambitious driver
drives his team up hill and down hill, through
the woods and fields, and along the plains, or
wherever he wishes to drive.
Buying a Lottery Ticket. — I invested ten dol
lars of my hard-earned cash in a package of lot
tery tickets. In two weeks from the time I in
vested my money in the lottery tickets I was to
be notified how much of the prize I had drawn.
During these two weeks I had anticipated far
more than ever I realized. I imagined I would
draw the whole prize, and in this event I would
buy a plot of ground and erect thereon a suit
able mansion, and plant the grounds with choice
flowers, shrubbery and trees. I would buy a
library of well-selected books ; I would also buy

CHILDHOOD. 43
a fine horse and carriage; I would invite my
friends to visit me ; I would give liberally to the
church; I would visit foreign lands; I would live
as well and handsomely as my rich neighbors.
Whilst in this imaginary dream of anticipated
luxury, I received notice that I had drawn five
dollars as my portion of the prize. I reinvested
the five dollars in a half of a package of the
tickets for another prize to be drawn in a month,
which drew me one dollar and a quarter. This
prize for one-eighth of a package of tickets I
carefully labeled and laid away, and then and
there determined that the lottery swindlers
would get no more of my money, and settled
down to the opinion that it was fortunate that I
had not become suddenly rich.
An Old-Fashioned Ideal Farm-House and
Surroundings. — The farm house was usually
built of log or stone, and stood on a hillside
near Its base, with southern exposure. The
house consisted of kitchen — which was also used
as a dining-room — a sitting-room, the best room
and parlor, the old folks' room, boys' room, and
girls' room. Some of the rooms, as the sitting-
room, best room and parlor, had home-made
carpets on the floors — sometimes only a strip of

44 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
carpet was laid here and there. The rooms that
were uncarpeted were scrubbed perfectly clean
once a week, usually on Saturday. The best
room was set apart for strangers ; the bed was
composed of feathers, covered with a fancy
counterpane. The balance of the beds were
either straw or flock. The old-fashioned grand
father's clock stood in a corner in the sitting-
room, where it would click, clock, click, all the
year round. In the kitchen was the old-fashioned
chimney corner, with a swinging crane, back-log
and irons, and fire in front of the back-log. The
fire-place was used on wash days, scrub days and
butchering time, and for making apple-butter.
A tin-plate stove stood in front of the fire-place
in the kitchen. In the sitting-room and parlor
each there was a stove These were only used
when strangers were present. The garret was
used for storing old cast- off" clothing, knick-nacks
that had gone out of use, dried pennyroyal,
mint, hops and sage, mince pies, apple-butter, etc.
The yard in front of the house was not large, in
which there were rose-bushes and other old-
fashioned flowers blooming. In front of the
yard was a willow tree, wood-pile and spout.
The spout was formed by a stream of water

CHILDHOOD. 45
running from the spring house down through a
wooden trough. It was at this spout the family
washed themselves before breakfast in the morn
ing. The garden at the side of the house was
a very productive piece of ground, in which
all sorts of vegetables grew. Ten or twelve
bee-hives stood in the garden. The bees would
sometimes get restless, and fly off" and swarm
on a particular tree in a neighboring woods.
Then they would be chased back by some mem
bers of the family taking tin kettles and pans
near by to where the bees were swarming,
pounding on the kettles and pans, thereby mak
ing a great noise, scaring the bees back to the
hives. There was a remarkable cure effected
one time of an insane woman who got into the
garden and upset the bee-hives. The conse
quence was the bees swarmed around her, and
stung her so badly that she recovered sanity for
a time. The garden in winter was used for
burying apples and cabbage. It was to these
buried piles of apples boys would resort in the
winter time. The barn was placed contiguous
to the house, at a convenient point, to house the
produce of the farm. Attached to the barn was
a wagon-house, at which were stored all sorts

46 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
of old worn-out wagons and carriages. Under
the wagon-house the pigs slept and the fowls
roosted. One year the fleas got very numerous
in this place and in the barn-yard. A stranger
visited the farm-house, who said fleas did not
annoy him in the least. His intended bed-fellow
that night before going to bed went out to the
flea-nest, routed up the pigs, filled himself full
of fleas, and then went back to the house and
they went to bed together. Nothing occurred
for some time ; then the stranger got restless —
the fleaman pretended to sleep ; the stranger got
more restless — the flea man still pretended to
sleep; by and by the stranger aroused the flea
man — the flea man asked the stranger what was
the matter; the stranger said "Something is bit
ing me like h— 1, I can't sleep" — the flea man
said, "You foolish man, lie down and go to sleep,
there are no fleas here." This quieted the
stranger for a while, when he sprung out of bed
and said, " I will be d  d if I can sleep here
to-night," put on his clothes and went home.
Harvest time would last from a month to six
weeks. The stalwart men would mow or cradle
from sunrise to sunset. There was great riv
alry between the cradlers and mowers. Thq

CHILDHOOD. 47
most speedy cradler or mower would be put
on the lead In cradling grain or mowing grass,
the next best man would be put in the rear to
drive up the rear. Ten or a dozen would fol
low the leader in cradling or mowing. It was
hard work. I have seen men mow on a hot day
without a stitch of dry clothes on them ; they
would be wet through and through with perspi
ration. Sometimes some one would become ex
hausted, then the rest of the mowers or cradlers
would twit the exhausted one and make it very
uncomfortable for him for weeks afterward.
After they had mowed or cradled a stretch the
length of a field, they would stop to take a drink
of water or whiskey, according as the farmer
would furnish it, sharpen their scythes, twit one
another, and tell stories. There was a good
deal of humor, wit and hilarity exhibited among
them, but as the day began to advance the
mowers and cradlers would perceptibly quiet
down. The before-noon lo o'clock piece was always
prepared by the female portion of the family,
and was usually carried out and served to the
harvesters by a buxom maid in her teens, with
a white apron on. This maid would spread a

48 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
table-cloth on the ground in the shade of some
convenient tree, and place the piece on the
table-cloth. The harvesters would assemble,
take seats on the ground around the set piece,
and each one would help himself The piece was
usually composed of pie, biscuit and butter. At
this piece there was again a good deal of wit,
repartee and hilarity displayed.
Pigs were butchered In the fall. Three or four
men would throw a hog on Its back, and hold it,
whilst another man with a butcher knife would
open the main artery of its neck, and the pig
would bleed to death. It then was scalded in a
hogshead of boiling water, kept hot by heated
pieces of iron. The hair was pulled out and
shaved off Then it was dressed and quartered.
The meat would then be salted in barrels or
hogsheads. The crane in the chimney corner
was finally brought into use to hang the meat
on, whilst beneath it was a slow smouldering
fire from hickory chips, for the purpose of smok
ing the meat.
Keeping the Township Roads in Order. — A
road tax was levied on each farmer of a township
according to the valuation of his property. This
tax might be paid in labor or in money. Farmers

CHILDHOOD. 49
usually liquidated the road tax by labor. A
township supervisor was elected each year by
the people. The duty of the supervisor of the
township roads was to keep the roads in repair,
make new roads if the people wanted them, and
keep a book account of all labor performed on
the township roads. The taxpayers of the town
ship were notified that work would be com
menced to repair the roads on a certain date
and at a certain place. On this date and at this
place the taxpayers assembled to repair the
roads. Twenty-five to fifty taxpayers would as
semble. The sides of the road were ploughed
out. The plow was attached to the front part
of the running-gear of a wagon drawn by four
horses, or by a pair of horses and a pair of oxen,
driven by a driver. The plow was directed by
two strong men, one to take the handles, the
other to stand on the beam of the plow to sink
it deep in the ground. The remainder of the
men shoveled the earth loosened by the plow
into the middle of the road. The boys were
very anxious to keep at a respectable distance
from the supervisor, so that they might evade
work and have a good time. The boys often
at night would be curtailed in quarter or half

50 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
of a day. Ten hours constituted the day's work,
from 7 a. m. till 6 p. m., allowing one hour for
dinner. This sort of work was a good appetizer,
and also an excellent soporific, for the appetite
was good and the sleep sound.
Fox- Hunting or Fox-Chasing. — The young
men, and often the middle-aged men, usually
composed of the farmers and their sons,
took great delight in fox-hunting. Early in
the morning, in the winter, they would meet
at a previously designated place on horseback,
with their hounds and a fox. The fox was let
loose, and the chase would commence. The
horses with their riders and the hounds would
chase the fox through fields, over fences, up hill
and down hill, through woodland, over marshes
and streams, and across plains — on, on, they
sped for forty or fifty miles, or until late in the
day, when sometimes the fox was caught. Often
the fox would evade the riders by taking refuge
in some secure retreat, or by eluding the
hounds and fox-hunters. The fox-hunters
usually retraced their steps toward home late in
the day, whether the fox had been caught or
not. This healthful and lively exercise would
often be participated in by the farmers in winter.

CHILDHOOD. 5 1
The Press. — The press of my native county
consisted of a Whig paper and a Democratic
paper issued once a week at the county-seat.
These sheets would reach the subscribers
through the mail once a week, usually on the
Saturday of the week they were issued. The con
tents of the paper would be read by the differ
ent members of a family during Saturday after
noon and evening. I can recall with what
pleasure my father took a seat on an easy-chair
after the affairs of the week had been put In
order. The people were not generally exten
sive readers then, and many of them even did
not read the weekly newspapers. The people
mostly were opposed to educating the masses.
Occasionally, however, a farmer was broad
enough in his views to give one of his sons a
collegiate education.
The Old Conestoga Wagons had not quite
gone out of use in my boyhood days, but they
were beginning to give place to the railroad
car. The Conestoga wagons were used princi
pally to convey merchandise to and from the
West. Taverns or inns were scattered at con
venient distances along the line of travel for the
accommodation of the drivers and their teams.

52 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
It Is said that to view a string of wagons, twenty
in number, with six fine large horses, sometimes
with bells on them, attached to each wagon, with
the drivers, going along the turnpike, was in
deed a beautiful sight. The good times those
drivers would have at night at the inns I have
often heard spoken of The inns or taverns
then, with their large barns and sheds, that have
been turned into farm-houses and barns, may
yet be seen along the old line of travel. There
were good drivers and horsemen in those days.
An old driver whom I knew and remember and
who was celebrated for his good driving, would
often drive up to the inn or tavern in the neigh
borhood to water the horses of his team, and
also to take a drink of whiskey with tansy him
self, when some one of the loafers at the tavern
— for there were always loafers at a tavern or
inn — would say "Jim," that was the name of the
driver, "I will bet you a half gallon of whiskey
you can't turn your six-horse team in a circle on
the ground whose diameter is the length of the
ground on which the wagon stands." Jim would
immediately say "I will take that bet, but I wand
my whiskey first." The whiskey having been
procured, Jim would stand on the porch of the

CHILDHOOD. 53
tavern and speak to Pete, his led horse, in his
peculiar guttural twang when the led horses
would tighten up the fifth chain and the team
would encircle round, turning in the prescribed
circle. Then Jim would take a good horn of
whiskey, mount his saddle horse, give his char
acteristic yell and a crack of his whip, and then
he and his team would soon disappear In the
distance. Description of a Country Church and Grave
yard, — On a beautiful day in the month of
June in the country, when there was a gentle
breeze from the west, I have often stood on an
elevated spot and listened to the soughing of
the wind as it gently waved the growing fields
of wheat, rye, oats and timothy, and crackled the
blades of corn as It played through them, which
bore to my ears a sort of lullaby sound. I have
observed the blue sky o'er head, the bright sun,
whilst I breathed into my lungs the pure air.
Oh, how refreshing and exhilarating to enjoy
such an opportunity In the early part of the day
and in the morning of life ! What a dreamy
and happy condition is apt to creep upon one
as he listens to those sounds and takes In those
scenes ! He views the curling smoke as it as-

54 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
cends from neighboring farm-house chimneys;
he observes the adjacent hilltops studded with
timber, the leaves of which are being gently
rusried by the wind; he hears the babbling
brook as it flows near by, and beholds the buz^
zards as they circle in the air; he listens to
the warbling notes of the birds as they sing and
chirp around him, and views the squirrels as
they leap from tree to tree and from branch to
branch; he hears the bark of the distant dog,
the neighing of the horse, the lowing of the cow,
the crowing of the - cocks, the cackling of the
chickens, the quacking of the ducks, the rejoic
ing of the geese, and the grunting of the swine;
all these sounds combined amidst the beautiful
scenery made indeed an indescribable, profound
impression on a young mind.
It was on one of these beautiful days in June
I said: "Aunt Clifford, I think as this is a beau
tiful Sabbath morning I will go to church to-day.
Will you accompany me ?"
Aunt Clifford — "Well, B., nothing would
afford me more pleasure than to go to church
with you this Sabbath morning — in fact I -have
been thinking during the past week I would like
to attend meeting to-day ; but I am aware that

CHILDHOOD. 55
the young minister is going to preach, and all
the young girls In the neighborhood are very
much smitten with him (young preacher), and
you must be cognizant of the fact that I am not
particularly impressed with him ; besides, I do
dislike to observe those young girls of the con
gregation sitting in their seats at meeting never
taking their eyes off the young gospel ex
pounder. The attention they give him is not
on account of being benefited spiritually by
what he may preach, but because they are in
love with the young minister. I think I will
postpone my going to church till next Sunday,
when I will go to hear the old preacher."
B. — '- Why, Aunt Clifford, you must be In love
too, for the old preacher is a widower."
Aunt Clifford — " Well, no, I am not exactly
in love, but you know I would rather hear an
older man preach, as I think he knows more of
the Scriptures than the young man ; besides, I
will not be annoyed by observing the young
girls staring at the young minister."
A brisk half hour's walk brought me to the
meeting-house, which was situated on a hill sur
rounded by shade trees. The meeting-house
was a square stone structure, covered with a

56 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
shingle roof There was no high steeple on it,
nor any bell to toll. It is said that steeples and
church bells were instituted in the time of
witchcraft, and that the bells were tolled In the
steeples to prevent evil spirits from interfering
with worship. I suppose the reason of no
steeple nor bell on the meeting-house was that
there were no evil spirits In the neighborhood
to frighten away. Contiguous to the meeting
house was the graveyard, in which were sleep
ing silently their last sleep the dead of the
neighborhood in the last century. Moss-covered
and weather-worn tombstones were scattered
here and there, marking the graves of the de
parted. An epitaph on a tombstone, a flat
marble slab on which in youth I often sat, im
pressed me even then with the certainty of
death. It read: " Remember, man, as you pass by.
As you are now so once was I ;
As I am now so you must be.
Prepare for death and follow me."
The second floor of the meeting-house, a
large room in which the congregation met to

CHILDHOOD. 57
worship, was capable of seating three hundred
persons. The pulpit was high, and access to it
was gained by a winding stairway. When the
minister stood behind the pulpit, his face and
shoulders only could be seen. The benches on
which the congregation sat were movable, the
back of each consisted of a single board four
inches wide, so situated as to support an adult
when seated on a bench just below his should
ers. A boy's head when seated would about
reach the back of the seat. It was very tire
some to sit for an hour so uncomfortably. The
first floor of the meeting-house was divided into
class-rooms. When I arrived at the meeting-house I found
several groups of people who had already
arrived, standing in the shade under the trees
around the meeting-house, discussing the gossip
of the neighborhood the previous week, for it
was not yet time for service. Here was a
group of young people conversing about a
certain party they had been in attendance upon
the previous week. There a group of middle-
aged and also aged people Interchanging-
thoughts about their crops. Here was a young
man speaking with his lady-love. There a

58 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
group of young ladies in a spirited conversation
about the young minister. All appeared to be
happy. Presently the young minister arrived
and proceeded Into the meeting-house and to
the pulpit, when the people who had assembled
outside walked into the meeting-house and took
their seats. Here an old man sat. There an
old lady. Here a group of young ladles sat
and watched eagerly the young minister.
There a group of young men, gazing at the
young ladies. Service was commenced, which
consisted of singing a hymn, prayer by the
minister, then singing another hymn, followed
by a sermon. Then the singing of a hymn,
prayer and dismissal. Afterward the congre
gation proceeded to their respective homes.
The following Sunday Aunt Clifford attended
meeting and heard the old preacher expound
the Word of God. Suffice it to say that before
the end of the year Aunt Clifford had become
the wife of the senior minister, and the junior
minister married one of the young girls, and
the four were made happy.
Early Hour in the Morning in the Nut Seasonl\
— It was my custom to rise early to gather nuts
that had fallen the previous night. It was my

CHILDHOOD. 59
ambition to gather more than my friendly com
petitors, consequently I have often found myself
during the nut season under the trees picking
chestnuts or other nuts before davliofht. After
the season was over my competitors and myself
would state, for our mutual curiosity, the num
ber of quarts of nuts each had gathered.
Hunting Easter eggs and hiding them away
was another amusing pastime we competitors
entered into with a zest. How proud we felt
when we presented our eggs to our mothers to
be cooked for Easter breakfast. My associates
and myself competed for the prize in running,
swimming, playing marbles, ball, reciting verses
of Scripture at Sunday-school, and in the amount
of money we saved from our earnings In doing
chores, such as dropping corn, and in various
other ways by which we could make ourselves
useful to farmers.
Railroading, — Railroading was conducted in
a very loose and unsystematic manner. The
engine had ho cow-catcher attached to it, simply
two brooms were arranged so as to sweep the
tracks in front of the engine. The engineer was
exposed to the weather, unprotected by any cab.
The engine was propelled by two driving wheels,

6o RANDOM THOUGHTS.
one on each side of the engine. Wood was
consumed as a fuel. The track was laid on
chairs attached with bolts to the cross ties or
stones. The rails were maintained in theiri
places on the chairs by flat pieces of iron in the
shape of a parallelogram, called keys. The pas
sage of cars over the rails often dislodged the
keys, and I have known instances where the railj
has tilted up and gone through the bottom of a
car. To keep these keys in their places was the
duty of a trackman. He would go over a two
mile stretch twice a day for the purpose of re
placing the dislodged keys. Warehouse men,
lumber men and market men along the route of
the railroad owned their cars and furnished an,
agent to take charge of them whilst they were
on the road. The middle-men simply paid a
tonnage tax for the privilege of running their
cars over the road. I have seen several trains
abutted up against each other in ascending a long
grade. I have also witnessed the engineer of a
leading train stop along the road for the purposej
of gathering blackberries, apples, or other fruit,
delaying all the trains In the rear.
The passenger train was made up with two
or three coaches and a baggage car. The con-

CHILDHOOD. 6 1
ductor collected the fares from passengers. The
coaches were owned by one capitalist. Some
times, when there were opposition cars on the
train, two capitalists were interested. However,
opposition cars did not run very long on a train,
as one of the capitalists would make a compro
mise with the other. Passenger trains ran about
fifteen to twenty miles an hour. Large streams
of water were traversed on covered wooden
bridges. The smoke-stack of the engine was
on a hinge, and would be lowered by the fireman
when approaching the bridge by an iron rod at
tached to the upper end of the smoke-stack and
extending to the fireman's side of the engine.
Trains were flagged by a flagman.
The Mail Coach. — The mail was carried in
many parts of the country which are now trav
ersed by railroads. In mail coaches or on horse
back. The mail coach was drawn by two or
four horses over a route of thirty miles. The
trip was made In one day, one set of horses
traveling over the firstfifteen miles of the route,
when another set took their places for the re
mainder of the route. The trip each way was
made on every alternate day. The coach
stopped at the different post-offices along the

62 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
route to gather the mail, and also to distribute it
to those places. The residents of the neighbor
hood adjacent to each particular post-office on
the route gathered there to get the mail. Pas
sengers were carried to different parts of the
country along the route on the mail coach.
People living along the stage route were as
anxious to see the mail coach then as they are
now to see the railroad train. Five cents was
charged for carrying a letter, which was paid
by the person receiving the letter. Envelopes
were not used then, neither were postage
stamps. Letters were ingeniously folded and
sealed with sealing wax. The drivers, with their!
long whips, which they delighted to crack when
entering a village, became quite adepts at driv
ing and well known along the route. Although
strangers to one another, quite interesting and
lively conversations were often carried on
between the passengers. How different from
now on a railroad train !
Whipped in my Father s Buckskin Breeches.
— One afternoon I played truant. Instead of
going to school I went to a vendue in the
neighborhood. I had lots of fun at the vendue.
But when I thought of the punishment I would

CHILDHOOD. 63
receive from my teacher the next morning at
school, oh, how It made me shudder ! But I
thought of my father's buckskin knee breeches,
and that had a soothing eff"ect on my shudder
ing feeling. The next morning when I went to
school I donned the breeches underneath my
pantaloons. Well, the master whipped me, and
he whipped me hard, but the stings from the
rod were lost In my father's knee-breeches.
The Old Forge, that did not escape the
pen of T. Buchanan Read was the centre for a
great amount of business. Wood-choppers,
charcoal-burners, teamsters and forge men
made the place a busy one, and made its owner
rich. The noise from the trip-hammer could be
heard to the leeward quite a distance, and when
it was heard some distance north quite distinctly,
it was always a sign of falling weather. Bars
of iron were forged out at the forge then. Instead
of as they are now, rolled at the roll mill.
Could any one who witnessed the old forge
of forty or fifty years ago, like a busy hive as it
was, pass by the same place now, dilapidated as
it is, and not shed a tear? I think hardly, for
when I passed by the old forge recendy and
heard no longer the noise from the trip-hammer,

64 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
the tread of the footsteps, nor the cheery voices
of those who were wont to be there, and saw
the water-wheel unhung, the bats inhabiting
the crevices of it, the tail-race no longer carry
ing water through it, the water all run out of
the dam, and the place all overgrown with
weeds, I truly felt tears trickle down over my
cheeks as I passed along the lonely and for
saken place.
Picking Stones and placing them In heaps in
a timothy and clover field in the springtime
usually falls to the lot of a boy on a farm. It
requires a considerable resolution and perse
verance on the part of the boy to carry stones
all day and place them in heaps, for there will
be so many things during the day that will be
brought before his notice that will excite his
curiosity and divert his mind from his work.
The butterfly with its tinted wings, nearly
within his grasp, may be extracting the sweets
from a clover blossom. A bird may fly past,
which may lead him to suspect it has a nest not
far off". A peculiar-looking insect may present
itself to his view as he raises slowly a stone. A
land-turde with initials and date on its bosom
may come crawling slowly along. A flock of

CHILDHOOD. 65
wild geese making their way north, flying in
the shape of some letter of the alphabet, may
draw his attention o'erhead. The beautiful
green grass with a warm and cheery sun
shining on it may be an inducement for him
to rest his wearied body for awhile. A
neighbor's boy may pass along and a conversa
tion will ensue. But one redeeming feature
about picking stones is that It is a good
appetizer and an excellent soporific.
Felling trees might be classed under the
head of violent exercise, yet there is a fascina
tion besides excitement In felling a large oak
tree of the woodland. No wonder Greeley and
Gladstone resorted to this fascinating, violent
exercise when they wished to free their minds
from the cares of state. I never considered
myself very handy with the axe, but I have often
when a boy assisted my father in felling a tree
in the woodland. My father would commence
on the one side of the tree and I on the opposite
side to cut chip by chip at the butt of a massive
tree. My father's strokes from the axe were
well directed and a clean triangular cut one-
half through the tree was soon completed,
whilst I was only beginning to make an

66 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
impression on my side of the tree. My father
then would say, " John, let me take your place,"
and after a number of well-directed strokes
from his axe, accompanied with a similar
number of aspirated h's, the tree would com
mence to waver and tremble as if loath to lose
its position among the giants of the woodland,
then a swaying to-and-fro motion ; then a
crackle, then a topple, then a slow sweeping
motion, becoming faster and faster; then a
lashing and crashing of its branches against
the branches of other trees ; then a loud thud
on the ground making the earth rebound
beneath its great and last stroke on its bosom.
Then that quiet which always succeeds a storm
followed the excitement, and the tree lies
prostrate on the ground.
Churning. — Oh, that churning every week !
To say the least of it, I did not like it. Yet I
liked my bread well buttered. It took about an
hour each week to do the churning. To turn
that crank round and round for a whole hour —
how tedious it seemed ! Sometimes I thoughl^
the butter never would come. How often I
took off" the lid to examine to find out if the
cream was commencing to break, I will not at-

CHILDHOOD. 67
tempt to say. Every turn of the crank became
more and more irksome. "Why don't the but
ter come?" I murmured In my impatience. Off
goes the lid again to see whether there is any
sign of butter yet. Round and round slowly
goes the crank. " Mother, why don't this but
ter come ? I am so tired. You always make
me do the churning. I think Tom ought to do
the churning sometimes. I would not care if I
didn't get any butter on my bread if I didn't
have to do the churning." Off goes the lid
again. The cream is commencing to break.
Oh, how glad I am ! Round and round quickly
goes the crank. The butter commences to
gather. It is gathered. The churning is done.
How glad I am ! I go off whistling " Yankee
Doodle," or some other lively air, and hope I
may never have to churn again. But the next
week the churning had to be done, and I had to
do it.
The old grist mill. — A grist of wheat, rye,
corn or oats was put Into a bag and usually
carried to the mill on a horse's back sur
mounted by a boy, and not infrequently the
bag and rider fell to the ground, and occasion
ally the horse ran home. The boy pursued

68 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
him. When the boy had caught the horse and
had returned with him, in company with a man
to put the grist on the horse's back, the boy
would sometimes find to his great mortification
the grist pardy eaten up by the swine.
I used to ride to the mill
With a grist of wheat.
And brought home middlings for swill.
All in the summer heat.
The miller was a strong man.
And could easily shoulder a grist ;
Nor did he belong to any clan.
And could knock you down with his fist.
In the mill were ground flour and middlings.
But out of the grist was taken toll.
And around the mill were seedlings,
But the miller never stole.
The mill was run by a water wheel,
To grind up all the grain.
And the miller 'd always good feel
Whenever it happened to rain.
The mill made such a loud noise
That it was very hard to hear ;
And one couldn't keep a good poise
When anything about you might fear.
The mill always was a busy place
All the four seasons throughout ;
And the water wheel was run by the race.
But the miller never got the gout.March p, i8pj.

CHILDHOOD. 69
Tallow Dips. — The light in the evenings was
furnished by a burning tallow candle or from a
cotton taper Immersed in fat on an old plate.
Candles were either dipped or moulded.
Dipped candles were made by doubling a wick
around a stick so that the free ends of the wick
would extend about eight inches from the stick.
About a dozen such wicks were placed on a
stick. There might be a half dozen gross of
candles for one family made at one dipping.
The tallow was melted by heat in a boiler Into
which the wicks, already prepared, were dipped.
It required the wicks to be many times dipped
into the boiler of melted tallow before they as
sumed the shape of candles.
The Old Bible — An old Bible, that came to
me through my mother from her ancestors, was
printed in 1 648 by Roger Daniel, Printer to the
University of Cambridge. The frontispiece of
the New Testament reads thus : " The New
Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, newly translated out of the original
Greek and with the former translations dlllgendy
compared; revised by his Majesty's special
command. Appointed to be read in churches."
On the other side of the fronrisplece is written

70 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
¦" Cerstein Morton died the 24 day of August,
1704; John Hamilton died the 5 day of July,
1734. Janet Hamilton, her book. The grac6
of God upon her book, and if this Book be a
missing, restore it against God's blessing.
"And if you do not as I say.
Remember on your dying day."
In another part of the book is written "March
3, 1 764." The book Is an octavo, its printing is
small and the f's and s's are similar in shape.
The book is covered with leather, which Is
black and well worn with age. The back of it
bas been patched with morocco.
The Old-Fashioned Country Tavern or Inn. —
The attention of the traveler along the public
highway, or pike was directed to the old-
fashioned tavern or inn by seeing an old swing
ing sign, elevated about twenty feet on a post
or frame work, standing in front of the inn.
The name of the tavern was indicated by a rude
figure of some animal or fowl painted on the
sign, such as a swan, a white horse or a lion,
etc., which was well faded with age. During
windy weather the old sign creaked as the wind
swung it to and fro. A water-trough or pump

CHILDHOOD. 7 1
also Stood in front of the tavern. A porch
partly surrounded the tavern, on which, against
the wall, stood benches. The patronizers of the
tavern resorted to these benches in fine weather.
The bar-room had a small place partitioned off",
in which were kept the drinkables, which were
protected by a lock and key. Sometimes, in
stead of the small partitioned apartment, there
was a small bar. A coal stove stood in the
centre of the bar-room, and around the wallsof
the bar-room stood benches, a few old chairs,
and two or three wooden boxes partly filled with
saw-dust, used as cuspidors, completed the fur
niture of the bar-room. The landlord presided
at the end of the table in the dining-room at
meals and carved the meat, which he helped to
his guests. There were no waiters to wait on
the table then. The plates were passed from
one to the other along the table. The landlady
somedmes sat at the opposite end of the table
and poured out tlie coffee or tea, which was
passed from one to the other along the table.
The hosder was a very important personage
in those days ; he watered the horses, and when
they needed it he fed them, for which he would
usually be paid a fip, 6% cents. He also ran

72 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
errands for the landlord and made himself gen
erally useful. The landlord paid the hostler
only a nominal salary, but the latter increased
his salary to a very respectable one by his col
lections for watering and taking care of horses.

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER IN
THE FIFTIES.
In the fall of 1856 I concluded to prepare
myself for teaching school the following winter,
and to my books I went. The office of county
superintendent had been recently (in 1854) pro
vided for by the state legislature for the purpose
of raising the standard of the education of
public school teachers, and a county superin
tendent had been appointed or elected by the
school directors of each county of the state.
This created amongst the public school teachers
of the county a great amount of timidity, and
the name of county superintendent was sufficient
to arouse in the minds of all applicants for
schools in the county a sort of terror.
I wished to get from the superintendent of
public schools of the county a teacher's cerdficate,.
and, being doubtful as to my ability to pass.
the required examination to procure such cer
tificate, I thought I would seek a private exam-
inarion, then if I failed nobody but myself would
(73)

74 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
know it. So one morning I walked about
fifteen miles to the residence of the county
superintendent of common schools, but when I
arrived there, to my great surprise and
mortification, I found an acquaintance and
school-mate, a young lady, sitting in the office
of the county superintendent, who was on the
same errand that I was. We both went into
the class, and it appeared to me that both of us
were frightened so much that we forgot all we
knew, and, of course, neither of us received a
certificate from the superintendent. We both
felt very much discouraged and mortified,
besides ashamed of our ill-success at the first
attempt at examination for teacher's certificate.
The young lady and I, however, gave each
other our word of honor that we would never
divulge the circumstances and truth of our
mutual disappointment and failure.
The failure, however, only acted as a spur to
induce me to make a greater effort to prepare
myself for some future examination, and at my
books I went; and in a few weeks afterward at
a public examination for teachers I succeeded
in getting from the county superintendent a
teacher's certificate, which enabled me to obtain

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 75
a situation as teacher in one of the public
schools of the county.
Well, 'how much there is in the word, school
teacher ! How much there has been said and
^written about him ! But to the novice school
teacher, words are Inadequate to tell or paint
the great anxiety, and doubts, and misgivings,
which harass him when he is about to take
charge of a school. He knows little about the
art of teaching, and less about that of dis
cipline ; perhaps he has never mingled with
strangers — he has, as It were, been his mother's
boy ; he feels that every word and every action
of his will be scrutinized and criticised, and he
further feels the depressing influence of doubt
as to his future success in the profession he has
chosen. \
A novice pedagogue, on the first day of his
term, early in the morning, enters the school
room, bounded by four vacant stone walls, with
a ten-plate stove sitting In the centre of the
school room with furniture such as I have pre
viously described, the atmosphere of which has
a cold and damp feeling and musty smell ; he
waits with anxiety and restlessness, and finally
the first pupil arrives, and then a second, till

76 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
perhaps forty or sixty pupils, of ages ranging
from five years to twenty — the pupils bring
with them the books of as many authors, and
they come for the purpose of learning the com
mon English branches. The novice pedagogue
sits sternly and nervously at his desk, occasion
ally glancing at the pupils as they assemble in
the school room, and who are quietly observing
and criticising the appearance of their n^
teacher. At length the hour arrives for calling
the pupils to order. If the novice pedagogue
is oratorically inclined, he may endeavor to dis
play his oratory, as I did mine, by delivering a
prepared speech for the occasion, something
like this —
"Pupils, we have assembled here at this edu
cational fount for the purpose that you may be
perfected by your own industry and my assist-:
ance in the common branches. I am a stranger^
to you, but I hope it will not be long till it shall
be my pleasure to make your individual ac
quaintance. Your directors have seen proper
to elect me as your teacher the ensuing term.
It will, therefore, be my pleasure to assist you
in your endeavors to get an education. I hope
we will have a pleasant and profitable term.

