Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . oin Colonel Ellsworths Fire Zouaves. I wasassistant foreman in 39 Hose, and the youngest fireman in theDepartment, and I had a rattling send-off from the boys when I 6o2 Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies. enlisted on April 18, 1861. John McManus became my comrade inranks. He and I got relieved from guard mount on Saturday, themorning of March 8, 1862, the day of the plucky fight, and went onboard the Cumberland. We hadnt been there long when the jmac hove in sight, and the Cumberlands deck was
Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . oin Colonel Ellsworths Fire Zouaves. I wasassistant foreman in 39 Hose, and the youngest fireman in theDepartment, and I had a rattling send-off from the boys when I 6o2 Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies. enlisted on April 18, 1861. John McManus became my comrade inranks. He and I got relieved from guard mount on Saturday, themorning of March 8, 1862, the day of the plucky fight, and went onboard the Cumberland. We hadnt been there long when the jmac hove in sight, and the Cumberlands deck was cleared for and I had the chance to go below, but we said we ?stay there and fight, and he and I were put on duty at gun and Stripes flew at the main royal mast, and at the ifloated the fiery red battle-flag. Well, the Merrimac ran up alongside, and we opened fire oneach other in the liveliest possible fashion, I can tell you. For aboan hour, shell and canister and grape came pouring in from all gave her a red-hot broadside, and if we ever had had the chance. William , Tcinie^i to repeat that dose, it would probably have settled the Merrimac;but we didnt get the chance. She ran her prow right into us unour bow, and the men began to drown in the magazine while theywere getting ready for another sockdolager. My comrade and Ihung on to our gun while the vessel was sinking, and it fired thelast shot sent from her. The man who pulled the lanyard had had his right arm blown off by a shot just a few moments before, but hestuck to his post and yanked the string for that parting shot withhis left hand. I caught sight of a boat as the water began to fill usup uncomfortably, and jumped into it and rowed ashore withLieutenants Morris and Selfridge, and Surgeon Martin. The rebsgave us no sort of a show. .They poured grape and canister intothe rigging where our men clung, and sent a shell after us in theboat. It went whizzing past, and struck the hea
Size: 2149px × 1163px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidldpd63166850, bookyear1885
