. The story of American heroism; thrilling narratives of personal adventures during the great Civil war, as told by the medal winners and roll of honor men . enlisted January20, isf)8. and was drafted to the U. S. S. Georgia, but afterward transferredto the Galena with rank of quartermaster. In such position it was his duty to take charge ofthe wheel: but the actual labor of handling thespokes was done by one first-class and one ordi-nary seaman. In the Mobile engagement the Galena wasmade fast to another vessel, and, as it was,during this passage past the forts, the workof steering was both l
. The story of American heroism; thrilling narratives of personal adventures during the great Civil war, as told by the medal winners and roll of honor men . enlisted January20, isf)8. and was drafted to the U. S. S. Georgia, but afterward transferredto the Galena with rank of quartermaster. In such position it was his duty to take charge ofthe wheel: but the actual labor of handling thespokes was done by one first-class and one ordi-nary seaman. In the Mobile engagement the Galena wasmade fast to another vessel, and, as it was,during this passage past the forts, the workof steering was both laborious and ship did not yield readily to her helm,and. in addition to the task of combating thisdifficulty it was necessary that Martin shouldobserve clearly every signal made by theadmiral. The engagement began, increasing mo-mentarily in herceness, until one of the mendetailed to assist the helmsman lost his headentirely, and deserted his post. The Oneidahad begun to yaw. and that in the most dan-gerous portion of the channel, where the tor- pedos had been planted thickly in the hope the oncoming fleet. At the same time. Extinguishing tiik Fiuk. the Oneidas wheel was shattered by a solid shot,leaving all the work of steering to be done on the Galena. Then it was that the Tennessee advanced, pouring such a fire into thesetwo vessels that the pilot of the Galena, who until this moment had remainedbravely at his post, ran into the cabin to hide himself, and JVhirtin was leftat the wheel, steering ])]indly through a narrow channel with death lurkingbeneath every wave. It may, perhaps, be said with truth that sheer luck guided the helms-man, but there must have been plenty of pluck behind it, to have induced AMERICAN HEROISM. 719 him to remain at his station when men who had been longer in the service,and were in less exposed positions, were fleeing in terror from the fearfulshower of missiles. On the Lackawanna. George Taylor, armorer on the U
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