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. T"]
You can not improve in your studies without
work — hard work. I will expect of you obedi
ence, and so you will all have an opportunity to
work; there must be good order. I also expect
that you have your pleasures and your enjoy
ments, but this you must have at the proper
time, at noon hour and during intermissions. I
will, therefore, only ask of you during the pres-
eht term obedience, proper behavior and work,
and we shall then undoubtedly have a profitable
term. You will now enter upon your studies,
and I hope at the end of the term you will not
only astonish your teacher and your parents,
but yourselves, in the progress you have made
in the common branches."
But sometimes, after the speech is all pre
pared and the pedagogue stands before the
school to deliver It, before he has delivered a
half dozen words, while all the pupils stare at
him, he forgets the balance of it, and conse
quently the speech Is soon cut short by way of
a few general remarks which are delivered In a
monotonous and disconnected ramble of words.
Whereupon the pupils start an inordinate
amount of buzz-buzz-buzzing; and the novice
pedagogue takes his seat and wonders what is

78 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
the next thing on the programme. He happens
to think he must know the names of the pupils,
and with pencil and paper he starts to get their!
names; but sdll the buzz-buzz-buzzing is con
tinued, and the pedagogue at last succeeds in
getting the names of his pupils written on a
slip of paper, but it may require several days
before he may be able to be familiar with the
name of each particular pupil.
The pedagogue is engaged the first day|
probably in getting his pupils classified, and
this is no easy task even to an experienced
teacher, when the school books are also
properly classified ; but to the novice pedagogue
to classify a school of sixty pupils with its many!
miscellaneous books is certainly a perplexing
undertaking. That which, perhaps, may next occupy the
pedagogue's mind will be the discipline of the
school — I am now speaking of forty years ago.
Of course, the only proper plan as advocated
then was corporal punishment. The novice
pedagogue, if he has not yet furnished himselfi
with the prevalent disciplinarian — the rod, —
will take the earliest opportunity of visiting a
neighboring woodland, the undergrowth of]

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 79
which will furnish him with the needed discip
linarian. Finally the duties of the first day are
ended, the ice is broken, and the pedagogue
returns to his boarding-house. The boarding-
house of the pedagogue in the country is
usually a pleasant one, for any one of the farmers
in the neighborhood is glad and willing to take
him to board for a few months in the winter
time. I chose for my boarding-house this
particular winter a place at a farm-house about
equidistant between the school-house at which
I taught and another school-house at which a
friend of mine taught, in order that we might
board together at the same place. The family
was very agreeable, and my friend, the peda
gogue, and I spent a rather pleasant time. I,
however, believe I was led a little astray in regard
to disciplining my school by my friend, the peda
gogue. He was rather too much addicted to
corporal punishment, and at the least provoca
tion of one of his pupils he chastised with the
rod severely. It Is true he had good order In
his school, but there could not be much love ex
isting toward the teacher who would on all
occasions of disobedience punish with* the rod
severely. From him I caught the corporal

8o RANDOM THOUGHTS.
punishment plan of disciplining my school, and
on two or three occasions came very near
getting myself into trouble for chastising the
young men" pupils larger and stronger than
myself I, however, put in the term, four
months, in the school as teacher, but at the
close of the term I was not satisfied that my
pupils had made any progress in the way of
education, nor that I had myself made much
progress in the art of teaching.
The second winter I was appointed to teach
a school, all the pupils of which were Pennsyl
vania Dutch ; they could read and write Eng
lish, but not understandingly. I did not under
stand Pennsylvania Dutch, but before the term
had closed I managed to converse some in
Dutch with the pupils. This term I disciplined
the school by making myself as pleasant and
agreeable to the pupils as I could, and often
joined them in games of pastime. I succeeded
somewhat better this term than the previous
one, but yet not satisfactorily. My pupils were
sorry to part with me when the end of the term
had come. It is strange, but true, during these
four mdnths I never met with a person who
could converse in English, nor visited at a
house except my boarding-house.

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 8 1
The family with whom I boarded was Penn
sylvania Dutch, and composed of about a dozen
in number. It was remarkable how many hogs
they killed and cured in the fall of the year.
Sausages and"worst" were prepared by the bar
rel, yet the family told me they never sold any,
but consumed them all themselves. At the
end of the school term I was glad to return
home, as I had not seen nor heard anything
from my friends since the beginning of the
term. I visited this school-house and also
my boarding-house, June 2, 1891, thirty- three
years afterward. Neither the school-house nor
boarding-house had changed. The old folks
then were dead. One of the sons, my pupil, fell
heir to the boarding-house and farm. I had a
very pleasant and agreeable visit.
At this time I concluded I would attend Nor
mal school the following summer and endeavor
to make myself more capable at teaching. I
did so, and found I was benefited thereby very
much, not only in the art and theory of teach
ing, but by forming new associations.
I considered myself at this time a right good
scholar but a very poor teacher. I had not
been at Normal school long, however, before I

82 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
learned that my knowledge of even the com
mon branches was limited. As an instance of
inefficiency in the mode of teaching arithmetic
— to illustrate, I take a problem, for example,
in the single rule of three. If 5 yards of muslin
cost 25 cents, how much will 12 yards of muslin
cost? The rule as given in some of the older
arithmetics, and the method I had been ac
customed to adopt in solving problems given
under single rule of three was: Write down for
the third term the quantity which agrees in
name with the answer, and then consider from
the nature of question whether the answer will
be greater or less than the third term — if
greater, write the greater of the two remaining
terms on the left of the third term for the
second term, and the other for the first ; if less,
write the less for the second term and the other
for the first. Now In this problem the answer
will be cents, consequently we write 25 cents
for the third term. Now the answer will be
greater than 25 cents, because 12 yards of mus
lin will cost more than 5 yards, and according
to rule we will place 1 2 yards on the left for the
second term, and 5 yards for the first term, and
the problem may be written thus :

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 83
Yds. Yds. Cts.
5 : 12 : : 25 :
The rule further states: Multiply the second
and third term together and divide by the first:
12 X 25 = 300-^ 5 =- 60 cents. Answer.
Now, was not this an unreasonable method
to teach a child arithmetic ? All the rules of
arithmetic were taught In the same incompre
hensible way. But at Normal school they taught
arithmetic after a revised or normal method,
hence a new era was about dawning on the. art
of teaching. I will take the same problem,
which will show at a glance what an improve
ment in the plan of solving problems and
teaching arithmetic the Normal method was
over the old rule method. The teacher would
read the problem aloud and distinctly, and then
call on any pupil in a class of a dozen or a
score, who would stand up erect without a
book. The pupil would repeat and solve the
problem, subject to the criticisms of the
teacher and the remainder of the class, thus :
"If 5 yards of muslin cost 25 cents, how much
will 12 yards of muslin cost? If 5 yards of
muslin cost 25 cents, i yard of muslin, which Is
the i of 5 yards of muslin, will cost -5- of 25

84 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
cents, which is 5 cents ; if i yard of muslin
cost 5 cents, 12 yards of muslin, which is 12
times I yard of muslin, will cost 12 times 5
cents, which is 60 cents. Therefore, if 5 yards
of musHn cost 25 cents, 12 yards will cost 60
cents." Then would follow the criticisms —
every conceivable objection to manner of
standing, tone of voice, language used in the
solution of the problem, grammatical and nu
merical mistakes. These criticisms were en
tered into by the pupils in the class with a zest
and pleasure, and what an interest the pupils
in the class took in this method of studying
arithmetic ! This method was adopted not only
in mental arithmetic, but in written arithmetic.
The only difference was, in written arithmetic
the blackboard was used for mechanically solv-j
ing the problem, but the same oral, logical and
^grammatical method was used in repeating the
problem, mentally solving it, and also in the
conclusion arrived at, followed by sharp criti
cisms. The mental method solution was given
in solving all the problems, not only in mental
arithmetic, but also written arithmetic, and the
normal plan was adopted in all the common
branches, and it was astonishing what advance-

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 85
ment the pupils made and what an interest the
pupils manifested.
Now, during this summer at the Normal
school, I certainly made advancement in the
art of teaching, and had become thorough in
that portion of the common branches I had
studied. Another great benefit to me was
derived from my new associates, which I had
formed in the different classes in the way of
competition. A boy with any spirit will en
deavor to keep abreast of his classmates In his
class, and this feeling of competition had a
beneficial Influence on me, and goaded me on to
make greater exertion in my studies and recita
tions. This influence also determined my future
course, and I suppose also the future course of
my competitors, and I concluded to attend the
Normal school each successive summer term
till I had graduated, and teach during the inter
vening winters. This course had also been
determined upon by my competitors, and the
compedtion never ceased until we had graduated.
My classmates and myself were poor, and there
fore, had to earn during the winter at teaching
sufficient means to defray the school expenses
of the following summer. This was another

86 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
incentive to make 'us work, and it was a good
spur ; no boy needs a better one.
Well, the following fall, I applied for a school
in a strange district, and for eight schools in the
township there were thirty applicants for those
schools. After a public examination of the ap
plicants in the common English branches by the
county superintendent of public schools, I was
selected as a teacher to take charge of one of the
schools. It was a large school, sixty to seventy
pupils of all ages, from the bright and handsome
young lady of twenty to the young mischievous
urchin of five years, in daily attendance. The
previous winter there had been two teachers at
tempted to manage the school, but both falling;
consequently I took charge of the school with
some misgivings as to my ability to manage the
school, but succeeded, and succeeded well; and
I owed my success to my previous summer's
attendance at the Normal.
As soon as I had taken charge of the school,
I furnished the school-room with maps and
blackboards, threw out the old books and in
their stead put in a uniform set of books, and
adopted, so far as I could, the Normal mode of
teaching. Before I had charge of the school a

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 87
month, I chastised severely about forty of the
pupils, and when they had discovered I intended
to be master, I had no further difficulty with
them. They soon began to respect me. I
finally got the school classified and a pro
gramme for the school arranged; everything
worked like clock-work. The pupils became
interested in their studies and a competidon was
soon established, and I had very little trouble
in the government of the school. The pupils
made rapid progress. The best evidence of niy
success was my being re-elected to take charge
of the school two successive terms afterward,
and the expressed wish on the part of the direct
ors and patrons and pupils of the school for me
to take charge of it even for a fourth term.
I found my art of teaching had Improved so
much, that I myself was even astonished at the
improvement I was making over my last terms
of teaching. The pupils felt it, the patrons
talked about It, and the directors soon learned
it. Young children, five years old, starting with
the alphabet, became good readers in the
second and third of a series of readers, and
became adepts at mental arithmetic before
the term was out. The larger pupils also be-

88 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
came interested, and in a class of arithmetic of
about twenty-four, consisting of lasses and lads
from sixteen and upward, I think I never saw
such interest manifested. This same interest
was displayed by this class in their studies in
all the English branches.
I afterward taught v/ith the same success one
term in my natal township, and another term in
a district in an adjoining county.
In one of the districts In which I taught I
boarded with an old couple, both of whom I pre
sume are now gone to that " bourne from
which no traveler returns." They were a
queer couple. They never agreed very well in
matters and things generally — what one as
serted, the other contradicted — and they were
constantly endeavoring to make me umpire, but
I usually wriggled out of this onerous position.
The old man stated that his father buried his
silverware in the garden when the English
occupied Philadelphia ; and he would point out
the exact spots around the old chimney-corner
where he said Washington and his contemporary
generals sat at different times. He would
occupy the evenings when opportunity afforded
to relate stories of the Revolurion, some of
which were quite interesting.

A NOVICE SCHOOL TEACHER. 89
One of the school teachers of that period with
whom I was acquainted, taught in a place called
Helltown and the succeeding term taught in a
town called Paradise. He used to say, when
he was teaching at Paradise, "They kicked me
out of Helltown and sent me to Paradise."
Examinations. — One of the most lively pub
lic examinations for teacher I ever experienced
was in a little brick school-house at Bird-in-
Hand, Lancaster county. Pa. There were
about thirty from the Normal school in this class.
It was composed principally of ambitious, ener
getic young men, well drilled in the English
branches. Among us there was great rivalry.
The examination was on a very warm day in
August, 1862. We all worked like Turks from
9 a. m. till dusk of the evening. Chalk was
scattered around promiscuously, the midges
slaughtered beyond numbers, and the perspira
tion rolled down our bodies into our shoes.
Everybody was excited. Answers and solutions
of difficult questions, demonstration of theorems.
and derivation of principles, had to be on the
tongue's end. Each tub had to stand on its.
own bottom, and each one was judged accord
ing to his own merits. I passed the ordeal and!
got a school.

90 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The longest and most rigid continuous exam
ination to which I was ever subjected, was in
March, 1864. First before the faculty of the
Medical Department of the University of Penn
sylvania, then, immediately on the heels of this
examination, followed an examination of nine
days before the Medical Examination Board of
the U. S. Navy; and then, immediately there
after, an examination of two days before the
Medical Board of Examiners of the State of
Pennsylvania.

A MEDICAL CADET.
As a medical cadet in the U. S. army hospitals,
1862-63, at Philadelphia, Pa., I came in close
contact with Drs. Gross, Pancoast, McClellan,
O'NIell and John Bell. The latter was then a
very old man, and belonged to the old style of
gentlemen. Immediately after the battle of Gettysburg, I
had the honor as well as the pleasure of meet
ing General Meade, at a reception given that
disdnguished gentleman by Dr. W.W. Gerhard,
who lived on Fourth street below Walnut street,
Philadelphia, Pa. The house was a three-story
one. The double parlor was on the second
floor of the house, in which was a long table
bountifully spread with viands. In front of the
house was a veranda onto which you could step
from the second floor.
I was serving then as a medical cadet at the
United States army hospital. Broad and Cherry
streets, Philadelphia, Pa. W. V. Keadng,
M. D., was surgeon in charge of said hospital.
(91)

92 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The medical staff, convalescing soldiers and
band of Broad and Cherry hospital were invited.
We all arrived at Dr. Gerhard's residence just
before dark. The band discoursed some music,
then General Meade was called and he and
Admiral Dupont and other distinguished gen
tlemen walked out on the veranda, when the
soldiers cried out, "A light."
General Meade, as a prelude to his remarks,!
said: "I hope that the soldiers that fought under;
my command at the battle of Gettysburg do not
need a light to see my countenance or to hear
my voice." After congratulating the convales-,
cing soldiers on their rapid recovery from theiri
wounds and for their bravery on the battle field.
General Meade retired and Admiral Dupont
was called and made a short congratulatory
speech ; after which, as many of us as could be
admitted into the large double parlor partook
of the bountiful repast, and walked and talked
with General Meade. I was greatly impressed
then with the kindness, afifablllty, sociability and
greatness of General Meade.

DECORATION DAY.
This is Decoration day.
Eighteen hundred and ninety-five.
That the soldiers are all happy we pray,
At least those who are alive.
And those who are dead
We hope time they do enjoy,
Including the Confed,
And that the latter are in better employ,
But recently I was sad
When on the Gettysburg battle ground ;
But I was very glad
That the Confederates we did pound.
We were at the Bloody Angle,
And rock ribbed Devil's Den:
At the latter there was a big wrangle,
At and around this pen.
Across the level called Death's Valley,
Was Little Round Top,
Across this valley was many a sally
Before the Confederates came to a stop.
(93)

RANDOM THOUGHTS.
At Bloody Angle was a corps
Commanded by General Hancock,
Where the cannons they did roar
As over the Stone-wall with the Rebs he did lock

In the rear of Bloody Angle, on the slope,
Was General Meade's headquarters.
And there with General Lee he did cope,
Whilst all around him were mortars.

In the Wheat -field was heavy fighting.
And there there were many brave men killed ;
There there were many balls and shells a-lighting,
Sent by marksmen skilled.
In the Seminary was stationed Lee,
With a hospital flag floating o'er him.
And the third day he wasn't in glee
When his army was becoming slim.
This was a hard contested battle,-
And the battle of the war.
For death's messengers did rattle
All among our brave corps.
There the victory was decided
Which afterward at Appomattox took place,
And this is so, however much derided,
As history continues on apace.

DECORATION DAY.
O'er the Furnace road we did ride.
And the Emmettsburg turnpike,
Where Lee's army retreated side by side.
But this he did not like.
We saw the convergence of the two roads,
Where his army did re-unite,
And where artillery in loads,
Kilpatrick's troops did fight.
This was Lee's sad retreat.
Near the turnpike gate he slept.
But his retreat was very complete.
As on a southern course he kept.
Pittsburg, May 30, i8ps-

TWO YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES
NAVY.
(Copyright, 1881.)
After having passed an exarnination before
the Medical Board of the United States Navy,
which was in session at the United States Naval
Asylum, Philadelphia, Pa., Dr. James M. Green,
President of the Medical Board, I received the
following appointment :
Navy Department, 2 2d March, 1864.
You are hereby appointed Acting Assistant
Surgeon in the Navy of the United States on
temporary service.
After having executed the enclosed oath and
returned it to the Department with your letter
of acceptance, you will proceed to Philadelphia
without delay, and report to Commodore
Stribling for temporary duty on board the
United States steamer Princeton.
Very respectfully,
Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
Acting Assistant Surgeon John M. Batten,
United States Navy, Guthrieville, Pa.
k9^)

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 97
After bidding my relatives and friends good
bye, I proceeded to Philadelphia, Pa., and
reported for duty on board the United States
steamer Princeton, which was lying anchored in
the Delaware river ofif Philadelphia, and which
was the same vessel on which Abel Parker
Upshur, Secretary of State under President
Tyler, was killed by the explosion of a monster
cannon whilst visiting said vessel, in company
with the President and other members of the
Cabinet. The duty aboard this vessel was of
an initiatory character, to prepare officers for
clerical duties peculiar to each of their particular
offices. I made the acquaintance on this vessel
of Surgeon James McClelland, who was the
Surgeon of the Princeton. He had entered the
United States Navy when a young man, and
had been in the service ever since. He was
about fifty-five years of age. The first morning
after sleeping aboard this vessel, I was awakened
by what Is always usual aboard a man-of-war, a
large gun fired at sunrise. The concussion
and reverberation from the report of the heavy
gun shook the vessel till it creaked, and, in my
half-slumbering condition, I wondered to myself
whether it was not a real battle in which the

98 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
vessel was engaged ; but upon mature reflection
and Inquirj'^, I learned it was only the report of
the sunrise gun.
One day, whilst on board the Princeton, a
blank book in which were copied a number of
choice prescriptions used by many of the old
celebrated physicians of Philadelphia, fell into
my hands. The book belonged to Surgeon
James McClelland. I thought, as I had nothing
else special to do, I would occupy the time in
re-copying these prescriptions into a blank book
of my own ; and just as I was re-copying the
last prescription. Dr. James McClelland came
aboard. He noticed me engaged in writing,
and came into the state-room where I was, and
observed his book. He immediately asked me
where I had got the book. I told him where I
had got It.
"Why," said he, "I would not take any money
for a copy of those prescriptions. I consider
them very valuable, and would not for any con
sideration let my best friend have a copy bfj
them." I told him that I believed it to be very wrong
not to let prescriptions which have been found
valuable in disease be known. After repri-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 99
manding me for recopying the prescriptions, he
cooled down, and became very affable. I, how
ever, got a copy of the prescriptions.
Another day, in rowing aboard the Princeton
from the United States Navy Yard at Philadel
phia, Pa., I acted as coxswain, and came very
near capsizing the boat in the Delaware river.
The river was very rougji, and I got the boat in
what the sailors call the "trough of the sea."
I, however, arrived on board the Princeton
safely, after running the boat "bows on " against
the steamer. The officer of the deck said :
" Sir, why don't you bring that boat alongside
in a sailor-like manner ? "
"Why," I said, "I am glad to get aboard in
any manner, even though there was a hole
stove in the side of the Princeton by my boat;
besides, sir, I know nothing about bringing a
boat alongside in a sailor-like manner." I soon,
however, learned to manage a small boat in
water very well.
On receiving the following order :
Navy Department, 5 th April, 1864.
Sir; You are hereby detached from the
Princeton, and you will proceed to Hampton
Roads, Va., without delay, and report to Acting

ICO RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Rear Admiral Lee for duty on board the United
States steamer Valley City.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
Acting Assistant Surgeon John M. Batten, U.S.
Navy, Philadelphia.
I left the Princeton, and after bidding my
mother farewell, who was stopping with my sis
ter, who resided in Philadelphia — this was a
hard task, and it affected us both greatly ; but
separate we did, and whether we should ever
meet again in this world was a question which
time alone would determine — on turning a
corner I looked back, and saw my mother stand
ing on the steps of the doorway, weeping. It
was to me an affecting separation. I journeyed
to the Philadelphia and Baltimore railroad depot,
located in the southern part of Philadelphia, Pa.,
and at 8 o'clock a. m, of a beautiful day I took
the train for Baltimore, Md., arriving in that
city at about noon of the same day. Having
some time to view the city, I took advantage
of the opportunity and promenaded the princi
pal thoroughfares. At 5 o'clock p. m., I took
the steamer Louisiana for Fortress Monroe^
and arrived there the next morning, and as soon

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. lOI
thereafter as possible reported to Admiral Lee.
On the back of my order I find :
Delivered April 6, 1864, C. K. Stribling,
Commander. Delivered April 6, 1864, John Calhoun, Com
mandant. Flagship Minnesota, off Newport News, Va.
Reported April 8, 1864. — Apply to Col.
Biggs, Army Quartermaster at Fortress Mon
roe, for transportation to Newbern, and then
report to Captain Davenport in the Sounds of
North Carolina. S. P. Lee, Acting Rear Admiral.
Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squad
ron.
Transportation will be given by first steamer
bound for North Carolina. Herman Biggs.
April 9, 1864.
Reported April 14, 1864.
Report to Acting Master J. A. J. Brooks,
Commanding U. S. steamer Valley City.
H. K. Davenport, Commander U. S. N.,
Senior Naval Officer, Sounds of N. C.
Reported April 15, 1864.
John A. J. Brooks, Acting Master,
Commanding U. S. steamer Valley City.

I02 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
It being late in the evening of April 8, 1864,
when I reported on board the United States
steamer Minnesota, and there being no oppor
tunity to return ashore, I was compelled to re
main aboard the Minnesota till the following
morning, April 9, 1864. Being very much
fatigued, I retired early, and soon fell soundly
asleep. About i a. m., I was aroused from my
slumbers by a noise ; I could not for the life of me
tell from whence It came or whither it had gone,
but it was sufficient to arouse and bewilder me,
for It made the vessel tremble. I soon arose
from my sleeping couch, put on my clothes, and
made my way, in the darkness, through the ward-l
room to the forward hatchway, and to the gun-
deck. There I found Admiral Lee, with his
officers and men, on deck in their night clothes.
I soon learned what was the cause of the ex
citement. It was an explosion of a hundred-
pound torpedo under the bottom of the Min
nesota, which had been borne thither by a
torpedo-boat manned by Confederates from
somewhere up the James river. The officers
and men on deck, in the gloom of the night,
were discussing in a subdued but excited tone
the possibility of capturing the torpedo-boat; but,

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 103
owing to the fires in the picket-boats to the Min
nesota being out, nothing could be done till the
steam in them was raised ; and in the meantime
the torpedo-boat was allowed to escape up the
James river. The damage to the Minnesota
was considerable, though no hole was made In
her hull. Her guns were dismounted, her par
titions were broken down, her doors were
jambed, her chairs and tables were upset, and
crockery- ware broken. After the excitement of
the occasion was over, I returned to my berth,
and slept soundly till morning.
After a few days spent in visiting the import
ant places in the vicinity of Hampton, one of
which was Fortress Monroe, I took passage on
a boat through the Dismal Swamp Canal to
Albemarle Sound, and from thence through the
Sounds of North Carolina to the Neuse river,
up which we steamed to Newbern, where I re
ported to Commander H. K. Davenport, on
board the United States steamer Hetzel, who
ordered me to report for duty to Acting Master
J. A. J. Brooks, aboard the United States
Steamer Valley City, which was lying ofif Hill's
Point, near Washington, N. C, on the Pamlico
river. Dr. F. E. Martindale, Surgeon aboard

I04 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
the Valley City, the gentleman whom I was to!
relieve, met me at Newbern, N. C, and accom-i
panied me to that vessel.
It was 5 a. m. of April 15, 1864, when I re
ported to Captain J. A. J. Brooks for duty. I
was ushered into the ward-room of the Valley
City and Introduced to the officers, some of
whom were not up. James M. Battin, the en
gineer, one of the officers who had not yet
arisen, on hearing my name mentioned, thought;
that letters directed to him were being called,
and he sprang suddenly out of his berth; but it
was only to be introduced to a person of the
same name, yet an entire stranger. Dr. Martin-
dale had been expecting his relief for some
weeks; being anxious to return home to his fam
ily, he left for Newbern in the same boat (the
Trumpeter) which brought us hither from that
place. Washington is a small town, situated on the
left bank of the Pamlico river, thirty miles from
its mouth. It was occupied by about fifteen
hundred Federal troops. The United States
steamer Louisiana, the vessel on which the pow
der was afterward exploded ofif Fort Fisher,
was lying immediately ofif the town. Below

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 05
Washington, N. C, on either side of the river,
there was timber. On the right bank, just be
low the town, was Rodman's Point; three miles
farther down the river, on the same side, was
Hill's Point, and still farther down on the same
side was Maule's Point — places which the Con
federates had fortified previous to their falling
into the hands ot the Federals.
Newbern on the Neuse river, Washington on
the Pamlico river, and Plymouth on the Roanoke
river. He In a circle which might be described
from a point somewhere in Pamlico Sound — the
former and latter towns being each about thirty
miles from Washington, the latter town being
in the middle; so that the report of heavy ar
tillery could be heard at Washington from
either of the other two places.
On Sunday, April 17, 1864, my diary states
that Plymouth was attacked by the Confeder
ates. Firing continued every day till Wednes
day, April 20, 1864, when the place fell into the
hands of the Confederates.
On Sunday, April 17, 1864, the first day of
the attack, whilst Lieutenant Commander Chas..
W. Flusser was aboard the Massasolt pacing
her decks, he was overheard to say, "The Navy

I06 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
will do its duty. We will sink, destroy or cap
ture the rebel ram Albemarle when she comes
down the river, or find our graves in the Roan
oke." Lieutenant-Commander Flusser com
manded the United States steamer Miami, and
Acting Volunteer Lieutenant C. A. French, the
ill-fated Southfield. When it was reported thati
the ram was coming down the river these two
vessels were lashed together at their sterns for
the purpose of skilfully maneuvering the two
lashed vessels, when the ram had arrived off
Plymouth, and thereby to place the ram be
tween them and sink her if possible. However,
when our troops ashore were driven back by
the Confederates these two lashed vessels were
freed from each other for the purpose of assist
ing the Federal army forces ashore in driving
the enemy back. Meantime and about 3.20 a.
m. Tuesday, April 19, 1864, before these ves
sels could be re-lashed, the rebel ram Albemarle
came floating down the Roanoke river over our
river obstructions and past our batteries on the
right bank of the river above Plymouth, and
bore down on the Southfield and sunk her.
The gallant Flusser, whilst holding the lanyard
of one of his guns, was supposed to have been

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 07
killed from the rebound of a piece of shell from
the side of the Albemarle, after he had fired
it from his gun with his own hands. When it
was noised among the Federal army and naval
forces at Plymouth that Flusser had been killed
and the Southfield sunk, the Federal forces be
came more or less demoralized and consequently
the following day, Wednesday, April 20, the
place finally fell into the hands of the Con
federates. Commander Flusser was a brave
and daring officer. He was interred In the
cemetery at Newbern, N. C, and on a board
that marked his resting place in the fall of 1864
was inscribed his name, and below it "Peace
to his ashes."
On Wednesday, April 27, 1864, an attack
was made by the Confederates on Washington,
N. C. There is great excitement among the
residents of the place, so that some of them are
leaving by every possible route. We hear the
ifirlng quite plain off Hill's Point. At 12 m. all
is quiet. Preparation is being made to evacu
ate Washington, N. C. The day Is beautiful.
The ammunition of the army at this point has
been put aboard the Valley City for the purpose
of conveying it to Newbern. The thermometer

I08 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
stands 85°. The Federal large guns on the
forts outside of Washington are being fired all
day. The Valley City got under weigh, and pro
ceeded down the river, and shelled the woods
below Washington. There were twenty-three
shells from the 32-pounder guns fired, which
burst among the tree-tops.
Thursday, April 28, 1864. — This morning|
there were- a few shots fired from heavy gunsi
by the Federal troops, but they soon ceased.
The evacuation is going on quledy. The place
has a deserted and gloomy appearance.
Friday, April 29. — The place is quiet. Trans
port boats are steaming to Newbern, laden with
the Federal troops and provisions of the place.i
Two gunboats, the United States steamers
Commodore Barney and Commodore Hull,
steamed up the river to assist in the evacuation.
At 3^ o'clock p. m., the Valley City, with
thirty-one barrels of powder aboard, and a large
number of shells, weighed anchor and steamed
for Newbern. In going down the Pamlico river,
one of those violent thunder-storms peculiar to
that climate came up. It was not considered a
very safe place to be aboard the Valley City
with all this powder during a thunder-storm. I

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 109
was glad when the storm was over. We got
aground for one hour in Pamlico Sound, but
arrived safely at Newbern at 9 o'clock a. m.,
Saturday, April 30th, 1864. Washington, N.
C, is evacuated.
Sunday, May i, 1864. — The Valley City took
in coal and then proceeded toward Washington,
N.C. At 8 p. m. she anchored off Brant Island
light-house. May 2d, Monday. — We got under weigh at
5 a. m., and proceeded toward Washington.
At 4 o'clock p. m. we anchored off Rod
man's Point, and fired a shell into Washington
at a number of Confederates. We then got
under weigh, and proceeded down below Maule's
Point, and anchored.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 3d and
4th, nothing of note transpired but taking ref
ugees aboard. On Thursday, May 5th, the
Valley City shelled Hill's Point, then she got
under weigh, and proceeded up the Pungo river,
and anchored for the night. On Saturday, May
7, 1864, the Valley City got under weigh, and
proceeded toward Newbern, where she arrived
at 9 a. m. of the 8th. James W. Sands, John
Maddock and myself, attended church.

