. Young folk's history of the war for the union . a sailing vessel,being in tow. The Oneidapassed safely, nearly cuttingin two one of the enemysgunboats, but the Varuna,after disabling and runningashore several of her oppo-nents, was struck by aniron-clad ram, and had herside stove in. Finding theship sinking, her com-mander, Charles Boggs, ran her into the bank, where she went tothe bottom in fifteen minutes, leaving part of her bow abovewater. The guns were kept at work to the last moment, noman leaving his post until driven away by the water. Amongthe bravest and coolest of the crew was Osc
. Young folk's history of the war for the union . a sailing vessel,being in tow. The Oneidapassed safely, nearly cuttingin two one of the enemysgunboats, but the Varuna,after disabling and runningashore several of her oppo-nents, was struck by aniron-clad ram, and had herside stove in. Finding theship sinking, her com-mander, Charles Boggs, ran her into the bank, where she went tothe bottom in fifteen minutes, leaving part of her bow abovewater. The guns were kept at work to the last moment, noman leaving his post until driven away by the water. Amongthe bravest and coolest of the crew was Oscar Peck, a lad thir-teen years old, who was acting as powder-boy to one of the rifledguns. During the hottest of the fire he was busily engaged inpassing ammunition, narrowly escaping death when one of theConfederate gunboats poured a broad side into the Yaruna. Com-mander Boggs seeing him, all begrimed with powder, runningalong the deck, asked him where he was going in such a hurry. To get a passing-box, sir; the other one was smashed by aball!. Mortar Vessels Disguised. 222 JVEW OB LEANS. [1862. When the Varuna went down the boy was missed, and it wasfeared that he was among the victims of the battle. But pres-ently he was seen swimming toward the wreck. He had stoodby his gun until swept away by the swash of the water as thevessel sank. Clambering uji to where Commander Boggs stood,he raised his hand to his forehead with the usual salute, andsaid, All right, sir. I report myself on board! Commodore Farragut had followed with the Hartford andthe other ships closely after Captain Bailey, and running withinhalf a mile of Fort Jackson poured in a heavy fire. Farragutdescribed the scene as one of the most awful sights he ever wit-nessed. The smoke was so dense that it was only now and then you could see any-thing but the flash of thecannon and the fire shipsor rafts, one of which waspushed down upon us (theHartford) by the ramManassas, and in my ef-fort to avoid it ran theship on
Size: 1706px × 1465px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1881