I I O RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Newbern is a beautiful town on the right
bank of the Neuse river. Just below Newbern
the Neuse river receives the Trent river as a
tributary. The houses of ihe place were brick
and also frame. They stood back from the
street, with yards in front of them, in which
choice flowers grew and bloomed. The streets
are at right angles. In the cemetery, in the
western part of. the town, are interred many of
the early settlers of the place. The cemetery
is very old, and the tombstones, many of them,
present an ancient appearance. On the 9th I
was ashore — on the loth we left Newbern. The
nth we arrived ofif Maule's Point, and took on
as a refugee Mrs. Forbes. The 12th, raining,
the Valley City took aboard some more refugees.
On the 13th, 14th and 15th, nothing of note|
took place. The i6th we destroyed the guns
at Hill's Point. The 17th, at 2:45 p. m., we
proceeded toward Newbern, where we arrived
at 8:30 a. m, of the i8th.
The Valley City remained off Newbern till
June 4th, when we left at i p. m., and arrived
ofif Hill's Point at g}^ a. m. of the 5th. The
6th we went ashore at Maule's Point, and got a
mess of strawberries. The 7th we landed at;

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 1 I
Bath. The 8th two boat's crews were sent to
Maule's Point to watch the Confederates, a
squad of whom had assembled there. Two
bhots were fired from the Valley City, one to
the right and the other to the left of the house
on the point. The family living in the house
was very much frightened, but nobody was
hurt. On the 9th and loth, nothing of note
occurred. The i ith, cloudy, the Thomas Col-
lyer, a mail-boat from Newbern, came up with a
"flag of truce," and went to Washington.
On the 1 2th and 13th there was nothing of
note took place. On the 14th we went ashore
at Bath, and called on Mr. Windley's family.
The 15th, we went ashore at Maule's Point, and
called on Mrs. Orrell's family. Mrs. Forbes
made me a present of a Confederate flag. In
the evening, we steamed down to the mouth of
Pungo river, and anchored for the night.
Thursday, June 16. — There was an armed
party, sent ashore for the purpose of foraging.
After they had returned we proceeded up the
Pungo river to Leechvllle, a small place at the
head-waters of that river. The occupation of
its Inhabitants was that of cutting down timber
and making shingles. There was an armed party

I I 2 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
sent ashore, who captured and brought aboard
a quantity of corn. We then left with a scowl
in tow, and proceeded down the river and
anchored ofif Wright's creek. The 17th, the
United States steamer Ceres arrived from New-I
bern. An armed party was sent ashore for the
purpose of foraging. On the i8th, in company
with the United States steamer Ceres, the
Valley City steamed through the Pamlico Sound.]
The Ella May soon hove in sight, with two
schooners she had captured in tow. On the
1 9th the Valley City, Ceres, and Ella May, with
the schooners in tow, steamed up the Pungo
river, and anchored off Sandy Point. At about
10 p. m. we proceeded farther up the river, and
landed an armed party of men for the purpose,
of capturing some Confederates at Leechvllle.]
On the 20th we proceeded up the river to
Leechvllle to join the party, which had already
arrived there. Three schooners were loaded
with shingles. On the 21st the United States
steamers Valley City, Ceres, and Ella May,
proceeded down the Pungo river with the three
schooners laden with shingles in tow. On the
2 2d, we anchored in the Pamlico Sound. At 8
a. m. we proceeded toward Newbern, where we
arrived with the schooners in tow at 8 p. m.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 1 3
On July 4th, the Valley City, in commemora
tion of the anniversary of the Declaration of In
dependence, fired twenty-one guns, and a copy
of the Declaration of Independence was read to
the officers and crew of the Valley City by Cap
tain J. A. J. Brooks. On the 5th, the Valley City
got under way, and proceeded toward the Pam
lico river, and on the 6th arrived and anchored
off Maule's Point. On the loth, the Valley City
got under weigh and proceeded to Bath, where
an armed force was landed, and captured John
Taylor, Company G, 62d Georgia cavalry. In
trying to make his escape, he jumped from a
buggy which was drawn by a horse moving rap
idly, and in doing so injured his knee, so that
he was unable to walk for five weeks. On the
fly-leaf of a Bible, which I loaned him to read In
his leisure hours, he wrote:
" May peace and happiness attend thee, and
Heaven's richest blessings crown thee ever
more. When this you see, remember me.
"Your most obedient servant,
" John Taylor.
"Houston City, Ga., July, 1864."
At about ID p. m. of the same day, July lo, an-

I 1 4 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Other armed party of men was landed with the in
tention of capturing some Confederate pickets,
but did hot succeed. Bath, N. C, is a very small
place on the left bank of the Pamlico river, at
the junction of Bath creek, about ten miles be
low Washington. The place was built of frame
principally. The people of the place were
rather intelligent.
July 13. — The Valley City got under weigh, and
proceeded down the Pamlico river to Durham's
creek, and sent a party out to fish ; afterward
she steamed down the river, and anchored off
North creek, and there brought a boat to, which
had permission from the Federal Government
to trade with the loyalpeople of Beaufort county,
N. C. On the 14th, she got under weigh and
steamed over to South creek; from thence down
to the mouth of Pamlico river, and anchored.
On the 15th, the Valley City proceeded to off;
Maule's Point and anchored, Mrs. Daniels and
her two children, with her sister-in-law, came
aboard. On the 19th, the U. S. steamer Louis
iana hove in sight. The Valley City proceeded
with her, to the mouth of the Pamlico river,
where we anchored. After taking aboard our
refugees, the Louisiana proceeded to Newbern.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAvf . 1 1 5
On Wednesday, the 21st, at 7 o'clock a. m.,
the Valley City steamed for Newbern, where
she arrived at 4 p. m. On the evening of July
31, the Valley City was ordered to proceed up
the Trent river to guard that river in case of an
expected attack. August 4th, the Valley City
was ordered down to her old anchorage ofif
Newbern. On the 5th, at 8 a. m., we weighed
anchor and proceeded down the Neuse river,
through the Pamlico Sound^and up the Pamlico
river, and at 6 p. m. relieved the U. S. steamer
Louisiana. At 7 p. m., the Valley City anchored
near the mouth of Bath creek. Mrs. Quin and
Mrs. Harris were brought with us from New
bern, and landed near Bath creek.
On the loth v/e weighed anchor and pro-
iceeded down the Pamlico river. At the mouth
of Bath creek, two shells were fired from the
howitzers, at a house where there were a number
of Confederates. At 2 o'clock p. m. we anchored
in South creek. On the nth, at 12 m., we
weighed anchor and proceeded to the Pamlico
light-house and anchored. On the 13th, at 4
o'clock a. m., we weighed anchor and proceeded
to the Brant Island light-house in order to get the
mail from the U. S. steamer Massasolt that we

Il6 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
expected to meet steaming near 'this point. At
I o'clock p. m. we weighed anchor and pro
ceeded to above Maule's point, where we an
chored at 6 o'clock p. m. On the i8th, at 7
o'clock a. m., we weighed anchor and proceeded
down the Pamlico river past Maule's Point, down
by the mouth of Bath creek, and down by South
creek, where we anchored at 3 o'clock p. m.
During this cruise there have been eight refu-|
gees taken aboard. On the 19th, we weighed
anchor, and proceeded toward the mouth of Bath
creek. On our way we stopped at the mouth of
Durham's creek. Captain J. A. J. Brooks and I
went ashore. At 6 p. m. we anchored off the;
mouth of Bath creek. In the evening there was
a heavy thunder-storm, accompanied with rain.
On the 20th, at 9^ o'clock a. m., we were
relieved by the United States steamer Louisiana,
and the Valley City was ordered to the neigh-j
borhood of the mouth of Roanoke river, in the
Albemarle Sound, to join the fleet composed of
United States steamers Shamrock, Sassacus,
Ceres, Tacony, Chicopee, Mattabessett, and]
Wyalusing, to assist in watching the Confede
rate ram Albemarle, which was stationed at
Plymouth, which is situated on the right bank

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I i 7
of the Roanoke river, eight miles from its
mouth. We arrived at Roanoke Island at 1 2
m., and coaled. A portion of Roanoke Island
is a barren, sandy place, separating the Atlantic
Ocean from Pamlico Sound.
On Roanoke Island, In 1585, the first at
tempt to found an English colony In America
was made. Though abandoned the following
year, . it was in advance of any similar effort.
After the war commenced, the place was held
by the Confederates till the year 1862, when the
Federal forces under General Burnslde cap
tured the place. On the 21st the Valley City
left Roanoke Island at 12 m., and joined the
fleet, and anchored for the night.
On Monday, August 2 2d, 1864, at 9 o'clock
a. m., the Valley City was ordered to the mouth
of Roanoke river, where the United States
steamers Ceres and Sassacus were anchored.
We were to take a very dangerous and respon
sible position. Immediately at the mouth of the
Roanoke river. During the long dark nights
the Valley City did not anchor, for it was ru
mored that the Confederate ram Albemarle
might come down any night, and especially a
very dark night under the cover of the dark-

Il8 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
ness, so that the Valley City must be constandy
on the alert. If the Albemarle did make her
appearance at the mouth of the Roanoke river,
the Valley City was ordered to fire one gun as
a signal to the fleet, which was anchored six
miles farther down the Albemarle Sound, and
then steam toward the fleet.
This Confederate ram was a formidable ad
versary on water. She had a sharp arrow-like
ram twenty feet long extending just beneath
the surface of the water in front of her bow.
She was plated with iron, which completely pro
tected her Inmates from solid shot ; she had two
two hundred-pounder Brooke's rifled guns on
the inside of this iron encasement, and two port
holes to each of her two sides, and one fore and
one aft. She was very unwieldy, but in a body
of water like the Albemarle Sound or Pamlico
Sound, no wooden vessel could cope with her.
Friday, August 25. — I visited Edenton to-day
for the first time. It is situated pleasantly on,
the bank of Edenton Bay, as it Is called, but
really Albemarle Sound. The people are kind,
courteous, educated, and hospitable. There
were magnificent residences in the place, each
of which was surrounded by a large yard with

Two YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 1 9
shade trees, having that comfortable, spacious,
home-like appearance, which so many of the
buildings in Southern cities present. When the
officers of the Valley City first visited Edenton,
they were treated very coolly by the people;
but gradually they became quite sociable, and
we were invited to visit many of the families of
the place — in fact, one of our officers afterward
married an Edenton lady. Edenton was a sort
of neutral ground, at which the Federal officers
and Confederate officers often met. On August
31, the day was clear and cool. Nothing took
place of any note except a false alarm that the
raiji was coming down the river, causing some
excitement aboard the Valley City.
Thursday, September i, 1864, the double-
ender Shamrock came up from the fleet. Last
night some army gunboats took an armed body
of men up the Chowan river, to be landed and
marched across to Plymouth, for the purpose of
idestroying the Albemarle. The project was
not successful. The day is cool and hazy. The
double-ender Wyalusing came up from the fleet
during the night. The Albemarle ram is ex
pected out to-night.
2d. — The ram did not make her appearance.

I20 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The double-enders all went to Edenton. The
weather is pleasant.
On the 4th I went to Edenton and spent the
afternoon at Mr. S. B.'s, and made the acquain
tance of his daughters. On the 6th, H. T.
Wood, paymaster's clerk, and myself, went
aboard a tug, and were conveyed to the United
States steamer Shamrock, from whence we
boarded the Trumpeter, where Dr. P. H. Bar
ton and myself held a medical survey upon H.;
T. Wood, and sent him to the United States
Naval Hospital at Norfolk, Va. I accompanied
him. We left the Shamrock at 7 o'clock p. m.,
in the Trumpter, and anchored at i a. m., Sep
tember 7th, and at 6 o'clock a. m. weighed
anchor, and arrived at Roanoke Island at 8
a. m. We left Roanoke Island at i p. m., and
at 8 p. m. we changed to the Fawn, and after
steaming two hours anchored for the night.
On the 8th we weighed anchor at 5 a. m., and
changed boats to the Undine at 1 1 a. m., and
arrived at Norfolk at i p. m., when I immed
iately took H. T. Wood to the hospital, I
stopped at the National Hotel.
On the 9th I went to the Quartermaster's office
at Norfolk to procure transportation to Roan-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 2 I
oke Island, but I was a half hour too late, the
boat Undine having left at 8 o'clock a. m. At
5 p. m. I learned that the Fawn, which had made
connection with the Undine in the Dismal
Swamp Canal, and the boat I would have been
aboard had I not been too late for the Undine,
was captured and burned by the Confederates.
In the evening I went to the theatre. I passed
the time pleasantly at Norfolk in viewing what
ever there were of beauty and interest in the
place. On Sunday morning I attended service
at the Episcopal church, and also in the evening,
in company with Mr. Yocum, of Bellefonte,
Centre county. Pa. On Monday, the I2th, and
Tuesday, 13th, Mr. Yocum and I promenaded
the principal streets and visited places of in
terest. At 6 p. m., Wednesday, September 14, I left
Norfolk in the C. W. Thomas, which steamed to
Fortress Monroe, where she arrived at 7^ p. m'.,
when I got aboard the John Farran, and steamed
by the way of the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Flat-
teras, through the Swash, or Inlet, and through
the Pamlico sound to the Neuse river, and thence
toward Newbern, where we arrived at 7 p. m.
of the 15th. Having expended all the money

122 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
that I took with me but a few cents, I felt per
plexed as to how I should reach the Valley City,
which I supposed was still at the mouth of the
Roanoke river, where I had left her; but on going
ashore at Newbern, I soon learned that she was
anchored off that place, having steamed there
during my absence. I quickly arrived aboard
her, feeling delighted that I was once more
among my old naval companions. The next
thing of interest I learned was that Newbern
was being visited by an endemic of yellow fever.
Having already passed twice through the
Dismal Swamp Canal, and would have steamed
through it the third time had I not been too late
for the boat that was destroyed, but I was des
tined to pass through it still again on my pass
age home. Lossing, in his history of the Amer
ican Revolution, in volume i, page 311, gives a
very complete description of the Dismal Swamp,
through which this canal passes. He says;
"Schemes for internal improvements, for fa
cilitating the development of the resources of
the country, often occupied Washington's most
serious attention. At the time we are consid
ering, he was engaged, with some other enter-;
prising gentlemen, in a project to drain the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 23
Dismal Swamp, an immense morass lying partly
in Virginia and partly in North Carolina, and
extending thirty miles from north to south, and
ten miles from "east to west. Within Its dark
bosom, and nowhere appearing above its sur
face, are the sources of five navigable rivers and
several creeks; and in its centre is a body of
water known as Drummond's lake, so named
from its alleged discoverer. A great portion of
the morass is covered with tall cypresses, ce
dars, hemlocks and junipefs, draped with long
mosses, and covered with creeping vines. In
many places it is made impassable by fallen
trees, thick brakes, and a dense growth of
shrubbery. Thomas Moore, who visited it in
1804, has well indicated its character in the fol
lowing stanzas of his legendary poem, called
' The Lake of the Dismal Swamp : '
" ' Away to the Dismal Swamp he speeds —
His path was rugged and sore ;
Through tangled juniper, beds of reeds,
Through many a fen where the serpent feeds.
And man never trod before !
" 'And when on earth he sank to sleep.
If slumber his eyelids knew.
He lay where the deadly vine doth weep
In venomous tears, and nightly steep
The flesh with blistering dew ! '

124 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
" ' They tell of a young man,' says Moore, in
his introduction to. his poem, 'who lost his mind
upon the death of a girl he loved, and who, sud
denly disappearing from his friends, was never
afterward heard of As he frequently said, in
his ravings, that the girl was not dead, but gone
to the Dismal Swamp, it was supposed that he
had wandered into that dreary wilderness, and:
had died of hunger, or had been lost in some of
the dreadful morasses.' The poet makes him
say : —
" ' They made her grave too cold and damp.
For a soul so warm and true.
And she has gone to the lake of the Dismal Swamp,
Where all night long by her flre-fly lamp.
She paddles her whiie canoe.
" ' And her fire-fly lamp I soon shall see.
And her paddles I soon shall hear j
Long and loving our life shall be.
And I'll hide the maid in a cypress tree.
When the footsteps of Death are near ! '
" Toward the southern portion of the swamp
there Is a tract covered with reeds, without any
trees. These are continually green, and, as
they wave in the wind, have the appearance of
water. On that account it is called 'The Green

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 125
Sea.' The eastern borders of the swamp are
covered with tall reeds, closely interlaced with
thorny bamboo-briers, and present almost an
impassable barrier even to the wild beasts that
prowl there. Into this dismal region Washing
ton penetrated^ on foot and on horseback, until
he reached the lake in its centre. He circum-
traversed this lake, in a journey of almost
twenty miles, sometimes over a quaking bog,
and at others in mud and water ; and just at
sunset he reached the solid earth on the mar
gin of the swamp, where he passed the night.
The next day he completed his explorations,
and having observed the soil, its productions,
the lake and Its altitude, he returned home,
convinced that the immense morass might be
easily drained, for it lay considerably higher
than the surrounding country. Through his
influence the Virginia Legislature gave a char
ter to an association of gentlemen who consti
tuted the ' Dismal Swamp Company.' Some,
less sanguine of success than Washington, with
held their co-operation, and the project was
abandoned for the time.
"It was reserved for the enterprise of a later
day to open the Dismal Swamp to the hand of

126 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Industry. A canal now passes through It from
north to south, upon the bosom of which im
mense quantities of shingles and lumber are
floated to accessible deposites. By that canal
the swamp might be easily drained, and con
verted into fine tillable land. To every visitor
there, the wisdom and forecast of Washington,
in suggesting such improvement a hundred
years ago, is most remarkably manifest."
Friday, September i6, 1864. — The Valleyi
City left off Newbern at 4 o'clock p. m., with:
Paymaster Louis Sands of the United States
steamer Shamrock aboard, and arrived at off
Roanoke Island on the 1 7th, at 1 1 a. m., and at
2^ p. m. she left off Roanoke Island. At 9 p. m.
the Valley City arrived at the fleet, and put
stores, which she had conveyed from Newbern,
aboard the Shamrock, and then steamed to the
mouth of the Roanoke river, where she an
chored. On the T8th, at 6}4 p. m-, she left the
mouth of the Roanoke river to go on an expe
dition up the Chowan river, and arrived at off:
Winton, the remains of a town situated on the
right bank of the river, at the junction of thej
Meherrin river, at 8 o'clock a. m. of the 19th.
Winton was entirely destroyed in the early

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 27
part of the war, leaving nothing but here and
there a wall, a chimney or foundation wall stand
ing. An armed party went ashore and cap
tured some cotton, and came in contact with
some Confederate pickets, with whom they had
a little skirmish, or exchange of shots. We left
off" Winton at 4 o'clock p. m., and arrived at ofif
Edenton at 9 o'clock p. m., where we anchored
for the night. At 7 o'clock a. m. of the 20th
we got under weigh, and proceeded to the fleet,
where we arrived at 9 o'clock a. m. At i p. m.
we steamed to the mouth of the Roanoke river,
where we anchored. On the 2 2d we got under
weigh, and at 1:35 p. m. arrived at off Edenton.
Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Acting Assistant Pay
master J. W. Sands and myself went ashore,
and called on Mr. Samuel B.'s family, and spent
a very pleasant time. At 3:40 p. m. we re
turned aboard, and proceeded to our old anchor
age at the mouth of the Roanoke river. The
weather was cloudy and hazy. On Friday 23d,
at 1 2 1^ p. m., the ram Albemarle made her ap
pearance at the mouth of the Roanoke river.
We Immediately fired our signal gun, and got
under weigh, and steamed toward the United
States steamer Otsego, commanded by Captain

128 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Arnold, which was anchored farther down the
Albemarle Sound. As we pa.ssed the Otsego,
Captain Arnold ordered the Valley City to steam
as rapidly as possible toward the fleet, and the
Otsego would follow after. We soon met the
fleet steaming toward the mouth of the Roa
noke river. The Valley City and Otsego then
fell into align, and the fleet arrived at the mouth
of the Roanoke river. By this time the ram had
returned up the river. The fleet remained re-
connoltering at the mouth of the river till 6
p. m., when it returned to its old anchorage.
The appearance of the ram at the mouth of the
Roanoke river caused some excitement aboard
the fleet, for we were anxious to have the ram
come out into the Albemarle Sound, so as to
have a chance, if possible, to sink her. On the
27th, at 11^ a. m., the Valley City steamed
down to off Edenton, and remained there two
hours, and came back to our old anchorage.
On the 29th, at 3^3 o'clock a. m,, the Valley
City weighed anchor, and proceeded to and up
Scuppemong river. At 11^ o'clock a. m. we;
got aground in a position transversely across
the river, with the stern of the- vessel toward
the left bank. About seven hundred yards dis-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 29
tant on the left bank of the river, in the bushes
and wood, concealed Confederate batteries were
situated. In making an effort to get afloat, the
guns of the Valley City were run out of posi
tion, the decks were crowded with hawsers and
ropes, and the propeller had a hawser tangled
in it ; so that the steamer was in a very helpless
and dangerous position. We were not aware
that these batteries were situated in the place
named till at 25^ p. m. when they opened fire
on the Valley City, and continued firing till 5^
o'clock p. m. It was some time before the
Valley City could clear her decks and get into
position to bring the guns to bear on the enemy.
In the meantime Commodore W. H. Macomb
sent the following order to Captain J. A. J.
Brooks: "Prepare the Valley City to be blown
up and then leave her the best you can;" but
when the Valley City got her guns to bear on
the enemy's batteries, they were silenced at 5^
p. m. The shells and bullets from the Confed
erate batteries ashore fell around us fast and
thick, but fortunately nobody aboard was seri
ously injured, notwithstanding the vessel was
struck several times by shell, and also by a
number of bullets. At 9.20 o'clock p. m., after

130 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
throwing the coal overboard, emptying the boiler,
and with the assistance of the tug Belle, which
came up, we got afloat, and were towed by the
tug Belle down into the Albemarle Sound, along
side of the Otsego. On the 30th the hawser
was taken out of the propeller. At 1:15 p. m.
the Valley City got under weigh, and steamed
alongside of the Tacony for coal.
I append an extract from the North Carolina
Confederate, published at Raleigh, N. C, bear
ing on the brush up the Scuppemong river :
"A BRUSH WITH THE YANKEE GUNBOATS.
" The Goldsborough State Journal gives an
account of quite a spirited little brush between
a small detachment of our troops and some of
the Yankee gunboats, which attempted to go
up the Scuppemong river, in which the Yankees
came out second best.
" On attempting to ascend the river, two
boats were attacked and forced back by Lieu
tenant Sharp, commanding Captain Pitt's com
pany of cavalry, assisted by two pieces of artil
lery under Lieutenant Williams, of Lee's light
battery, and Lieutenant McWatson of the 50th
North Carolina regiment, with thirty infantry.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 3 1
" One of the boats got aground at the mouth
of the river, about seven hundred yards from
the shore, where she was well peppered for
some time by both our artillery and sharpshoot
ers, one shot striking her near the water-line.
"So hot was the fire upon this craft that the
Yankees were all driven from their guns.
" Three more gunboats at length came up to
their relief, and opened fiercely on our little
party, who courageously held their ground and
fought them, till the approach of night and
scarcity of ammunition admonished us to retire
beyond the range of the enemy's guns.
"We had three men slightly wounded, and
one howitzer was somewhat damaged by a shell.
" The enemy's loss has not been ascertained,
but it must have been considerable, as their
wooden gunboat was aground and under the fire
of our artillery for some three hours, and it was
well ascertained that every man had to seek
shelter below from the deadly aim of our sharp
shooters. " Hit him again. Colonel W."
Mr. Milton Webster, Executive Officer of the
Valley City, says of this " brush " with the Con
federates :

132 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
"It is a pity about that 'deadly aim' for we
did not have a man injured, and one of the men
and myself were over the stern exposed to their
guns, and though their shot fell all around us,
we were not struck. A pretty correct, account
of the time of the action and position of the
Valley City is given, but there was not a man
left his station during the action, although their
sharpshooters fired at and left marks of their
bullets all round our port-holes, and the gang
way to which we afterward shifted a gun to
bear on them.
"The three other boats did not even get
within range of the enemy, on account of draw
ing too much water. They, however, fired one
shot at long range, after the enemy had retired,
and this shot was made merely to get the range
of the enemy in case another attack should be
made on the Valley City before she got afloat.
One of the two boats they speak of was a tug
boat that went with the Valley City up the river
to assist her to get afloat in case she got
aground, and was manned by two officers — one
an ensign, the other an engineer — and five men.
The tug-boat was not armed.
"It is very singular that they, in their account

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 33
of the brush, should Italicize the word wooden,
as much as to say we had an iron-clad.
" I saved one of their shells that alighted on
the deck of the Valley City, which fortunately
did not explode. If the Valley City had been
afloat, she would have silenced their batteries
sooner." On Saturday, October i, at 4 o'clock a. m.,
the Valley City got under weigh, and steamed to
off" Edenton. Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Acting
Master James G. Green, J. W. Sands and my
self went ashore, and visited Mr. Samuel B.'s,
and spent the time very pleasantly. At 4
o'clock p. m. we returned to the Valley City,
and got under weigh, and proceeded to our old
station at the mouth of the Roanoke river. On
the 3rd the U. S. steamers Commodore Hull
and Tacony, and ihe tug Belle, came up and
anchored near us. On the 6th I was ordered
aboard the Otsego, to hold a medical survey on
one of the ofificers of that vessel, for the purpose
of sending him to the U. S. Naval Hospital at
Norfolk. When I returned aboard the Valley
City, I found a refugee aboard, suffering from
yellow fever. She was taken to Edenton
aboard the Valley City, where she died of the

134 ¦ RANDOM THOUGHTS.
disease. We called on Mr. Samuel B.'s family.
At ^j4 o'clock p. m. we got under weigh, and
proceeded toward Roanoke Island, At 12
p. m. we anchored. Early in the morning of
the 7 th we steamed to ofif Roanoke Island,
where we arrived at 8 o'clock a. m. On the 8th
there was a breeze from the northwest, and the
day was clear and beautiful. At 2 o'clock p. m..
Paymaster J. W. Sands, Acting Master's mate
John Maddock and myself, with six men, sailed
In a small boat to Roanoke Island. There was
a heavy sea, and the wind was blowing quite a
gale. We landed at Roanoke Island, but did
not remain long ashore before we took the boat
for the purpose of sailing back to the Valley
City. We did not succeed. We then took the
sails down, and the men rowed us to the vessel.
On the 9th, at 6 o'clock a. m., we got under
weigh, and steamed toward the mouth of the
Alligator river, where we arrived at 9 o'clock
a. m. The Shamrock was lying close by. The
weather was cold. At 1:30 o'clock p. m., the
Valley City proceeded up the Alligator river.
At 7 p. m. we anchored off Newport News.
On the loth, at 4 a. m., two armed boats' crews
were sent ashore on a reconnoitering expedi-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 35
tlon, but returned at i p. m. without accomplish
ing anything. At 2 p. m. the Valley City got
under weigh, and proceeded down the Alligator
river, and anchored at 3 p. m. The weather is
cool, and there was frost last night.
Thursday, October nth, at 5 a. m., the
launches were ordered up the Frying-pan river.
At 10 a. m. I went with Captain J. A. J. Brooks In
pursuit of the launches, and after rowing about
six miles we came in sight of them. At 2 ^^ p. m.
we returned with the launches. At 4 p. m. the
Valley City weighed anchor, and at 8 p. m. an
chored In the Albemarle Sound. On the 1 2th, at
6 a. m., we got under weigh, and arrived at the
fleet at 8 a. m. At 9 a. m. we got under weigh,
and at 10 a. m. arrived at the mouth of the Roan
oke river. The ram was expected to come out
to-day. On the 15th, at 11^ a, m., the Valley
City got under weigh, and arrived at off Edenton
at I2y2 o'clock p. m. Captain J. A. J. Brooks,
Paymaster J. W. Sands, and Acting Master
James G. Green, went ashore. At 5 p. m. they re
turned, and the Valley City got under weigh, and
Iproceeded to the mouth of the Roanoke river.
The weather Is cool and beautiful. At 10 a. m.
of the 20th, I went aboard the Commodore

136 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Hull. At 12 m., returned aboard the Valley
City. At 9^ p, m., the Valley City steamed to
off Edenton, to protect the tug Belle, which had
got hard and fast aground during the day. On
the 2 1 St I went ashore at Edenton, and spent a
pleasant time. I returned to the Valley City,
when she proceeded to off Roanoke Island,
where we arrived on the 2 2d at 8 o'clock a. m.:
At 9 o'clock a. m., Captain J. A. J. Brooks,
Acting Assistant Paymaster J. W. Sands and I
went ashore, and made the acquaintance of Dr.
Walton^ of the 103rd Pennsylvania regiment, and
Colonel Wardrobe, Commandant of Roanoke
Island. I spent a very pleasant time in com
pany with these gentlemen. In the evening I
became acquainted with Lieutenant Wm. B.
Cushing, U. S. Navy. I will quote here a war
reminiscence which was published in the Pitts
burg Leader of November 19, 1894 :

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 37

A NAVAL HERO.

STARTLING INCIDENT OF THE CIVIL WAR RE
CALLED.

DR. JOHN M. BATTEN, OF PITTSBURG, RELATES A STORY
THAT IS PILLED WITH INTEREST — HOW LIEDT.
WILLIAM B. CUSHING SANK THE ALBE
MARLE — GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OP
A DARING AND SUC
CESSFUL ACT.

It was Saturday, at 8 o'clock a. m., October
22, 1864, that the United States steamer Valley
City, to which I was attached as Surgeon, com
manded by Acting Master John A. J. Brooks,
anchored one mile west of Roanoke Island, in
the Pamlico Sound. At 9 o'clock a. m.. Captain
Brooks, Acting Assistant Paymaster James W.
Sands, and myself, manned a cutter and rowed
to Roanoke Island. The wind was blowing a
strong gale from the west, and continued to
blow all day till evening, when It almost blew a
hurricane. About 5 p. m., we made a series of
attempts to row aboard the Valley City, but
failed in our efforts on account of the heavy sea
and gale from the west. We were, therefore.

138 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
compelled to remain on the island all night. On
the island there were several small, untenanted
frame houses. It was in one of these frame
houses that Captain Brooks, Paymaster Sands
and myself first met Lieutenant William B.
Cushing, U. S. N., in company with Colonel
Wardrobe, of the Island, and Acting Volunteer
Lieutenant George W. Greaves, of the United
States Navy. We soon joined in a game of
euchre, and spent the evening pleasantly to
gether. At bedtime we spread some blankets
on the floor and rested till the following morn
ing. When I awoke in the morning I learned
upon inquiry that Lieutenant Cushing had de
parted at 4 a. m., October 23, in his torpedo
launch, a boat he had had constructed at the
United States Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y., for a
certain purpose, and had proceeded thus far on
his expedition with the steam launch. Lieuten
ant Cushing then presented the appearance of
a young man of 2 1 years of age, with decided de
termination. His face was beardless, and long
light-brown hair fell down over his shoulders.
It was a sort of an enigma for the ofificers pres
ent to solve or unravel, as to where he was going
or what he intended to accomplish. He told no

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 39
one, and it is likely that no one asked him. Sev
eral different surmises were made by the ofificers
present as to what he intended to do and what
was his objective point, but none of us knew.
Friday, at 5:30 a. m., October 28, 1864, the
Valley City weighed anchor and steamed toward
the fleet. The weather was clear but windy. The
Valley City, after having been under weigh twelve
and a half hours, arrived at the fleet the same
evening at 6 o'clock. The fleet was composed
of twelve double-enders, side-wheel vessels,
manned, armed and equipped with all the neces
sary paraphernalia of war, and commanded by
Commander Wm. H. Macomb. The fleet was
anchored about 6 miles from the mouth of the Ro
anoke river and fourteen miles from Plymouth,
N. C, where the Confederate ram Albemarle
was moored. My diary further states that at
7 o'clock p. m., the Valley City got under weigh
and proceeded to within a hundred yards of the
mouth of the Roanoke river, where she came to
an anchor at 8 o'clock p. m. Soon after the Val
ley City had arrived at the mouth of the Roanoke
river, on October 28, 1864, the fleet steamed up
and anchored within hailing distance of the Val
ley City. The watch of the Valley City, about

140 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
lip. m., heard a faint hail of " Boat ahoy !" from
the mouth of the river, and reported it to Cap
tain Brooks, who ordered a cutter to be manned
and sent it in charge of Acting Ensign Milton
Webster up to the mouth of the Roanoke riverto
discover from whom the hail came. Mr. Web
ster found there Lieutenant Cushing, the man
who had left us so early and so mysteriously on
the morning of Oct. 23, In a small boat or dug
out, paddling himself toward the Valley City.
He took Cushing into the cutter and rowed him|
to the Valley City. I was at the gangway and
assisted him to climb aboard. He was clad with
a coarse flannel shirt, sailor pantaloons and aj
pair of woolen socks, which were torn and rid
dled with bullets. He was wet, tired, cold, hun
gry and exhausted. I gave him a stimulant In
the shape of brandy to warm him. The ofificers
of the Valley City immediately joined in provid
ing for his personal comforts and wants.
My diary states that after leaving us at Ro-!
anoke Island, Cushing steamed to the fleet in
his little steam launch, and during the interim
between his arrival at the fleet and departure
from it, and having received on board the launch
eight volunteer men from the fleet in addition

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 141
to those who had already volunteered, he occu
pied the time with the men in maneuvering the
launch in the vicinity of the fleet. On the night
of October 26 he attempted to ascend the river,
but on account of delay from running the launch
aground and the nearness of daylight, he re
turned to the fleet. On the night of October
27 he, however, proceeded with the launch with
a torpedo rigged on her bow, with the fifteen
volunteer men, up the Roanoke river. The
steam launch also took in tow a cutter manned
by tweve men.
In the Roanoke river, one mile below Ply-
:mouth,the Southfield had been sunk by the Con
federate ram Albemarle in April of the same
year, and on that portion of the deck above
water was supposed to be Confederate pickets;
but the pickets were either asleep or neglectful
of their duties, as no alarm was given, although
Cushing steamed within thirty feet of the sunken
vessel. He continued on up the river with the
cutter still In tow. His first intention was to
land the crews of the launch and cutter ashore
and creep past the pickets ashore at Plymouth,
and steal around on shore to the landing where
the Albemarle was moored, and there surprise

142 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
the pickets of the ram and take the Albemarle
alive, then turn her batteries on Plymouth. In
this, however, he was foiled by the lookout on
the ram discovering the little stearrt launch and
giving the alarm. Lieutenant Cushing then cast
off the cutter and ordered it to row down the
river and take charge of the pickets, if any, on
the sunken Southfield. The alarm on the ram
brought forth a shower of musketry and grape
both from the ram and from ashore, on the
little launch. In this shower of bullets and
grape, Cushing had to make a complete semi
circle with the launch in order to head toward
the ram. When nearing the ram he could see
by a blazing fire which was burning cheerily
ashore almost as plainly as in daylight. Cush-:
ing now gave the rebels ashore a wholesome
dose of grape from the howitzer on the launch,
which for the moment quieted them, and gave
him an opportunity to more safely approach the
Albemarle. He now ordered a full head of
steam on the launch, and the impetus of it
gained thereby sent the launch well up on the
raft with which it was surrounded and some
what protected. At this time the rebels had
recovered somewhat from the shock, and again

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 43
opened fire from ashore and from the ram on
the litde launch. This was the trying moment
It was a time when it required a man of bravery
and energy and action and presence of mind.
The steam launch stood still. She had lost her
impetus, and was lodged on the raft alongside
the ram. Shot from rebel batteries and mus
kets, both from ashore and from the Albemarle,
were flying all around Cushing and his crew. A
large rifle gun on the ram staring Cushing right
in the face was about ready to belch forth its
contents. In this trying moment there were
many things to do, and do quickly and with
precision. The spar that carried the torpedo
had to be lowered by the halyard or line, the
torpedo at the farther end of the spar had to be
dislodged by another line, the lanyard ; the tor
pedo, after it had dropped under the ram, had
to be exploded by a trigger line. These lines
had to be manipulated in the hands of Cushing.
One end of another line was attached to Cush
ing's wrist, and the other end of it to the ankle
of the engineer. All these lines but the trigger
line had now been successfully manipulated by
Cushing. The torpedo was floating under the
Albemarle. At this moment Captain A. F.

144 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Warley, of the ram, in a very studied and dig
nified manner, demanded Cushing to surrender,
The latter invited the former to go to h — 1. In
stantly Cushing pulls the last one of these lines
— the trigger line — and explodes the torpedo
under the Albemarle. The ram commences to
sink. His mission is done. Cushing commands
his men to save themselves as best they can,|
and then takes off his coat and shoes and throws
them overboard, together with his sword and
pistol. Just at this moment the big rifle gun
from the ram is fired, but Cushing had already
plunged into the river. Shells and bullets are
falling around Cushing as thick as hail in a hail
storm. The launch and ram together sink.
Cushing now floats down the Roanoke river
amidst a shower of lead and iron. He tries to
save one of his comrades from drowning, but
fails In the attempt. The man sinks in the Ro
anoke and finds a watery grave. Lieutenant
Cushing now swims down the river and finally
lands, exhausted, wet and chilled, half his body
in water, and the other half partly in mud, on the
right bank of the Roanoke river, a short distance
below the town, within forty yards of a Confed-i
erate fort, on the parapet of which a Confeder-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 145
ate sentinel is pacing to and fro. It is not yet
daylight He finally, after recovering from his
exhaustion, stole to a clump of bushes to hide
himself when daylight approached from the sen
tinel on the rebel fort, and also from any pass
ers-by who might be In the vicinity.
Plymouth originally, as before the war, was
surrounded by cypress trees ; but when the war
began the timber for a mile around on the town
side of the river was cut down and the ground
cleared. Bushes had, however, here and there
commenced to grow. This clearing also was
interspersed with stumps, tangle-wood, swamps,
creeping briers and black inky pools of water.
It was in one of these clumps of bushes Cush
ing hid. Two ofificers of the Albemarle soon
came along by a path which led them near by
wjiere Cushing was concealed. Whilst passing
he overheard one of them say to the other:
"The Albemarle is sunk, and the Yankees will
be in possession of Plymouth before twenty-four
hours, and all h — 1 can't prevent them." Cush
ing was anxious, after he had rested awhile In
the bushes, to gain the edge of the woods,
nearly a mile away. In order to do this, he had
to move cautiously on his back, by his heels

146 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
and elbows, from clump of bushes to clump of
bushes. This he would have to do when the
back of the sentinel was turned toward him.
The moment the picket marched on the para
pet of the Confederate fort with his face toward
Cushing, the latter would have to lie still and
at the same time look out for any one that
might be in search of him. Such locomotion
under such circumstances required endurance,
coolness, patience and energy, No doubt he
thought of the prayers of his dear mother in the
North, and the conversation they had had to
gether when traveling over the Arkwright Hills,
New York. He certainly thought of them, and
was anxious to be reunited with his dear sailor
companions. Whatever his thoughts may have
been, he, after having been exposed to the
fatigue, the difificulties, the dangers, the anxie
ties and the pains of the journey, finally about
dusk arrived at the edge of the woods. While
here he induced a colored man, by placing a
twenty-dollar greenback in his hand, to go and
visit the ram and report to him. The colored
man in a short time returned and reported to
Cushing: "The Albemarle is clare gone sunk."
Cushing then possibly walked three miles

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 147
around the timbered swamps and boggy ground
before he arrived at a creek, a tributary to the
Roanoke, in which he found a dug-out or small
boat belonging to a Confederate picket toggled
to a cypress tree, which he stealthily appropri
ated, and in which he paddled himself to the
mouth of the Roanoke river, where Acting En
sign Milton Webster discovered him and took
him into the cutter and rowed him to the Valley
City. Cushing and one of his volunteer men
by the name of Houghton, were the only ones
of the launch's crew that were saved from death
or capture.
Commander Wm. H. Macomb, commanding
the fleet on board the flagship Shamrock, hav
ing heard the alarm at the mouth of the Roan
oke river, steamed alongside the Valley City
and hailed Captain Brooks, and asked, " What
is the matter at the mouth of the Roanoke
river?" Captain Brooks replied by saying,
"Lieutenant Cushing has arrived aboard, sir,
and reports the Albemarle blown up this morn
ing at 3:15 o'clock." "Aye, aye, sir," re
sponded Captain Macomb. "Valley City?
Ahoy ! " called Commander Macomb. " Aye,
aye, sir ! " replied Captain Brooks. " Captain

148 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Brooks!" shouted Commander Macomb, "order
your crew to take position to ' cheer ship,' and
at the general signal give Lieutenant William
B. Cushing three hearty good cheers." A like
order was given the Captain ^of each of the
other vessels of the fleet by Commander Ma
comb. When the general signal was given,
such cheering ! It made those swamps, forests
and waters resound with the voices of glad-
hearted men.
After Lieutenant Cushing had partaken of a
good, substantial supper aboard the Valley City,
Captain Brooks rowed him to the flagship Sham
rock, where he staid the same night with Com
mander Macomb. About midnight the fleet|
had a sort of jubilee in steaming down the
sound about six miles, firing rockets and blank
cartridges into the air, and then returned and
anchored for the night at the mouth of the
Roanoke river.
On the following day, October 29, at 1 1 o'clock
a. m., the fleet weighed anchor with every
man at his post, and proceeded up the Roan
oke river for the purpose of confirming the re
port of the ram having been sunk, and if true,
to capture Plymouth. Commander William H,

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 149
Macomb had transferred his headquarters from
the Shamrock to the U. S. Steamer Wyalusing,
for it was thought that the Shamrock, on ac
count of a projecting ram under water at her
bow, would be too unwieldy for river purposes,
but was intended only to be used specially In
close quarters with the ram Albemarle in case
she should again return into the sounds. Lieu
tenant Cushing accompanied Commander Ma
comb on the Wyalusing, commanded by Lieu
tenant Commander Earl English, which led; the
Valley City second, followed by the Commo
dore Hull, Otsego, Chicopee, Tacony, Bazely,
and the tug Belle.
Plymouth is a small town situated on the
right bank of the Roanoke river, eight miles
from its mouth, surrounded by swamps, tangle-
wood and cypress trees as far as the eye can
reach. One mile above Plymouth the waters
of the Roanoke river divide, forming two
streams; one, the smaller, the East river; the
other, a continuation of the Roanoke river. At
about three-quarters of the distance from the
mouth of the Roanoke river to Plymouth, the
East river and the Roanoke river are connected
by what is called the Middle river, so that these

150 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
three rivers in their courses at these points form
a figure resembHngthe capital letter A — the left
line, the Roanoke river; the right line, the
East river, and the horizontal line, the Mid
dle river. The Middle river therefore is a very
short river. The other two rivers empty into
the Albemarle sound.
The fleet steamed up the Roanoke river in the
order named. On the gun-deck of the Wyalu
sing I could plainly see from the deck of the
Valley City, Commander William H. Macomb,
and the hero. Lieutenant William B. Cushing,
standing erect near together, ready for the fray.
It was a thrilling sight to see these daring men
standing together unmoved. The day was
beautiful ; the birds were singing in the branches
of the trees, the leaves of which were being
gently rustled by the wind, and the water could
be heard as it dripped from the wheels of the
fleet as they made their slow revolutions, for we
were steaming under two bells. All else was
quiet. No man said a word. This was not
strange, for we believed the river to be full of]
torpedoes and its banks lined with sharpshoot
ers. The fleet ascended farther and farther up
the river till it reached the Middle river, when the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 5 I
Valley City steamed through the Middle river to
the East river, up which she steamed. The
remainder of the fleet, with the Wyalusing still
leading, continued on up the Roanoke river.
The surface of the ground in this locality
abounds with swamps, tangle-wood and large
cypress trees, so that a person's view Is limited
to a very small portion of the river Itself The
East river had never been known before to
be navigable for large-sized vessels. The stream
was narrow and very serpentine, abounding In
sharp curves. At some of these curves the
Valley City would throw out hawsers round
trees in order to pull her round the bends in
the river. The crew of the Valley City labored
hard in getting the Valley City up the East
river. Captain Brooks was a very energetic
and daring officer, and seldom undertook to
execute an order that he did not successfully
accomplish. The Valley City made headway
slowly, sometimes hard and fast aground, at
other times afloat.
After arriving at a point in the East river
opposite Plymouth, we heard heavy firing by
the fleet which continued an hour and then sud
denly ceased. We then thought, of course,

152 RANDOM THOUGHTS,
Plymouth had been captured by the remainder
of the fleet. At this point the Valley City
picked up Houghton, the only other man of the
launch's crew who had been saved besides Cush
ing from death or capture. The Valley City
continued to ascend the East river, and after
encountering many difficulties on account of the
narrowness and crookedness of the river, she
finally arrived in the Roanoke river, one mile
above Plymouth and nine miles within the Con
federate lines, about 2 p. m. From this point we
could see the town of Plymouth, but we could
see no fleet nor American flag. The stars and
bars were still floating over Plymouth. We
concluded then that the Albemarle might not
have been sunk, and had driven the fleet back
into the Sound. Captain Brooks and Paymas
ter Sands, to reconnolter more closely, manned
a cutter and rowed down the Roanoke river
about half a mile, where they were saluted from
a Confederate battery at Plymouth with a solid
shot which came ricochetting up the river near
the cutter. The cutter then returned in the
shade of the river to the Valley City. The
cutter had not gone down the river far enough
to make any discovery in regard, to the ram

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 153
Albemarle. The ofificers and crew of the Val
ley City now took' dinner. We can see from the
decks of the Valley City that the Confederates
around Plymouth are riding and running hur
riedly in every direction to and fro. The Valley
City now prepared to be blown up in a mo
ment's warning, for the supposition was that
she could not escape down the same rivers she
had ascended, on account of the Albemarle, if
she was still floating. She, therefore, decided
to steam down the East river to its mouth.
The position of the Valley City seemed to be a
dangerous one, for she could have been, in any
event, easily captured or disabled by a squad
of determined Confederates. Of course, it was
not a very happy feeling to fear the ram Albe
marle might cut off the retreat of the Valley
City, or that she might be captured by the Con
federates or sunk by a torpedo.
We ascertained afterward that, whilst lying
in the Roanoke river above Plymouth, the tug
Belle, commanded by Acting Master James G.
Green, was ordered up the East river in search
of the Valley City, but after ascending well up
the East river. Captain Green gave up the search
and returned to the fleet and reported that he

154 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
could not discover the Valley City. The Con
federates at Plymouth, too, whilst the Valley
City was lying in the Roanoke river above
Plymouth, concocted a scheme to capture her,
but Captain Brooks was not a man to be caught
napping. Whilst the scheme was maturing, the
Valley City was preparing to steam down the
East river.
After some delay, therefore, and an exchange
of shot with the enemy at Plymouth, she de
scended the East river toward its mouth, and,
after encountering many difficulties and delays,
the Valley City finally arrived in the Albemarle
Sound safely about 8 o'clock p. m., and found
the balance of the fleet anchored In the Sound
near the mouth of the Roanoke river. The bal
ance of the fleet had ascended the Roanoke
river till it came to the sunken Southfield, and
on each side of her one of the two schooners
that had been used in endeavoring to raise the
Southfield by the Confederates had been sunk.
This obstruction placed the fleet at a disad
vantage to the enemy, and prevented it from as
cending farther up the river. It, therefore, de
scended the river to the Albemarle Sound.
It may be stated that the reconnoitering of

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 55
the Valley City up the East river demon
strated the fact that this river was navigable,
and that Plymouth could be approached by the
fleet through the East river, which fact proved
afterward to be of practical benefit to the fleet.
Commander William H. Macomb was finally
well convinced that the ram Albemarle was
sunk. The Valley City was now detailed to
take Lieutenant William B. Cushing to Hamp
ton Roads. Consequently when the gallant
Cushing had arrived aboard she weighed anchor
at 12:30 a. m., Sunday, October 30, 1864, and
proceeded through the Sounds of North Caro
lina, through the swash or Ocracoke Inlet, and
thence by way of the Atlantic Ocean, and arrived
at Hampton Roads where she anchored at 7
a. m., Tuesday, November i, 1864. Lieutenant
Cushing, during the voyage, occupied the cabin,
but during the day he was often seen pacing
the starboard deck of the Valley City.
When the Valley City had arrived at Hampton
Roads with Lieutenant Cushing aboard, he im
mediately reported In person on the flagship to
Rear Admiral David D. Porter, U. S. N., the suc
cess of his daring achievement of having blown
up the Confederate ram Albemarle. The day

156 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
was beautiful. There was a fleet composed of
at least a hundred vessels floating gracefully at
anchor on the waters of Hampton Roads, pre
paratory to making an onslaught on Wilming
ton, N. C. Among the vessels that seemed to
float most gracefully was the United States
steamer Kearsarge, of Commodore Winslow
and Alabama fame. My attention was first
directed to her by overhearing an old sailor say:
" Does she not sit like a duck on the water?"
and truly she did.
This was a proud day to Cushing. Bands
were discoursing music, and their soft notes were
being wafted in the breeze over the waters. Flags
were flying, small boats were passing and repass
ing hither and thither, and naval ofificers were
being rowed from vessel to vessel in the fleet
A salute of twenty-one guns was fired in honor
of Cushing's daring exploit Reporters were
there from all the leading papers of the North,
and especially from those of New York City, to
flash by electric current the news of Cushing's
daring achievement all over the country. In
fact all was excitement dash and hurrah.
Lieutenant William B. Cushing Is -now dead,
and his remains rest at Annapolis, Maryland.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 57
He was one of the bravest men that ever trod
the decks of a man of war. Peace to his ashes.
Commander William H. Macomb is also dead.
He died in the City of Brotherly Love whilst
taking a bath. We all loved him. God bless
him !
It is likely that many others also who partici
pated In and witnessed those stirring scenes
have since gone to join the majority.
JoHH M. Batten,
Fifth Avemie and Ross Street.
Pittsburg, November 17, 1894.
The cutter of the Shamrock captured four
Rebel soldiers on picket on the Southfield and
brought them along safely to the squadron.

158 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Published in the New York Herald^ Thursday, November 3, 1864,.
THE RAM AI^BEMARIvE.
DESTRUCTION OF THE FAMOUS REBEL IRON-CLAD— THE
RAM SUNK BY A TORPEDO — DESTRUCTION OF THE
TORPEDO BOAT — TERRIBLE MUSKETRY FIRE — ES-
'CAPE OF LIEUTENANT CUSHING— HIS ADVEN
TURES IN THE SWAMP — PULL AND INTER
ESTING DETAILS OF HIS BRILLIANT
ACHIEVEMENT — THE CASUALTIES
— ETC., ETC., ETC.
LIEUTENANT CUSHING'S OFFICIAL REPORT.
Washington, November 2, 1864.
Admiral Porter has communicated to the
Secretary of the Navy the following interesting
particulars from Lieutenant Cushing, in regard
to the sinking of the rebel ram Albemarle:
'Albemarle Sound, October 30, 1864.
" Sir : I have the honor to report that the
rebel ram Albemarle is at the bottom of the
Roanoke river.
"On the night of the 27th Inst, having pre
pared my steam launch, I proceeded toward
Plymouth with fifteen ofificers and men, partly
volunteers from the squadron.
"The distance from the mouth of the river
to the ram was about eight miles, the stream

^ TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 59
averaging in width some two hundred yards,
and lined with the enemy's pickets.
"A mile below the town was the wreck of the
Southfield, surrounded by some schooners, and
it was understood that a gun was mounted
there to command the bend. I therefore took
one of the Shamrock's cutters In tow, with or
ders to cast it off and board at that point in case
we were hailed.
"Our boat succeeded In passing the pickets,
and even the Southfield within thirty feet with
out discovery, and we were not hailed until by
the lookouts on the ram.
"The cutter was then cut ofif and ordered
below, while we made for our enemy under a
full head of steam. The rebels sprang their
ratde, rang the bell and commenced firing, at
the same time repeating their hail, and seeming
much confused.
"The light of the fire ashore showed me the
iron-clad made fast to the wharf with logs
around her, about thirty feet from her .side.
Passing her closely, we made a complete semi
circle, so as to strike her fairly, and went Into
her bows on.
" By this time the enemy's fire was very se-

l6o RANDOM THOUGHTS.
vere, but a dose of canister, at short range,
seemed to moderate their zeal and disturb their
aim. " Paymaster Swann, of the Otsego, was
wounded near me, but how many more I know
not. Three bullets struck my clothing, and the
air seemed full of them.
"In a moment we had struck the logs just
abreast of the quarter port, breaking them in
some feet, our bows resting on them. The tor
pedo boom was then lowered, and by a vigor
ous pull I succeeded in diving the torpedo under
the over-hang, and exploding it
" At the same time the Albemarle's guns were,
fired. A shot seemed to go crashing through
my boat and a dense mass of water rolled in
from the torpedo, filling the launch, and com
pletely disabling her.
" The enemy then continued their fire at fif
teen feet range, and demanded our surrender,
which I twice refused, ordering the men to save
themselves ; and removing my overcoat and
shoes, and springing Into the river, I swam with
others into the middle of the stream, the rebels
failing to hit us.
" The most of our party were captured ; some

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. , l6l
were drowned, and only one escaped besides
myself, and he in another direction.
"Acting Master's mate Woodman, of the
Commodore Hull, met me In the water half a
mile below the town, and I assisted him as best
I could, but failed to get him ashore. Com
pletely exhausted, I managed to reach the shore,
but was too weak to crawl out of the water
until just at daylight when I managed to creep
into the swamp close to the fort
"While hiding close' to the path, the Albe
marle's ofificers passed, and I judged from their
conversation that the ram was destroyed. Some
hours traveling In the swamp served to bring
me out well below the town, when I sent a
negro in to gain Information, and found that the
ram was truly sunk. Proceeding through an
other swamp, I came to a creek, and captured
a skiff belonging to a picket of the enemy, and
with this, by eleven o'clock the next night I
made my way out to the Valley City.
" Acting Master's mate William L. Howorth,
of the Monticello, showed as usual conspicuous
bravery. He is the same officer who has been
with me twice in Wilmington Harbor. I trust
he may be promoted when exchanged, as well

I 62 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
as Acting Third Assistant Engineer Stolsbury,
who, being for the first time under fire, handled
his engine promptly and with coolness. All the
ofificers and men behaved in the most gallant
manner. " The cutter of the Shamrock boarded the
Southfield, but found no guns there. F'our
prisoners were taken there. The ram is now
completely submerged, and the enemy have
sunk two schooners in the river to obstruct the
passage of our ships.
"I desire to call the attention of the Admiral
and department to the spirit manifested by the
sailors on the ships in these Sounds. But few
hands were wanted, but all hands were eager to
go Into the action, offering their chosen ship
mates a month's pay to resign in their favor.
" I am sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
"W. B. CusniNG, U. S. N.
•"Rear Admiral D. D. Porter, Commanding the
North Atlantic Squadron.
"The name of the man who escaped was
Edward J. Houghton, seaman on the Chicopee,
He did his duty well, and deserves a medal of
honor. Respectfully, "Wm. B. Gushing, U. S. N."

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 63

¦"the hero of the albemarle in washington.
"Washington, Nov. 2, 1864.
"Lieutenant Cushing arrived here to-day,
bringing with him the official report of the par
ticulars attending his destruction of the rebel
ram Albemarle. This act relieves all the Sounds
¦of North Carolina from floating enemies, and
thus leaves them free to the operations of our
fleet Lieutenant Cushing is a citizen of and
was appointed from, th'e State of New York.
He is satisfied that a large number of lives
must have been lost by the blowing up of the
Albemarle as her guns were all manned. The
Secretary of the Navy will recommend to Con
gress a vote of thanks, and he will be promoted
to a Lieutenant Commander."
After having conveyed Captain Wm. B.
Cushing aboard the flag-ship of the fleet the
Valley City the same day, at 2^ p. m., weighed
anchor, and proceeded to ofif Norfolk, Va., and
from thence to the United States Navy Yard at
Gosport, Va., and was put on the dry dock for
repairs. After the repairs of the Valley City
were completed, on Sunday, November 27, at
4}4 p. m., she got under weigh, and arrived at

I 64 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Hampton Roads, Va., where she anchored at
6}4; o'clock p. m. On Monday, November 28th,
at 1 1 3^ o'clock, a. m., she weighed anchor, and
arrived at the Swash or Ocracoke Inlet at 9^
o'clock a. m., Tuesday, November 29. At 2
o'clock a. m., on Wednesday, November 30^
the Valley City arrived at ofif Plymouth, and at
3^ o'clock of the same morning the Valley
City was ordered to off Newbern : she weighed
anchor and proceeded toward off Newbern.
She arrived at ofif Roanoke Island at ii^^
o'clock a. m. Her orders were then counter
manded, and at 2 p. m. the Valley City steamed
toward off Plymouth, where she arrived at 10
p. m. Sunday, December 30, 1864.
The remainder of the fleet commanded by
Commander Wm. H. Macomb steamed up the
Roanoke river, then across through the Middle
river and up the East river, and came to an an
chor in Roanoke river above Plymouth, N. C,
On Monday, October 31, 1864, the fleet
weighed anchor and steamed down to off Ply
mouth, and after a fierce engagement by the
fleet with the Confederate batteries ashore the
place fell into the hands of the Federals. The

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 165
ram Albemarle soon afterward was raised by
the United States Government
On Thursday, December i, I went ashore at
Plymouth, and observed the ram Albemarle as
she lie at the bottom of the river. At 1 2: 1 5 p. m.,
the Valley City left oft" Plymouth, and arrived
at off Edenton at 2 p. m., and at 4 p. m., she
weighed anchor and proceeded toward off Roa
noke Island, where she arrived at 8 o'clock,
a. m., December 2, and at 9^ o'clock p. m., the
Valley City left off Roanoke Island, and arrived
at off Newbern at i o'clock p. m., Saturday, De
cember 3d. Sunday, December 4, I attended
church at Newbern.
Monday, December 5, I visited the graves of
Captain Charles W. Flusser and Acting Assist
ant-Surgeon George W. Wilson. The latter
died after two hours' sickness, of yellow fever.
He was stationed, at the time, on the United
States steamer Hetzel, off Newbern, and was
the surgeon of that vessel when he contracted
the disease. He was a young man, and was
expecting soon to return North and visit his
aged parents, and also a betrothed young lady.
They waited, but he never came.
On Tuesday, December 6th, at 4 o'clock

1 66 RANDOM Thoughts.
p. m., she left ofif Newbern, with Commander
W. H Macomb and his son on board, and on
Wednesday, December 7, at 8j4 o'clock a. m.,
she arrived at ofif Roanoke Island. The Valley
City left off Roanoke Island at 1 2 o'clock m.,
and arrived at ofif Plymouth at 10 p. m. On
Thursday, December 8, at 12^ o'clock p. m.,
she left off" Plymouth, and arrived at off Edenton
at 2^ o'clock p. m. She left off Edenton at 8
o'clock p. m., and anchored at 10 o'clock p. m.,
at the mouth of the Roanoke river, where the
U. S. steamer Ceres and a schooner were anch
ored. On Friday, December 9, at 9 o'clock
a. m., the Valley City weighed anchor and pro
ceeded to off Plymouth, where she arrived at
10 o'clock a. m. RAINBOW BLUFF.
HOW A FLEET WENT UP THE ROANOKE AND CAME DOWN
AGAIN.
In the fall of 1864, when General U. S. Grant
was shortening his lines around Petersburg, it
was his policy to have every man, both In the
army and navy, employed, in order to draw off
as many as possible from General Lee's forces
at Petersburg. Accordingly, for the purpose of

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 67
capturing Rainbow Bluff, the fleet, composed of
the United States steamers Wyalusing, Otsego,
General Berry, Bazely, Valley City, Chicopee,.
tug Belle, and the picket launch No. 5, weighed
anchor at 5 p. m., December 9, 1864, and pro
ceeded up the Roanoke river, with Commander
W. H. Macomb on board the Wyalusing lead
ing, the Valley City second, and the Otsego
third, followed by the Chicopee, Bazely, Gen
eral Berry, tug Belle, and the steam launch
No. 5.
Commander Macomb was informed by what
he supposed was reliable authority that there
were no torpedoes in the river from Plymouth
to above Jamesville, twelve miles up the river.
A fortunate occurrence for the Valley City took
place on our passage to Jamesville. The engine
of the Valley City gave out and the engineer
slowed up and repaired the damage, the Otsego
in the meantime passing on ahead. By this
circumstance the Valley City became third, and
the Otsego second. We arrived at off James
ville about 9 p. m. The Wyalusing signaled the
fleet to come to an anchor, and just as the fleet
was slowing up preparatory to anchoring, we
heard a loud report the concussion of which

I 68 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
shook the Valley City, which was a short dis
tance off, as if there were an earthquake in
the locality. Presendy It -was reported that the
Otsego was lost, two torpedoes, one before and
the other aft, striking her simultaneously, and
sinking her to the bottom of the river. From
some fortunate occurrence, the Wyalusing had
passed safely over the place where the Otsego
was blown up.
On the following day^ December lo, there
was found to be a perfect nest of torpedoes in
the river ofif Jamesville, and while passing near
by the wreck of the Otsego, the Bazely was
blown literally to pieces. Captain Aimes in com
mand of her, and the pilot, and also paymaster
Louis Sands, of the Shamrock, were in the
pilot-house at the time the explosion took place,
and were blown with the pilot-house about
thirty feet into the air, and alighted in the river
unhurt William C. Rossell, a lad, and John
Gerrard, first-class boy, were killed. Captain
Aimes then immediately reported to Commander
Macomb that "the Bazely Is gone up," but by
that time she had gone down.
The Roanoke river, from Jamesville to Poplar
Point a distance of thirty-eight miles, . was

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. i 69
dragged for torpedoes. In all. In the river be
tween these two points, the drag-boats took up
and exploded eighty torpedoes. From James
ville on, the Valley City took the lead, having
previously rigged a torpedo- fender on her bow.
The river was dragged by means of six boats'
crews, each two of which were paired, rowing
about twenty feet apart, with a chain suspended
between them, dragging along the bottom of
the river. Each torpedo was anchored at the
bottom of the river by means of a rope, one
end of which was tied to the torpedo, the other
end to a staple fastened in the centre of the
surface of a hemisphere of iron six inches in
diameter, resting at the bottom of the river.
The rope was sufficiently long to float the tor
pedo just beneath the surface of the v/ater.
The torpedoes were made of tin, each about
eighteen inches long and ten inches in diameter,
and divided into two separate apartments, one
for air, the other for powder. Through the
centre of each torpedo, running longitudinally,
there was an iron bar placed, extending beyond
each end. On the upper end there was a spring
trigger, which was held by a light iron cross
bar, Ingeniously attached to the longitudinal bar.

170 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
SO arranged that from the lightest touch it would
fall ofif, letting the trigger fall on the upper part
of the torpedo, striking a percussion cap imme
diately underneath it in the powder chamber,
thus exploding the torpedo.
The drag- boats were protected as much as
possible by the Valley City following close after,
watching the banks of the river on either side.
There were dykes on each side of the river, be
hind which in the undergrowth the rebels often
lurked. To obviate this. Commander W. H.
Macomb ordered the marines to march a short
distance ahead of the drag-boats on either
side of the river ; but notwithstanding this pre
caution, the men in the drag-boats were fired
into, and several were either wounded or killed
by the sharpshooters. Sometimes the marines
ashore would be driven back. The farther up
the river the fleet proceeded, the more numerous
the rebels became, and the more its difficulties
increased. The men in the drag-boats did not
consider the place a very safe one by any
means, and went into the drag-boats with many
forebodings. It was not a desirable place either
on the Valley City, for there was a constant
dread of torpedoes below and sharpshooters
above.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 7 1
UP AND DOWN THE RIVER.
The Valley City left ofif Jamesville at 8 a. m.,
December 1 2, and dragged the river, as I have
described. In the evening she had proceeded a
few miles above Jamesville. I will now quote
as I have it in my diary, which was written at
that time.
Tuesday, December 13, at 5:30 p. m., the Val
ley City was ordered back to Jamesville to cover
the army. (I will state by way of parenthesis that
the army forces at Plymouth, commanded by
Colonel Frankle, had promised the fleet their
co-operation, but in this the fleet was disap
pointed.) She proceeded down the river as far
as the fleet when her orders were counter
manded and she returned to drag the river.
The remainder of the fleet would lay at anchor,
whilst the drag-boats, with the Valley City,
would proceed four or five miles up the river;
then the balance of the fleet would get under
weigh, and steam up to the Valley City, and
then come to an anchor again ; but when the
rebels commenced to thicken in the woods along
the river, the fleet kept together behind the
drag^boats. Friday, December 1 6. — The drag-boats have

172 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
been dragging the river, and have advanced to
within a short distance of off Wllliamston. At
12 m. they arrived at off Wllliamston. Here
the Valley City anchored. I went ashore at this
place. It is a small place on the right bank of
the Roanoke river — the ground rising gently
from the river to a ridge in the rear of the town.
The houses are built of frame, and very much
scattered. A family I visited there showed me
a hole in their house made by a Federal shell
passing through it. One of the inmates of the
house had been sitting In a chair in a room in
the fine of the shell, and just a moment before
the shell came crashing through the house the
lady went into an adjoining room, thus escap
ing. The chair in which she had been sitting
was knocked to atoms. At i p. m. she left
off Wllliamston, and at 5 p. m. she anchored.
Saturday, December 17. — The Valley lay at
anchor all day. In the morning I was astonished
to see a hog swim across the Roanoke river im
mediately in front of her, because I have always
heard it said that swine will not swim. This
was the first and only hog I ever saw swim. At
1 1 a. m., I went ashore to where an old man
lived; he was covered with rags, and lived in a

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 73
secluded spot close by the water's edge. He
had no family but a little boy about eleven
years of age. There was not even a cow or
horse to be seen — everything around him be
tokened distress and misery. I asked him how
long he had been living here. He replied, " I
have been living here six years." I then asked
him if he enjoyed this sort of life. He answered,
"No." I asked him if he had an education. He
said, "I can neither read nor write." I then
asked if he intended to give his son an educa
tion. He replied that before the war he had
intended to give his son an education, but now
times were so hard that it was barely possible
for him to get sufficient to eat. After bidding
him farewell, I returned aboard.
Sunday, December 18. — At 2 p. m. the Valley
City got under weigh to drag the river. At 5
p. m. she anchored for the night. The nights are
dark and foggy, and the rebel musketeers and
sharpshooters frequently come up under cover
of the darkness behind the dykes, and give us
a wholesome dose from their rifles ; but they
are soon hurled back again by a dose of grape
from our guns. During the nights, to prevent
floating torpedoes coming down the river, small

174 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
boats or skiffs that we had captured from the
enemy were tied in a line across the river above
the fleet
Monday, December 19. — The launches that
have been dragging the river have been fired
into, and Acting Master Wells and two men of
the Chicopee were wounded. This event caused
the rowers of the drag-boats to become so much
panic-stricken that they dropped their oars, lay
down in the bottom of the launches, and allowed
their boats to float down with the current It was
with much difficulty that Captain J. A. J. Brooks,
by calling to them from the Valley City, could
get them aroused ; but finally they came along
side. The drag-boats, however, kept on drag
ging the river till they came to a point in the Ro
anoke river, where the fleet anchored. The
river at this point where the fleet is anchored
makes a bend like that of a horseshoe. The
ground on the inside of the bend, on the right
bank of the river, is low and level, and covered
with young saplings or undergrowth. At the
heels of this horse-shoe bend ran a high ridge,
covered partly with poplar trees and partly with
white-oak trees. The fleet lay on the Plymouth
stretch of the river, or near stretch, and at the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 75
end of the far stretch, where the river runs
under the high bluff, the rebels, as we ascer
tained afterward, had fortified with artillery, and
an army said to be six thousand strong. Com
mander Macomb did not then suspect he would
find the rebels in force, till the fleet got to
Rainbow Bluff. This place was known by the
name of Poplar Point
All the fleet was at anchor, and had been
since 3 o'clock p. m. The day was beautiful.
The fish were nibbling at pieces of hard tack
which had been thrown overboard by the sail
ors. The current of the river rushed swiftly
past, making the rudder flap in the water. The
men were lounging about on the berth deck,
resting. The cook was preparing supper, the
messenger boys were carrying victuals from
the galley to the ward-room, and placing them
on the table. The officer of the deck was pac
ing to and fro on the starboard side of th^e ves
sel. Captain Brooks was In his cabin. Many
of the ofificers were in the ward-room. All else
was quiet. I was pacing the port side of the
Valley City. Pilot John A. Lewis was standing
on the after hatchway, a litde above the gun-
deck amidships. As I approached him in walk

176 RANDOBI THOUGHTS.
Ing from the bow of the vessel toward him, I
said to him, " Pilot, what do you think of the
prospect of getting to Rainbow Bluff?'' He
replied, "I think we will get there by and by, if
we have patience and the rebels don't blow us
up." Just as I was turning to pace to the bow
of the Valley City, I heard a report ashore like
that of a number of barrels of fire-crackers ex
ploding. Simultaneously with this explosion, I
heard the zipping of bullets in the air close to
my head, and striking the bulwark of the ves
sel close by me. Then artillery fire commenced.
In the meantime three loud and prolonged
rattles were sprung by the ofificer of the deck,
calling all hands to quarters. I ran down the
forward hatchway and through the berth-deck
to the dispensary, which was my station, and
which was just in front of the boiler on the
berth-deck, and at the foot of the steps of the
hatchway on which John A. Lewis was standing
when the firing commenced. He was passed
down to me, killed by a bullet from a sharp
shooter, passing through his head from ear to
ear. John A. Lewis was pilot of the ill fated
Otsego, and had been ordered aboard the Val
ley City for general duty after the sinking of

Two YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 177
that vessel. At the time that pilot John A.
Lewis was killed, I had my full officer's uniform
on, but he had on a blouse and soft felt hat I
felt certain at the time that the ball that killed
John A. Lewis was intended for me, as I was
nearly In line of the shot.
The rebels made it pretty warm for the fleet
from 5 to 9 o'clock p. m. The Valley City was
struck three times with shell, and fired one hun
dred and thirty-six shots. One of the shells that
struck the Valley City came into a lamp-closet
just over my head and near the end of the
boiler, but did not explode. An old sailor sit
ting near by where I was standing, upon seeing
the ceiling broken above my head, said, " Don't
be alarmed; lightning nor shells never strike
twice in the same place." Another shell went
crashing through the ward-room, down through
an old family Bible (which Acting Ensign Mil
ton Webster had captured ashore), and then
out of the ward-room through a passage-way
in which some negroes off the Ostego were lying
concealed, killing them, and then exploding in
the river. In the meantime, the remainder of
the fleet kept up a constant fire.
During the batde. Acting Ensign Milton

178 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Webster performed some acts of daring, by
taking the end of a hawser in a cutter, manned
by negroes, ashore, and making it fast to a tree,
under a shower of bullets and shells. The cut
ter was pierced several times with bullets, but
nobody in it was hurt. The hawser was made
fast to a tree for the purpose of drawing the
stern of the Valley City around, so as to bring
her guns to bear on the enemy.
After a brisk fire from the fleet for four hours,
the rebels ceased firing, but annoyed the fleet
during the night by squads of infantry firing
from behind the dykes and then running away.
It was dangerous to have a light aboard the
vessel, and we were therefore compelled to
take our suppers as best we could in the dark.
Tuesday, December 20. — The fleet is engaged
in burying the dead and skirmishing with the
enemy, the rebels with 'their accustomed bar
barity firing on the burying party. The fleet
was annoyed all day by the sharpshooters and
batteries of the enemy, but continued to hold
its own and to keep the enemy back.
On Wednesday, December 21, the Valley
City weighed anchor at 2:10 o'clock p. m. The
Confederates were firing musketry at the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 79
Wyalusing. At 2:40 p. m. the Valley City
steamed ahead, around the turn which opened
up the far stretch of the river. This stretch of
the river was covered by rebel artillery. The
Valley City had scarcely showed her bow
around the turn, till she received a severe shot
from a rebel battery, which plunged diagon
ally through the pilot-house, which was lined
outside with half-inch iron, knocking off the door
thereto, wounding three men — the pilot John A.
Wilson, Charles Hall, and John Wood : the
latter two were mortally wounded. The Valley
City immediately dropped out of range of said
battery, and came to anchor at 3:05 p. m. In
the evening the fleet dropped farther down on
the near stretch of the river. The Valley City
lost her torpedo-fender.
December 22. — Last night the fleet was again
annoyed by musketry and sharpshooters ashore.
During the day, after burying the dead, the
Valley City dropped down below the fleet to
arrange on her bow another torpedo- fender.
About 2:20 p. m. we heard loud whistling from
the steam launch No. 5, which was bringing up
the mail from Plymouth. I was standing on the
poop-deck, and through the bushes on the flat on

l8o RANDOM THOUQHTS.
the Inside of the bend I saw a regiment of rebels
running toward the launch, at the same time
keeping up a rapid fire at her. The Valley City
dropped her torpedo-fender, steamed down the
river, and after firing a few shots of grape at the
rebels, they retreated. In the meantime. Com
mander W. H. Macomb learned that the rebels
had been removing their batteries that com
manded the far stretch of the river to a point be
low the fleet, so as to command the near stretch,
and If possible prevent its returning down the
river, and thereby capture the fleet. Matters
were becoming desperate, and Commander
Macomb therefore determined to retreat down
the river. The Valley City was the first to go
by the rebel batteries, the remainder of the fleet
keeping up a rapid fire at the enemy. The cur
rent of the river was so strong, and the bend
under the rebel batteries so sharp, that the Val
ley City whirled round like a water-wheel, first
striking her bow against the shore, and then her
stern. I was fearful she might be boarded. An
attempt was also made to fell trees on the fleet
whilst passing. After the Valley City had
passed safely by the rebel batteries, she came to
anchor, trained her guns on the enemy, and in

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. I 8 1
conjunction with the remainder of the fleet above
the bend of the river, kept up a rapid fire whilst a
second vessel passed ; and thus one vessel of
the fleet after another passed safely around the
turn of the river, under fire of the rebel batteries.
Commander Macomb now gave the Valley
City orders to proceed down the river cautiously,
and have the river dragged in our rear. For a
short distance Captain J. A. J. Brooks had the
men in cutters, drag the river ; but after con
sulting his executive ofificer, Milton Webster,
Acting Assistant Paymaster J. W. Sands and
myself, as to the propriety of steaming down the
river without dragging It it was agreed upon
to call the drag-boats in, and she proceeded
down the river, shelling the woods on the right
bank of the river, and then came to an anchor
above Wllliamston.
Friday, December 23. — The Valley City con
tinued steaming down the river, and anchored at
off Wllliamston at 1 2 m. At i p. m. she weighed
anchor and steamed to off Jamesville, where
she arrived at 5 p. m., the remainder of the
fleet following close in her rear.
On Saturday, December 24, the Valley City
proceeded two miles up the river to tug the

l82 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Chicopee ofif, which had got transversely across
the river, preventing the fleet behind her from
descending. The Valley City then returned
and anchored at off Jamesville at lo o'clock a. m.
The fleet is all now anchored at off Jamesville,
and is engaged in destroying the wreck of the
Otsego. During this expedition I never had
my clothes or shoes off.
On Thursday, December 29, at iij4 o'clock
a. m., the Valley City weighed anchor and pro
ceeded to off Plymouth, where she arrived at
12^ p. m.
[Pnblished in the New York Herald of January g, 1865.]
NEWBERN.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS OP THE EXPEDITION UP ROANOKE
RIVER — THE FLEET REACHES POPLAR POINT.
FROM OUR NEWBERN (n. C.) CORRESPONDENT.
Newbern, N. C, December 27, 1864.
The expedition that left Plymouth, N. C, on
the 9th instant, has returned and anchored off"
Jamesville, Roanoke river, haying by arduous
labor accomplished results that reflect great
credit upon the commanding ofificer and his
subordinates.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 183,
ORGANIZATION OF THE EXPEDITION.
The naval portion of this expedition sailed
from Plymouth on the evening of the 9th in
stant. In the following order: Wyalusing, Lieu
tenant Commander Earl English, bearing the
broad pennant of Commander W. H. Macomb,.
commanding the fourth division of the North
Adantic Squadron ; Valley City, Acting Master
J. A. J. Brooks ; Otsego, Commander Arnold;
Chicopee, Commander Hannell; Bazely, Act
ing Ensign Aimes ; tug Belle, Acting Master
Green; and the picket launch No. 5, Acting
Ensign Chapman. The Shamrock was to-
follow. A land force, commanded by Colonel Frankle,.
had started from Plymouth at daylight the same
morning, to co-operate with the fleet.
THE OTSEGO DESTROYED BY A TORPEDO. ¦
Without Interruption, the squadron at 9.
o'clock the same night arrived at Jamesville, a.
small town above Plymouth some twelve miles,
when the signal to anchor was made from the
flag-ship. The night being dark, and the river
flowing rapidly in its narrow and tortuous chan-

1 84 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
nel, it was thought best to proceed no farther
until daylight The Wyalusing had just let go
her anchor a ffew yards above the town, when
two loud reports were heard astern, and dense
volumes of smoke and steam were seen to en
velop the Otsego. That fine vessel had struck
two torpedoes, one under the port coal-bunker,
the other beneath the keelson, driving a large
hole through her bottom, and throwing one of
her hundred-pounder rifled Parrotts into the
air. She sank In fifteen minutes in three fath
oms of water, being a complete wreck. Her
ofificers and men lost all their clothing, except
what they had on at the moment of the ex
plosion, but were cared for by their comrades of
the other vessels, who hurried to their rescue,
and periled their own lives in saving their
shipwrecked fellow-sailors. Commander Arnold
behaved with great coolness, and his self-
possession soon restored order and discipline
on board the sunken ship, or rather on her hur
ricane deck, which alone remained out of water.
DESTRUCTION OF THE BAZELY.
In the morning orders were given to drag for
torpedoes, when it was found that the Otsego

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 185
had struck upon a perfect nest of them. The
boats which had been passing and repassing to
and from her during the night, had rowed over
numbers of them, happily without touching
them. Several were picked up alongside the
Otsego, and two were hanging to the torpedo-
fender rigged at her bow. The steamer Bazely
during the morning was ordered to run down
to Plymouth, to convey orders and dispatches,
taking on board for that purpose Paymaster
Louis Sands, of the Shamrock, who had been
detailed as one of Commander Macomb's aids
in this expedition. On her way down, being
directed to communicate with the Otsego, Cap
tain Aimes ran toward the sunken vessel, when
a torpedo struck the Bazely under the pilot
house, blowing a hole clear through her, killing
Wm. C. Rossell, a lad, and John Gerrard, first-
class boy, and sinking the ship Instantly. The
ofificers and remainder of the crew escaped by
swimming, and were picked up by boats. Cap
tain Aimes, upon returning to the flagship, thus
laconically reported his loss to Commander
Macomb: "Sir, the Bazely has gone up."
The destruction of two of our vessels so
quickly made things look blue, but the grit and

1 86 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
metal that headed the expedition were sufficient
to overcome such disasters.
A FRESH START.
Preparations were now fully carried out to
drag the river by boats for the torpedoes, which
were constantly found in the richest and choicest
clusters. In some places eight or nine being
placed across the river in a line, and having
susceptibilities of the most sensitive nature, go
ing off on the slightest provocation. Communi
cation with Plymouth having been obtained, the
signal was made to advance, the Valley City
taking the lead.
Mr. Chamberlain, a civilian, had volunteered
to go with the expedition with a calcium light,
which proved to be of great advantage to the
fleet in the intense darkness of the nights. The
light was placed on the leading vessel, and made
our pathway as clear as broad daylight
The fleet proceeded slowly, having six boats
constantly employed in dragging and picking
up torpedoes, which continued to be found in
great profusion. Large numbers were found
at Shad Island Bend and other points, and many
exploded in the attempt made to get them on

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 87
shore. Eighty were taken up in a distance of
thirty-eight miles. LIVING ON THE ENEMY.
The fleet anchored off several of the planta
tions along the river, and the men were allowed
to regale themselves with fresh provisions and
other luxurious articles that were contraband of
war. All articles of military value were taken
or destroyed, and a quantity of cotton pressed
into the service as bulwarks against the sharp
shooters who lined the banks of the stream.
Mr. Speller, a rich planter, owning a place called
Speller's Landing, was arrested and sent to
Plymouth. He had accepted a nomination to a
seat In the rebel Legislature, had three sons in
the rebel army, and was himself a bitter reviler
arid opponent of the government Other
prominent rebels were also seized and sent to
Plymouth. One of them offered Commander
Macomb and Lieutenant Commander English a
large amount of gold, which he had on his per
son, to release him; but like Paulding and Van
Wert of old, the patriotism of the sailor chiefs
revolted at the attempt to bribe them, and an
order to place the rebel in closer confinement

I 88 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
was the only result of the proposition. Cor
ruption has been little known in this war among
our naval ofificers ; and though many of them are
far from wealthy, their honor and good name
are more precious in their eyes than millions of
dishonorable wealth.
THE OPERATIONS OF THE ARMY.
It was part of the programme that Colonel
Frankle should communicate with the fleet at
Jamesville; but without waiting for the arrival
of the vessels, he pushed on his men to Foster's
Mills, where a skirmish ensued with the enemy,
who were repulsed. The mills were burned,
and Colonel Clark was left to hold the place,
while the main body proceeded onward, the
rebels retreating on Rainbow Banks, a very
strong and commanding position on the river,
twenty miles above Williamstori. The fleet
learned the news by one of Colonel Clark's
scouts, and the next day one of our picket boats,
which had been sent back to Jamesville, re
turned to the fleet, bringing additional intelli
gence that the army, getting out of provisions,
had fallen back to Jamesville. Commander
Macomb sent a dispatch to Colonel Frankle

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 89
commanding, stating that time was precious;
that the fleet would proceed at all hazards, and
would turn back for nothing until it reached the
bluff; and urging that the troops should go for
ward at once. A promise was returned that the
troops would again move forward In a short
time. THE FLEET APPROACHES POPLAR POINT.
The fleet kept on its way for several days
more, dragging the river at every step, explod
ing torpedoes, fighting sharpshooters, and press
ing forward toward Rainbow Bluff; until, on the
evening of the 19th, it turned a bend in the
stream, exposing to view Poplar Point, a high
blufif thoroughly commanding the river.
THE MARINES ON SHORE DUTY.
On our left, after doubling the bend, was a
l^rge marshy plain protected by a dyke, behind
which sharpshooters were thought to be lurking.
Commander Macomb ordered the marines of
the squadron to land, and under command of
Acting Ensign Fessett, of the Wyalusing, to
move along the bank, behind the levee, and
look out for the enemy. They soon found the

190 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
rebel pickets and skirmished with them, the
rebels being driven back toward the point
Soon a large body of rebels was found, and a
brisk little action took place. A prisoner being
captured by Sergeant Kane, of the Shamrock,
belonging to Whitford's rebel regiment, re
ported that his regiment was in the swamp, as
the advance of the rebels, whose entire strength
was some six thousand men. The marines con
tinued the skirmishing until nightfall, when they
were recalled, having throughout the day be
haved admirably, sustaining the good reputation
which that branch of the service has always held.
THE VALLEY CITY ENCOUNTERS A BA'ITERY.
No sooner had the Valley City, which con
tinued to be the leading vessel, shown her bow
around the point, than she was saluted by a
battery which the rebels had placed there so
skilfully as to give them accurate and deadly
aim. She replied with great effect, and silenced
the battery; but night fell, and the firing ceased.
During the night all the vessels were annoyed
by the rebels, who would sneak up under cover
of the trees, fire a volley upon our decks, and
skedaddle, their retreat being often accelerated

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAV\'. 19I
by a wholesome dose of grape. During the
day the Valley City had suffered badly from the
rebel battery. Pilot John A. Lewis was shot
through the head with a Minie ball and instantly
killed. He was buried on the bank of the river
— the rebels, with their accustomed barbarity,
firing on the burying party.
A shell exploded in the pilot-house of the
Valley City, badly wounding her other pilot.
A number of her men were also badly hurt.
THE FLEET IN A TIGHT PLACE.
The 2 1 St and 22d were passed in shelling the
batteries on Poplar Point, and endeavoring to
drag the river for torpedoes, that were now
thicker than ever. As fast as our boats would
leave the ships to commence dragging, the
rebels would open on them, wounding and kill
ing the men. A new battery opened on the
Valley City, Inflicting serious damage on her.
The other ships, with their hundred-pounder
rifles, drove the rebels off repeatedly, but only
to return whenever our fire slackened. It \vas
plain that we could no longer do without a land
force to drive the fellows off and clear the way
for our dragging boats. Every moment the

192 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
rebels thickened In the woods; the trees and
bushes were alive with sharpshooters; batteries
were discovered in process of erection in our
rear; and in a word, the position of the squad
ron was critical.
THE FLEET WITHDRAWS TO JAMESVILLE.
Commander Macomb again sent a dispatch to
the colonel commanding the land forces, begging
him to press forward without delay. The reply
was that the army would advance when trans
portation permitted. The position of the fleet
was untenable for twenty-four hours more; to
have remained would have insured the loss of
another vessel ; to advance was impossible
without army co-operation; so, very reluctantly.
Commander Macomb gave the order to fall
back to Jamesville, there to await the action of
the army. The fleet fought its way back for
seven or eight miles, and the rest of the way
was passed in quiet
The Otsego had not yet been put out of com
mission — Commander Arnold and a portion of
her crew remaining on her hurricane deck, and
living al fresco. Her heavy battery had been
removed to the Shamrock and Wyalusing, but

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 193
her brass howitzer still remained on her hurri
cane-deck to defend her crew. A survey was
now held upon her, and It was decided that
it was impossible to raise either her or the
Bazely. Everything that could be removed
was taken away, and two torpedoes were placed
in her hull and exploded, thus finishing the
work of the rebels. Fler remains were then
set on fire, and she was burned to the water's
edge. The entire fleet, with the exception of the
Chicopee and Mattabessett, are now at James
ville ; and the United States steamer Lockwood,
to which Captain Aimes was ordered after the
loss of the Bazely, joined it last night, having
sailed from Newbern to do so.
COMMANDER MACOMB.
The indomitable perseverance of Commander
Macomb and his captains, in pushing on
through a river filled with torpedoes and lined
with sharpshooters for fifty miles, dragging
almost every foot of the way, and driving the
enemy before them, is unsurpassed even in the
brilliant naval history of this war. Many com
manders would have faltered after losing two of

194 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
their vessels; but there was no faltering In
Macomb. It was not until all hope of land
co-operation was exhausted, and until it was
demonstrated that without a land support he
could go no farther, that he consented to
retire. Throughout the whole expedition he asked
his men to encounter no danger that he did
not himself share. His exposure of himself to
death was constant and unflinching ; his coolness
and self-possession never left him ; and in him
his ofificers and men beheld an example worthy
of their emulation.
Thanks of the ofificers of the Otsego to Cap
tain Wood and ofificers of the transport General
Berry :
" Wreck of United States Steamer Otsego.
"Roanoke River, N. C, December 15, 1864.
" The ofificers of this vessel desire to express
their thanks to Captain Wood and other ofificers
of the army transport General Berry, for the
politeness and kind consideration they received
on board that boat, after their own vessel was
blown up by torpedoes, on the night of De
cember 9, and the polite manner in which

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 95
they furnished both ofificers and men every
facility for obtaining the comforts they so much
needed. "H. N. T. Arnold, Lieutenant Commander.
"Henry D. Foster, Ensign and Executive
Officer. "J. P. Gallagher, Ensign.
~"Wm. H. McLean, Ensign.
"George C. Reynolds, Assistant Surgeon.
"Samuel C. Midlam, Acting First Ass't
Engineer. "R. A. RoLFE, Captain's Clerk.
"Robert S. Houston, Paymaster s Clerk.
" Franklin Stedman, Acting Master's Mate."
THAT OLD FAMILY BIBLE THAT WAS SHOT.
A Bible captured near Windsor, North Caro
lina, during the expedition up the Roanoke river,
on the night of December i6th, 1864, by En
sign Milton Webster, on a marauding expedi
tion, is over a hundred years old, as is shown
by its tide page: "Edinburgh: Printed by
Alexander Kincaid, his Majesty's Printer,
MDCCLXIX." The book originally belonged
to W. A. Turner, of Windsor, North Carolina,
as that name appears in gilt upon one of the

196 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
corners of the Bible ; and on a page in the book
appears the following record :
"David Turner and Elizabeth Armistead
were married Tuesday, August 16, 1785.
"David Turner born September 2d, 1738;
Elizabeth Armistead born December 29th, 1759.
"Thomas Turner born July i8th, 1786, 4:30
afternoon ; William Armistead Turner born De
cember 13th, 1787, nine o'clock a. m. They
were both baptized Sunday, August 2d, 1789,
by the Rev. McDowell.
"George Turner born November 24th, about
5 o'clock in the morning, 1789, and baptized
Sunday, twenty-first of February following, by
the Rev. W. Blount
"Sarah Turner born April 28th, fifty minutes
after nine in the morning, 1791, and baptized
November 27th, same year, by Rev. W. Wilson.
"Mary Turner born November 8th, at eight
o'clock in the morning, 1 793, and baptized June
4th following, by Rev. Mr. Petigro, and, died
August 8th, 1 794, some time between three and
four o'clock, which was before day.
"Hannah Turner born October 17th, about
eleven o'clock in the morning, 1796, and was
baptized second Sunday in July following, by
the Rev. W. Joseph Gurley.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 97
"George Turner departed this life August,
1801. "David Turner was born September 2, 1738,
and died May 17th, 1802, In the 64th year of
his age.
" My dear litde Sarah and Hannah Turner
both departed this life March 15 th, 1805.
"Elizabeth Turner departed this life May 17,
1822, aged 62 years, 4 months and 18 days.
" Thomas Turner died on the 6th day of
January, 1847.
"All the forenamed persons, with the excep
tion of the writer hereof are buried In the
graveyard at the plantation whereon the father,
David Turner, and family lived, two and one-
halt miles west of the town of Windsor.
" W. A. Turner."
No doubt the writer of the above is also dead,
and time and the chances of war may have
scattered any remaining members of the family.
THE VALLEY CITY AND HER OFFICRES.
The ofificers of the U. S. Steamer Valley
City were as follows : Acting Master Command
ing, John A. J. Brooks ; Acting Ensign and Ex
ecutive Officer, Milton Webster ; Acting Mas-

198 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
ter's Mates, Charles F. O'Neill and John
Maddock ; Acting Assistant Paymaster, J,
Woodville Sands ; Acting Assistant Surgeon,
John M. Batten ; Engineers — Second Assistant
in charge, James M. Battin ; Acting Third Assis
tants, John Minton and Amos Harris ; Acting
Master and Pilot, John A. Wilson.
Captain J. A. J. Brooks was a North Caro
linian by birth, and was acquainted with the
waters and people of North Carolina. He was
a full-sized man of fine figure, 35 years of age,
brown piercing eyes, light hair, and in general
appearance a fine-looking ofificer. He was brave
and ever on the alert Many nights whilst the
Valley City was lying at the mouth of Roanoke
river watching for the rebel ram Albemarle, 1
found Captain Brooks at all hours on deck — I
often wondered when he slept. In the battle he
was cool and brave. Under his command the
Valley City was considered, by the Confederates
In that vicinity, a terror to the waters of North
Carolina. It was on the Valley City, whilst in a fight at
Elizabeth, N. C, a man sat over the opened end
of a barrel of powder to prevent it from being
ignited, after an enemy's shell had entered and

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 1 99
exploded in the powder magazine, and thus
saved the vessel. The man was immediately
promoted to a gunner.
At many places to which the Valley City
steamed. Captain Brooks would be anxious to
ascertain how many Confederates there were in
the locality. Upon asking some colored people
who were always assembled to greet us, how
many rebels there were at a certain locality,
they would make the following reply : "I don't
know, sah, but dar's a right smaht number dar."
Upon pressing them for a more definite answer
they would repeat, " I don't know, massa, but
dar's a right smaht number dar."
The Valley City, and I believe all naval ves
sels, were directed to go ahead, fast, slow, or
stop, or back fast or slow, by a bell hung in the
engine room, connected with the pilot-house by
a wire which was pulled by the pilot One bell
was to .start; two bells, go ahead slow; four
bells, go ahead fast; and one bell to stop (that
is, when the vessel was In motion); three bells,
back; two bells, back slow; and four bells, back
fast. The time of day was noted by means of a
bell, as follows: One bell, 12}^ o'clock, p. m.;

200 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
two bells, I o'clock, p. m.; three bells, ij^
o'clock, p. m.; four bells, 2 o'clock, p. m.; five
bells, 2^ o'clock, p. m.; six bells, 3 o'clock, p. m.;
seven bells, 3^ o'clock, p. m.; and eight bells,
4 o'clock, p. m.; then, one bell, 43^ o'clock, p. m.,
and so on till 8 o'clock, p. m.; then one bell, 8}4
p. m., and so on till 12 o'clock, p. m.; thus the
time during the first twelve hours of the follow
ing day was noted, and in the same way any
succeeding twelve hours.
Each watch remained on duty four hours, say
from 1 2 o'clock m. until 4 o'clock p. m., when
it v/as relieved by another watch, which would
remain on duty until 8 o'clock p. m., when this
watch was again relieved by another watch
which would remain on duty four hours, or until
12 o'clock p. m.
It would be an officer's duty, on arriving
aboard his own or another vessel, to salute the
quarter-deck by taking ofif his hat, even if there
were nobody on the deck. All who were on
the deck would return the salute also, by taking
ofif their hats. An ofificer arriving on board his
own vessel would always report to the captain
of the vessel, as follows: "Captain, I report my
self aboard, sir." The captain would reply:
"Aye, aye, sir "

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 20I
Some very dark nights the Captain, in order
to time the crew and officers of the Valley City
in getting to their quarters, would spring the
ratde for general quarters ; and such a time
there would be in getting out of our berths,
making hasty toilets, and going to general quar
ters! The whole affair would be very amus-
inof, and sometimes ridiculous.
The small boats attached to a manof-war are
the Captain's gig, dingy, cutters and launches.
The man who guides or commands one of these
small boats is known as the coxswain. A small
boat Is manned by seven to fifteen men, accord
ing to the size of the boat. The coxswain's
command, if he wants to turn sharp to the left
or port is " Hold water port,-give way strong
starboard." And if he still wishes to make a
sharper turn, he commands, " Back water port,
give way strong starboard." If he wishes to turn
sharp to the right or starboard, his command
would be, " Hold water starboard, give way
strong port" or "Back water starboard." In
rowing alongside of a vessel, when the boat has
sufficient headway to carry it alongside, the cox
swain commands the men to drop their oars.
There are many other commands given by the

202 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
coxswain, but it is unnecessary to name them in
this place.
It is a very beautiful sight to see a boat
rowed by fourteen trained men, all dressed
similarly. Saturday, December 31, at 2 a. m., the Val
ley City got under weigh and proceeded up the
Chowan river. She arrived in sight of Winton,
when the Valley City returned down the river
and anchored for the night. Sunday, January
I, 1865, at 4 o'clock p. m., she steamed down
the river, and at 53^ o'clock p. m., she anchored
at ofif Edenton, and the ofificers went ashore.
The weather is cold and windy.
Tuesday, January 3d, 1865, the Valley City,
at 103^ o'clock a. m., weighed anchor and pro
ceeded to ofif Plymouth, where she arrived at 1
p. m. At 8 p. m., she left off Plymouth and
proceeded to ofif Edenton, where she arrived at
10 p. m.
Wednesday, January 4th, 1865, she left off"
Edenton at 7 p. m., and arrived at off Plymouth
at 9^ a. m. Mr. Stevens is aboard. The
weather Is cold.
Saturday, January 7. — During the week the
Valley City has been cruising up Chowan river.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 2 03
Simon's Creek, and around Edenton Bay,
watching for the Philadelphia, a blockade run
ner. Captain Brooks, Paymaster Sands and I
frequently went ashore at Edenton. The
weather during the week has been mild, moist
and rainy.
Sunday, January 8, at 5 a. m., she proceeded
from Chowan river to ofif Edenton, where she
arrived at 7 a. m. Captain J. A. J. Brooks,
Acting Master James G. Green, Paymaster
Sands and I, went ashore and took dinner with
Mr. Samuel B. At 6 p. m., she got under
weigh and proceeded to the mouth of the
Chowan river. The weather is cold.
Monday, January 9. — The weather is delight
ful. The Valley City lay during the day at the
mouth of the Chowan river. Tuesday, January
loth, at 5 a. m., she got under weigh and pro
ceeded up to off Poole's Landing, on the
Chowan river. At 11 : 45 a. m., she discovered
the Philadelphia. She immediately steamed
toward her, and at 12:15 p. m., Mr. Milton
Webster, executive ofificer, took a launch with a
crew of men and boarded the Philadelphia,
which was lying near Colerain, with a cargo of
257 bales of cotton, and tobacco aboard. At i

204 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
p. m., she got under weigh, with the Philadel
phia in tow, and proceeded toward ofif Ply
mouth. At 5 p. m., she anchored at the mouth
of the Roanoke river. The weather is raining
and blustering, accompanied with thunder and
lightning. Wednesday, January 1 1 th, at 8 a. m., she
weighed anchor and proceeded to off Plymouth,
where she arrived at 9^/^ a. m. At ij'^ p. m.,
the Valley City got under weigh and proceeded
to off Edenton, where she arrived at 3:25 p. m.
Captain Brooks, J. W. Sands and I, went ashore,
and called on Mr. Samuel B. At 5:30 p. m.,
she got under weigh and proceeded to off Ply
mouth, where she arrived at 8 p. m. The
weather is cold but pleasant At 9 p. m., she
left off Plymouth and proceeded up the Chowan
river. Thursday, January 1 2. — The Valley City came
to an anchor at i a. m., at off Holly's Island.
At 6 a. m., she got under weigh and proceeded
up the Chowan river. At 7:30 a. m., she came to
an anchor at off " Camp Winfield." Mr. Milton
Webster went ashore, and in company with Mr.
Winslow, they traveled seven miles into the
country, and returned safely at i p. m., with

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 205
Mr. Wlnslow's brother accompanying them.
In the meantime, Captain Brooks, Paymaster
Sands and crew went ashore, and captured
several bales of cotton. She arrived at oft
Edenton at 7 p. m. Captain Brooks, Pay
master J. W. Sands, Mr. Cannon, and Messrs.
Winslow went ashore. The weather is de
lightful. Friday, January 13. — At 6:20 a. m., the Val
ley City got under weigh, and proceeded to oft
Plymouth, where she arrived at 8:20 a. m. The
weather Is beautiful. I spent nearly all day
ashore.' In the afternoon. Dr. Samuel P. Boyer
and I borrowed a couple of cavalry horses from
a cavalry company at Plymouth, N. C, for the
purpose to ride five miles out into the country
to see a sick child of Mr. J., a planter, who was
a Union man or a Confederate^ according as to
whether he was associating with the former or
latter. Cavalry horses will forge ahead on a
fast run from the time you mount them till
they get to the end of the journey or tire them
selves out They are checked up by the rider
saying "ho" repeatedly, and not by pulling on
the reins. The harder the reins are pulled, the
faster they will run. Dr. B. and I not being

206 _ RANDOM THOUGHTS.
expert cavalry riders, pulled on the reins, and
consequently the horses ran the faster till we
arrived at Mr. J's. Dr. B. arrived there before
I did because he had the fleeter horse.
Whilst at Mr. J's., Dr. B. twitted me not a
little on being a poor rider. I retorted it was
not on account of the rider, but that his horse
was the fleeter. To demonstrate this fact, I
watched my opportunity in leaving and mounted
the fleeter horse, and away he ran, faster, faster,
faster, leaving my friend and di5?ppointed Dr.
B. far in the rear. I arrived at Plymouth far in
advance of Dr. B. I demonstrated most effect
ually to Dr. B. the fact that it was not the better
rider but the faster horse that had won the race.
But oh! — next morning we were scarcely
able to get out of our respective berths, and we
there and then resolved that we would never
attempt again to ride cavalry horses. At 7
p. m., she got under weigh, and proceeded
toward ofif Roanoke Island. Saturday, January
14, at 2 a. m., she anchored in Albemarle Sound,
and at 8 a. m., she arrived at ofif Roanoke Is
land. The weather is windy. Sunday, January
15, the Valley City got under weigh at 4 o'clock
p. m., and proceeded toward ofif Plymouth.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 207
Mr. O'Neill, acting master's mate, was very
severely injured by a hawser to which a
schooner was fastened in tow, slipping on the,
kevel. The weather is windy, and the Sounds
are rough. Monday, January 16, she arrived
at off Plymouth at 10 a. m.
Tuesday, January 17. — She got under weigh
at 1 1 a. m., and proceeded to ofif Edenton, where
she anchored at 12:30 p. m. Captain J. A. J.
Brooks, Acting Master James G. Green, J. W.
Sands and I went ashore and took tea at Mr.
Samuel B  's. We spent a very pleasant
time. H. A. Skinner, D. D., was present. At 8
p. m., she got under weigh, and proceeded to the
Chowan river, and came to an anchor at 9:25
p. m., for the night. The weather is delightful.
Wednesday, January 1 8, at 5 a. m., she got under
weigh, and proceeded to ofif Holly's Landing,
where she anchored at 7 a. m.
Thursday, January 19, at 9 a. m., she got
under weigh, and proceeded to off Edenton,
where she anchored at 1 2 m. In the afternoon
I attended the marriage of Acting Master James
G. Green and Miss Cornelia B  , which took
place at Mr. Samuel B  's, the father of the
bride. There were quite a number of the fleet's

208 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
officers present At 8 p. m., the Valley City
proceeded toward off Roanoke Island, with the
bride and groom and the bride's two sisters and
cousin aboard.
Friday, January 20, at 1:30 a. m.; the Valley
City came to an anchor, and at 8:30 a.m., she got
under weigh, and arrived at off Roanoke Island
at 11:30 a. m.
Saturday, January 21st, 1865, I went ashore
at Roanoke Island. The weather is rainy,
foggy, and windy. Monday, January 23, at 2
p. m., she got under weigh and proceeded to off
Plymouth, where she arrived in the evening.
The night Is dark and foggy. Tuesday, Jan
uary 24, the Valley City arrived at ofif Edenton,
and landed the sisters and cousin of the bride,
Acting Master James G. Green and his wife
having proceeded from Roanoke Island north,
on a short tour.
Saturday, January 28, 1865. — At 6 a. m., the
Valley City got under weigh and proceeded to
off Colerain, where she anchored at 10 a. m.
The weather has been extraordinarily cold the
last three days.
Wednesday, February i. — The weather has
moderated and is pleasant The Valley City is

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 209
lying here for the purpose of protecting the
troops ashore, commanded by Colonel Frankle,
and for that purpose she shells the woods occa
sionally. The boat Alison ran against a snag
here and was sunk, and is now being raised.
Saturday, February 4. — At 51^ p. m., the
Valley City got under weigh with the boat
Alison in tow, which had been previously raised
so as to be buoyed up by two schooners, and
arrived at ofif Edenton Sunday, February 5, at
2 a. m., where the Alison anchored, and at 1 1
a. m., the Valley City proceeded toward off
Plymouth; but at the mouth of the Middle
river she was met by the tug Belle, from which
she received orders to return to off Edenton,
to tow the Alison to ofif Plymouth. She arrived
at ofif Edenton at 3 p. m., and at 7 p. m., the
officers and two boats' crews went ashore. At
9 p. m., she took the Alison in tow, and arrived
at the mouth of the Roanoke river, where she
anchored at 2 a. m., Monday, February 6.
There is a rise in the Roanoke river, and its
current is very swift, so that the Valley City
could make but little headway up the river.
Thursday, February 9, at g}^ a. m., the Val
ley City proceeded to off Plymouth, where she

2IO RANDOM THOUGHTS.
arrived at 9^ a. m. Tuesday, February 21, at
1 2 m., she weighed anchor and proceeded to off"
the mouth of the Salmon's creek, where she
anchored at 2:10 p. m. Here there were a
number of contrabands and their effects taken
on board. One of the contrabands stated, she
was 112 years of age, and had seen Washington
in her early life ; she is apparently very old.
At 10 p. m., a boat, with a rebel soldier and two
old men, with bacon, beef and fowls, was hailed,
and the men and their effects were brought on
board the Valley City.
Wednesday, February 2 2d, at 6 a. m., the
Valley City got under weigh and proceeded
to off Plymouth. At 7 a. m., she came to an
anchor at off Walnut Point, and took on board
more contrabands, and at 10 a. m., she pro
ceeded to ofif Plymouth, where she anchored at
11.20 a.m. At 3 p. m., she got under weigh,
and anchored at ofif Edenton at 5 p. m. I went
ashore with Captain J. A. J. Brooks, and called
on Mr. Samuel B  . The fleet at off" Ply
mouth fired a salute in commemoration of the
birth of Washington.
Thursday, February 23, at 3 a. m., the Valley
City got under weigh and proceeded to the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 2 1 I
mouth of the Chowan river, and returned to ofif
Edenton, where she anchored at 8 a. m. Cap
tain J. A. J. Brooks and I went ashore, and
called on Messrs. Samuel B  , Henry B  ,
and Mr. M  . In the afternoon, we interred
Matthew Sheridan, landsman, who had died of
typhus fever. At 5 p. m., we returned to the ship
and got under weigh and proceeded down the
Albemarle Sound to off Laurel Point, where she
anchored at 9 p. m. The weather is pleasant.
Saturday, February 25, at 5^^ a. m., the
Valley City got under weigh and proceeded to
the mouth of the Little Alligator river, where
she anchored at 954^ a. m.
Sunday, February 26, at i^ p. m., the
Valley City got under weigh and steamed
toward Roanoke Island, in pursuit of a schooner
which was supposed to be running the blockade;
but upon boarding her, it was found she had
permission to trade with the inhabitants In that
vicinity. At 6 p. m., she came to an anchor at
the mouth of the Alligator river.
Monday, February 27, at 6 a. m., the Valley
City got under weigh and steamed up the Alli
gator river to off Chlncapin Ridge, where Cap
tain J. A. J. Brooks, Acting Master's Mate

212 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
O'Neill, and myself, with two boats' crews of
men, fourteen in number, went ashore and
marched three miles into the country, through
pines and cypresses. Along the road we put
up a mark on a tree and fired at it ; and
although I was not an expert marksman, I put a
ball nearest the mark. We finally came to a
house occupied by a man and his wife and their
children, who were very poor. The house was
meagrely furnished, and had only one apartment
The appearance of it, inside or outside, was not
very inviting. Captain J. A. J. Brooks asked
the man whether he could provide dinner for the
party. He demurred at first, but finally agreed
to provide such a dinner as the viands in the
house would permit of All the party were very
hungry, and were glad to have an opportunity
of sitting down to any sort of a dinner. The
woman went to work to cook a dinner. ' In the
mean time, the ofificers, men, and host, em
ployed themselves in shooting at a mark. Dur
ing this time the host told us the war had been
a benefit to him, in so far as it had made a tem
perance man of him. Before .the war, he said,
he had been an immoderate drinker of intoxi
cating liquors, but now he was temperate from

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 2 1 3
necessity, as he could get nothing stronger than
water to drink. Dinner was soon announced.
It was set on a table about two feet square,
without a tablecloth. Our dinner consisted of
bacon, corn bread and coffee made from corn.
/ Only four could be seated at the same time
around the table, consequently there were five
successive tables served, occupying altogther
about two hours In eating. We all enjoyed the
dinner, as we were very hungry from traveling
through the pines. After remunerating our
host in a substantial way and thanking him for
his hospitality, we returned to the vessel.
Tuesday, February 28. — The Valley City got
under weigh at 9 a. m., and arrived at off
Roanoke Island at 2:45 P- "^- Wednesday,
March i, at 7 p. m., she weighed anchor and
proceeded toward ofif Plymouth. At 10 p. m.,
she got aground near Croatan Sound. Thurs
day, March 2, at 5^ o'clock a. m., she got
under weigh and proceeded to ofif Plymouth,
where she anchored at 2 p. m. She brought
aboard as passengers Messrs. Douglass and
Winslow, from off Roanoke Island.
Saturday, March 4, at 11 a. m., the Valley
City proceeded to the mouth of the Roanoke

214 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
river, for the purpose of towing a coal schooner
to ofif Plymouth. She arrived at off Plymouth
at 2,/4 p. ni. The weather has been very warm.
Wednesday, March 8th, at 8 p. m., she got
under weigh and proceeded to ofif Roanoke
Island, where she arrived the following day at
6j4 a. m. Mr. Harris, Second Assistant Engi
neer, and I went ashore.
Friday, March lo, at gy^ a. m., the Valley
City got under weigh, and at i p. m., anchored
in the Albemarle Sound. As she was steaming
toward Plymouth, suddenly and unexpectedly a
heavy squall came up, and tossed her about so
much that we were fearful she might be cap
sized. The guns were not made fast at the
time. The ofificers had just sat down to dinner
as the Valley City commenced rolling and pitch
ing tremendously. F"irst we endeavored to save
the contents of the dinner table ; finally this
effort was abandoned in order to save our
selves. We were tossed about the ward
room in an uncomfortable manner. The con
tents of the dinner table went to the floor
and were lost and to mend matters the Val
ley City got into the " trough of the sea." The
howitzers and ammunition above our heads

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 2 1 5
on the poop deck were being tossed from side
to side, and so were also the large guns on the
gun deck. The line ofificers and the crew were
soon engaged in getting the Valley City out of
the " trough of the sea," and securing her guns
by making them fast. The gale continued
about a half hour, after which the Valley City
steamed quietly toward off Plymouth. On Sat
urday, March ii, at 11:20 a. m., she anchored
at ofif Edenton, and at 4:35 p. m., proceeded to
off Plymouth, where she anchored at 7:15 p. m.
Wednesday, March 15, the Valley City got
under weigh and proceeded to the blockade
above Plymouth. Monday, March 20, the
Valley City got under weigh and proceeded to
the mouth of the East river, where she ar
rived at 2 p. m. Wednesday, March 22, the
Valley City got under weigh and proceeded to
ofif Plymouth, where she anchored at 3^ p. m.
At 4^ p. m., she got under weigh and proceeded
to ofif Edenton, where she anchored at 6^ p. m.
Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Paymaster J. W. Sands,
Major Willis, Mr. Tiffing and myself, went
ashore. Friday, March 24, at 5 p. m., she got
under weigh and proceeded to off Plymouth,
where she anchored at 7 p. m. The weather is

21 6 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
beautiful. Saturday, March 25, at ij^ p. m..
Commander Macomb came aboard, and the
Valley City proceeded toward ofif Newbern,
At Sj4 p. m., she anchored in Croatan Sound.
Sunday, March 26, at S/4 a. m., she got under
weigh, and at 7^ a. m., she came to an anchor.
At lO/^ a. m., she got under weigh and pro
ceeded to ofif Newbern, where she anchored the
following day at i a. m.
Friday, March 31, at 3 o'clock a. m., she left
off Newbern, with Commander Macomb still
aboard, and anchored at off Roanoke Island at
5^ p. m. At 7 p. m., she got under weigh, and
proceeded as far as Croatan Sound, where she
got aground, and stuck fast till the following day,
when at 1 2j4 a. m., she got afloat, and then an
chored till 5 a. m., when she proceeded to off
Plymouth, where she anchored at 2 p. m. Com
mander Macomb went on board his own ship,
the Shamrock. At 4j4 P- ni-, she got under
weigh, and proceeded by way of Albemarle
Sound and Chowan river to ofif Winton, and
then up the Meherrin river to ofif Murfreesbor-
ough, N. C, in company with the U. S. Steam
ers Shamrock, Wyalusing, and Hunchback.
The Meherrin river was dragged for torpedoes

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 21 7
from ofif Winton to off Murfreesborough, but
found none. The last three named vessels, with
the Valley City, anchored at off Murfreesbor
ough on Monday, April 3, at 6:35 p. m.
Murfreesborough Is a small, beautifully-
located town, on a high plateau of ground on the
right bank of the Meherrin river, surrounded
by woods. There were two female seminaries
in the place, one a Baptist, the other a Metho
dist. The people were intelligent, but very
much interested in the success of the Confeder
acy. This place was opened up by the fleet for
the purpose of being a depot of supply for
Sherman's army, and was intended to be the
next point of landing after Sherman had left
near Raleigh. In Murfreesborough there were
about one thousand rebels, who gave us great
annoyance till they were finally captured by the
3d New York cavalry.
On the following Tuesday, April 4, Acting
Ensign Milton Webster and myself went ashore
for the purpose of ascertaining the whereabouts
of Paymaster J. W. Sands, who had previously
gone ashore. At a point midway between the
cliff of the river and the town, we met a colored
man who told us we had better be careful, as

2l8 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
there were rebel cavalry in the town. We then
went away from the town in a line parallel with
the river, across a ravine which was at right
angles with the river. Just as we had crossed
the ravine, we saw the rebel cavalry coming
down on the opposite side. We took to our
heels and ran under fire till we got to the
woods, and thence ^o the fleet. When we
arrived aboard the Valley City, we found that
Paymaster Sands had returned on board, and
had taken about the same route ashore as we
had. On Wednesday, April 5, the marines were
formed in line and marched into the town under
cover of the fleet; but as they marched Into the
town the rebels marched out. Acting Ensign
J. B. Fairchilds was very seriously wounded by
an accidental discharge of his ov/n pistol before
starting. On Thursday, April 6, several ofificers and
men of the fleet were ashore, but did not go into
the town. In the afternoon many of our men
approached near the city, where the rebel cav
alry could be seen plainly. Paymaster J. W.
Sands and I had walked about one-half the dis
tance from the river to the town, when we saw

Two YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 2 1 9
the rebel cavalry. We then returned nearer
the river, to a cabin in which two very old col
ored people lived, in the rear of a large log on
which Captain J. A. J. Brooks was standing. We
both went into the cabin. After a few minutes'
stay there In conversation with the colored
people, I happened to look out of the window
and saw the ofificers and men of the fleet run
ning. I immediately said to Paymaster Sands,
"The rebels are coming!" Then we ran out of
the cabin under fire down toward the fleet
The bullets fell all around me as I was running,
and just as I came to a path which led down the
cliff, on which a lot of scrub oak was growing,
the fleet opened fire, and the branches of the
- trees over my head were cut by the flying shells.
I immediately fell out of range of the shells, and
took an unfrequented path which led to the
mouth of the ravine. I soon arrived at the
mouth of the ravine, near by the river. Mean
time the fleet was keeping up a rapid fire. The
remainder of the ofificers and men came down,
but we soon learned our supposed enemy was the
3d New York cavalry, who also thought we were
Confederates. This cavalry force had made a
raid from Weldon, and had approached the town

220 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
from the opposite side from where the fleet was
lying, and in so doing captured the rebel cav
alry in the town of Murfreesborough. There
was fortunately nobody injured. The horses
of the cavalry were covered with foam and very
much heated — so much so that the saddles were
taken from their backs, and they were led
around for an hour before they cooled off.
The same afternoon, after the third New
York cavalry had arrived, many of the officers
of the fleet, feeling that they might visit the town
with impunity, did so. Captain J. A. J- Brooks,
Lieutenant Joseph P. Fyfife of the Flunchback,
James M. Battin, chief engineer of the Valley
City, Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself, by
invitation, took tea with a Mr. C  of the
place. The next morning, Friday, April 7, the
third New York cavalry marched through the
main street and left the town. All the win
dows of the houses on the main street were
closed, and none of their occupants were to be
seen. This was done in contempt for the Fed
eral troops. After our cavalry had departed,
the ofificers and the marines returned to the
fleet, and at 4:15 p. m., the fleet got under

TWO YEARS IN THE'U. S. NAVY. 221
weigh, and arrived at oft Winton at lo p. m.,
where It remained for some time.
Monday, April lo, at 12 m., the Valley City
got under weigh and proceeded by way of
ofif Edenton to off Plymouth, where she an
chored at 2:15 a. m., the following day, At
3:05 a. m., she got under weigh and returned
to off Winton, where she anchored at 12 m.
At this point and time we first heard, through
the New York Herald, that the Confederate
troops under General Lee had been driven
from Petersburg by the Federal troops under
General U. S. Grant There was great rejoic
ing aboard the fleet The U. S. steamers
Shamrock, Wyalusing and Hunchback, fired a
salute In celebration of that event. At 3^/^
p. m., the U. S. steamers Valley City and White
head proceeded to off Murfreesborough, where
they anchored at 6j^ p. m.
Friday, April 14, at 7:50 a. m., the Valley
City and Whitehead got under weigh, and pro
ceeded down the river to off Winton, where they
met the Wilderness, with Commander Wm.
H. Macomb and Lieutenant Commander Earl
English aboard, when the news was received
that the Confederate forces under General Lee
had surrendered to General Grant.

2 22 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The U. S. steamers Valley City and White
head were ordered to proceed to off Murfrees
borough and deliver the news to. the citizens at
that place ; and now, after having read to them
a copy of the New York Herald, they were
thoroughly convinced that the war was over.
Saturday, April 15, at 11:45 ^- "^v the U. S.
steamers Valley City and Whitehead got under
weigh and proceeded to ofif Winton, where they
anchored at 7:55 p. m.
Tuesday, April 18, the fleet first received the
news of President Lincoln's assassination, which
event cast a gloom over the entire nation. At
1 2 : 45 p. m., the U. S. steamers Valley City and
Whitehead got under weigh and proceeded up
the Chowan river to the Blackwater river, up
which they steamed to Franklin, Virginia, where
they anchored at 8 a. m., the following day. The
ofificers of these vessels visited the people
ashore at different times during our stay at that
place. Thursday, April 20, at 8^ a. m., the
Valley City and Whitehead got under weigh,
and proceeded down the Blackwater river to the
Chowan -river, down which they steamed to its
mouth, where they anchored.
There are a great many fish In the Chowan

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 223
river, and the Valley City has often caught shad
and herring by the barrel, in a large seine which
the inhabitants of that vicinity use for the pur
pose. Saturday, April 22, at 4:25 a. m., the U. S.
steamers Valley City and Whitehead got under
weigh and at 8 : 30 a. m., anchored at off Ply
mouth. At 3:20 p. m., the Valley City and
Whitehead got under weigh, and anchored at off"
Edenton at 5 ; 30 p. m., and at 1 1 p. m., the
Valley City and Whitehead got under weigh and
steamed toward off Hertford, N. C, where they
anchored on Sunday, April 23, at 7^ a. m.
At 10 a. m., the ofificers of the two vessels In full
uniform went to an Episcopal service held in a
church in Hertford. The members of the con
gregation were sparsely scattered on seats
throughout the church. Upon the ofificers en
tering and occupying two pews on the left hand
side of the church, that portion of the congrega
tion occupying the same range of seats as our
selves, very abruptly and hurriedly sought seats
on the other side. After listening to a sermon
which was nervously delivered, we quietly and
orderly returned aboard our respective vessels.
Hertford is a small town on. a body of water ex-

224 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
tending from the Albemarle Sound, called Perqui
mans. The people were usually kind and court
eous, after they had discovered that our dispo
sition was, to be friendly toward them. There
were people living there, who were in sympathy,
with the Federal government, and to whose hos
pitality we were kindly invited and welcomed.
One day during our stay at Hertford, Paymaster
J. W. Sands and myself procurred a buggy and
horse, and drove to Edenton, a distance of
twenty miles, and returned to Hertford in the
evening. The trip was not considered a very
safe one, on account of the number of bush
whackers there had been in that vicinity.
Monday, May i, at S}4 a. m., the Valley City
got under weigh, and anchored at off Edenton at
2: lop.m.; and at 5 p.m., she left ofif Edenton and
anchored at ofif Plymouth at 7 p. m. Tuesday,
May 9, the Valley City got under weigh for the
purpose of clearing the Roanoke river of tor
pedoes. The U. S. steamer Iosco, commanded
by Lieutenant Commander James S. Thornton,
accompanied us.
Saturday, May 13, the Valley City and Iosco
arrived at off Hamilton, N. C. Captain Thorn
ton, Third Assistant Engineer Amos Harris,

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 225
Ensign Hull and myself, went ashore and spent
the afternoon. In the morning before arriving
at Hamilton, Lieutenant-Commander James S.
Thornton, of the Iosco, and myself went ashore,
and visited Rainbow Blufif Captain Thornton
made the remark that the place would have been
very difificult to capture with any naval force, so
strongly was it fortified.
Lieutenant-Commander James S. Thornton
was executive ofificer aboard the U. S. steamer
Kearsarge at the time that vessel sunk the rebel
blockade runner Alabama, in which the transac
tion was so quick and complete; Captain
Thornton stated that at 1 1 o'clock a. m., Sunday,
June 19, 1864, when he received the report
of there being a ship in sight, he was seated in
a chair, with his feet resting on the ward-room
table, reading the Bible. The rattle for general
quarters was rung, and the Kearsarge got un
der weigh and proceeded toward the Alabama,
sunk her, and by 2 o'clock of the same afternoon
the Kearsarge arrived at Cherbourg, France.
Comments by the citizens of that place were
made on the cleanliness of the Kearsarge after
sinking so formidable a vessel as the Alabama.
Monday, May 1 5, at i p. m., the Valley City

226 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
arrived at off Palmyra, N. C. I visited the
town. It is a place of about half-a-dozen houses,
situated about a mile from the right bank of the
Roanoke river. At this place Captain J. A. J,
Brooks joined the Valley City with the Cotton
Plant and the Fisher, two steamers which the
Confederates had captured from the Federals at
Plymouth at the time the Southfield was sunk
by the rebel ram Albemarle. There were aboard
these boats fifty bales of cotton. In the evenings
pilot John A. Wilson ran the Valley City hard
and fast aground, so that it took the greater part
of the night to get her afloat.
Tuesday, May 1 6, the Valley^ City steamed
up to off Ergot's Landing, and took aboard
thirty-nine bales of cotton. Thursday, May i8,
the Valley City got under weigh and proceeded
down the Roanoke river and came to an anchor
five miles above Hamilton.
Saturday, May 20, at 9 a. m., the Valley City
got under weigh, and proceeded to off Hamilton,
where she came to an anchor. On Tuesday,
May 23, in the morning Captain J. A. J. Brooks,
Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself, went hunting
for squirrels. Paymaster Sands separated from
us early in the morning. The Captain and I

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 227
soon came to a mulberry tree, on which he shot
a squirrel which was after mulberries ; another
came and was shot, and before night we shot a
dozen. In the evening, upon returning to the
vessel, we met Paymaster Sands, who was also
returning to the vessel. He had been traveling
all day in the woods, but did not shoot a squir
rel. We all proceeded to the Valley Clt}', and
had the squirrels cooked for supper, of which
we ate heartity, for we were very hungry. This
was the last supper I ate aboard the Valley
City. The following morning, Wednesday, May 24,
at 5 : 30 o'clock, I was relieved by Acting Assist
ant Surgeon L. W. Loring, and ordered North
on a two months' leave of absence; and now I
am to say farewell to the ofificers and . crew of
the Valley City, with whom I have shared their
dangers, their sorrows and their joys ; and the
old ship I am also to leave, which has buoyed
us so safely over the short and rugged waves of
the waters of North Carolina, amidst the tor
pedoes, the sharpshooters, and the artillery of
the enemy. This is certainly an occasion of joy,
yet mingled with sadness; " Farewell is a word
that has been, a word that must be, a sound

¦2 28 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
which makes us linger — yet we must say, fare
well." HOMEWARD BOUND.
I went aboard the Eolus, which proceeded up
the Roanoke river, and at 4 : 30 p. m., she met
the Cotton Plant, with Commander W. H.
Macomb aboard, eight miles below Halifax.
The Eolus, with the Cotton Plant, returned to
¦off Edward's Ferry, where they arrived at 7
p. m. I went ashore. This place, which is
a large plantation, was owned by Mr. Wm.
Smith, who owns, or did own, quite a number
•of slaves, who worked the plantation. At this
time the slaves were cultivating corn. The
male slaves, with hoes to hoe the corn, followed
after the female slaves, who drove the horses
and directed the cultivators or ploughs. The
rebel ram Albemarle was constructed at Ed
ward's Ferry, and there was another ram or
iron-clad in process of construction at this place;
but it was destroyed by the rebels at the close
of the war. I saw the landing where these rams
were constructed; the chips from them could be
seen lying all around.
Thursday, May 25. — The Eolus left ofif Ed-

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 229-
ward's Ferry at 10 a. m., and at 8 p. m., she came
to an anchor near Poplar Point, where we visited
the graves of those who had been killed in the
late action at this place.
Friday, May 26. — The Eolus, with Com
mander W. H. Macomb on board, got under
weigh and steamed to off Plymouth, where she
anchored at 12 m. Commander W. H. Macomb
went aboard his own vessel, the Shamrock. At
8 p. m., the Eolus got under weigh and steamed
toward off Roanoke Island, and came to an an
chor at 12 p. m., In the Albemarle Sound.
Saturday, May 27, at 4^^ a. m., the Eolus got
under weigh and proceeded to off Roanoke Is
land, where she arrived at 7:15 a. m. At 2^
p. m., I took passage in the boat Washington
Irving, which got under weigh and steamed till
93^ p. m., when I changed Into the boat Arrow,
which steamed two miles up the Dismal Swamp
canal, and passed by the wreck of the Fawn,
which had been previously captured, sunk and
burned by the rebels, and there came to an an
chor. During the night I slept on a bench, with
my boot for a pillow.
Sunday, May 28, the boat Arrow left Colnjock
at 5 a. m., and arrived at^ Norfolk, Va., at i p. m.

230 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
I took dinner at the National House in that
place. At ly^ p. m., I took passage from Nor
folk in the Louisiana, and arrived at Fortress
Monroe at 3^ p. m. She passed by the wreck
of the rebel iron-clad Merrimac. At 5 p. m.,
the Louisiana got under weigh for Baltimore,
where she arrived Monday, May 29, at 6 o'clock
a. m.; and then I went by way of Philadelphia
home, where I arrived about noon of May 30,
1865. The atmosphere never seemed to me more
salubrious than at this time; the grass never
appeared greener, the flowers never seemed to
exhale more fragrance, and the people never
seemed kinder. It seemed a perfect Paradise
compared with the swamps of North Carolina.
During the time of my "leave of absence," I
met with the following men of note, all of whom
are now dead: Hon. Thaddeus Stevens I met
in the reading-room of the United States Hotel
at Harrisburg, Pa., seated on a chair with his
feet resting on a table, reading the newspapers,
a number of files of which he had lying all
around him. He would first glance at one file
and then at another, till he had examined all. I
have heard of two anecdotes told about him.

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 23 1
One was, whilst meeting an enemy face to face
on the street in Lancaster, Pa., his enemy said
to Mr. Stevens, "I never turn out of the road
of a fool." The latter said sharply, "I do," and
passed around the former. The other incident
occurred whilst Mr. Stevens was very ill in
Washington, D. C. A friend visited him and
complimented him on his appearance. Mr.
Stevens very jocularly replied that it was not
his appearance that interested him (Mr. Stevens)
so much as his disappearance. I have since
visited his grave in Lancaster, Pa., which has
the following inscription upon the tombstone:
Thaddeus Stevens,
Born at Danville, Caledonia County, Vermont,
April 4, 1792,
Died at Washington, D. C,
August II, 1868.
STEVENS.
I repose in this quiet and secluded spot.
Not from any preference for solitude.
But finding other cemeteries limited as to race
by charter rules,
I have chosen this, that I might illustrate
in my death
the principles vi^hich I advocated
through a long life.
Equality of man before his Creator.
1792-1868.

232 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
I also met in Lancaster, Pa., about the same
time, ex-President James Buchanan. But in the
month of June, 1862, I had the curiosity to call
on that gentleman at his home near Lancaster,
called Wheatland. I found an affable, friendly,
heavy-set and' gray-haired old gentleman, seated
in a chair in his library. After entering into
conversation with him upon general topics, he
touched upon his early life, his struggles as a
young man In the profession of law, his nomi
nation and election to the Presidency of the
United States, and also upon his occupancy of
that office. There was anticipation at that time
of Richmond being captured on or before the
coming Fourth of July. I asked Mr. Buchanan
if he thought Richmond would be captured by
that time. He replied that he did not, but he
hoped that the war for the preservation of the
Union would be successfully terminated by the
following July a year. I then asked him if he
thought Napoleon would give his aid to the
Confederacy, as it was rumored at that time
that he would do so. He answered that Napo
leon was a man who kept his own counsel.
During my stay there, there was a gentleman
called upon him for the purpose of soliciting aid

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 233
in defraying the expenses of celebrating the
coming Fourth of July at Lancaster, Pa. He
contributed liberally, and told the solicitor if the
amount he had already given him was not sufifi-
clent, to call again, and he would contribute
more. I have since visited his grave at Lancaster,
Pa., which has the following Inscription upon
the tombstone: Here rest the remains of
James Buchanan.
Fifteenth President of the United States,
Born in Franklin county. Pa., April 23d, 1781.
Died at Wheatland, January i, 1868.
(Second side.) 1781-1868.
<Thirdside.) BUCHANAN.
In 1865 I also called on Dr. Samuel Jackson,
but in the winter of 1862-63 I attended the last
course of lectures that that gentleman delivered
at the medical department of the University of
Pennsylvania, and remember that distinguished
gentleman and lecturer well, and recall with
what feellngf he delivered his farewell address
to the medical students of the class In the spring
of 1863, when he forever bade farewell as a
lecturer, and retired from the chair of physiology.

234 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The tears ran down over his cheeks while he
was speaking, and there were very few dry eyes
in the lecture room. The decrepitude of age
had crept upon him in the many years he had
lectured in the University. He had lost the use
of his lower extremities, so that he had to be
carried to and from the chair from which he
lectured. His hair was gray and his face
wrinkled, but he was still lucid and fluent in his
delivery. He had been Henry Clay's physician,
and in his discourse in the lecture room upon
death, told the story of how timid that great
man expressed himself, as being, as to the pains
of physical death. Dr. Jackson endeavored to
soothe the mind of the great orator by saying
that death takes place by such easy and gradual
processes, that it is entirely void of pain. He
compared death with the going out of the flame
of a candle, that was burning in the room at the
time, and which was flickering out for want of
combustible material. He said, "Mr. Clay, you
see how easily and slowly that flame is being
extinguished ; so it will be with you when dying
— easy, gradual, painless."
During the visit to Dr. Samuel Jackson he
said to me: " I have always, during my life, been

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 235
a hard student, and one of the problems I have
been unable yet to solve, is how much inflam
mable matter in a given time the sun used In
warming that space included in the solar system."
But he stated further, that If unable to solve the
problem in this life, in the next life, to which he
was fast hastening, he hoped to be enabled to
to solve the problem then and there.
At a speech that Dr. Samuel Jackson de
livered at a reception given to the tragedian
Edwin Forrest, at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1838, one
who was present and heard the great speeches
of the evening said: "The speech of Dr. Samuel
Jackson was by all odds the gem of the evening.
His diction was of the best, and a constant
stream of eloquence bubbled from his lips. He
appeared to be of Imagination all compact, and
his fancy seemed to be as free and boundless as-
the chalnless wind. Striking figures and beauti
ful metaphors came at his call as readily as
though he wielded the wand of the magician. His
words, expressing the most beautiful thoughts,
fell from his lips with the grace and readiness
of water sparkling from a fountain. He spoke
with great ease and rapidity, and to the then
immature and inexperienced mind of the writer

236 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
it was the most brilliant and eloquent speech.
He has since heard the deathless three of
America, Clay, Calhoun and Webster: He has
listened with delight to George McDufifee, Wil
liam C. Preston, John J. Crittenden, George
Poindexter, Jefferson Davis and Edward Everett.
He has hung enraptured many times over bis
utterances, while that marvelous child of genius,
Sergeant S. Prentice, poured forth a stream of
impassioned eloquence as resistless as the rush
of the mighty river he loved so well, and on
the margin of which he had his home. That
imperial river, not inaptly termed, ' a great in
land sea,' by Mr. Calhoun, now flows by his
grave ; and its turbid billows, as they roll in
solemn grandeur to the ocean, murmur an
eternal requiem to the memory of the most elo
quent orator of modern times, or, in my judg
ment, of any known period of the world's his
tory. And yet, having often listened to the
great masters of eloquence whom I have named,
the speech of Dr. Samuel Jackson, heard more
than half a century since, still lingers In my
memory, not only as a ' thing of beauty,' but
'a joy forever.' "
I also met with General James L. Kiernan in

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 237
New York city. Whilst visiting in that city I
was called to attend him In an attack of conges
tive chills, which he had contracted whilst on
duty in the state of Louisiana. He had stumped
several of the northern States for President
Lincoln's second election, and had been ap
pointed United States Consul to China after
that election. He filled that office till the close
of President Johnson's administration. He was
a man about forty-five years of age, an ex
cellent conversationalist, a good companion, and
a fine orator.
On September 23, 1865, I was ordered to
Cairo, III, for duty aboard the U. S. monitors
Oneota and Catawba, as a relief to Acting
Assistant Surgeon Geo. C. Osgood. I reported
to Commodore J. W. Livingston for duty Octo
ber 6, 1865, having arrived in Cairo on the pre
vious evening. I stopped at the St. Charles
Hotel all night. The weather was very hot
and dry, the river was low, and for a distance
along shore an unhealthy green foam had
gathered along the edge of the river. Con
gestive chills were quite prevalent there that fall.
Cairo is a large and thriving town, situated
at the extreme southern point of the state of

238 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Illinois. Many of the houses were then built
on stilts or posts. The sidewalks were also
resting on stilts or posts, so that in crossing
a street a person would have to walk down a
pair of stairs, then across the street, and mount
another pair of stairs. During the time of a
rise in the Mississippi or Ohio river, the place
was flooded, and then the citizens would use
boats for the purpose of navigating from place
to place. The town was somewhat protected
from overflows by levees.
The monitors were very nicely finished and
furnished inside. The deck was about six
inches above water. There were four monitors
anchored in a line in the middle of the Ohio
river off Cairo. The names of them were as
follows: Oneota, Catawba, Manyunk and
Tippecanoe. The ofificers of all these vessels
messed aboard the U. S. monitor Oneota.
Acting Lieutenant Commander Wells was the
captain of the Oneota. He was afterward re
lieved by Acting Master H. E. Bartiett.
Thomas Cook was her chief engineer, and Don
Carlos Hasseltino was the chief enginer of the
monitor Catawba. One of the ofificers of the
Oneota was a persistent story-teller, and the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 239
only way to stop him telling a story was to sug
gest to him to make a chalk mark and finish the
remainder of it the following day. One day,
early in the morning, he and I went ashore in
Kentucky, hunting ; and hunted all day without
any dinner. I got very tired and left him^ and
returned to the boat, which was made fast
ashore opposite to the junction of the Missis
sippi and Ohio rivers, where I lay down on a
bru-sh-heap and fell asleep ; but when my com
panion started to row to the Oneota, the rattling
of the oars awakened me, otherwise I would
have been left. One time, during a freshet in
the Ohio river, I think in January, I had occa
sion to go in a cutter to one of the monitors
anchored in the rear of the Oneota. After ar
riving on that monitor, in our attempt to return,
I found that the boat could make no headway
against the current. We struck over along the
Kentucky bank of the river, and did what the
sailor calls " cheating the current ;" that is, we
rowed up along the bank of the river. After
rowing above the Oneota, we crossed the bow of
the Oneota and threw out the end of the painter,
which was instantly tied around the stanchion of
the Oneota. The painter broke, and down the

240 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
river the boat was carried by the current; but-
somebody aboard the Oneota threw the end of a
rope overboard, which we caught, and we were
pulled back aboard. Another time during the
freshet Mr. Thomas Cook and I went ashore in
a cutter, and were nearly carried by the swift
current between two packet boats, but we for
tunately saved ourselves.
A pilot wishing to cross with a packet boat
before or in front of the Oneota's bow, from a
landing on the Cairo side of the river to the
Kentucky side, ran the boat into the Oneota, and
the packet was sunk. The packet boat was
laden with passengers, who were all saved.
Don Carlos Flasseltino was chief engineer of
the U. S. monitor Catawba, but spent most of
his time on board the U. S. monitor Oneota, and
was one of the mess-mates of that vessel. I
associated with him constantly from October 6,
1865, to January 16, 1866. He was a jolly,
kind, sympathetic, and intelligent associate. In
height he was about six feet, and had a large,
wiry frame. His hair and eyes were black ; he
wore a black moustache. He never gave offence
to any one, but would not suffer himself to be in
sulted. He carried two Derringers in leather

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 24 1
pockets buttoned to his pantaloons above the
hips. He was very polite and chivalrous ; but
woe to the person that gave offence or offered
insult. I insert here a sketch of his life.
[From the Cincinnati Enquirer of 1880.]
"A LIFE OF ADVENTURE.
"GENERAL DON CARLOS HASSELTINO'S STORY OF HIS
STARTLING CAREER — REBEL SPY AND UNION
OFFICER — HIS ADVENTURE IN THE ARMY
IN PERU AS A CUBAN REFUGEE.
"General Don Carlos Hasseltino was met by
an Enquirer reporter on a Wabash train the
other day. His life has been one of adventure.
Previous to the war he graduated at Oxford, In
Butler county, in the same class with the gallant
Joe Battle, who, with his brother, fell beside
their father at Shiloh, while fighting under the
flag of the Lost Cause. After graduating he
went to Hamilton and read law with Judge
Clark, who acquired some notoriety at Hamilton
by his advocacy of the right of secession in
1860-61. When the war began, Hasseltino
determined to risk his fortunes with the Con
federacy. He started South under the pretext
of escorting to her husband in Tennessee Mrs.
Dallie, the wife of Adjutant Joe Battle, of the

242 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Sixth Tennessee. They passed south from
Louisville on the last train which left that city
before the war, and arrived at Nashville. From
there, young Hasseltino went to Montgomery,
Ala., then the Confederate capital, where he
was appointed Major, and a little later Lieu
tenant-Colonel; and was ordered to Pensacola,
Fla. When that place fell into the hands of the
National troops, he was captured; but within a
day or two he made his escape. His next
point of duty was at Fort McHenry, from
whence he went to Louisville and bought for
the Confederate troops a quantity of supplies,
and succeeded in getting them safely within the
Confederate lines. When General Grant was
advancing upon Fort Donelson, he went out
as a spy, and spent most of three days with the
Federals. Being recognized, he was ordered
to be shot at nine o'clock in the evening, but In
the rain and darkness made his escape, and
reached the fort at daylight the next morning,
drenched and almost frozen. Upon his report
being heard, it was decided to evacuate the fort
writh most of the forces. From Island No. 10
he fell back to Memphis; and, believing that
nothing would stay the victorious march of the

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 243
Union arms, sent in his resignation, which was
accepted. "SECURING A PASS NORTH.
"When the Federals occupied Memphis he
remained here, trusting to nerve and luck to
get away. To his horror he learned the next
day that Colonel Alexander, of the Forty-eighth
Indiana, with whom he was at college, was made
Provost Marshal of the post, and that no one
could leave the city except on a pass issued by
him. He had some knowledge of French, and
had grown quite a beard since leaving school,
and he determined to take the risk. Walking
into the Colonel's room, with many shrugs and
gesticulations he asked for a 'Permissio San
Louie," and urged it with such vehemence that
the Colonel finally said to his assistant, ' Give
the d — d Frenchman a pass to St. Louis.'
While going up the river he was in constant
dread of recognition, but fortunately did not
meet a soul whom he knew. Hardly had he
landed when he met a former school-mate and
intimate friend from Hamilton, who was then
Assistant Engineer In the Navy. His friend
knew that he had gone south, and accused hira

244 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
of being in St. Louis as a spy. This he denied,
and then told him all the details of his ad
ventures, and finally appealed to his friend for
advice as to what he should do or where he
should go, for he began to feel unsafe there.
His friend advised him not to return to Hamil
ton, where he would be in certain danger; and
finally suggested that he apply for an appoint
ment as an assistant engineer in the navy.
'Why, I don't know a steam-engine from a
horse-power,' was his answer. But his friend
proposed to help him out, and provided him
with a lot of books, which would teach him all
the theory; and at them he went; and in six
weeks he went before the Examining Board
and passed as a first assistant engineer, ar!,d was
ordered to duty on the gunboat Essex, the flag
ship of Commodore Porter, who was in com
mand of the Mississippi river flotilla. This was
jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire. He
knew nothing practically of the engine, thinking
then, as he told his friend, that 'the pumping
engine must be for the purpose of moving the
vessel sidewise.' But luck was on his side.
While lying in port, or before going to duty, he
got a few talks with Commodore Porterj and

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 245
succeeded in getting to the rank of Chief En
gineer in the navy, and assigned to duty on the
staff of the Commodore. If those who read this
will take the trouble to read the report of the
Secretary of the Navy to Congress in 1864, they ,
will find that that official transmitted to Con
gress that part of Commodore Porter's report
which embraces a report of Chief Engineer
Hasseltino on the construction of iron-clad gun
boats, and recommended the adoption of the
report. "INSPECTING GOVERNMENT IRON-CLADS.
"After the close of the ill-fated Red river
campaign, Hasseltino was ordered to St. Louis
to inspect and superintend the construction of
the iron-clads which were being built by McCord
& Co. But just before leaving his vessel he
had a quarrel with a fellow-ofificer, whom he
challenged; but when the challenge was declined
he opened on the other party with a battery of
Derringers, fortunately missing the object of
his aim.
"In 1863, he went to some European port
and bought a blockade runner, the name of
which I have forgotten. In the early part ot

246 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
1866, he was mustered out of service and went
to New Orleans, intending to go into business.
In the July riots he was shot through the
shoulder; and, thinking the climate unhealthy,
went to St. Louis. Here he fell in with a re
presentative of the government of Chili, and
went to South America.
"In an attack on Callao — for Peru and Chili
were at war — he fell into the hands of the Peru
vians, and with his usual luck was sentenced to
be shot. By bribing the guards, he succeeded
in escaping and making his way on board of an
English vessel, and was landed at Panama.
Crossing the Isthmus to Asplnwall, he found a
vessel ready to leave for New Orleans; and,
though without money, managed to secure a
passage to that place.
"Without money he was naturally open for
any adventure, and a representative of the
Cuban rebellion was the first to offer him a
chance. He sailed direcdy to Nuevitas, and
before he had been in that jDort a week had
fallen in love with a young Cuban widow, who,
though childless, was possessed of an immense
plantation. After the briefest possible court
ship, they were married in the latter part of

TWO YEARS IN THE U. S. NAVY. 247
1867 or early In 1868; within three months of
the wedding she died from yellow fever; and
before the end of the year her estate, which he
had inherited, was confiscated, and he barely
escaped with his life, landing In Florida In an
open boat and In a half-starved condition, with
out friends or money. He managed to reach
Indianapolis in July, 1869, when a naval acquain
tance and friend, James Noble, gave him an
outfit of clothes and money sufficient to take
him to Chicago. Here he determined to locate,
and went to work to find business. He got an
agency for the sale of coal, and soon had quite
a start in the coal business. When the Chicago
fire broke out, on that dreadful Sunday night,
he was out on the lake boating with a party of
friends. When he got back, the conflagration
had swept his little coal pile, his office and sleep
ing room, and he was again left in the world
without a change of clothes, and with less than
five dollars In money. The third day of the fire
he was found by Otto Hasselman, of the Indian
apolis Journal, who was on the ground with a
corps of reporters, and by him sent to Indian
apolis, where he was again furnished with an
outfit and a ticket to St. Louis. Shortly after

248 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
reaching that place he entered the service of the
wholesale house of R. L. Blllingsley & Co., and
remained with them until a year ago, when he
purchased a farm In Illinois."
January 16, 1866, I received a two months'
"leave of absence," at the expiration of which I
received the following discharge:
United States of America, )
Navy Department. j
The war for the preservation of the Union
having, under the beneficent guidance of Al
mighty God, been brought to a successful ter
mination, a reduction of the naval force becomes
necessary. Having served with fidelity in the United
States Navy from the 2 2d day of March, 1864,
to the present date, you are hereby honorably
discharged with the thanks of the Department.
Given under my hand and seal, at the city of
Washington, this 23d day of March, one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy.
Acting Assistant Surgeon,
John M. Batten,
U. S. Navy.
Guthrieville, Pa.

COMMANDER CUSHING'S AGED
MOTHER.
A FEW weeks ago I read in one of the daily
papers a statement that the mother of the hero of
the Albemarle was in straitened circumstances.
A few days afterward the same paper contra
dicted the story, and stated further that Mrs.
Cushing was well cared for, and resided in St.
Joseph, Mo. On learning this I sent her a lit
tle book of which I am the author, in which a
full history of the blowing up of the ram Albe
marle by William B. Cushing is given.
On the fly leaf of this little book I wrote:
To the Mother of the Hero William B. Cushing, deceased,
ex- Commander in the United States Navy :
You doubtless have read many stories of your hero son,
William B., but it is likely that you have never read a story
of him by one who talked with him, ate with hira, slept with
him, and sailed with him. I send you the story, hoping it
may be a solace to you in your declining years, and an
heirloom to your posterity. John M. Batten.
I received an acknowledgment of the receipt
of the litde book, which reads as follows ;
(249)

250 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
'St. Joseph, Mo., July 14, 1890.
John M. Batten, Pittsburgh, Pa. — Dear Sir : My
wife's mother, Mrs. Cushing, desires me to thank you in
her behalf for the book which you sent to her, and which
she wishes me to assure you she highly appreciates and
values. Mrs. Cushing is now 83 years of age, and has been till
very recently enjoying remarkably good health for one so
old. She had, however, a slight paralysis a few weeks ago,
from which she has not entirely recovered, and which has not
affected her mind, and only her body to a very small extent.
It is, however, a great task for her to write a letter, and
this is why you receive this acknowledgment of your book
from me, rather than from her. We have a little six-years-
of age son which has been named after his justly celebrated
unc'e, Wra. B. Cushing, and my wife thinks that he is the
exact image of his Uncle Will. I am quite sure that if he
becomes half as distinguished as his uncle, our whole family
will be very proud of him.
It is rarely that we see a mother that has borne four as
noble sons as did Mrs. Cushing. Alas! they are all dead
— one buried at Tucson, Ariz., one at Dunkirk, New York,
one at West Point, and one- — the hero of the Albemarle —
at Annapolis, Md.
Again thanking you for your kindness and thoughtful-
ness, and with many kind wishes from Mrs. Cushing for a
long and happy life, allow me to sign myself as yours yery
truly, E. H. Bouton.
N. B. — Mrs. Cushing has since crossed the
great stream. She passed over on Thursday,
March 26, 1891. J. M. B.

A VISIT TO THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE
IN THE COUNTRY WHERE I
TAUGHT SCHOOL, AFTER
A LAPSE OF THIRTY
YEARS.
It was the 12th of August, 1889, that I got
off a railroad train at a station two miles from
the old school-house where I had taught school
more than thirty years ago. The day was
cloudless and not uncomfortably warm. I got
into a road leading eastward from the station,
which I thought would lead me to the old
school-house. After meandering musingly
some distance along the road, I began to espy
some familiar objects. There was a farm-house
standing yonder on the hillside that I recognized
as the place where Mr. Goggles had lived when
I was last in the neighborhood. The farther along
the road I walked, the more the more familiar
objects multiplied. The old familiar Blue
creek soon could be seen flowing near by.
The gurgling sound of its waters could be heard
(251)

252 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
as it flowed over and around the rocks. The
old identical and familiar covered wooden bridge
crossing said stream, over which I had otten
traveled in days of yore, soon loomed up before
me. I crossed over the bridge and walked
toward a country store near by this bridge.
Whilst walking along this road I tried to com
pare my feelings with the feelings that I had had
more than thirty years ago when walking along
this same road. The day, the scenery, and all
the surroundings, conspired together to make me
happy and buoyant; but somehow or another
there was a vein of sadness stole over my feel
ings when I thought of the gap of a score and
a half years which separated my musings then
from my musings now. As I went upon the
country store porch I asked an old gray-haired
man of three-score and more years, "Is Mr.
Fanglerin?" The old gentleman replied, "Yes,
sir. You will find him in the store." Mr. Fangler
had been , my pupil thirty years ago, a boy of
fifteen years of age then. I walked into the
store. He said, "How are you Doctor B. ?
I am exceedingly glad to see you ;" and I I'e-
plied, " Mr. Fangler, I thank you kindly, but I
am equally glad to see you. It has been a

A VISIT TO THE OLD SCHOOL-HOUSE. 253
long time since we have met, and I am as
tonished that you knew me, for I came upon
you unawares, and there must have been con
siderable of a change in me in the lapse of
years. It does not seem so strange, Mr.
Fangler, that I knew you, for I was expecting
to meet you in this store." Mr. Fangler re
plied, " I had no trouble In recognizing you, as
you have not changed so much in these years."
Dr. B: " But by the way, Mr. Fangler, who
is that old gentleman that was on the porch
when I came In?"
"Why," Mr. Fangler replied, "that is Dr.
Traxly, who was president of the Board of
School Directors when you taught here."
Dr. B. "Why, I would have been so glad
to see him and speak to him."
Mr. Fangler. '' Yes, he was a great friend of
yours, and I have often heard him speak of you,
and I have no doubt he would have been de
lighted to see you."
Mr. Fangler went out on the porch, and then
came in again and said Dr. Traxly had gone
home. Dr. B. "Now Mr. Fangler, please tell me of
all the changes that have taken place in the
neighborhood since I was here."

2 54 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Mr. Fangler went on and told me of many
of the changes that had taken place — where
this one was, and that one, of my old acquaint
ances. Many were dead, some had married
and left the neighborhood, whilst but few re
mained. Whilst he was relating this inter
esting but somewhat sad story of the changes
in the neighborhood, dinner at length was
announced, and Mr. Fangler Invited me to
his home to take dinner with him. Whilst par
taking of a bountiful dinner which was pre
sided over by Mr. and Mrs. Fangler, I took occa
sion to say, " Mr. Fangler, there, has been quite
a transposition taken place In the lapse of thirty
years. Then you were a member of a happy
family composed of yourself, then a boy of fifteen
years, and your brothers and sisters, pre
sided over by your father and mother; and I
had the honor, as well as the pleasure, to be
when in this neighborhood In the capacity of a
teacher, a member of that happy group. Now
you are a father and a husband, presiding with
your better half over this bountifully spread
table before us."
Mr. Fangler replied, "Yes, there have been
many changes that have taken place. My father

A VISIT TO THE OLD SCHOOL-HOUSE. 255
died some years ago. My brothers and sisters
are all married and scattered with their families.
One of my brothers lives at the old homestead,
and mother lives in the stone house near by the
homestead." After dinner Mr. Fangler said, "Doctor,
would you like to take a walk down to see the
old school-house where you taught for a period
of three years."
I replied, "Mr. Fangler, nothing would give
me greater pleasure."
The school-house was In sight. We walked
together leisurely down along the road to the
school-house. The road was familiar to me,
every inch of It, for I had often before walked
along it. We arrived at the old school-house.
It stood on the same ground and was the iden
tical same old school-house, with the exception
that an additional story had been put upon it.
The same shade-tree was standing in the same
old place in the school-yard, with Its leaves be
ing sllghdy ruffled by an almost Imperceptible
breeze from the west. The same road passed
by In front of the school-house. The surround
ings had not much changed. The old farmers
of the neighborhood of thirty years ago were all

256 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
dead, and farms were carried on by either their
sons or by strangers.
I said, "Mr. Fangler, it seems but yesterday
since I was teaching in this school-house, yet it
makes me feel sad to know that thirty years have
elapsed since. It would be almost -impossible
to trace the history of the lives of all my pupils
that assembled in this old school-house more
than thirty years ago."
"Yes," said Mr. Fangler, "there are many of
them that I have lost all knowledge of, although
I have constantly lived in the neighborhood."
Mr. Fangler further expressed himself that he
was very much gratified to meet with his old
teacher at the old school- house once again, and
with what pleasure he was able to recall many
of the happy and profitable days he had spent
with me in the old school-house. I reluctantly
bid the old school-house farewell, and walked
leisurely, and somewhat sadly, with Mr. Fangler,
chatting about my old acquaintances of the
neighborhood, till we arrived at the store, when
I bade him farewell and told him I would visit
his mother in the stone house not far distant.
Old Mrs. Fangler was in the yard when I first
met her. I shook hands with this dear old lady,
and asked her, "Do you know me?"

A VISIT TO THE OLD SCHOOL-HOUSE. 257
She replied, "Yes. It is John M. B."
She is now seventy-nine years old. When I
saw her last, thirty years ago, she was forty-nine
years of age. She invited me into the house, and
we had a very pleasant chat about family and
other affairs for quite a long time. When I made
the move to leave, she invited me to stay all.
night, but time was precious, and I bid her
good-bye and said, "If we do not meet again
before another period of thirty years has elapsed,,
it Is not likely we will again meet in this world."
Thus ended a very enjoyable and long antici
pated visit to the old and familiar school-house
in the country.
John M. Batten.

FLOOD AT JOHNSTOWN, FRIDAY,
MAY 31, 1889.
On that dread night on the Conemaugh,
When fathers, mothers, and their children
Were running forward to and fro
To save their own and others' lives.
The mighty mountain waves came rolling down
Along the mountains' sides.
So swift they came
That they engulphed the inhabitants by the thousands.
The young babe in its miOther's arms,
The father almost wild with grief.
Were floated to death down the Conemaugh.
The happy homes ere that dread hour
Were floated down the Conemaugh.
"The locomotive strong and bulky,
Like a feather was floated down the Conemaugh.
Nothing could withstand the waves.
As they dashed down along the Conemaugh.
The towering oak too was upheaved.
And floated down the Conemaugh.
Ear oft hath not heard the cries and shrieks.
And the dying humanity's groans.
As they were floating down the Conemaugh.
Eye oft hath not seen the anxious face
As it yearned forth for help, (258)

FLOOD AT JOHNSTOWN. 259
Floating down the Conemaugh.
Tongue cannot express the anguish of those
As they were floating down the Conemaugh.
Here fathers, mothers and their children
Succumbed to death.
As they were floated down the Conemaugh.
The railroad train in that dread hour.
With its passengers too.
Was floated down the Conemaugh.
The shrieking whistle,
The driving wheel.
Were floated down the Conemaugh.
The cushioned chair, the golden cup.
Were floated down the Conemaugh.
The hopes and fears of that fatal hour.
Were floated down the Conemaugh.
Our dear friends too in that stricken valley.
Were floated down the Conemaugh.
John M. Batten.
Wednesday, June 2, i88g.
Note. — I make no pretension to poetry, but only simply to express
in some degree the indescribable suffering in the Conemaugh Valley,
on that dread night of Friday, May 31, 1889.

SPAN OF LIFE.
We set out in the morning of life full of
vigor, hope and anticipations — first to own a
hobby-horse, or a little wagon gratifies us as
much as the two-horse carriage will in after
life. To the boy and to the young man so
ciety seems to be a permanent fixture. There
are at his home probably his father, mother,
sisters and brothers, whilst he has his associates,
playmates and schoolmates. He thinks these
will be always abiding friends and companions ;
but time, year by year, severs these ties. Life
appears to be for the most part a continuous
panorama, ever changing and presenting some
thing new. The old picture Is constantly be
coming changed or obliterated, whilst a new
picture moves along the zenith of his observa
tion ; consequently old things and old people
pass away and the new things take the places
of the old, and young people take the places of
the departed. The boy looks forward to better
times and greater enjoyments, but in these he is
(260)

SPAN OP LIFE. 261
often disappointed, for they scarcely ever come
within his grasp. He races after the ignis
fatuus joys of life, but seldom ever catches
them, whilst in this race his old companions
and pleasures pass away from him, and he enjoys
their companionship and consequent pleasures
no more. The strange people, the new things
and pleasures year by year as they are pre
sented before him, become more and more ob
tuse. Even the young men, schoolmates with
whom he enjoyed mutually the pleasures of
boyhood, become estranged, and their compan
ionship Is no longer mutually congenial; one
chooses a certain pursuit in life the other an
other; each becomes wedded to his occupation.
You are more likely to find congenial compan
ions among those who are Interested in the same
business or profession that you have chosen for
a livelihood. Separate locations cause us to
forget one another. Thus the boy who has
grown to be a man is cast in the stream of a busi
ness or a professional life and is hurried along
by the tide of circumstances till he reaches the
sea of old age and death. It matters not how
arduous the struggle, how hard he struck out,
how successful the conflict, how high he lifted

262 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
his head above the more unfortunate of human
ity in the stream, yet all will be eventually
forgotten when they have reached the sea of
death.

DEATH OF GEN. GRANT, THURSDAY,
JULY 23, 1885.
News comes to-day announcing the death
of General U. S. Grant at 8 a. m. To-day
will long be remembered as the day on which
took place the death of one of the great
est generals ; and now that the hero of many
batdes has passed away, he no doubt will be ap
preciated more and more as the years roll on.
I first noticed this rising general in reading the
account of the battle of Fort Donelson, and it
had been my pleasure to have watched his-
career during the remaining battles of the war
In which he was engaged, culminating In the
surrender of General R. E. Lee at Appomattox.
His magnanimous treatment of General R. E.
Lee and his army will long be remembered with
pride. I well remember the assemblage of
Generals Grant, W. T. Sherman, Sheridan,
Hooker and others, on the stage of Library
Hall, Pittsburg, Pa., in 1868. I then thought
that it would likely never be my privilege again
(263)

264 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
to see these great men together, and I never
did. Since then, and at this date, Thursday,
March 5, 1891, Generals Grant, Sheridan, Han
cock, Hooker, Meade, McClellan, Thomas, Pope
and Sherman have joined the army on the other
side. I recollect in the winter and early spring of
1865 when General Grant was hammering away
at Petersburg, Va., and W. Tecumseh Sherman
was marching to the sea and onward, how the
ofificers of the individual vessels of the fleet
which was opening up the Chowan and the
Meherrin rivers to Murfreesborough, N. C, to
have a base of supply there for Sherman's army
in case it ever reached there, would upon every
opportunity presented examine the map of that
part of the country through which it was pre
dicted Sherman's army would march, and we
made an estimate of the difificulties it would have
to encounter in that march. We came to the
conclusion that Lee's army would be compelled
to surrender on or before the first of June, 1865,
but more fortunate occurrences than those we
had calculated upon took place, and Lee surren
dered before Sherman's army had penetrated
North Carolina farther than near Raleigh. Con-

DEATH OP GEN. GRANT. 265
sequentiy Sherman's army never reached Mur
freesborough, N. C.
In a conversation with General W. T. Sher
man at St. Louis, Mo., in 1886, when I told him
how I was one of his boys, in being with the fleet
that opened up the Chowan and the Meherrin
rivers to Murfreesborough, N. C, as a depot of
supply for his army after leaving near Raleigh, ,
he said, " My army never arrived at Murfrees
borough." I said, "General Sherman, for a very
good reason your army never arrived at Mur
freesborough ; the war ended whilst your army
was near Raleigh." He then said that the
march to the sea and onward through the
South was one of the greatest marches of which
we have any history. It had the same paralyz
ing effect on the South as would a dagger
plunged into a vital organ of a man have upon
the individual.
Saturday, August 8, 1885. — The funeral of
General Grant took place to-day. He has been
honored as no other man who took a part in the
war has been honored in this country. Whether
or not he has been deserving of such an honor,
the future will finally develop and determine. I
have no doubt that he was a great general, but

266 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
there were other generals of the war who stood
high in the estimation of the people who are
worthy of the same epithet. General Grant
took charge of the Federal armies when the
South was exhausted of its resources, and there
was nothing to be done but to break the shell
of the egg, the inside of which was empty. I
think that all the generals of the war, from Mc
Clellan to Grant, are worthy, therefore, to be
denominated great generals, and were each a
link in the grand chain of generalship, which
finally ended in the surrender of the armies of
the South, and thereby ending the war of the
rebellion.

ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT
LINCOLN.
I ALSO vividly remember the morning on which
I received the first intimation that the President
of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, had
been assassinated. I was aboard the United
States steamer Valley City as acting assistant
surgeon ; our captain, J. A. J. Brooks, had
gone aboard the flag-ship Shamrock for the
mail, which had just arrived. Immediately and
also almost by magic the flag-ship Shamrock
placed her flag at half-mast. Captain Brooks
lingered on the flag-ship. I surmised, who is
it that has been assassinated, or what great
calamity has happened to the country? I was be
ginning to feel sad : this might seem strange, for
we had been having days of uninterrupted enjoy
ment over the surrender of Lee, with the hopes
of soon reuniting with the loved ones at home.
Could it be Grant, thought I — could it be Lincoln
or Sherman, upon whom the vengeance was
wreaked ? Directly Captain Brooks returned
(267J

268 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
aboard the Valley City with the mail, ^.nd
announced to the ofificers and crew of the
Valley City that Abraham Lincoln had been
assassinated: then it was that our joy was turned
into sorrow, and the ofificers of the U. S. Navy
were ordered to wear crape on their left arms,
for a term of six months, as a token of sorrow.
The fleet was lying ofif Winton, N. C, on the
Chowan river.

ADDRESS BEFORE THE ALLEGHENY
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY, JAN
UARY 19, 1886, ON ASSUMING
THE PRESIDENCY OF
THAT SOCIETY.
Gentlemen, members of Allegheny County
Medical Society, no words of mine will express
adequately a due sense of my gratitude to you
on this occasion. However, I thank you most
heartily for the honor you have conferred upon
me in elevating me to be President of this
Society. It is useless to state it is an honor
I did not aspire to, for who among us would
not aspire to an honor that has been shared
by so many of my worthy predecessors?
I am fully aware that I am not fitted for the
office, but I will deeply endeavor to fill it to the
best of my ability and with your support I hope
to succeed.
Nearly a score of years ago I entered this
society; but many of the leading members of
it then are absent to-day. A few of them,
(269)

270 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
however, still linger amongst us to aid, guide
and protect those of us who may need their
assistance, their guidance, and their protection,
and also to form a link which connects the
chain which unites their early aged contem
poraries in the profession with the young men
of to-day. These few aged members of this
society who still linger with us have been among
the standard-bearers in the profession in this
county, in this state and in this nation for the last
thirty, forty and even fifty years, and therefore
we love them, honor them, and give them very
warm places near our hearts.
Among those who entered the society at the
same time that I entered it, some are also
absent, others whom I see before me, whose
hair is already beginning to whiten in the
harness, will soon, very soon, be regarded-
as the senior members of the profession. To
the young members of the profession I would
suggest, do not arrogate to yourselves too
much skill or knowledge in the profession you
have chosen. It might be well to remember
what a celebrated practitioner of medicine once
said, who stated that when he commenced to
practice he had a remedy for every disease, but

ADDRESS. 271
after he had practiced his profession for a half a
tentury he scarcely had a remedy for any disease.
It is likely that the time is not far distant when the
province of the physician will be more to prevent
disease than to treat it. In the mean time, learn
to labor and to wait. Take records of all your
cases, write them out In full, present them
to this society, and preserve them for future
reference. Attend the society regularly, speak
on all occasions and upon all subjects which
may be presented before the society. The fu
ture success and usefulness of this society will
depend largely upon the interest you take in it.
This interest might be increased if Allegheny
County Medical Society will establish the custom
of having a prize essay on medicine or one of
Its kindred topics read by some one of the young
members at each of our quarterly meetings,
but this is a question for future consideration.
In conclusion allow me to state, I hope when at
last we shall have fought the good fight, finished
our life work and laid down our armor, it may
be said of each of us, "Well done, good and
faithful servant, thou art worthy of rest."

PREPARED TO BE DELIVERED BEFORE
AN EDUCATIONAL BODY.
Mr. President: Speaking as I do principally
to educators, I have thought it proper to open
up a subject of vast importance, and the consid
eration of which will be beneficial. The late
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes has well said that
in order that the people be properly educated it
is necessary that their education should have
commenced three or four generations ago.
Being in a profession the duties of which have
brought me daily face to face with the effects of
sin, I have been induced to believe that the peo
ple have not been properly educated, and there
fore I have been led to select for my subject
this evening the trite old appeal " Deliver us
from all evil." Now, how are we to be deliv
ered from all evil, or sin ? Why, certainly only
by having been taught what evil or sin is, and
its consequences. The Book of books teaches
us that the sins of the fathers shall visit their
children to the third and fourth generations.
(272)

BEFORE AN EDUCATIONAL BODY. 273
Now, what is evil or sin ? Why, a transgression
of the law. What law? God's law, or the nat
ural law. Hence every transgression of God's
law is sin. Suppose a person voluntarily places
his hand into the fire and it is burned so badly
that he permanently loses the use of that mem
ber. That would be a sin, if he knew that fire
would burn. How would It be a sin, when a
man is a free agent, to thrust his hand into the
roaring flames ? Because it injures an import
ant member of his body, and thereby prevents
his usefulness to himself to his family and ta
the State.
The first lie, the first oath, the first theft, the
first use of tobacco, or the first alcoholic drink is
a sin, because a repetition of either will grow
into a habit which corrupts the morals and de
feats the highest form of culture ; and in the
case of tobacco or alcohol the habit will finally
become a disease which injures the body.
Thus I might go through, naming' the cata
logue of sins, the commission of which might
possibly lead to the same result, that is, injury
to self, to family and State, besides the effect it
might have on posterity. Intemperance in
everything is a sin, because it injures the body

^74 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
which is the handiwork of God, and is a vio
lation of God's law.
A point I wish to make is that no teacher
has done his full duty until he has not only
taught his pupils what sin is, but what will be
the consequences that may arise from commit
ting a sin. And whilst it is the duty of a teacher
to instruct his pupils what sin is, it would ap
pear to me to be doubly his duty to impress
upon them the importance of not committing
a sin because of the injury to themselves, finally
to their families and to the State, besides the
effect it may have on posterity. Whilst
teachers may instruct their pupils what sin is^
yet they do not, I think, dwell sufificiently on the
consequences that may arise from committing a
sin. An ill-selected wife or husband is a sin. No
healthy woman nor healthy man should select a
diseased man or a diseased woman for a life's
partner as husband or wife. Like begets like,
and no parent can expect to have healthy
progeny who is not healthy himself Then how
important it is that the teacher should instruct
his pupils in such a way that they will not in
jure their own bodies by sin, and thereby will

BEFORE AN EDUCATIONAL BODY. 275
not place their posterity on the descending
scale of development, physically, intellectually
and morally.
It matters not whether sin is committed by
an individual, by a State or by a nation, each
will suffer the consequences in a degree accord
ing to the sin committed, and neither of them
can escape those consequences. The downfall
of Rome was brought about by the sins of that
nation, and our great American nation may fol
low in her footsteps if the people are not prop
erly bred and educated.
Another point I wish to make, and that is in
regard to Christian faith and prayer or absolu
tion. The common teaching of Christianity is,
that the effect of the sin, of a disobedience of
God's law, can be corrected by faith and prayer
or by absolution. Whereas the truth of the
matter is, that such a condition can only be
remedied, if remedied at all, by a slow process
of strict obedience to that law.
To illustrate: The effect of the sin of mis
cegenation of a Caucasian with an African could
not be corrected by faith and prayer nor by ab
solution, but only by a slow process of evolution
of the posterity of the mulatto to either the

276 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
white or to the black race. In like manner the
progeny of a diseased parent or parents can
only return again to a healthy plane of devel
opment physically, intellectually and morally —
slowly — by a long line of well-selected inter

marriages.

" Why is It that parents and teachers so
persistently and flagrantly neglect to teach or
instruct children In the very things that are
bound to confront them and may possibly
wreck their lives ? They never talk to boys or
girls on social topics, nor try to assist them In
passing difificult points. They either scold or
laugh at them when in trouble."
"The fact of the matter is we have con
founded education with schooling. Indeed, we
have run wild on schooling, which accounts for
such shameful neglect of that education which is
necessary to make useful members of society of
boys and girls. We are content if they pass
through a prescribed course of schooling,
whether they have been trained or not"
"There is seemingly a woful lack of social
training in connection with our higher education.
The mind is stored with figures, angles, planes,
and other sorts of book learning, but the young

BEFORE AN EDUCATIONAL BODY. 277
men and young women come out of school in
almost as unfit condition for useful citizenship as
when they went in."
" Colleges and high-class universities are
necessary for those who desire to become
scholars, but less pretentious schools would
probably be better for those who expect to enter
actively and energetically into the struggle for a
comfortable and creditable existence."*
Boys and girls should not be schooled to
despise manual labor, but rather educated to
consider it honorable, and that a properly de
veloped intellect Is' only a factor to assist in the
labor the hands find to do more easily and
better. The crowning education of a woman should
be to fit her to select a suitable, well-bred,
thrifty and temperate husband; to be a health
ful, kind, gentle, sympathetic. Christian and
affectionate wife; to make home comfortable
with all its surroundings, and to train her
children in such a way that they may grow up
to be healthful, useful. Christian and honorable
citizens. An education on this line would be
also beneficial to the young men.
* Quiet Observer.

278 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Any schooling that tends to weaken us as a
people, physically, intellectually or morally, is a
wrong and should be abandoned, and we should
have instead thereof an education that will lift
us to a still higher plane of development,
physically, intellectually and morally^ and one
that may enable us to be delivered from all
evil or sin.

OUR POSTERITY.
THE ADDRESS OF THE RETIRING PRESIDENT BEFORE THE:
AlyLEGHENY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY, APRIL I9, 1887.
BY JOHN M. BATTEN, M. D.,
OP PITTSBURGH, PA.
The constitution of this Society makes it ob
ligatory upon the retiring President to deliver
an address on medicine or one of kindred
topics. The subject of my address has beea
treated of before more ably than I could even
hope to do; but the good results from frequent
presentment of a subject will as surely follow
as will the wearing of the granite stone follow
the constant falling of raindrops upon it The
subject which I wish to present for your con
sideration to-day is
OUR POSTERITY.
The question, What shall we do to be saved ?*
is just as pertinent a question now as It was-
two thousand years ago. My object princi
pally in this address, is to make a few remarks,,
(279)

28o RANDOM THOUGHTS.
briefly bearing upon the laws of heredity, upon
the great importance of proper selection, and
upon a correct system of education of the peo
ple's physical, intellectual and moral powers.
It has been, I believe, truthfully asserted that
in each generation, in all civilized countries,
there have risen to the surface a few men who
are the ideals of perfection, physically, intellect
ually and morally. If the ancestry of such men
were traced, it would be found that they were
the offspring of parents for several generations
who presented just such qualities with which
their descendants were endowed. Suppose A
was one of these ideal men; it is likely that his
father and mother were persons above the
average physical, intellectual and moral devel
opment, and that their parents were blessed
with the same attributes. We have had many
instances in our own country where an A rose
to a position of eminence, power and trust in
which he exercised a mighty influence in church
or in State, and justly so, by having inherited a
good moral, intellectual, and physical develop
ment It has also been noticed that his de
scendants have exercised the same influence for
several generations, and then have been lOst

OUR POSTERITY. 28 1
sight of entirely. It would seem to be adhering
to the laws of heredity that like begets like, and
therefore A's children, if they made proper selec
tions, morally, Intellectually and physically, would
be on the ascending scale of development; and,
other things being equal, would be stronger
physically, intellectually and morally than their
parents, and so on ad infinitum. And such
would be a fact, but some of A's descendants
make improper selections, and consequently their
children fall belov/ the plane of development of
their parents; and once below this plane of de
velopment it requires many generations, even
though proper selections were made, for the de
scendants who had thus fallen below A's plane
of development to ascend again to that plane.
Suppose A to have selected a wife whose
plane of development, morally, intellectually and
physically, was far below his own plane; it
would follow that his children would be also be
low his plane of development; and so on indefi
nitely, or until A's posterity would become
extinct, provided his descendants continued to
make improper selections. Sometimes, how
ever, a few of A's children, who inherit the
constitutional development of the father, may

282 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
possibly not descend below the father's plane of
development, but his children and his grand
children who inherit A's wife's inferior physical,
intellectual and moral development will, accord
ing to the laws of heredity, descend below A's
plane of development. The question might be
asked: Would it be possible for any of A's de
scendants, who had thus fallen below his plane
of development, to ascend again to the plane
from which they had descended? I believe the
answer to this question might be made truth
fully in the affirmative ; that is, if a wise vigilance
were exercised in their selections. For example,
suppose A and B (brothers), being both equal
in moral, intellectual and physical development,
should each make a selection — the former of C
and the latter of D. The plane of D's devel-
o]3ment is far below that of Cs. The law of
heredity would place B's children on a plane of
development far below that of A's ; and conse
quently, in order that B's children should rise
to the plane of development of A's children, it
would require many generations, even though
wise selections were made.
An exception to the above law might occur
when B's children would inherit the constitution

OUR POSTERITY. 283
of the father, in which case some of B's pos
terity, through proper selection, might not be
affected; but B's children who inherit the con
stitution of the mother would be the most af
fected, and would require the longest time,
through proper selection, to ascend to the plane
of development of A's children.
By our present custom of selection, there
must naturally be a sort of zigzag or shuttle
cock scale of development — some families are
on the ascending scale of development, whilst
others are on the descending scale. Some of
those families' descendants who are on the as
cending scale may place their descendants on
the descending scale by Improper selections^
whilst those on the descending scale may rescue
a few of their descendants from such a scale of
development by proper selections ; but the pos
terity of many families who are placed thus on
the descending scale of development are never
rescued from such a scale of development by
proper selections, but so continue along the
downward scale of development till their pos
terity becomes extinct. So, too, occasionally,
along the ascending scale of development there
may be found an offspring of weakly develop-

284 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
ment ; and, on the other hand, along the de
scending scale there may be found quite a
perfect development physically, intellectually
and morally ; but on the latter scale of devel
opment there is more likely to be found a
feeble body, possibly with a good development
intellectually and morally.
There are many other causes besides im
proper selections which may place families and
their descendants on the downward scale of
development, only a few of which causes we
have time at present to refer to, namely : ac
quired disease, our present system of education,
together with the high-pressure education of
women. I have taken it for granted that both
acquired and hereditary diseases are the prime
factors in the cause of the physical, the intel
lectual and the moral disability of those on the
descending scale of development, and such
should be avoided In selection.
Our present system of education has a
tendency to develop the intellect at the expense
of dwarfing the development of the body. We
should have such a system of education as
wrould develop simultaneously the physical, the
intellectual and the moral powers of the child.

OUR POSTERITY. 285
Dr. Charles K. Mills says : " Education should
be so arranged as to develop the brain by a
natural process — not from within outward ; not
from the centre to the periphery ; not from
above downward — but as the nervous system
itself develops in its evolution from a lower to
a higher order of animals, from the simple to
the more complex and more elaborate. Any
system of education is wrong, and Is calculated
to weaken and worry an impressionable nervous
system, which attempts to overturn or change
this order of the progress of a true develop
ment of the brain. To develop the nervous
system as it should be developed — slowly, nat
urally and evenly — It must also be fed, rested
and properly exercised." It might be added
that the same scrupulous care as recommended
by Dr. Mills in the development of the brain
ought also to be exercised, at the same time
and in the right direction, in the development
of the moral and physical powers.
HIGH-PRESSURE EDUCATION OF WOMEN.
To be; convinced of the fact that this high-
pressure education of women will be conducive
to weaken them as a class physically, and pre-

286 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
vent them from being healthy mothers, and
finally affect the health of their offspring, one
need only open the door of any institution of
high-pressure education of women, and there
observe, too frequently, the pale faces, the
sunken cheeks, the flat breasts, the wasp waists,
and the stooped forms among many of its in
mates. Even Napoleon, with his keen percep
tive mind, nearly a century ago observed the
evil tendency of high-pressure education of
women ; when he was asked the question, by a
high-pressure educated French lady: who was
the greatest woman then living? although the
latter expected a different replj'-. Napoleon
curtly answered: "The mother of the greatest
number of children." A better reply would
have been: the mother of the greatest number
of healthy children. " The first requisite to suc
cess in life," says Mr. Herbert Spencer, "is to be
a good animal ; and to be a nation of good ani
mals is the first condition to national prosperity."
In order that children be good animals it is
necessary for their mothers as well as their
fathers to be good animals. A woman who
throws herself in the current of competition
either for higher literary honors, or in the pro-

OUR POSTERITY. 287
fesslons, or in business, cannot for a long time
remain a healthy animal, and therefore cannot
be a healthy mother, and consequently cannot
bear a healthy offspring. Hence Napoleon's
reply to Madame De Stael was correct, when
he stated that a woman's proper sphere in life
is to be a mother. If Napoleon's answer was
correct — and we have no reason to doubt the
correctness of the answer — then it follows that
to be a mother is the proper sphere of woman,
and any education that would lead a woman to
be other than a healthy mother, will be not only
detrimental to her own offspring, but will finally
affect the posterity of the nation. Dr. Emmet
says " that one effect of this higher education of
women, of which we hear and read so much,
will be to hinder those who would be good
mothers of men from being mothers at all." " In
its full sense," says Herbert Spencer, "the repro
ductive power means the power to bear a well-
developed infant, and to supply that infant with
the natural food for the natural period. Most
of the flat-chested girls who survive their high-
pressure education are unable to do this. Were
their fertility measured by the number of chil
dren they could rear without artificial aid, they

288 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
would prove unable to do this." It might be
added parenthetically, that one effect of this
higher education of women in this country is
the increase of the number of nursing-bottles.
It might be interesting to the advocates of such
an education to know how rapidly the nursing-
bottle is gaining admittance for use in the fami
lies of America. According to a Paris letter, since
his recent centenary celebration, M. Chevreul
has received hundreds of letters from all parts
of his country asking him for the secret of his
strength, with minute inquiries as to what he
eats and what he drinks; when he goes to bed
and rises; how he exercises, and so on. To all
these inquiries the old scientist replies through
the Paris press that the secret of his long life
consists of two words: "good health." For this
gift he says he is indebted to his parents, for
which he thanked them in the dedication of his
works pubhshed in 1870.
The descendants of those now living in large
cities will be ultimately placed on the descending
scale of development if they and their descend
ants continue to remain denizens thereof; for it
has been said, and I believe observation bears
out the truthfulness of the assertion, that if a

OUR POSTERITY. 289
Chinese-wall were placed around a large city
preventing healthy, robust recruits from the
country, the inhabitants of such a city would
become extinct before many generations.
In these times of such a craze for wealth, and
power, and fame, the powers of the intellect are
so pressed at the expense of the body that en
durance ceases, causing in many wrecked con
stitutions, if not premature deaths. With such
there should be called a halt, and less work and
more recreation before it is too late, If they
would prevent themselves and their posterity
from being placed on the descending scale of
development The great importance of proper
and wise selection in marriage should be Indel
ibly impressed upon the young, soon to become
fathers and mothers, not only of this, but of all
future generations, at the home firesides, at the
schools of education, and from the pulpits. It
is a question which is of vastly more Interest
and value to the American citizen. If he wishes
to have transmitted to America's posterity
America in the ascending scale of development,
than all the mathematics and languages that
might be taught in our schools of education, and
all the dogmas and isms that might be pro-

290 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
claimed from our pulpits. Dr. Samuel D. Gross,
shortly before his death, in an address at the
dedication of the McDowell monument, after
discussing the importance of skilful and success
ful laparatomy operations, skilful and successful
ooeratlons for stone, and skill and success in
other capital operations, said: "But the question
of skill and success in capital operations pales
into Insignificance compared with the great
problem of the people's welfare." He further
-said: "The day has arrived when the people
must be aroused to a deeper and a more earnest
sense of the people's welfare, and suitable
measures adopted for the protection as well as
the better development of their physical, moral
and intellectual powers. This is the great prob
lem of the day, the question which you, as the
representatives of the rising generation of phy
sicians, should urge in season and out of season
upon the attention of your fellow citizens; the
question which alone and beyond all others
should engage your most serious thoughts and
elicit your most earnest co-operation."
Consequently, no father should suffer his son
or his daughter to marry a person who could
not present him with a satisfactory certificate

OUR POSTERITY. 29 1
-from a competent physician as to the physical
^tness of that person for marriage. No license
should be granted by County or State ofificlals'to
any individual without a like satisfactory certifi
cate. In fact, the State Board of Health, in
each State, composed of competent physicians,
after careful examination, should issue such cer
tificates to applicants. The family history of
¦candidates for matrimony should be well studied
by parties most interested, and by physicians
granting such certificates. If more attention
were paid to proper selection, and to a correct
system of education of the people's physical, in
tellectual and moral powers, there would be no
need for so many eleemosynary institutions,
which are now dotted thickly all over our land;
there would be fewer courts of justice needed,
and consequently fewer prisons. Much suffer
ing would be prevented; there would be happier
bomes, and in the end America would be popu
lated by a more robust, a more intellectual, and
a more noble people. By our present mode of
selection, I might say, as I wrote on a kindred
subject six years ago, that if it were not that
every birth is a regeneration, and were the
constitutional diseases which diseased parents

292 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
transmit to their offspring not modified by an
inalienable bequest of an older world, and by
the redeeming instincts which our All-Mother
grants to every new-born child on earth, the
people of the world long ere this would have
become extinct. Are we not aware of the fact
that a powerful people once inhabited this fair
land of ours, known as the Mound-Builders?
We do know that the Indians, a powerful race,
did inhabit this country in years gone by.
Where are the Mound- Builders now? and
where is the Indian race? Then, since these
two once powerful races have disappeared from
our land, does it not behoove us to use all
proper means, to throw out all possible safe
guards that God and nature have placed in our
hands, to preserve this great American people
from eventually being placed on the descending
scale of development, and consequently follow
ing in the footsteps of their predecessors, the
Mound-Builders and the Indian races?

SOME THOUGHTS ON MATRIMONIAL
ALLIANCES.
BY DR. PICKSNIFF.
Rev. Dr. Tops says: "Dr. Picksniff is.a physi
cian who has attended two generations of fami
lies, and he has always watched carefully the
effect of marriage on the offspring; so that he,
with his experience, would be a clever man for
a young lady or a young man anticipating mar
riage to consult The Doctor is a great advo
cate of proper selection, and thinks that a great
deal of misery, suffering and sickness in the
world is on that account He, therefore, would
direct the healthy young man or young lady
seeking matrimonial alliance to make a selection
of a healthy wife or a healthy husband. When
the Doctor speaks of a healthy man, or a healthy
woman, he means one who is not only healthy
himself, but sprung from healthy ancestry. He
means also a man or woman who Is not addicted
to intoxicating drinks, and whose physical, In-
(29.3)

294 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
tellectual, moral and religious training has not
been neglected."
Gertrude: — "I am a young lady — a blonde,.
with a wealth of luxuriant hair and white, sound,
natural teeth. I have two sisters and three
brothers. I have a healthy, robust constitution,.
and have just graduated from a female academy.
My parents are healthy farmers, who belong ta
healthy, long-living families. 1 am not afraid
of work, and have assisted my mother at home
in doing whatever my hands found to do. My
brothers and sisters are all extraordinarily
healthy. My physical, religious, moral and in
tellectual training have been of the very best,
I am in the matrimonial market, and have three
suitors, Caleb, Louis and Horace, living in the
neighborhood. One has just returned fronv
college ; has a sort of consumptive appearance,
inherited, no doubt, from his mother, who died
of consumption. His father is very wealthy.
This young man has received a good moral-
intellectual training. The second suitor is a
very well-developed, healthy young man. He
has received his education from the public
schools of the neighborhood. He does not ob
ject to taking a drink of liquor with a friend.

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 295.
though he was never known to have been drunk.
He swears, smokes and chews, and often attends
horse-races. His father and mother are healthy,
but they have been known, at different times, to
have been a little off on account of liquor. The
third suitor is the son of a well-to-do mechanic,
and has mastered his father's business. He is
now teaching school In the neighborhood, but
intends soon to go into partnership with his
father. His father and mother are healthy
people, with a large family of healthy children ;
and the parents have not neglected the physical,
intellectual, moral and religious training of the
children. This young man is rather handsome.
I am somewhat perplexed in making a choice
from these three suitors. My father wants me
to marry Caleb, because his father is rich arid he
is a college graduate. Some of my sisters want
me to marry Louis, because he is a whole-souled
good fellow, and they see no objection in his
taking of a glass occasionally. Dr. Picksnifif
knows these three young men, and attended
their parents' weddings. He is the doctor in
the village in which these three young men's
parents live. Being undecided in my mind In
regard to making a choice, I have concluded to
consult Dr. Picksnifif."

296 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Dr. Picksnifif — "Now, Gertrude, I hope what
I may say in relation to these three young men
that are your suitors, or, in other words, are
each seeking you for a wife, will be kept strictly
confidential, for they are all friends and patrons
of mine. Nothing of a derogatory character
could be said against any of them. But that is
not the question ; you simply seek my advice.
Your object in seeking such an advice shows a
great deal of forethought and caution on your
part If young men and young women would
oftener seek such advice from those who are
older and wiser than themselves, there would be
fewer mistakes in marriages, and there would
be happier ones. Now, Gertrude, the great
object of matrimony is to have happy homes and
to raise healthy children — children whose in
herited intellectual, physical, moral and religious
development will be susceptible of further de
velopment You yourself are a fine type of
physical, intellectual, moral and religious devel
opment. I knew your grandparents on both
your father's and mother's side,, and they were
fine specimens of humanity. Now for you to
make a mistake in selection would be the great
mistake of your life. You might not only bring

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 297
the misery of disease and suffering, on your
self by making such a mistake, but disease
might be transmitted to your children if you
selected a sickly husband. How many sickly
and diseased men have you known to have
succeeded well at any business? I dare say
few. It is the healthy men and healthy women
of the world who drive the business of the
world. Now Caleb has, no doubt, Inherited
consumption from his mother, who you know
died a few years ago of that disease. It is true
his father Is wealthy; but what is wealth to a
man who is sick? Caleb, likely, will always be
a sickly, delicate man, and will never be able to
pursue any business; and, more than that, he
will die soon, and. If you married him, he would
leave you a widow, and likely a mother to sickly
children. I advise you not to marry him. Louis
Is a whole-souled fellow. He is rather a good
business man. He has sprung from physically
strong parents, but their moral development has
not been of the best; besides you know Louis
takes a nip occasionally, and Is profane in the
language he uses. These characteristics have
been, no doubt. Inherited from his parents, and
are likely to be transmitted to his children.

298 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
The appetite for drink may grow on Louis, and
after awhile he may becorne a common drunkard.
Horace is an ideal man physically, intellectually,
morally and religiously. He is handsome,
though poor. He bids fair to be a thrifty, ener
getic business man, and will make you a good
husband. He is agreeable and popular. By
marrying him you will be most likely to be
blessed with healthy children and a happy
home." Gertrude. — "Well really. Doctor, you have
set me to thinking so that I look upon matri
mony in quite a different light The fact of the
matter is, I have been in perfect ignorance of the
great importance of proper selection. My par
ents have never instructed me in this matter.
The topic has never been dwelt upon by the
ministers at the churches I have attended, and I
have never been enlightened on the subject
whilst at school. I begin to see the force of
your remarks, and how necessary it is for the
parents to be healthy in order that they may
raise healthy children. I also have learned by
your remarks that physical, moral, intellectual
and religious development are transmitted from
the parents, and- that Is your objection to my

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 299
marrying Louis. I see truly that I might, if I
married Caleb, acquire the same disease from
him; at all events, his disease is likely to be
transmitted to his children. Wealth truly can
never be compared with a healthy husband and
healthy children. In confidence I can say to
you, I always admired Horace most. The
mutual magnetic influence has always drawn us
together, so that we seemed to be most happy in
each other's company. He has always seemed
to me to be the most manly of the three, and of
this I am now more convinced than ever, since
I listened to your remarks."
Dr. Picksniff. — "Gertrude, I went to school
with your parents, Caleb's parents, Louis'
parents, and Horace's parents. It was before
there were so many conveniences In traveling
as there are now, and people made their selec
tions in their own neighborhood and settled
down there. Your parents always stood at the
head of their classes and were the most active
in all the pastimes or fun-making of the school.
It was hinted that Caleb's grandfather, on his
mother's side, contracted a disease in his
younger days, which was transmitted to many
of his children, and this is why Caleb to-day is

300 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
an Invalid. I remember how dull Louis' mother
was at school ; she was always at the foot of her
class; she did not seem to have a comprehen
sive mind. You may remember that Louis was
also dull at school. He, in this respect, has in
herited the intellectual power of his mother.
Horace's parents were both bright at school
and took a very active part in all the pastimes.
You remember what a bright and comprehen
sive mind Horace always displayed in his reci
tations, and how he enjoyed himself in all the
recreations of the schdol. You now see what
a mistake Caleb's father made in his selection
of a wife. Caleb's father, however, is still
healthy, and received an excellent education
when he was young. He has been unfortunate
in his family, because he did not make choice
of a healthy wife, for out of eight children he
only has two daughters and one son living. The
daughters are healthy, robust girls, as you know,
and may take on the constitution of the father
and live to be old and become mothers of
healthy children, if they make proper selections.
If you should marry Caleb, your children, those
of them that took on your constitution, might
become healthy fathers or healthy mothers; but

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 301
those who partook of Caleb's constitution would
be likely to be sickly and delicate."
Hortense. — "I have inherited good phys
ical, Intellectual and moral powers from my
parents, v,;ho are healthy people. I have a
shapely form, a fine head of hair, and not an
imperfect tooth In my head. I have never
attended any but the public schools. I have
read considerable on all subjects and take great
interest in informing myself on different matters.
I, however, find plenty of time to help my mother
milk the cows, churn the butter, and assist about
the house work. I have especially read all the
books I could find on the laws of heredity and
the importance of proper selection in marriage.
I am not going to marry any sickly man, neither
do I intend to marry a rich man's son — not but
there are healthy rich men's sons, but they
usually spend an aimless life with seemingly no
other object In life than spending their father's
hard- earned cash in riotous and extravagant liv
ing and in carousing. I have been particularly
impressed with the care with which my father
selects his stock and the great care he exercises
in the procreation of It. I have noticed how my
father's stock has improved the last few years.

302 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
I am convinced that the human species can be
improved also by proper selection. I know that
young women and young men may inherit or
acquire disease, which may be transmitted to
their posterity and thereby be an obstacle to the
progress in the improvement of their posterity.
I know the truth of the Scriptural passage,
"The effects of the sins of the fathers shall be
transmitted to their children to the third and
fourth generations." I am aware that the laws
of nature are unalterable, and in order to have
healthy children it is necessary that the parents
should be healthy. When I have satisfied
myself that a young man has no inherited or
acquired disease, that he has no bad habits, that
he is not likely to form any, that he is a thrifty
and energetic man, that he will make me a good
living, and that I am certain the love will be mu
tual, then I am about ready to give him my hand.
I would like, however, that he be handsome,
have a good natural set of teeth, a luxuriant
head of hair, a shapely and manly body and b'e
well-developed intellectually."
Dr. Picksnifif — " Did you observe in Ger
trude's remarks that her parents, teachers, or
ministers had never impressed upon her the

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 303
importance of proper selection? Now, this is a
common neglect on the part of all parents,
teachers, and ministers ; whereas, it would
seem that it ought to be a great duty, and such
an important matter should not be neglected by
the parents and educators of the young people.
You also did not fail to observe that Hortense
had advanced ideas on the importance of proper
selection — she was not Ignorant of the fact
either that young women and young men may
acquire a disease that may destroy their matri
monial prospects for life. She knows of some
young women and some young men among her
acquaintances that she believes have contracted
this dread disease ; they are always sickly, there
is a falling, off of the hair, they have lost their
red cheeks, and have now a leaden complexion
with red blotches on their faces. They are not
as ambitious, hilarious and buoyant as they once
were, and their figures are more angular."
Sophia. — " I am a blonde, and have developed
into a fine womanly form. I have a luxuriant
head of hair, pearly-white natural teeth, and
have Inherited a superb physical, intellectual and
moral constitution from my parents, who are
still living and healthy. My mental, physical.

304 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
moral and religious training has not been
neglected. I am in the matrimonial market,
and In search of a loving, thrifty, agreeable and
healthy husband. I want my husband to be a
large-sized man, not less than 5 teet 1 1 inches
in height, and his weight 1 60 pounds. That he
be muscular rather than fat His figure manly,
his hair brown or black, and his teeth sound.
He also must have inherited a good constitution
and sprung from a thrifty and religious family.
He should be a thrifty man with a good busi
ness tact rather than rich. He must be a tem
perate and a respectable man. I don't under
stand why so many ladies of my acquaintances
have chosen small, undersized men for their
husbands, and more especially large-sized and
well-developed women. I want to have chil
dren that will grow up to be large, well-de
veloped men and women, who will be able to
go forth into the world and make a living. I
am a great advocate and believer in the im
provement of the human species, and do not be
lieve in women marrying sickly husbands. I
am also aware that family weakness, such as
drunkenness, lying, stealing or profanity, may
be transmitted from parent to offspring, and

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 305
that women seeking husbands should endeavor
not to choose from that class of men. I
believe that the improper selections made
by men and women are from ignorance of
the laws that govern heredity. I realize
the truth of the fact that a nearly perfect
man physically, intellectually and morally, in
order to have a son who will grow to be a more
perfect man than the father, that It is necessary
in making his selection to make a choice of a
wife who is more perfect than his mother was ;
and in order to still further improve the stock,
his son will still have to select a more perfect
woman than the father selected, and so on indefi
nitely in order that the posterity of such a man
may continue on a high plane of development"
Sophia. — " I have the offer of marriage to a
man who seems to agree with my ideal of what
a husband ought to be; but upon further inves
tigation I have ascertained that one of his sisters
suffered for a long time with a chronic disease
of the knee joint; she has now recovered with a
stiff knee. This fact has aroused In my mind a
suspicion that there has been a taint in the con
stitution of his ancestors, and for that reason I
intend to reject him."

306 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Dr. Iflcksnlff-;— " Sophia has a good ideal of
what her husband ought to be, and reasons well,
she also seems to have a good knowledge of the
laws that govern heredity and the importance of
proper selection in the choice of a husband. She
exercised a great deal of good sense and good
judgment, and acted wisely in rejecting the man
whom she at first thought was the ideal man ;
but on account of his sister having suffered with
a disease of the knee joint she proposed at least
not to run any risk in her choice. The disease
in the knee joint of a sister of a man who was
seeking a wife would not be an objection to
many women who were in the matrimonial
market, who had not studied the laws of heredity
as Well as Sophia. Yet the fact that there had
been a chronic disease of the knee joint in a
family would be a strong evidence that there
was a scrofulous taint in that family; and Sophia
has acted wisely in rejecting a man who be
longs to a family In which it was possible there
might be a scrofulous taint existing.
"There is some truth in the observation
Sophia has made, that large, well-developed
women select undersized men for their hus
bands. Whilst it may be a fact that many

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 307
large, well-developed women do make such a
choice of men for their husbands, yet it cannot
be considered such a mistake as in the case of
undersized women selecting undersized men
for their husbands, or vice versa; yet it would
be better that a woman of womanly stature
should select a man for her husband of manly
stature. It is true when a large woman mates
with a small man that the progeny arising from
such a union may be large-sized stature and
small-sized stature; that is, those children who
inherit the constitution of the mother may be of
large stature, and those inheriting the constitu
tion of the father of small stature. But, in the
case of two being mated of small stature, one
would not expect that their children would be
of large stature, unless some of the children
should inherit the large stature of some of their
ancestors." Jerome. — "I am a young man who has in
herited a well-developed physique from my par
ents. I have been admitted to the bar to
practice law, and now have a sufficient yearly
income to justify me to marry and support a
family. I have selected a lady who appears
to suit my ideal of a woman physically, morally.

308 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Intellectually and religiously. She is a graduate
of a female college, is an elegant performer
on the piano, and is an interesting and instruct
ive conversationalist. I know the importance
of proper selection, and I therefore am more
particular in studying the family history of this
accomplished young lady before I make a final
step. Her father is a fine specimen of human
ity, and now enjoys good health. Her mother
is between forty-five and fifty years of age, but
has suffered for the last few years with a de
bility of the nervous system, which has caused
her to be an invalid. Before and during her child-
bearing period she enjoyed good health. This
invalidity of the mother has caused me to sus
pect an inherited taint in her constitution which
may finally affect the constitution of the lady in
question In after years, and also her children."
Dr. Picksniff — "Jerome has done well tcv
stop and consider before making the final step.
It is very probable that this young lady. In after
years, will be affected in the same way as is the
mother now; and this inherited nervous debility
of the mother may not only in after years affect
this accomplished young lady, but her mind may
also become affected and she may become In-

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 309
sane. However, this young lady may have In
herited the constitution of the father, in which
-case the lady in question might make Mr. Jer
ome a suitable and healthy helpmate, and she
might become the mother of a healthy family.
Yet, there is a risk on the part of Mr. Jerome In
making such a selection , and risks are dangerous."
Josephine. — "My friends and acquaintances
call me Joe for short. I have the fortune to have
sprung from a respectable and healthy parentage.
There has been no inherited or acquired disease
in my ancestors for at least three generations.
My father is a thrifty farmer and has trained his
family to work, neither has he neglected their
religious, moral, intellectual and physical educa
tion. I have often helped my father in a busy
time in the field and barn. I have assisted my
mother about the house and dairy. I sing, and
play on the organ at church, and take an active
part In church matters. I have a great many
admirers among the gentlemen — they tell me
I have a fine figure, that I am graceful and hand
some. I am a brunette, with sound, beautifully-
set, white, natural teeth. I have had two offers
of marriage, made by Edward and Joseph. Ed
ward is an educated farmer and has his farm

3 ID RANDOM THOUGHTS.
about half paid for. He is my ideal of physical,
intellectual, moral and religious development.
His weight is about one hundred and sixty
pounds ; he is five feet ten Inches in height and
is a blonde. He has sprung from a healthy
family. We are most happy in each other's
company. He has a great many friends among
both men and women. He has made all his
money himself by tact in business. His farm Is
in a state of high culture, and the fences and
buildings are in a good condition. Joseph is the
son of a wealthy merchant in a large city and is
in partnership with his father. The firm does a
large business and is making money. Joseph's
father Is a large, healthy man, but his mother is
a small, delicate woman, and her son has inher
ited the mother's stature and physical constitu
tion, and consequently he is a small, delicate
man; he only weighs about one hundred and
twenty pounds. Joseph's family, on account of
their wealth, move in the best of society and are
highly respectable. I have always been taught
that like produces like ; that if a poor quality
of wheat is planted it cannot be expected that
a good quality of wheat will grow therefrom,
neither can it be expected that healthy children
will spring from a delicate, sickly man.

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 3 1 I
Dr. Picksniff. — " Josephine touches on a very
important question in regard to the comparison
of young people having been born and reared
in a city compared with the young people hav
ing been born and reared In the country. This
introduces the fact that nearly all successful
business men in a city have been born and
reared in the country, and have received their
physical development from working on a farm
or other out-door healthy work. It Is a notice
able fact that nearly all children born and reared
in a city, even if they have had healthy ances
tors, do not inherit the stature nor constitution
of their parents. Josephine attributes the
smallness of stature and delicate constitution of
Joseph to the mother. In this she may be
correct, but the tendency of the people under
all circumstances born and reared in a city for
several generations is to seek a lower plane of
physical development ; and. If their posterity
continues from intermarriages in cities, such a
posterity will finally, from their continual descent
in the scale of physical development, become ex
tinct. Josephine dwells upon the thrift and
business tact of Edward, as well as his physical,
intellectual, moral and religious development

312 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Thrift Is a very important quality for a young
man to possess. It Is far more advantageous to
a young man than wealth, because a thrifty man
is most likely to commence at the bottom of a
successful business or a professional career and
succeed, whilst a rich man who has inherited his
riches may commence at the top of what has
been a successful business and fail. There Is
another point, too, that Josephine develops in
her remarks, and that is, besides the fact that
Edward is thrifty, he has the physical constitu
tion to drive his business and thereby succeed.
Men in any occupation must be healthy if they
would succeed."
Maud. — "I am proud of my ancestry ; though
I am poor, I belong to a family whose ancestry
have been Governors of States and United
States Senators. My forefathers and mothers
have been on the ascending scale of develop
ment; they have, therefore, been careful in their
selections. 1 am a young lady, and have fortun
ately Inherited all my parents' physical, intel
lectual, moral and religious development. There
is a man sixty years old, a bachelor, whose father
was once Governor of a State ; he is rich, healthy
active man, and is well respected in the com-

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 3 1 3
munity in which he lives. This man wants me
to become his wife. I have often heard it said
that it is better to be an old man's darling than
a young man's slave; besides, If I marry him
he tells me he will settle half his wealth on me
on the day that the wedding takes place, and at
his death will will me the balance of his estate.
I am not particularly in love with him, yet I think
I might endure him for a few years for the pur
pose of getting his wealth ; then, after his death,
I could marry whom I pleased."
Dr. Picksniff. — "Maud, you would make a
great mistake in marrying a man who is so
much your senior — in fact, he is old enough to
be your father. Young women have done be
fore just what you propose to do now in marry
ing this old man, and they have always re
gretted it all their lives. This old man could
never be a companion of yours, nor could you
be a companion of his. His likes, dislikes,
tastes, and enjoyments, would be entirely dif
ferent from yours. You would possibly have
children to him. If you did, you could not ex
pect such offspring to be as strong and vigorous
men and women as your ancestors have been.
You would, therefore, be taking a retrograde

314 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Step In placing your posterity on the descending
scale of development In a few years you
might be left a widow, with or without a family.
In either case you would not be as competent
again to make as proper a selection as you are
now. You would, therefore, be compelled to
spend a lonely and desponding widowhood the
balance of your days. You would have money,
true; but with all the money of this rich bach
elor, under such circumstances, you could never
be as happy as by selecting a man near your
age, and whom you love and respect, and whom
you know will make you a healthy, loving and
thrifty husband. It is your duty, as well as
your privilege, to continue your posterity on the
ascending scale of development by making a
proper selection; then it is most likely you will
continue your posterity on the ascending scale
of development by selecting such a husband
from among your many healthy, well-developed,
and thrifty young men acquaintances."
"Ambrose is a healthy young man, a blonde,
and traces his ancestry back for two or three
generations. They have been, on both his fath
er's and mother's side, healthy, sober, upright
and thrifty people. No taint of either constitu-

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 3 1 5
tlon or character can be traced. He is a me
chanic, and is in a position that will justify him
in marrying a suitable wife. He is paying at
tention to and admires a young lady of fine pres
ence, a brunette; she appears to be a healthy
woman, but she has had four sisters die of con
sumption ; there are eight children of the family
living. The parents are both living and thrifty
people. They have given their children a good
education and some of the sons are good busi
ness men. The father of this family is a healthy
Scotch-Irishman. The mother sprung from
parents of whom the mother died of consump
tion, and consequently all the children, except
the mother of said young lady, died of that
disease." Dr. Picksniff. — " Inherited disease in this fam
ily Is very striking indeed. The mother of this
young lady no doubt has inherited her father's
constitution, and will likely live to be old. The
four children who have died had inherited the
grandmother's constitution through their mother.
Those that are living may have Inherited the
father's constitution, and consequentiy the re
mainder of the children living will live and have
healthy children ; yet the Inherited taint in the

3l6 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
constitution of the grandmother will continue
for several generations to affect those of the
grandmother's posterity that inherit her consti
tution. It would be better that Ambrose dis
continue his addresses to the lady in question,
and seek a suitable young lady for his wife, who
had sprung from a family whose constitutional
record was healthy."
" Sheridan is a healthy young man, a brunette
with a good physique, has had an excellent
physical," intellectual, moral and religious train
ing, and sprung from parents whose ancestry
have been long-lived and healthy, robust people.
Sheridan seeks a wife and thinks he has found
one in the person of a blonde, who appears to
suit what has been his ideal of a suitable woman
to make him a wife. The mother of this young
lady is of good physical, intellectual, moral and
religious development The father Is a delicate
man who has inherited a delicate constitution.
Some of the sisters of this young lady are deli
cate and the common saying in the neighbor
hood in which they live is that they get hysteria."
Dr. Picksnifif. — " Now Sheridan has exercised
some good sense in making such a discovery of
the family weakness from which he is about to

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 3 1 7
Select a wife. Weak-nerved women would not
make a useful helpmate, nor would they be
likely to bear as healthy, robust children as
Sheridan would wish and the laws of heredity
might demand. The hysterical young ladies
have no doubt inherited their constitutions from
their father. The young lady in question when
debilitated in any way may also take on this
weak, nervous constitution from the father, and
might become an invalid for the balance of her
life. Sheridan, therefore, would do well to con
tinue his search a little further, and he may
doubtless yet be enabled to discover a suitable
companion and wife. He must be sure that
whilst she possesses some qualities which in
sure a good wife, she must not lack being a
Christian, temperate and loving woman, and the
love must be mutual. A woman should be a
Christian, sober woman ; the more Christianity
a woman possesses, the better wife and mother
she will be. He should be very careful that the
woman he makes a choice of for a wife is not ad
dicted to intemperance. If there is anything
that destroys womanliness in a woman more
than another, it is intemperance or drinking
alcoholic stimulants. Intemperance in any way

3l8 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
is bad enough in the male, but in the woman it
is abominable. He should beware, therefore, of
the intemperate woman, no difference what
other good qualities or how much wealth she
may possess."
Woodville writes: "I am a school-teacher in
one of the district schools, and have inherited a
good figure and physical constitution from my
parents. I have two brothers and three sisters,
all living and enjoying good health. My par
ents are old, but still hale and hearty. They
were never known to be sick. My brothers
and sisters are all stout and well- formed, and
have received a good physical, intellectual,
moral and religious training. I want to select a
healthy, well-educated and religious woman for
my wife, whose parents and their children are
all healthy. The woman, too, must be agree
able, loving, thrifty, a good housekeeper, and
not a scold. I met a young lady some time ago,
who lives at a distance, at an educational con
vention, and it must have been love at first
sight, for I greatly admired her and wonder
how in the world I will ever find out anything
about her.
Picksniff. — "There is an old saying, 'You may

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. 319
go farther and fare worse.' This adage may
often prove to be true, and Woodville may
make a mistake; but it Is just as necessary for
him to use the same precautions In selecting a
wife who lives at a distance as in selecting one
from near home. He should study her well, and
find out the family history of the one with whom
he expects to live for and during life. He
should know that he was selecting a healthy
and suitable companion, one that would be a
helpmate to him in life. Woodville would be
justified to inquire of this young lady's friends
as to her character, standing and peculiarities,
and leave no avenue unexplored in finding out
all about this young lady. Better court a lady
at your leisure than marry in a hurry and after
ward regret it.
"There could be no objection to Woodville
marrying this young lady who lives at a distance,
provided he used the same necessary precau
tions against making a mistake in his selection
as he would do in making a choice of a wife
frorn among his acquaintances at home. The
truth is, everything else being equal, it would be
better that Woodville marry an entire stranger,
as the progeny arising from such a union, is

320 RANDOM THOUGHTS.
likely to be an improvement on what might
arise through Intermarriages for a long time
in the same neighborhood."
We've come to the end of our Random Thoughts. To
the reader we extend a wish to criticise the jots.

VALE UNIVERSITY

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